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87
A DISCIPLE.
“For so saith Saint Bernard, ‘Quoties vincis, toties coronaberis.’”
It is told in The Lives of the Fathers
That once a disciple kept
A watch by his weary master,
The whole long while he slept.
That once a disciple kept
A watch by his weary master,
The whole long while he slept.
He had sat before his master,
And hearkened his holy lore;
But the teacher was worn and tired,
And at last he taught no more;
And hearkened his holy lore;
But the teacher was worn and tired,
And at last he taught no more;
For upon the willing spirit
The frailty of flesh had prest,
And the slumber sealed his eyelids,
And wrapt him around with rest.
The frailty of flesh had prest,
And the slumber sealed his eyelids,
And wrapt him around with rest.
So the lad sat still before him,
Nor rested in sleep, for, lo,
He must not leave the master,
Until he had bid him go.
Nor rested in sleep, for, lo,
He must not leave the master,
Until he had bid him go.
88
And because of the tender pity
That ‘runneth in gentle heart,’
He would not arouse the master,
To know if he might depart.
That ‘runneth in gentle heart,’
He would not arouse the master,
To know if he might depart.
The old man went on sleeping,
Before him the lad sat still;
And the time crept on full slowly,
Till dawn broke gray and chill.
Before him the lad sat still;
And the time crept on full slowly,
Till dawn broke gray and chill.
Then the master woke from slumber,
And, looking around, he said,
‘Art here yet, my disciple?
Now get thee straight to bed.’
And, looking around, he said,
‘Art here yet, my disciple?
Now get thee straight to bed.’
And, when he was gone, the master
Lay in his sleep again;
And, lo, in his sleep, a vision
Came to him clear and plain.
Lay in his sleep again;
And, lo, in his sleep, a vision
Came to him clear and plain.
He saw, in a lovely palace,
A glorious golden throne,
With raiment rich and royal,
And seven fair crowns thereon.
A glorious golden throne,
With raiment rich and royal,
And seven fair crowns thereon.
A voice came through the silence,
There spake to him one in white,—
‘This throne and these crowns the seven,
Thy disciple hath earned to-night.’
There spake to him one in white,—
‘This throne and these crowns the seven,
Thy disciple hath earned to-night.’
89
The master woke from his sleeping,
And called to the lad, and spoke,
‘How was it with thee while I slumbered,
And thou sattest till I awoke?’
And called to the lad, and spoke,
‘How was it with thee while I slumbered,
And thou sattest till I awoke?’
Quoth the lad, ‘I thought full often
To waken thee sure were meet;
But I could not, for very pity,
Because thou didst sleep so sweet.’
To waken thee sure were meet;
But I could not, for very pity,
Because thou didst sleep so sweet.’
And, oh, I was fain be going,
For sleep did mine eyelids grieve;
But thou hadst not bid me quit thee,
And I must not without thy leave.’
For sleep did mine eyelids grieve;
But thou hadst not bid me quit thee,
And I must not without thy leave.’
‘And how often,’ said the master,
‘Didst conquer thy thought for me?’
Then smiled the boy disciple,
‘It was good seven times,’ quoth he.
‘Didst conquer thy thought for me?’
Then smiled the boy disciple,
‘It was good seven times,’ quoth he.
The master smiled upon him,
For he knew within him this,
How the seven crowns of his vision
Were the seven kinds of bliss
For he knew within him this,
How the seven crowns of his vision
Were the seven kinds of bliss
That should come to him who would not
Be tempted to seek his rest,
But waited, himself denying,
And, waiting, had won the best.
Be tempted to seek his rest,
But waited, himself denying,
And, waiting, had won the best.
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