Leonardo's Christ

One came from forth the unquiet city glare ;
Brought heart unhallowed, hard and hitler thought,
Dark pride, this passing world's vain restless care ;
Which all his soul to unquiet fever wrought
With inarticulate moan for rest, for love :
Trod unaware the venerable hall
Where day kneels veiled — hushed gazers dare not move —
Where that grand spirit traced upon the wall
A scene all deathless, though the flaking colour fall.

Came and was smitten and bowed, like him who rode
Of old so hot and proud till unaware
The vision of a lowly Jesus glowed
More strong than midday might on him to bear
Both soul and frame to earth, there silent laid
To list those clear sad loving accents say
"Why persecute Me, Saul?" — Yon figure said
The like, he deemed, this weary one to-day,
Yon midmost Form apart i' the pictured Life array.

For there mid faces sharp new pain distressed,
Each with his own life-look and features'
play,
At that last meal sat One from whom the rest,
It seemed, withdrew, though but for grieved dismay.
Even now withdrew to leave him all alone.
Yet not alone the Father being nigh :
For He the spell of gloom about them thrown
From shadowing trouble near broke ominously,
And spake with low distinct yet quivering tone
"Of you shall one betray Me, chosen for my own."

And through yon faded scaling colours gazed.
As through the veil of ages passed away,
And through heart-mist the wanderer's sight which hazed,
Those drooping eyes of melancholy ray.
That worn sad face with selfless calm Divine,
Pathetic air and gesture ; all again
Spake those sad words — to hii)i — "<) friend of mine
Wilt thou betray ? my love did never wane ;
I told heart secrets to thee, led thee, soothed thy pain I "

They ranged or grouped along the dusky stone
Of pictured chamber wall, the Lord doth sit
His head relieved against the tender tone
Of landscape, far and deep light softening it.
As ripening afternoon is wont to do
In yonder clime with kindly mellowing haze.
To steep rude earth in his own glory-glow
Grows gently sad the sun's triumphant blaze;
To near our world's chill mists he dims in coming low.

An emblem of His love, whose spirit shines
Like yonder sun, calm pure and infinite.
But through sweet law of its own life declines
Toward our blind heart-broken world, His light
While glorifying shrouded low and sad
Mid vapours dank of uncongenial sin
From false faint hearts, souls fevered hot and mad
For pelf, power, fame ; about them pale and thin
Spurned shivering poor, the weepers round their darling dead.

Day wore to eve from glad upspringing morn :
His day wore on from that all-glorious prime
When, holding Mary's hand, His steps were drawn
A little Child, at daybreak, evening time.
To that near hollow where the cool well lies
And women with their pitchers congregate;
Wore on from when the expanding youth for rise
Of sun mid Nazarean hills would wait
With God - communing soul in dark unfathomed eyes.

VIII
Or lying where some homeless mountain air
Strays sighing through sweet thyme and russet growth
Faint purpled, watched sun's blood-red orb from there
Sink in the ensanguined sea, suffusing both
Wide sky and earth with his own dying glow ;
Dark Carmel's promontory warmed to red,
Where long ago God's prophet did desire
From Heaven the flame, which fell while shrieked and bled
False priests of Baal : all burned as with heart of fire.

IX
His Spirit grew into the mighty thought
Of countrymen, of all the world, at strife,
The slaves of Evil, to be wisdom taught
Less by wise precept than a selfless life :
His heart throbbed yearning to embrace the whole :
He longed to be among them ; one by one
The features of his giant fabric stole
Forth from the gloom upon Him — like yon sun
He saw His dying Love the world in glory
All Carmel haunts of prophet, priest or sage.
The light of His self-sacrifice illumes ;
That ancient Love which breathes from age to age
Life into all ; yet newborn youth assumes
From now a Man concentrates rays Divine
In His own soul and life ; so floods the world !
He, focus of our light, shall ever shine
Till we, too wise for Love, His flag have furled ;
Or mightier Sun arise to shame Love's pale decline !

But shadow deepens now toward the close :
His spirit darkens with the coming doom.
While they in whom his heart had found repose
Of sympathy in good fold close the gloom ;
For He who pours His very being forth
Divinely rich and pure for these must hear
These even now, so nigh the end, in wrath
Dispute pre-eminence : while deadly near
Looms Peter's base denial, — each one's broken troth !

Dark, darker yet that anguish 'neath the tree :
By torchlight lo ! the ghastly traitor's kiss :
On to that inmost depth of agony
When God — 'tis still the Father doing this —
His own hand draws before those filming eyes
To hide Himself — there in man's lowest deep
Back thrusting sin's untasted cup He dies :
The blank dead face of that Eternal Sleep
His coming wakes to flush with solemn grand surprise !

And ever since that awful joy hath dwelt
Upon the dark long-dreaded face of Death ;
And ever since those dreary regions melt
In His self-sacrificing sunset breath :
But now it is the shadowing doom that weighs
His spirit down : He gives the bread and wine,
That they and multitudes His soul surveys
Of men unborn in ever lengthening line
May feed upon His love through all the circling days —

Ah ! passive hand, in life but raised to save,
They use thee cold to strike the wanderers low !
Ah ! silent voice, all silent in the grave,
Thou tenderest breath of love in ear of
Woe!
Thou guardian wing must speed their shafts of scorn.
Of hard Iiarsh pride — O long-enduring
Lord,
Death holds not Thee ! Thou " from the dead firstborn,"
Arise, and wield once more the flaming sword.
That ne'er smote but the proud ; lift once more them that mourn !