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NATHANAEL, in the ship. All is now ended.
JOHN. Nay, He is arisen, | |
| I ran unto the tomb, and stooping down | |
| Looked in, and saw the linen grave-clothes lying, | |
Yet dared not enter.
PETER. I went in, and saw | |
| The napkin that had been about his head, | 5 |
| Not lying with the other linen clothes, | |
| But wrapped together in a separate place. | |
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THOMAS. And I have seen Him. I have seen the print | |
| Of nails upon his hands, and thrust my hands | |
| Into his side. I know He is arisen; | 10 |
| But where are now the kingdom and the glory | |
| He promised unto us? We have all dreamed | |
| That we were princes, and we wake to find | |
We are but fishermen.
PETER. Who should have been | |
Fishers of men!
JOHN. We have come back again | 15 |
| To the old life, the peaceful life, among | |
| The white towns of the Galilean lake. | |
| |
PETER. They seem to me like silent sepulchres | |
| In the gray light of morning! The old life, | |
| Yea, the old life! for we have toiled all night | 20 |
And have caught nothing.
JOHN. Do ye see a man | |
| Standing upon the beach and beckoning? | |
| ’T is like an apparition. He hath kindled | |
| A fire of coals, and seems to wait for us. | |
He calleth.
CHRISTUS, from the shore. Children, have ye any meat? | 25 |
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PETER. Alas! We have caught nothing.
CHRISTUS. Cast the net | |
| On the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. | |
| |
PETER. How that reminds me of the days gone by, | |
| And one who said: Launch out into the deep, | |
And cast your nets!
NATHANAEL. We have but let them down | 30 |
| And they are filled, so that we cannot draw them! | |
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JOHN. It is the Lord!
PETER, girding his fisher’s coat about him. He said: When I am risen | |
| I will go before you into Galilee! He casts himself into the lake. | |
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JOHN. There is no fear in love; for perfect love | |
| Casteth out fear. Now then, if ye are men, | 35 |
| Put forth your strength; we are not far from shore; | |
| The net is heavy, but breaks not. All is safe. | |
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PETER, on the shore. Dear Lord! I heard thy voice and could not wait. | |
| Let me behold thy face, and kiss thy feet! | |
| Thou art not dead, thou livest! Again I see thee. | 40 |
| Pardon, dear Lord! I am a sinful man; | |
| I have denied thee thrice. Have mercy on me! | |
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THE OTHERS, coming to land. Dear Lord! stay with us! cheer us! comfort us! | |
| Lo! we again have found thee! Leave us not! | |
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CHRISTUS. Bring hither of the fish that ye have caught, | 45 |
And come and eat!
JOHN. Behold! He breaketh bread | |
| As He was wont. From his own blessed hands | |
Again we take it.
CHRISTUS. Simon, son of Jonas, | |
Lovest thou me, more than these others?
PETER. Yea, | |
| More, Lord, than all men; even more than these. | 50 |
Thou knowest that I love thee.
CHRISTUS. Feed my lambs. | |
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THOMAS, aside. How more than we do? He remaineth ever | |
| Self-confident and boastful as before. | |
Nothing will cure him.
CHRISTUS. Simon, son of Jonas, | |
Lovest thou me?
PETER. Yea, dearest Lord, I love thee. | 55 |
Thou knowest that I love thee.
CHRISTUS. Feed my sheep. | |
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THOMAS, aside. Again, the selfsame question, and the answer | |
| Repeated with more vehemence. Can the Master | |
Doubt if we love Him?
CHRISTUS. Simon, son of Jonas, | |
Lovest thou me?
PETER, grieved. Dear Lord! thou knowest all things. | 60 |
Thou knowest that I love thee.
CHRISTUS. Feed my sheep. | |
| When thou wast young thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst | |
| Whither thou wouldst; but when thou shalt be old, | |
| Thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and other men | |
| Shall gird and carry thee whither thou wouldst not. | 65 |
Follow thou me!
JOHN, aside. It is a prophecy | |
Of what death he shall die.
PETER, pointing to JOHN. Tell me, O Lord, | |
And what shall this man do?
CHRISTUS. And if I will | |
| He tarry till I come, what is it to thee? | |
| Follow thou me! | 70 |
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PETER. Yea, I will follow thee, dear Lord and Master! | |
| Will follow thee through fasting and temptation, | |
| Through all thine agony and bloody sweat, | |
| Thy cross and passion, even unto death! | |
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