The Pearl Part 5

Yet, none the less, on thee I call, If thou wilt listen verily, As thou art glorious over all, Hearken the while I question thee.

Within some splendid castle wall, Have ye not dwellings fair to see?

Of David's city, rich, royal, Jerusalem, thou tellest me.

In Palestine its place must be; In wildwood such none ever saw.

Since spotless is your purity, Your dwellings should be free from flaw.

"Now this most fair and flawless rout, Thronging thousands, as thou dost tell, They must possess, beyond a doubt, A sightly city wherein to dwell.

'T were strange that they should live without; For so bright a band it were not well; Yet I see no building hereabout.

Dost thou linger as in a woodland cell, Alone and hidden, for the spell Of rushing stream and shining shaw?

If thou hast a dwelling beyond this dell, Now show me that city free from flaw."

"Not flawless the city in Juda's land,"

That gentle one gently to me spake, "But the Lamb did bless it when He planned To suffer there sorely for man's sake.

That is the old city we understand, And there the bonds of old guilt did break; But the new, alighted from G.o.d's hand, The Apostle John for his theme did take.

The Lamb Who is white with never a flake Of black, did thither His fair folk draw; For His flock no fenced fold need He make, Nor moat for His city free from flaw."

"To figure flawlessly what may mean Jerusalems twain: the first of those Was 'the Sight of Peace' as it is seen In the word of G.o.d, for the gospel shows How there our peace made sure hath been, Since to suffer therein the Saviour chose; In the other is always peace to glean, Peace that never an ending knows.

To that city bright the spirit goes When the flesh hath fallen beneath death's law; There glorious gladness forever grows For His fair folk that are free from flaw."

"Flawless maid so mild and meek,"

Then said I to that lovely flower: "Let me that stately city seek, And let me see thy blissful bower."

That bright one said, "Thou art too weak, Thou may'st not enter to its tower; Yet of the Lamb I did bespeak This goodly gift, that He would dower Thine eyes with the sight for one short hour,-- From without,--within none ever saw; To step in that street thou hast no power, Unless thy soul were free from flaw."

XVII

"This flawless sight I will not hide; Up toward the brook's head thou must go, While I will follow on this side, Till yonder hill the city show."

And then I would no longer bide, But stole through branches, bending low, Till from the summit I espied, Through green boughs swaying to and fro, Afar, the city, all aglow, That brighter than bright sunbeams shone.

In writing it is pictured so, In the Revelation of St. John.

As John the Apostle saw the sight, I saw that city, standing near Jerusalem, so royal dight, As if from Heaven alighted here.

The city all of gold burned bright, Like gleaming gla.s.s that glistens clear.

With precious stones beneath set right: Foundations twelve of gems most dear, Wrought wondrous richly, tier on tier.

Each base was of a separate stone As, perfectly, it doth appear In the Revelation of St. John.

John named the stones that he had seen, I knew the order that he made; The first a jasper must have been, That on the lowest base was laid, Beneath the rest it glinted green; A sapphire in the second grade; Chalcedony, from blemish clean, In the third course was fair arrayed; Fourth, emerald, of greenest shade, Fifth, sardonyx, was raised thereon; The sixth a ruby, as is said In the Revelation of St. John.

John joined to these the chrysolite, The seventh gem in that bas.e.m.e.nt; The eighth, a beryl, clear and white; The topaz, ninth, its l.u.s.ter lent; Tenth, chrysophrase, both soft and bright; Eleventh, the jacinth, translucent; And twelfth, and n.o.blest to recite, Amethyst, blue with purple blent.

The wall above those bas.e.m.e.nts went Jasper, like gla.s.s that glistening shone; I saw, as the story doth present,-- The Revelation of St. John.

I saw, as John doth clear devise: The great stones rose like a broad stair; Above, the city, to my eyes, In height, length, breadth appeared four-square; The jasper wall shone amber-wise, The golden streets as gla.s.s gleamed fair; The dwellings glowed in glorious guise With every stone most rich and rare.

Each length of bright wall builded there For full twelve furlongs' s.p.a.ce stretched on, And height, length, breadth all equal were: "I saw one mete it," writeth John.

XVIII

As John doth write more met mine eye: Within each wall were set three gates; Twelve in succession I could spy, Portals adorned with bright gold plates; Each gate a single pearl saw I, A perfect pearl, as John relates.

On each a name was written high Of Israel's sons after their dates, The oldest first, as the story states.

Within those streets by night or noon, Light beams that not one hour abates; They needed neither sun nor moon.

Of sun or moon they had no need; For G.o.d Himself was their lamp light, The Lamb their lantern was indeed; From Him the city shone all bright.

Through wall and dwelling my looks might speed, Such clearness could not hinder sight.

Of the high throne ye might take heed, With draperies of radiant white, As John the Apostle doth endite; High G.o.d Himself did sit thereon.

From the throne a river welled outright Was brighter than both sun and moon.

Sun nor moon shone never so sweet As the full flood of that bright stream; Swiftly it swept through every street, Untainted did the water gleam.

Chapel nor church mine eyes did meet; Therein is no temple as I deem; The Almighty is their minster meet, The Lamb their sacrifice supreme.

The gates with neither bolt nor beam, Wide open stand at night and noon; To enter there let no man dream Whom sin hath stained beneath the moon.

The moon may there win no least might, She is too spotty, grey and grim; Therein, moreover, is never night, Why should the moon fill full her rim To rival the all-glorious light That beams upon the river's brim?

The planets are in poorest plight; The sun itself is far too dim.

Beside the stream trees tall and trim Bear living fruits that none doth prune; Twelve times a year bends low each limb, Renewed with fruitage every moon.

Beneath the moon full well might fail The heart of mortal to endure The marvel that did mine eyes a.s.sail, Fashioned the fancy to allure.

I stood as still as a startled quail, For wonder of its fair figure, I felt no rest and no travail, Ravished before such radiance pure.

I say, and with conviction sure, Had the eyes of man received that boon, Though wisest clerks sought for his cure, His life were lost beneath the moon.

XIX

Now, even as the full moon might rise Ere daylight doth to darkness fall, Sudden I saw with still surprise Within that shining city-wall, The streets full-thronged in wondrous wise, Silent, with never a herald's call, With virgins in the selfsame guise As my beloved, sweet and small.

Each head was crowned with coronal, Pearl-wrought, and every robe was white; On each breast bound, imperial, The Pearl of Price with great delight.

With great delight together going On gla.s.sy golden streets they tread; To a hundred thousand swiftly growing, And all alike were they garmented: The gladdest face who could be knowing?

The Lamb did proudly pa.s.s ahead, His seven horns of clear red gold glowing, His robes like pearls high valued.

On toward the throne their way they thread, None crowded in that band so bright, But mild as maidens when ma.s.s is said, So fared they forth with great delight.