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135
THE HUNCHBACK
God lays his burden on each back:
But who
What is within the pack
May know?
But who
What is within the pack
May know?
All pointed at the Hunchback. He, they said,
Was hideous; and their scorn
Doubled the anguish which bow'd down his head,—
So friendlessly forlorn.
Was hideous; and their scorn
Doubled the anguish which bow'd down his head,—
So friendlessly forlorn.
Low bow'd his head, even lower than was need,
For all his Atlas weight;
Bow'd with men's scorn, and with his own sad heed
Of what might be the freight
For all his Atlas weight;
Bow'd with men's scorn, and with his own sad heed
Of what might be the freight
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'Neath which so painfully his being creep'd:
‘Was it a heritage,
Growth of his father's sins on him upheap'd?
Or his own sinful wage?’
‘Was it a heritage,
Growth of his father's sins on him upheap'd?
Or his own sinful wage?’
Ask'd he of lawgiver and sage and priest,
Of all the esteem'd and wise;
And gat no answer. Nay! not even the least
From worshipp'd Beauty's eyes.
Of all the esteem'd and wise;
And gat no answer. Nay! not even the least
From worshipp'd Beauty's eyes.
Not that they spake not. Some said—It was nought,
There was no hump at all;
And some that—It was nothing which he sought—
The why such did befall;
There was no hump at all;
And some that—It was nothing which he sought—
The why such did befall;
Some laugh'd; and some long visages did pull;
Some knew not what he meant;
But the Belovéd was so pitiful
He cursed her as he went.
Some knew not what he meant;
But the Belovéd was so pitiful
He cursed her as he went.
Some bade him quit vain inquest, and delight
Each sense with pleasant things;
And some swore 'twas the sign that Heaven would blight
His highest imagings;
Each sense with pleasant things;
And some swore 'twas the sign that Heaven would blight
His highest imagings;
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And some—An operation would remove
The mere excrescent flesh;
While others—Pruning it would only prove
How fast 'twould grow afresh.
The mere excrescent flesh;
While others—Pruning it would only prove
How fast 'twould grow afresh.
And some, who cited law and gospel, laid
New heaviness on his neck:
Let him that hath have ever more, thèy said,
And let the wreck'd bear wreck!
New heaviness on his neck:
Let him that hath have ever more, thèy said,
And let the wreck'd bear wreck!
Yet after every check, repulse, and scoff,
He ask'd again, again—
What is this burthen? Can none take it off?
Is there no end of pain?
He ask'd again, again—
What is this burthen? Can none take it off?
Is there no end of pain?
Flung back on his own soul, what he inquired
Was hardly, sadly taught;
With desperate travail he at length acquired
Something of what he sought.
Was hardly, sadly taught;
With desperate travail he at length acquired
Something of what he sought.
He found there was a meaning: that was much:
He trusted God was Good:—
These thoughts made patience earnest, out of such
He earn'd some spirit-food.
He trusted God was Good:—
These thoughts made patience earnest, out of such
He earn'd some spirit-food.
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And grew: for all the evil hump remain'd,
Like Sindbad's Man o' the Sea.
Only he had no hope to be unchain'd:
How from himself get free?
Like Sindbad's Man o' the Sea.
Only he had no hope to be unchain'd:
How from himself get free?
At last came Time, who from the chrysalis
Brings forth the rainbow'd fly;
Of Time he ask'd—What was this weight of his?
And Time gave full reply.
Brings forth the rainbow'd fly;
Of Time he ask'd—What was this weight of his?
And Time gave full reply.
Time mask'd as Death, yet smiling, did unpack
The worn man's crushing load:
Two wings sprang forth; high o'er the cloudy wrack
The Angel, whom men call'd That Poor Hunchback,
Through farthest heavens rode.
The worn man's crushing load:
Two wings sprang forth; high o'er the cloudy wrack
The Angel, whom men call'd That Poor Hunchback,
Through farthest heavens rode.
So, looking westward yestereve, I knew
A figure of warm cloud:
A very humpback till his load he threw,
As Lazarus left his shroud.
A figure of warm cloud:
A very humpback till his load he threw,
As Lazarus left his shroud.
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