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AN OLD CONSPIRACY.
They met in haste, they met with guile,
Old Hanan mumbling in his beard,
Proud Pilate with a weary smile,
And Herod trembling to have heard,
And Caiaphas, the man of sin,
Arch-leader of the Sanhedrin.
Old Hanan mumbling in his beard,
Proud Pilate with a weary smile,
And Herod trembling to have heard,
And Caiaphas, the man of sin,
Arch-leader of the Sanhedrin.
They closed the doors, the soldier stood,
They asked him of the Crucified:
Stained with the water and the blood,
His spear was leaned against his side,
And he had felt the body cold
That Joseph in fine linen rolled.
They asked him of the Crucified:
Stained with the water and the blood,
His spear was leaned against his side,
And he had felt the body cold
That Joseph in fine linen rolled.
“Now swear thee, dog, thou didst not break
The legs of Him who hung with three—
Worst malefactor—for the sake
Of bribe to set this Jesus free.
They spear but grazed, it gave no wound,
Swear that this Christ not died but swooned.”
The legs of Him who hung with three—
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Of bribe to set this Jesus free.
They spear but grazed, it gave no wound,
Swear that this Christ not died but swooned.”
“Cæsar, I swear,” the soldier said,
“But all the world that came to see
Knows well this Christ was good as dead
Before we nailed Him to the tree;
He drank no cup to dull the pain,
Who swears He swooned but swears in vain.”
“But all the world that came to see
Knows well this Christ was good as dead
Before we nailed Him to the tree;
He drank no cup to dull the pain,
Who swears He swooned but swears in vain.”
Then crafty Caiaphas began,
“Nay, sirs, He died, talk not of swound,
Nacdimon is a careful man,
He would not waste a hundred pound
To spice a body but in faint
And save it from corruption's taint!
“Nay, sirs, He died, talk not of swound,
Nacdimon is a careful man,
He would not waste a hundred pound
To spice a body but in faint
And save it from corruption's taint!
“Say, while the watch lay right and left,
Deep drugged, friends came, the seal was broke,
Rolled the great stone far up its cleft,
And as this poor Pretender spoke,
Made Him arise the promised day,
And bore His corpse by stealth away.
Deep drugged, friends came, the seal was broke,
Rolled the great stone far up its cleft,
And as this poor Pretender spoke,
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And bore His corpse by stealth away.
“Better this word than as at first,
With larger monies spread the tale,
For that wild fisher, mad, accursed,
Doth with the people much prevail,
And dares the priests bring forth the Lord
Unrisen, and so make vain his word.”
With larger monies spread the tale,
For that wild fisher, mad, accursed,
Doth with the people much prevail,
And dares the priests bring forth the Lord
Unrisen, and so make vain his word.”
There Pilate smiled, “The people know
Your priests were fearful He should rise;
Peter's bold challenge doth allow
No answer but your craven lies.
Methinks it doth more Roman seem
To say Christ comes, but comes in dream.
Your priests were fearful He should rise;
Peter's bold challenge doth allow
No answer but your craven lies.
Methinks it doth more Roman seem
To say Christ comes, but comes in dream.
“Mine own wife, Procula, who sent
To bid me nothing have to do
With that just Man and innocent,
Has dreamed she sees Him come and go:
Down the deep Tyropean way
He seemed to walk this very day.”
To bid me nothing have to do
With that just Man and innocent,
Has dreamed she sees Him come and go:
Down the deep Tyropean way
He seemed to walk this very day.”
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Ah! how “that Fox's” face grew white,
That Idumæan Sadducee!
“Dreams cannot hurt us though they fright,
Yea, let Him come in dream to me,
And do the marvels He refused
When in mine hall He stood accused.”
That Idumæan Sadducee!
“Dreams cannot hurt us though they fright,
Yea, let Him come in dream to me,
And do the marvels He refused
When in mine hall He stood accused.”
Thereon the soldier blunt replied,
“Masters, I know one who hath thrust
His hand into that Vision's side,
And I have heard from him, I trust,
How this same dream can break wheat-bread
And by the food of men be fed.
“Masters, I know one who hath thrust
His hand into that Vision's side,
And I have heard from him, I trust,
How this same dream can break wheat-bread
And by the food of men be fed.
“Yea, can speak words so men may hear,
Talks Galilæan roughly still,
But, like a dream, doth disappear,
Appears, when doors are closed, at will;
Walked to Emmaus without pain,
Though feet were pierced as plain as plain.”
Talks Galilæan roughly still,
But, like a dream, doth disappear,
Appears, when doors are closed, at will;
Walked to Emmaus without pain,
Though feet were pierced as plain as plain.”
Lo! even as he ended, came
A sigh of silence on the air,
And with His wondrous eyes aflame,
For love, not hate, the Christ was there!
None spake—thereafter nought was said
Of Christ, dream—risen—swooned—or dead!
A sigh of silence on the air,
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For love, not hate, the Christ was there!
None spake—thereafter nought was said
Of Christ, dream—risen—swooned—or dead!
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