Stray Leaves from the Portfolios of Alisander the Seer, Andrew Whaup, and Humphrey Henkeckle Edited by Alexander Rodger |
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A PARAPHRASE FOR THE ASSEMBLY'S FAST.
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 | Stray Leaves from the Portfolios of Alisander the Seer, Andrew Whaup, and Humphrey Henkeckle |  |
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A PARAPHRASE FOR THE ASSEMBLY'S FAST.
By Alisander the Seer.
‘A Fast, a Fast! proclaim a Fast,
And Naboth set on high;
Hire spies to swear his life away,
And stone him till he die.’
Thus wrote Queen Jezebel, of old,
Unto a venal crew,
Who promptly her behests obeyed,
And righteous Naboth slew.
And Naboth set on high;
Hire spies to swear his life away,
And stone him till he die.’
Thus wrote Queen Jezebel, of old,
Unto a venal crew,
Who promptly her behests obeyed,
And righteous Naboth slew.
‘A Fast, a Fast! proclaim a Fast,’
Old Mother-Church now cries,
(For all our doings must be cloth'd
In meek Religion's guise,)
That we in others' pots may dip
Our sacerdotal prongs,
And feast and fatten on the flesh,
Which not to us belongs.’
Old Mother-Church now cries,
(For all our doings must be cloth'd
In meek Religion's guise,)
That we in others' pots may dip
Our sacerdotal prongs,
And feast and fatten on the flesh,
Which not to us belongs.’
But, saith the Just One,—‘Lo! ye fast
For strife and for debate,
To smite with fist of wickedness,
And stir up party hate.
Ye shall not fast as on this day,
To make your voice be heard:
'Gainst all such solemn mockeries
Are heaven's pure portals barr'd.
For strife and for debate,
To smite with fist of wickedness,
And stir up party hate.
Ye shall not fast as on this day,
To make your voice be heard:
'Gainst all such solemn mockeries
Are heaven's pure portals barr'd.
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‘Are formal prayers, and turned-up eyes,
And bendings of the knee,
Such services as ye would deem
Acceptable to me?
Is this the fast that I would choose,
That ye afflict your souls?
Do I require my worshippers
To tread on burning coals?
And bendings of the knee,
Such services as ye would deem
Acceptable to me?
Is this the fast that I would choose,
That ye afflict your souls?
Do I require my worshippers
To tread on burning coals?
‘To bow the head like bulrush down—
In sackcloth to be clad—
To mourn in ashes, all demure,
When not a heart is sad
Is rank hypocrisy and guile,
And what I will not bear;
For none but they of contrite heart
Can shed the contrite tear.
In sackcloth to be clad—
To mourn in ashes, all demure,
When not a heart is sad
Is rank hypocrisy and guile,
And what I will not bear;
For none but they of contrite heart
Can shed the contrite tear.
‘But here's the Fast that I would choose,
If thou would'st honour me:—
That thou undo the heavy loads,
And set the fetter'd free;
That to the hungry thou should'st deal
With lib'ral hand thy bread;
And from the wintry winds protect
The houseless wanderer's head:
If thou would'st honour me:—
That thou undo the heavy loads,
And set the fetter'd free;
That to the hungry thou should'st deal
With lib'ral hand thy bread;
And from the wintry winds protect
The houseless wanderer's head:
‘That on the poor and destitute
Warm clothing thou bestow;
Nor from thy brother hide thy face,
But soothe him 'midst his woe.
Observe this Fast—then shall thy light
Break forth as doth the morn,
And rays of glory from above
Henceforth thy brows adorn.’
Warm clothing thou bestow;
Nor from thy brother hide thy face,
But soothe him 'midst his woe.
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Break forth as doth the morn,
And rays of glory from above
Henceforth thy brows adorn.’
| Stray Leaves from the Portfolios of Alisander the Seer, Andrew Whaup, and Humphrey Henkeckle | |