And bear the wooden yoke as they were taught
The first day. What ye want is light-indeed
Not sunlight—(ye may well look up surprised
To those unfathomable heavens that feed
Your purple hills!)—but God's light organised
In some high soul, crowned capable to lead
The conscious people,—conscious and advised,—
For if we lift a people like mere clay,
It falls the same. We want thee, O unfound
And sovran teacher!—if thy beard be grey
Or black, we bid thee rise up from the ground
And speak the word God giveth thee to say,
Inspiring into all this people round,
Instead of passion, thought, which pioneers
All generous passion, purifies from sin,
And strikes the hour for. Rise thou teacher! here's
A crowd to make a nation!—best begin
By making each a man, till all be peers
Of earth's true patriots and pure martyrs in
Knowing and daring. Best unbar the doors
Which Peter's heirs keep locked so overclose
They only let the mice across the floors,
While every churchman dangles as he goes
The great key at his girdle, and abhors
In Christ's name, meekly. Open wide the house—
Concede the entrance with Christ's liberal mind,
And set the tables with His wine and bread.
What! commune in "both kinds?" In every kind—
Wine, wafer, love, hope, truth, unlimited,
Nothing kept back. For, when a man is blind
To starlight, will he see the rose is red?
A bondsman shivering at a Jesuit's foot—
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CASA GUIDI WINDOWS.
