The Poetical Works of James Thomson The City of Dreadful Night: By James Thomson ("B. V."): Edited by Bertram Dobell: With a Memoir of the Author: In two volumes |
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THE DELIVERER
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 | The Poetical Works of James Thomson |  |
277
THE DELIVERER
I was a captive. Massive walls sevenfold
Encompassed all the prison high and bare;
The stone, the brass, the iron, the triple gold,
And yet another which we knew not there.
Encompassed all the prison high and bare;
The stone, the brass, the iron, the triple gold,
And yet another which we knew not there.
Year after year I wasted there alone;—
Now quiet, crushed beneath that woe immense;
Now moaning with a weary changeless moan;
Now frantic with still-baffled impotence:
Now quiet, crushed beneath that woe immense;
Now moaning with a weary changeless moan;
Now frantic with still-baffled impotence:
And heard at times through all that stony gloom
The idiotic laugh, the piercing cry
Of others; each within his living tomb
Chained, wretched, helpless, impotent as I.
The idiotic laugh, the piercing cry
Of others; each within his living tomb
Chained, wretched, helpless, impotent as I.
Until one eve, when I felt sick to death,
I found a love-prayer cowering in my heart:
And clothed it with strong wings of passionate breath,
And sent it thro' the heavens to plead our part.
I found a love-prayer cowering in my heart:
And clothed it with strong wings of passionate breath,
And sent it thro' the heavens to plead our part.
278
“O dreadful Lord, O gracious God, I know
That I and all the other captives here
Have wrought, each for himself, this doom of woe:
Yet Thou, All-merciful, bend down Thine ear!
That I and all the other captives here
Have wrought, each for himself, this doom of woe:
Yet Thou, All-merciful, bend down Thine ear!
“Alas, alas! what have we for a plea?
We are most wretched; wretched most in this,
That, tho' we strive, we cannot burn to Thee
In love as Thou to us and all that is.”
We are most wretched; wretched most in this,
That, tho' we strive, we cannot burn to Thee
In love as Thou to us and all that is.”
In that same night, when I was fallen asleep
After such agony of yearning prayer,
A voice came gliding through my slumber deep,
A voice, a glow, a waft of vital air.
After such agony of yearning prayer,
A voice came gliding through my slumber deep,
A voice, a glow, a waft of vital air.
I woke; and, raising gloom-attempered eyes,
They blinked at lustre, but no form could see.
The Voice rang singing sweet, “Awake, arise!
And come out hither, and be ever free!”
They blinked at lustre, but no form could see.
The Voice rang singing sweet, “Awake, arise!
And come out hither, and be ever free!”
I stood—the fetters kept no longer hold;
I walked straight forward through the dungeon-wall,
And through the others—brass and iron and gold;
And passing thro' them felt them not at all.
I walked straight forward through the dungeon-wall,
And through the others—brass and iron and gold;
And passing thro' them felt them not at all.
279
And all the while that Voice sang full and sweet,
“Come forth, come forth, poor captives everyone!
Oh, shut not fast your ears when I entreat!
Come forth, and breathe the air and see the sun!”
“Come forth, come forth, poor captives everyone!
Oh, shut not fast your ears when I entreat!
Come forth, and breathe the air and see the sun!”
I thought myself quite free, when, lo! I found
An adamantine barrier foil me there:
I could not see, could scarcely feel its bound,—
A wall, a curtain woven of pure air.
An adamantine barrier foil me there:
I could not see, could scarcely feel its bound,—
A wall, a curtain woven of pure air.
What poignant anguish pierced my blissful trance,
Thus baffled at the very verge of Heaven!—
“Dear Angel of divine deliverance,
Assist me here, for I in vain have striven!”
Thus baffled at the very verge of Heaven!—
“Dear Angel of divine deliverance,
Assist me here, for I in vain have striven!”
Louder and sweeter rang the glorious Voice,
“Has one, then, wakened up to feel my breath?
All holy spirits in your choirs rejoice;
Another soul is saved from bonds and death!”
“Has one, then, wakened up to feel my breath?
All holy spirits in your choirs rejoice;
Another soul is saved from bonds and death!”
The Spirit was beside me dazzling bright;
It burned the way before me through that wall;
And I was free beneath the heaven of night,
Nor felt the barrier I passed thro' at all:
It burned the way before me through that wall;
And I was free beneath the heaven of night,
Nor felt the barrier I passed thro' at all:
But looking back could see a wall-veil then,
As smooth as glass, opaquely black as jet,
Towering on high beyond my farthest ken;
But know not by what name to call it yet.
As smooth as glass, opaquely black as jet,
Towering on high beyond my farthest ken;
But know not by what name to call it yet.
280
As one who almost swooning drinks of wine,
I drank in deep the universal air
And glorious freedom of the world divine;
Then fell down worshipping the Splendour there.
I drank in deep the universal air
And glorious freedom of the world divine;
Then fell down worshipping the Splendour there.
It raised me gently as a wounded dove,—
“Revere, but worship not, a fellow soul:
Adore the Infinite Wisdom, Truth, and Love,
The life and breath and being of the Whole.”
“Revere, but worship not, a fellow soul:
Adore the Infinite Wisdom, Truth, and Love,
The life and breath and being of the Whole.”
It was compact of such intense pure flame,
That still mine eyes were shut to It, in sooth;
The ardour from It thrilled through all my frame
Like new and purer blood, new life, new youth.
That still mine eyes were shut to It, in sooth;
The ardour from It thrilled through all my frame
Like new and purer blood, new life, new youth.
It kissed my brow with such a ravishment
Of burning bliss that half I swooned away,
And felt my spirit soaring forth unpent
From its dissolving funeral urn of clay.
Of burning bliss that half I swooned away,
And felt my spirit soaring forth unpent
From its dissolving funeral urn of clay.
“Henceforward re-assume thy primal dower!
I bless thee unto perfect liberty
Of holiest faith and love: 'tis in thy power
As thou art now, in heart to ever be.
I bless thee unto perfect liberty
Of holiest faith and love: 'tis in thy power
As thou art now, in heart to ever be.
“On earth's most miry ways shall slip thy feet,
This brow itself may catch the evil stain;
But faith and love can burn thee pure and sweet:
—Farewell, until we may unite again!”
This brow itself may catch the evil stain;
But faith and love can burn thee pure and sweet:
—Farewell, until we may unite again!”
281
How did these gracious words beneficent
Fill me with dread and agony!—I cried,
“Great Spirit, if it be Thy blest intent
To save me truly, leave not yet my side!
Fill me with dread and agony!—I cried,
“Great Spirit, if it be Thy blest intent
To save me truly, leave not yet my side!
“Stay with me yet awhile, Deliverer, Thou!—
I am too weak with chains, too blind with gloom,
For unassisted life; left lonely now,
I must relapse into that hideous tomb.
I am too weak with chains, too blind with gloom,
For unassisted life; left lonely now,
I must relapse into that hideous tomb.
“Or at the least, disrobe awhile Thy form
Of its too much effulgence, that my sight
May meet Thy face; and so thro' every storm
Preserve one Guiding-star, one Beacon-light.”
Of its too much effulgence, that my sight
May meet Thy face; and so thro' every storm
Preserve one Guiding-star, one Beacon-light.”
“Because I burn in my pure nakedness,
Thou canst not meet me with thy mortal gaze . . .
Thy prayer is granted: a material dress,
A form of shadowing gloom my soul arrays.”
Thou canst not meet me with thy mortal gaze . . .
Thy prayer is granted: a material dress,
A form of shadowing gloom my soul arrays.”
Oh bliss! I saw Her thro' the sevenfold veil;—
A mighty Seraph shining ruby-clear,
Clothed in majestic wings of golden mail;
A sun within the midnight atmosphere.
A mighty Seraph shining ruby-clear,
Clothed in majestic wings of golden mail;
A sun within the midnight atmosphere.
But still her countenance I scarce could scan,
For living glories of the golden hair,
And rapture of the eyes cerulean
As solemn summer heavens burning bare.
For living glories of the golden hair,
And rapture of the eyes cerulean
As solemn summer heavens burning bare.
282
Around her head a crystal circlet shone,
Fore-crested with a pure white flying dove:
In emeralds and in sapphires writ thereon,
Athwart the brow, one word was flaming,—Love.
Fore-crested with a pure white flying dove:
In emeralds and in sapphires writ thereon,
Athwart the brow, one word was flaming,—Love.
And when she spoke her voice was now so sweet
In soft low music, tremulous with sighs,
That one might dreaming hear his Mother greet
With such a voice his soul to Paradise.
In soft low music, tremulous with sighs,
That one might dreaming hear his Mother greet
With such a voice his soul to Paradise.
“He is so weak, so weak who should be strong,
Weak as a babe, faint-hearted, almost blind;
The curse of previous bondage clingeth long:
He must not lapse into that den behind.
Weak as a babe, faint-hearted, almost blind;
The curse of previous bondage clingeth long:
He must not lapse into that den behind.
“The sun indeed shines ever in the sky:
But when the realm is turned from him to night,
When moon and stars gleam faint and cold on high
Or else are veiled by stormy clouds from sight;
But when the realm is turned from him to night,
When moon and stars gleam faint and cold on high
Or else are veiled by stormy clouds from sight;
“The traveller then through field and sombre wood
Finds his own poor dim lamp best guide his feet;
The man at home his household taper good
For useful light, his household fire for heat.
Finds his own poor dim lamp best guide his feet;
The man at home his household taper good
For useful light, his household fire for heat.
“Celestial flowers are set in earthly clay:
However small the circle of a life,
If it be whole it shall expand for aye;
And all the Heavens are furled in Man and Wife.
However small the circle of a life,
If it be whole it shall expand for aye;
And all the Heavens are furled in Man and Wife.
283
“So thou, the man, the circle incomplete,
Shalt find thy other segment and be whole;
Thy manhood with her womanhood shall meet
And form one perfect self-involving soul.
Shalt find thy other segment and be whole;
Thy manhood with her womanhood shall meet
And form one perfect self-involving soul.
“Thy love shall grow by feeling day by day
Celestial love, thro' human, blessing thee;
Thy faith wax firm by witnessing alway
Triumphant faith for ever glad and free.
Celestial love, thro' human, blessing thee;
Thy faith wax firm by witnessing alway
Triumphant faith for ever glad and free.
“By her obedience thy soul shall learn
How far humility transcendeth pride;
By her pure intuitions shall discern
The fatal flaws of reason unallied.
How far humility transcendeth pride;
By her pure intuitions shall discern
The fatal flaws of reason unallied.
“Thou shalt see strength in weakness conquering,
The bravest action with the tenderest heart,
Self-sacrifice unconscious hallowing
The lightest playing of the meanest part.
The bravest action with the tenderest heart,
Self-sacrifice unconscious hallowing
The lightest playing of the meanest part.
“Chastity, purity, and holiness
Shall shame thy virile grossness; and the power
Of beauty in the spirit and its dress
Reveal all virtue lovely as a flower.
Shall shame thy virile grossness; and the power
Of beauty in the spirit and its dress
Reveal all virtue lovely as a flower.
“Till love for her shall teach thee love for all;
Till perfect reverence for her shall grow
To faith in God which nothing can appal,
Tho' His green world be dark with sin and woe.
Till perfect reverence for her shall grow
To faith in God which nothing can appal,
Tho' His green world be dark with sin and woe.
284
“Children, by all they are to glad and grieve,
Shall teach thee what a loving Father is,
And how to give is better than receive:—
I bless thee with all household charities.
Shall teach thee what a loving Father is,
And how to give is better than receive:—
I bless thee with all household charities.
“A priceless boon! and, like such boons to men,
A glorious blessing or a fatal curse:
Thou canst not sink back into yon vile den;
Sinking at all, thou sinkest to a worse.”
A glorious blessing or a fatal curse:
Thou canst not sink back into yon vile den;
Sinking at all, thou sinkest to a worse.”
When thus her words were ended, it might seem
That I was lapsing from a heavenly trance
Into some scarce less blissful earthly dream,
So wonderfully did a change advance.
That I was lapsing from a heavenly trance
Into some scarce less blissful earthly dream,
So wonderfully did a change advance.
Her supernatural beauty grew less bright,
Tho' scarce less beautiful; the fiery name
Died out like fire; the wings of flashing light
Were slowly back-withdrawn into her frame.
Tho' scarce less beautiful; the fiery name
Died out like fire; the wings of flashing light
Were slowly back-withdrawn into her frame.
The Spirit of the empyréan Heaven
Was incarnated into human birth,
The purest Seraph of the loftiest Seven
Became a maiden of this lower earth.
Was incarnated into human birth,
The purest Seraph of the loftiest Seven
Became a maiden of this lower earth.
Yet still she was the same, thus different:
The pinions there, tho' not put forth in power;
The glory there, tho' in the body pent;—
Both sheathed thus safely till the fitting hour:
The pinions there, tho' not put forth in power;
The glory there, tho' in the body pent;—
Both sheathed thus safely till the fitting hour:
285
And in her mien, and on her face and brow,
And in her violet eyes, as clear the sign
Of Love supreme and infinite shone now
As when it blazed in jewel fires divine.
And in her violet eyes, as clear the sign
Of Love supreme and infinite shone now
As when it blazed in jewel fires divine.
I woke. A tender hand all silently
Had drawn the curtain and dispersed the gloom;
The whole triumphant morning in a sea
Of warmth and splendour dazzled thro' the room.
Had drawn the curtain and dispersed the gloom;
The whole triumphant morning in a sea
Of warmth and splendour dazzled thro' the room.
The dearest face, the best-belovèd eyes,
Were shining down upon me where I lay;—
Aglow with love and rapturous surprise,
Seeing my fever was all passed away.
Were shining down upon me where I lay;—
Aglow with love and rapturous surprise,
Seeing my fever was all passed away.
November 1859.
| The Poetical Works of James Thomson | |