 | Brother Fabian's Manuscript |  |
Incipit de Juda Iscariote.
Mightily ever the South wind blew,
And North, ever North, the good ship drew
With the holy Brandon, and Brandon's crew.
And North, ever North, the good ship drew
With the holy Brandon, and Brandon's crew.
North, ever North, till a glimmering dun
That lighted the icebergs, one by one,
Was all they knew of the noon-day sun.
That lighted the icebergs, one by one,
Was all they knew of the noon-day sun.
On, through the darkness, and mist and snow,
Or a grisly moonlight, that served to show
How the sea snakes writhed in the deep below.
Or a grisly moonlight, that served to show
How the sea snakes writhed in the deep below.
They heard, in the night, the icebulks crash
With a thundering shock, and grind, and gnash,
And the waves hiss back with a seething plash.
With a thundering shock, and grind, and gnash,
And the waves hiss back with a seething plash.
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Nor anchor was cast, nor sail was furled,
Till they neared and saw where the fringe of the world
Its arrows of flame through the welkin hurled.
Till they neared and saw where the fringe of the world
Its arrows of flame through the welkin hurled.
And at Christmas, so near as they could count,
They came to an isle where a mighty mount
Spouted fire and smoke in a blazing fount.
They came to an isle where a mighty mount
Spouted fire and smoke in a blazing fount.
Full many a mile there was smoke on the sea,
And the blaze ever leapt to the cloudracks free,
Rumbling and bellowing hideously.
And the blaze ever leapt to the cloudracks free,
Rumbling and bellowing hideously.
And one cried, “Satanas calls—farewell!
For yonder mount is the mouth of Hell!”
And they saw him no more, but heard fiends yell.
For yonder mount is the mouth of Hell!”
And they saw him no more, but heard fiends yell.
And northward still, on that Christmas Day
They fared, till they saw where an iceberg lay
On the left, and the Saint bade steer that way.
They fared, till they saw where an iceberg lay
On the left, and the Saint bade steer that way.
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And they saw One, naked, sit on a stone,
Worn by the waves to sinew and bone,
Wringing his hands with a dolorous moan.
Worn by the waves to sinew and bone,
Wringing his hands with a dolorous moan.
A long loose cloth was thonged by his chin,
That flapped in the wind on his wet bare skin,
And ox tongues two were tied to his shin.
That flapped in the wind on his wet bare skin,
And ox tongues two were tied to his shin.
And now in the wave, and now in the wind,
Drenched, and pinched, and beaten, and blind,
The wretch ever sat on his stone and pined.
Drenched, and pinched, and beaten, and blind,
The wretch ever sat on his stone and pined.
And the Saint said, “Speak, be thou man or ghost,
And tell what thou art, for a thing so lost
Never greeted I yet by wave or coast!”
And tell what thou art, for a thing so lost
Never greeted I yet by wave or coast!”
And he answered:—“I, ere I went to pain,
Was the Lord's Iscariot chamberlain,
Judas, who sold the Christ for gain!”
Was the Lord's Iscariot chamberlain,
Judas, who sold the Christ for gain!”
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Then the shipmates all were aghast for fear,
But the good Saint bade cast anchor near,
And asked of the ghost: “What dost thou here?”
But the good Saint bade cast anchor near,
And asked of the ghost: “What dost thou here?”
And Judas answered: “By Christ's dear grace
“This day am I loosed from mine own due place
“With Herod and Pilate and Caiaphas;
“This day am I loosed from mine own due place
“With Herod and Pilate and Caiaphas;
“For He whom the Gates of the Hells obey
“Each winter hath granted me here to stay
“From Christmas Eve for a night and a day.
“Each winter hath granted me here to stay
“From Christmas Eve for a night and a day.
“And this is my Paradise, here alone
“To sit with my cloth and tongues and stone,
“The sole three things in the world mine own.
“To sit with my cloth and tongues and stone,
“The sole three things in the world mine own.
“This cloth I bought from the Lord's privy purse,
“But gave to a leper.—It hath this curse,
“That it beats on my skin, but it saves from worse.
“But gave to a leper.—It hath this curse,
“That it beats on my skin, but it saves from worse.
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“These tongues I gave to the poor for meat
“In the name of Christ,—and the fish that eat
“Thereon as they list, forbear my feet.
“In the name of Christ,—and the fish that eat
“Thereon as they list, forbear my feet.
“This stone I found by a road where it lay
“And set for a step in a miry way,
“Therefore sit I on stone, not ice, this day!”
“And set for a step in a miry way,
“Therefore sit I on stone, not ice, this day!”
Then a rout of Fiends came flying amain
With a roar and a rush like a hurricane
To bear the Iscariot back to pain.
With a roar and a rush like a hurricane
To bear the Iscariot back to pain.
But their might was nought, for the Saint was nigh,
And round and round with a ghastly cry
And clapping of wings they flew harmless by.
And round and round with a ghastly cry
And clapping of wings they flew harmless by.
“Flee hence, flee hence!” they howled and hissed:
“Already in Hell is its darling missed!
“Wilt thou save the traitor who sold the Christ?”
“Already in Hell is its darling missed!
“Wilt thou save the traitor who sold the Christ?”
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And the Saint said, “Nay, my might is none,
“But if Jesus will that ye leave him alone
“For another night, God's will be done!”
“But if Jesus will that ye leave him alone
“For another night, God's will be done!”
And they screamed and fled to their Hell once more.
And Judas thanked Brandon o'er and o'er
So piteously that all wept sore.
And Judas thanked Brandon o'er and o'er
So piteously that all wept sore.
And they bided there through the dreary night,
And they knew't was morn by a fiendish flight
And the shriek as they fled of a tortured sprite.
And they knew't was morn by a fiendish flight
And the shriek as they fled of a tortured sprite.
And mightily, lo, the North Wind blew,
And South, ever South, the good ship drew
With the holy Brandon and Brandon's crew.
And South, ever South, the good ship drew
With the holy Brandon and Brandon's crew.
| Brother Fabian's Manuscript | |