The Epic of Saul

by William Cleaver Wilkinson

How far unconsciously, Saul could not guess,
But Shimei, in that last home thrust of his,
Either by pure fortuity, or else
With malice the most exquisitely wise,
Had hit the quivering quick of Saul's sore pride.
Saul winced visibly, and Shimei, satisfied,
Left him alone the prey of his own thoughts.

Saul's thoughts were visions rather; first, he saw
His sister as in that farewell with her
Bowed beautiful beneath a brother's scorn,
Like a meek flower broken with tempest; then,
Stephen he saw, his face with God in him
Afire, before the council; next, that face
Toward heaven upturned, he, far within the veil
Agaze, beholding there the glory of God;
Once more, the martyr lifting holy hands
On high, with his last breath praying for those
That slew him, praying also then for Saul!
Rachel the while—she rather felt than seen—
With tears that did not gather, but that made
Her deep eyes deeper than the soundless sea,
Looking at him. Swift then the vision changed,
And he saw Stephen in the temple court
Turn suddenly round on Saul his blinding face
To threaten him with promise that, one day,
He, Saul himself, should grovel in the dust
Before the feet of Jesus crucified!
Those visions were as when the lightning-flash,
By night, fast following lightning-flash, reveals,
One instant and no more, the world, but prints
Its image on the eye intensely bright.

The final vision wrought a fierce revolt
In Saul from that relenting which, before,
The earlier visions almost made him feel.
As with a mortal gripe, his vise-like will
Clutched at his heart and held it fast and hard.
Scorning to be diverted from his path
Because, forsooth, the meddling Shimei
Pointed it out to him offensively,
Saul moved at once to go to Bethany.
Seven servitors he chose, strong men whom use
Had, hand and heart, seasoned to such employ—
With these a guide—and started on his way.
Again the moon shone, as the yesternight,
And flooded heaven and earth with glory mild.
But her mild glory now was a rebuke
To human passion, not a balm to pain.
With swords and staves armed, as that night came they
Who looked for Jesus in Gethsemane—
The needless lamps and torches in their hands
With flare and smoke affronting the moonlight—
They marched, those seven, following the guide with Saul.
At first these chattered lightly as they walked,
But soon the stern, stark, wordless mood of Saul,
And his grim purpose in his pace expressed,
Urgent and swift, taxing their utmost strength
To follow and not fall behind, quite quelled
The social spirit in all, and on all went
In sullen silence like their chief. Like him,
Insensibly each moment more and more,
While thought and feeling they shut strictly up
Within them from all vent in speech, they these
Changed to brute instinct of vindictiveness;
Insensibly, like him, with every step
Of vehement ongoing, vehement
Propulsion gathered they in mind and will
To reach and grapple with their task. So on
And up with speed they pressed toward Bethany.

At Bethany, meanwhile, the flock in fold
Abode the coming of those prowler wolves—
Unweeting, in sad sense of safety lulled.
The sisters, with the brother Lazarus,
Had to Ruth's house at eve repaired; they there
With Rachel sat together, in the court
Under the open sky, and spake with Ruth,
Or spake for Ruth to hear, comforting her.

"'I am the Resurrection and the Life'"—
Thus Martha—"how the very words to me
Were spirit of life, were resurrection power,
So spoken, from such lips, at such a time,
When Lazarus lay sleeping in that swoon
Which we call death! I did not need to wait
Until my brother should indeed again
Arise, obedient, at His word, to feel
The utterer of that saying was the Christ."
"But when He wept, when Jesus with us wept,"
Said Mary, "I felt solace in His tears
Such that almost I would have always grieved,
To be always so comforted." A pause,
Then eyes on Lazarus turned, and he: "From where
I was—but where I was, although I seem
Well to remember, yet could not I tell
In any words, or show by any signs,
However I might try—I heard His voice
Say, 'Lazarus, come forth.' Those round me heard,
I thought they heard, with me, that potent voice,
And they were not surprised, as was not I,
Seeming to know it and to understand.
That voice goes everywhere and is obeyed,
To all the perfect law of liberty,
And I obeyed as naturally as I breathe;
And I am here, in witness of His power,
Whose power is universal through all worlds."
"His power is great," said Ruth, "and wide His sway,
Yet seems His grace the sovereign of His power."
"Yea," Rachel said, "for doth not power in Him
Bend to the yoke and service of His grace?"
"We easily err," said Lazarus, "seeking here
To comprehend the incomprehensible.
All difference is in us, for all in Him
One and the same is; power is grace and grace
Is power, in Him, nay, power and grace is He.
And He is ours and we are His, and one
Are we with Him and in Him one likewise
Each with the other, all." "How blest!" they said,
"And the whole family in heaven and earth
Are one, and Stephen is with us or we
With him, and heaven is here or here is heaven!"

A little while in silence and deep muse,
And, by the Holy Spirit, fellowship
With the Almighty Father and His Son.
Then, "Lo, let us join hands," they said, "and sing
That psalm which breathes of unity like this."
With braided tones, in unison they sang:
'Behold, how good it is for brethren here,
'How pleasant, thus in unity to dwell
'Together! It is like that costly chrism
'Upon the head which overflowing ran
'Down Aaron's beard and down his garment's folds,
'Abundant as the dew of Hermon drops,
'Distilled, upon the heights of Sion where
'Jehovah fixed the blessing, life, even life
'Forevermore.'
"A sweet strain and a rich,"
Said Lazarus; "David touched it to his harp,
Taught by the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless,
Something it lacks to fill the measure up
To that deep sense of oneness which we feel
In Jesus, since He came, since Jesus came
And spake, then went, but came again, in us
Forever to abide. Cannot we sing
Some words of His, as tunable, more deep?
Such words He spake in a celestial rhythm
That night before He sought Gethsemane.
They sat as in the Holy of holies with Him,
And John leaned on His bosom where He sat.
I have heard John rehearse the heavenly words
Until at length I too have them by heart."
Then Lazarus gave them sentences, which all
Chanted in simple measure low and sweet:
'Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe
'In God, also in Me believe. Within
'My Father's house there many mansions are.
'I should have told you, had it not been so,
'Because I go to fit a place for you.
'And if I go and fit for you a place,
'I shall return and take you to Myself,
'That where I am there ye may also be.'

Was it a premonition, or did grief
Surge up through peace and joy to claim its own?
Said Lazarus: "Yet He told us, 'In the world
Ye will have tribulation, though in Me
Ye shall have peace.' With tribulation, peace!"

His closing words they took from Lazarus' lips,
"With tribulation, peace!" and of them made
A musical refrain half sad, half glad,
Or wholly glad in sadness, which they sang.
When ever were there cadences more sweet,
More sweet or more pathetic? Thrice sang they
Those words together; but, at the fourth time,
Just in that breath between the rise and fall,
Before from 'tribulation' they touched 'peace'—
A shock as of a mace struck on the door,
Which yielded, and abrupt there strode in—Saul!

Saul was alone; his men he left without.
The band had first the sisters' dwelling sought,
To find the inmates gone—fled, as Saul guessed.
Without delay, they came to Ruth's abode,
Fiercer from disappointment Saul. But though
Ruthless he came, he now, arrested there,
Ruthful a moment stood at gaze. He saw
Four women and one man in simple sort
Sitting together in communion still.
They did not look like culprits, nay, a light
Purer than purest moonlight seemed to shine
From out their faces underneath the moon.
It was a feast of comfort that they kept,
Those four, with Ruth the widowed—this Saul saw,
And his heart thawed to pity and sheer shame.
He would have turned and left them, but—his men
Without! The chief priests and the Sanhedrim!
And Shimei! And Saul, with all Saul owed
To Saul's fair fame, his conscience, and his God!

This all was in an instant, while he yet
Only the group and not the persons saw
Who made the group, and so before he knew
His sister in her sombre different garb
Disguised and in the half light of the moon.
As Rachel now he fully recognized,
Dismay almost unmanned him once again.
Then anger to dismay succeeding made
His brother's heart in him against her burn
The hotter that it was a brother's heart.
Speechless he hung, because he could not speak
For anger; but when she, adventuring, drew
Near him and said, "Brother, I pray thee let
Me speak with thee apart a moment," then
The vials of his speech he broke on her: