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BARTIMEUS. BE not impatient, Chilion; it is pleasant | |
| To sit here in the shadow of the walls | |
| Under the palms, and hear the hum of bees, | |
| And rumor of voices passing to and fro, | |
| And drowsy bells of caravans on their way | 5 |
| To Sidon or Damascus. This is still | |
| The City of Palms, and yet the walls thou seest | |
| Are not the old walls, not the walls where Rahab | |
| Hid the two spies, and let them down by cords | |
| Out of the window, when the gates were shut, | 10 |
| And it was dark. Those walls were overthrown | |
| When Joshua’s army shouted, and the priests | |
Blew with their seven trumpets.
CHILION. When was that? | |
| |
BARTIMEUS. O my sweet rose of Jericho, I know not. | |
| Hundreds of years ago. And over there | 15 |
| Beyond the river, the great prophet Elijah | |
| Was taken by a whirlwind up to heaven | |
| In chariot of fire, with fiery horses. | |
| That is the plain of Moab; and beyond it | |
| Rise the blue summits of Mount Abarim, | 20 |
| Nebo and Pisgah and Peor, where Moses | |
| Died, whom the Lord knew face to face, and whom | |
| He buried in a valley, and no man | |
| Knows of his sepulchre unto this day. | |
| |
CHILION. Would thou couldst see these places, as I see them. | 25 |
| |
BARTIMEUS. I have not seen a glimmer of the light | |
| Since thou wast born. I never saw thy face, | |
| And yet I seem to see it; and one day | |
| Perhaps shall see it; for there is a Prophet | |
| In Galilee, the Messiah, the Son of David, | 30 |
| Who heals the blind, if I could only find him. | |
| I hear the sound of many feet approaching, | |
| And voices, like the murmur of a crowd! | |
What seest thou?
CHILION. A young man clad in white | |
| Is coming through the gateway, and a crowd | 35 |
Of people follow.
BARTIMEUS. Can it be the Prophet! | |
| O neighbors, tell me who it is that passes? | |
| |
ONE OF THE CROWD. Jesus of Nazareth.
BARTIMEUS, crying. O Son of David! | |
Have mercy on me!
MANY OF THE CROWD. Peace, Blind Bartimeus! | |
Do not disturb the Master.
BARTIMEUS, crying more vehemently. Son of David, | 40 |
Have mercy on me!
ONE OF THE CROWD. See, the Master stops. | |
| Be of good comfort; rise, He calleth thee! | |
| |
BARTIMEUS, casting away his cloak. Chilion! good neighbors! lead me on.
CHRISTUS. What wilt thou | |
That I should do to thee?
BARTIMEUS. Good Lord! my sight— | |
That I receive my sight!
CHRISTUS. Receive thy sight! | 45 |
Thy faith hath made thee whole!
THE CROWD. He sees again! | |
| |
CHRISTUS passes on. The crowd gathers round BARTIMEUS.
BARTIMEUS. I see again; but sight bewilders me! | |
| Like a remembered dream, familiar things | |
| Come back to me. I see the tender sky | |
| Above me, see the trees, the city walls, | 50 |
| And the old gateway, through whose echoing arch | |
| I groped so many years; and you, my neighbors; | |
| But know you by your friendly voices only. | |
| How beautiful the world is! and how wide! | |
| Oh, I am miles away, if I but look! | 55 |
Where art thou, Chilion?
CHILION. Father, I am here. | |
| |
BARTIMEUS. Oh let me gaze upon thy face, dear child! | |
| For I have only seen thee with my hands! | |
| How beautiful thou art! I should have known thee; | |
| Thou hast her eyes whom we shall see hereafter! | 60 |
| O God of Abraham! Elion! Adonai! | |
| Who art thyself a Father, pardon me | |
| If for a moment I have thee postponed | |
| To the affections and the thoughts of earth, | |
| Thee, and the adoration that I owe thee, | 65 |
| When by thy power alone these darkened eyes | |
| Have been unsealed again to see thy light! | |
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