Perplexing me with lies; and oft I fall, Maybe for months, in such blind lethargies, Bethink thee, Lord, while thou and all the saints Sit with their wives by fires, eat wholesome food, I wake the chill stars sparkle; I am wet O mercy, mercy ! wash away my sin. O Lord, thou knowest what a man I am; A sinful man, conceived and born in sin : 'Tis their own doing; this is none of mine; Lay it not to me. Am I to blame for this, That here come those that worship me ? Ha! ha! They think that I am somewhat. What am I? The silly people take me for a saint, And bring me offerings of fruit and flowers: Good people, you do ill to kneel to me. It may be I have wrought some miracles, And cured some halt and maim'd; but what of that? It may be, no one, even among the saints, May match his pains with mine; but what of that? From my long penance: let him speak his wish. Yes, I can heal him. Power goes forth from me. They say that they are heal'd. Ah, hark! they shout "St. Simeon Stylites." Why, if so, God reaps a harvest in me. O my soul, This is not told of any. They were saints. It cannot be but that I shall be saved; Yea, crown'd a saint. They shout, "Behold a saint! And lower voices saint me from above. Courage, St. Simeon! This dull chrysalis Cracks into shining wings, and hope ere death Spreads more and more and more, that God hath now Sponged and made blank of crimeful record all My mortal archives. 0 my sons, my sons, I, Simeon of the pillar, by surname Stylites, among men ; I, Simeon, The watcher on the column till the end; I, whose bald brows in silent hours become Unnaturally hoar with rime, do now From my high nest of penance here proclaim Show'd like fair seraphs. On the coals I lay, A vessel full of sin: all hell beneath Made me boil over. Devils pluck'd my sleeve; I smote them with the cross; they swarm'd again. To make me an example to mankind, ; Which few can reach to. Yet I do not say But that a time may come-yea, even now, Now, now, his footsteps smite the threshold stairs When you may worship me without reproach; And you may carve a shrine about my dust, While I spake then, a sting of shrewdest pain These heavy, horny eyes. The end! the end! Surely the end! What's here? a shape, a shade, A flash of light. Is that the angel there That holds a crown? Come, blessed brother, come. My brows are ready. What! deny it now? And from it melt the dews of Paradise, |