The Dawn in Britain :: :: University of Virginia Library

The brethren choose, then, four men out, by lot,
By twos, to wend; and view the land, and look
For Mnason's ship. Phelles, with Aristobulus;
With Shalum, Alexander. Upland, pass
These; seaward those, the shores along to search.
Sought Aristobulus down, by the salt tide,
Till noon; when Phelles, climbed, by thicket rocks,
Their stranded keel, mongst yonder shelves, descries.
Even whilst they gaze, strange thing is come to pass!
Rushing from seaward, tumbling heady billow,
The Eagor! whose long spumy crest o'er-rides,
The ship: and all her frame of beams and boards,
Dissolves. Soon then, upon that race of water,
It rising up, like some vile basket work;
Is carried down, again, on windy flood.

Come to the valley's brow, that other pair,
A land discern, as laurel Gilead!

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Lawns, crofts, eared fields, they view, holts, lofty woods;
Oaks, which had Britain's antique soil brought forth,
Ere Israel was a nation! Till the sun,
To mid-height, draws, they went: under wood-shaw,
Then sit, awhile, to rest, for weariness.

Those wander forth, anew, at afternoon:
Then met with them, in green wood solitude,
One who spake, Peace! in tongue of Canaan:
And they stood, speechless; for his countenance was,
Like unto his, (than whom, of women, born,
Is greater none,) which, erst, baptized in Jordan:
And in whose neck, they saw shine wound of sword!
His visage like the dawn; and seemed as gold,
Which, in a furnace gleams, the prophet's hairs:
And cast his Nazarite raiment parfume forth,
Of heavenly places. And seemed John to stand,
Betwixt two oaks; and whose boughs seemed then burn,
Yet were their leaves not withered. And the son
Of Zechariah, outstretched, (that crystal seemed,)
His hand; and spake to Shalum, Feed Christ's Flock!
And comfort ye my brethren, with this voice.

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And John, being lifted up, before them went;
And, at the border of a grove, this vision
Was parted from them; which they saw no mo.

As dazed, those longwhile linger, by the way.
Nor much, ere setting sun, they come again.
Among the saints, then, sitting, silent, down,
Perceive the brethren, those had seen some vision!
But, after prayer; when they have tasted meat,
And strengthened were their hearts, they, looking up,
To heaven, give thanks: and, sith, they tell the church,
What vision they of John, to-day, have seen.
And was not John declared, to be Elias,
Of the Lord's lips; which was, before the Christ,
To come? When this new thing have heard the saints,
To end; with joy exceeding, they rejoice;
Oft singing hymns, oft praying, on their knees.
And loud Thy name; as they outwatch the night,
Resounds, O Christ, on this far heathen coast!

The same night, Ithobal, Phelles and old Malchus,
With Pistos, lifting up, in one, their voice,
Require to be baptized, unto Christ's death;
And Joseph grants. Clear shine the holy stars,
As they, together, wend down to salt shore;
Where bubbling spring upwells, in the clean sand.
The brethren follow, singing all sweet lauds.

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Then he, whose hands washed Jesus' body, dead,
Poured living waters, on those bowed-down heads.
And the eyes of all were opened; and beheld
They, as a great cloud of witnesses, in heaven,
Angels, like stars, in high ascending ranks;
And that, (which seemeth some musick of the spheres,
As gentiles feign,) o'er them, with harps, rejoice.

When mount they up, from thence, singing sweet lauds,
Are radious Malchus' and his fellows' looks;
That seems a star, on each their fronts, to sit.
And come again, yet trembling, to their lodge;
The saints salute them, with an holy kiss;
And shaken was the floor, beneath their feet.
But they are flesh, and must have timely rest;
So lay them down, when now far-spent the night,
And dew of kindly sleep falls on their hearts.

The silver-paved morn, when they awake,
Shines as vast holy temple, in the East;
And pearling dew lies on each spire of grass.
They kneeling down, in pure aparted place,
Pray, as this sun, might go before them Christ;
With signs, which should bear witness of their troth.