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[Samuel Sebastian Wesley]
WHEN Wesley died, the Angelic orders, | |
| To see him at the state, | |
| Press’d so incontinent that the warders | |
| Forgot to shut the gate. | |
| So I, that hitherto had follow’d | 5 |
| As one with grief o’ercast, | |
| Where for the doors a space was hollow’d, | |
| Crept in, and heard what pass’d. | |
| And God said:—‘Seeing thou hast given | |
| Thy life to my great sounds, | 10 |
| Choose thou through all the cirque of Heaven | |
| What most of bliss redounds.’ | |
| Then Wesley said:—‘I hear the thunder | |
| Low growling from Thy seat— | |
| Grant me that I may bind it under | 15 |
| The trampling of my feet.’ | |
| And Wesley said:—‘See, lightning quivers | |
| Upon the presence walls— | |
| Lord, give me of it four great rivers, | |
| To be my manuals.’ | 20 |
| And then I saw the thunder chidden | |
| As slave to his desire; | |
| And then I saw the space bestridden | |
| With four great bands of fire; | |
| And stage by stage, stop stop subtending, | 25 |
| Each lever strong and true, | |
| One shape inextricable blending, | |
| The awful organ grew. | |
| Then certain angels clad the Master | |
| In very marvellous wise, | 30 |
| Till clouds of rose and alabaster | |
| Conceal’d him from mine eyes. | |
| And likest to a dove soft brooding, | |
| The innocent figure ran; | |
| So breathed the breath of his preluding, | 35 |
| And then the fugue began— | |
| Began; but, to his office turning, | |
| The porter swung his key; | |
| Wherefore, although my heart was yearning, | |
| I had to go; but he | 40 |
| Play’d on; and, as I downward clomb, | |
| I heard the mighty bars | |
| Of thunder-gusts, that shook heaven’s dome, | |
| And moved the balanced stars. | |
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