University of Virginia Library

“Thou must approve thyself as Cæsar's friend”?
My dream was first of Cæsar. He was dead;
His palace was a place for owls and bats;
His spirit went to join the kings of old;
And they, arising from their shadowy thrones,
Exclaimed, “Art thou at last become like us,
Thou who didst crush the nations, and exalt
Thy throne above the stars?”

Then changed my dream.
Under an olive tree the Prophet knelt;
Upon the ground were drops of blood, that fell
Down from His brow in sweat of agony;
The thunder and the lightning and the storm
Were gathering in the heavens; the thunders' voice
Spake with the Prophet, saying, “Shall we fall
And smite Thine enemies?” And He replied,
“Fall not; I bow in death. The hour is theirs;
The power of darkness ruleth for the day.”
And then the Prophet died upon a cross,
Condemned by thee, my husband! but a God
Came down from heaven, and raised Him from the grave.
Then did the tempest burst; the stars fell down
Like leaves in storms of autumn, and the sun
Was turned to darkness, and the moon to blood;
And then the Prophet mounted on a throne
To judge the nations. All before Him stood—
Barbarians, Greeks, and Romans — slaves and kings—
In two vast crowds all mingled. And He spake
To those who thronged upon His right, and said,
“Mercy is for the merciful! and ye
Who comforted the sorrowing, come and share
The blessings of the kingdom of your God!”
Then turning to the crowd upon the left,
He said, “No mercy for the merciless!
And ye, who never cared for human woe,
Depart, accursed, into agelong fire!”
And they to Tartarus were borne; and thou,
My husband, was the foremost of them all!