Then, hard a-hungered for my brother's grace
Till well-nigh fain to swear his folly's true,
In sad dissent I turn my longing face [31]
To him that sits on the left: "Brother, — with you?"
— "Nay, not with me, save thou subscribe and swear
`Religion hath black eyes and raven hair':
Nought else is true."
Debarred of banquets that my heart could make
With every man on every day of life,
I homeward turn, my fires of pain to slake
In deep endearments of a worshiped wife.
"I love thee well, dear Love," quoth she, "and yet
Would that thy creed with mine completely met, [41]
As one, not two."
Assassin! Thief! Opinion, 'tis thy work.
By Church, by throne, by hearth, by every good
That's in the Town of Time, I see thee lurk,
And e'er some shadow stays where thou hast stood.
Thou hand'st sweet Socrates his hemlock sour;
Thou sav'st Barabbas in that hideous hour,
And stabb'st the good
Deliverer Christ; thou rack'st the souls of men;
Thou tossest girls to lions and boys to flames; [51]
Thou hew'st Crusader down by Saracen;
Thou buildest closets full of secret shames;
Indifferent cruel, thou dost blow the blaze
Round Ridley or Servetus; all thy days
Smell scorched; I would
— Thou base-born Accident of time and place —
Bigot Pretender unto Judgment's throne —
Bastard, that claimest with a cunning face
Those rights the true, true Son of Man doth own
By Love's authority — thou Rebel cold [61]
At head of civil wars and quarrels old —
Thou Knife on a throne —
I would thou left'st me free, to live with love,
And faith, that through the love of love doth find
My Lord's dear presence in the stars above,
The clods below, the flesh without, the mind
Within, the bread, the tear, the smile.
Opinion, damned Intriguer, gray with guile,
Let me alone.
____ Baltimore, 1878-9.
Notes: Remonstrance
This is the first and the greatest of the `Street-cries': see the introductory note to `Life and Song'.
For an interpretation of the poem see `Introduction', pp. xxix [Part III], xlv, xlvii [Part IV].