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1903
THE WORD came down to Dives in Torment where he lay: | |
| “Our World is full of wickedness, My Children maim and slay, | |
| “And the Saint and Seer and Prophet | |
| “Can make no better of it | |
| “Than to sanctify and prophesy and pray. | 5 |
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| “Rise up, rise up, thou Dives, and take again thy gold, | |
| “And thy women and thy housen as they were to thee of old. | |
| “It may be grace hath found thee | |
| “In the furnace where We bound thee, | |
| “And that thou shalt bring the peace My Son foretold.” | 10 |
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| Then merrily rose Dives and leaped from out his fire, | |
| And walked abroad with diligence to do the Lord’s desire; | |
| And anon the battles ceased, | |
| And the captives were released, | |
| And Earth had rest from Goshen to Gadire. | 15 |
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| The Word came down to Satan that raged and roared alone, | |
| ’Mid the shouting of the peoples by the cannon overthrown | |
| (But the Prophets, Saints, and Seers | |
| Set each other by the ears, | |
| For each would claim the marvel as his own): | 20 |
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| “Rise up, rise up, thou Satan, upon the Earth to go, | |
| “And prove the Peace of Dives if it be good or no: | |
| “For all that he hath planned | |
| “We deliver to thy hand, | |
| “As thy skill shall serve, to break it or bring low.” | 25 |
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| Then mightily rose Satan, and about the Earth he hied, | |
| And breathed on Kings in idleness and Princes drunk with pride. | |
| But for all the wrong he breathed | |
| There was never sword unsheathed, | |
| And the fires he lighted flickered out and died. | 30 |
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| Then terribly rose Satan, and he darkened Earth afar, | |
| Till he came on cunning Dives where the money-changers are; | |
| And he saw men pledge their gear | |
| For the gold that buys the spear, | |
| And the helmet and the habergeon of war. | 35 |
| |
| Yea to Dives came the Persian and the Syrian and the Mede— | |
| And their hearts were nothing altered, nor their cunning nor their greed— | |
| And they pledged their flocks and farms | |
| For the King-compelling arms, | |
| And Dives lent according to their need. | 40 |
| |
| Then Satan said to Dives:—“Return again with me, | |
| “Who hast broken His Commandment in the day He set thee free, | |
| “Who grindest for thy greed, | |
| “Man’s belly-pinch and need; | |
| “And the blood of Man to filthy usury!” | 45 |
| |
| Then softly answered Dives where the money-changers sit:— | |
| “My refuge is Our Master, O My Master in the Pit. | |
| “But behold all Earth is laid | |
| “In the Peace which I have made, | |
| “And behold I wait on thee to trouble it!” | 50 |
| |
| Then angrily turned Satan, and about the Seas he fled, | |
| To shake the new-sown peoples with insult, doubt, and dread; | |
| But, for all the sleight he used, | |
| There was never squadron loosed. | |
| And the brands he flung flew dying and fell dead. | 55 |
| |
| But to Dives came Atlantis and the Captains of the West— | |
| And their hates were nothing weakened nor their anger nor unrest— | |
| And they pawned their utmost trade | |
| For the dry, decreeing blade; | |
| And Dives lent and took of them their best. | 60 |
| |
| Then Satan said to Dives:—“Declare thou by The Name, | |
| “The secret of thy subtlety that turneth mine to shame. | |
| “It is known through all the Hells | |
| “How my peoples mocked my spells, | |
| “And my faithless Kings denied me ere I came.” | 65 |
| |
| Then answered cunning Dives: “Do not gold and hate abide | |
| “At the heart of every Magic, yea, and senseless fear beside? | |
| “With gold and fear and hate | |
| “I have harnessed state to state, | |
| “And by hate and fear and gold their hates are tied. | 70 |
| |
| “For hate men seek a weapon, for fear they seek a shield— | |
| “Keener blades and broader targes than their frantic neighhours wield— | |
| “For gold I arm their hands, | |
| “And for gold I buy their lands, | |
| “And for gold I sell their enemies the yield. | 75 |
| |
| “Their nearest foes may purchase, or their furthest friends may lease, | |
| “One by one from Ancient Accad to the Islands of the Seas. | |
| “And their covenants they make | |
| “For the naked iron’s sake, | |
| “But I—I trap them armoured into peace. | 80 |
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| “The flocks that Egypt pledged me to Assyria I drave, | |
| “And Pharaoh hath the increase of the herds that Sargon gave. | |
| “Not for Ashdod overthrown | |
| “Will the Kings destroy their own, | |
| “Or their peoples wake the strife they feign to brave. | 85 |
| |
| “Is not Carchemish like Calno? For the steeds of their desire | |
| “They have sold me seven harvests that I sell to Crowning Tyre; | |
| “And the Tyrian sweeps the plains | |
| “With a thousand hired wains, | |
| “And the Cities keep the peace and—share the hire. | 90 |
| |
| “Hast thou seen the pride of Moab? For the swords about his path, | |
| “His bond is to Philistia, in half of all he hath. | |
| “And he dare not draw the sword | |
| “Till Gaza give the word, | |
| “And he show release from Askalon and Gath. | 95 |
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| “Wilt thou call again thy peoples, wilt thou craze anew thy Kings? | |
| “Lo! my lightnings pass before thee, and their whistling servant brings, | |
| “Ere the drowsy street hath stirred— | |
| “Every masked and midnight word, | |
| “And the nations break their fast upon these things. | 100 |
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| “So I make a jest of Wonder, and a mock of Time and Space, | |
| “The roofless Seas an hostel, and the Earth a market-place, | |
| “Where the anxious traders know | |
| “Each is surety for his foe, | |
| “And none may thrive without his fellows’ grace. | 105 |
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| “Now this is all my subtlety and this is all my wit, | |
| “God give thee good enlightenment, My Master in the Pit. | |
| “But behold all Earth is laid | |
| “In the Peace which I have made, | |
| “And behold I wait on thee to trouble it!” | 110 |
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