VI

Then the soul of the leper stood up in his eyes And looked at Sir Launfal, and straightway

he

Remembered in what a haughtier guise
He had flung an alms to leprosie,
When he girt his young life up in gilded mail
And set forth in search of the Holy Grail.
The heart within him was ashes and dust;
He parted in twain his single crust,

He broke the ice on the streamlet's brink,
And gave the leper to eat and drink;

'T was a mouldy crust of coarse brown bread, 'T was water out of a wooden bowl,—

Yet with fine wheaten bread was the leper

fed,

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And 't was red wine he drank with his thirsty soul.

VII

As Sir Launfal mused with a downcast face,

A light shone round about the place;

The leper no longer crouched at his side,
But stood before him glorified,

Shining and tall and fair and straight

As the pillar that stood by the Beautiful Gate,—

Himself the Gate whereby men can

Enter the temple of God in Man.

VIII

His words were shed softer than leaves from the pine,

And they fell on Sir Launfal as snows on the brine,

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Which mingle their softness and quiet in one With the shaggy unrest they float down upon; And the voice that was calmer than silence

said,

"Lo it is I, be not afraid!

In many climes, without avail,

Thou hast spent thy life for the Holy Grail;
Behold, it is here, this cup which thou
Didst fill at the streamlet for me but now;
This crust is my body broken for thee,
This water His blood that died on the tree;
The Holy Supper is kept, indeed,
In whatso we share with another's need;
Not what we give, but what we share,-

For the gift without the giver is bare;

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Who gives himself with his alms feeds three,— Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me.”

IX

Sir Launfal awoke as from a swound:-
"The Grail in my castle here is found!
Hang my idle armor up on the wall,
Let it be the spider's banquet-hall;

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He must be fenced with stronger mail
Who would seek and find the Holy Grail."

X

The castle gate stands open now,

And the wanderer is welcome to the hall As the hangbird is to the elm-tree bough; No longer scowl the turrets tall,

The summer's long siege at last is o'er;

When the first poor outcast went in at the door, She entered with him in disguise,

And mastered the fortress by surprise;

There is no spot she loves so well on ground, She lingers and smiles there the whole year

round;

The meanest serf on Sir Launfal's land

Has hall and bower at his command;

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And there's no poor man in the North Countree But is lord of the earldom as much as he.

ABOU BEN ADHEM (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

And to the presence in the room he said, "What writest thou?" The vision raised its

head,

And, with a look made of all sweet accord, Answered, "The names of those who love the

Lord." "And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,” Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then, Write me as one that loves his fellow-men."

ΙΟ

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again, with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had
blessed,-

And, lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest!

1844.

Leigh Hunt.

MERLIN AND THE GLEAM

O YOUNG Mariner,

You from the haven
Under the sea-cliff,
You that are watching

The gray Magician
With eyes of wonder,

I am Merlin,

And I am dying,

I am Merlin

Who follow the Gleam.

10

Mighty the Wizard

Who found me at sunrise
Sleeping and woke me
And learn'd me Magic!
Great the Master,

And sweet the Magic,
When over the valley,
In early summers,
Over the mountain,
On human faces,
And all around me,
Moving to melody,

Floated the Gleam.

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Once at the croak of a Raven who crossed it,

A barbarous people,

Blind to the magic,

And deaf to the melody,

Snarl'd at and cursed me.
A demon vexed me,
The light retreated,
The landskip darken'd,
The melody deaden'd,
The Master whisper'd,
"Follow the Gleam."

Then to the melody,
Over a wilderness
Gliding, and glancing at
Elf of the woodland,

Gnome of the cavern,
Griffin and Giant,

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