Meet it, and miss it through more years?

Thou hast hurt me with that threat of thine.

For what serves treasure but for tears, One must so soon his bliss resign?

I reck not how my days decline, Though far from earth my soul seek room, Parted from that dear pearl of mine.

Save endless dole what is man's doom?"

"No doom save pain and soul's distress?"

She answered: "Wherefore thinkst thou so?

For pain of parting with the less, Man often lets the greater go.

'T were better thou thy fate shouldst bless, And love thy G.o.d, through weal and woe; For anger wins not happiness; Who must, shall bear; bend thy pride low; For though thou mayst dance to and fro, Struggle and shriek, and fret and fume, When thou canst stir not, swift nor slow, At last, thou must endure His doom."

"Let G.o.d doom as He doth ordain; He will not turn one foot aside; Thy good deeds mount up but in vain, Thou must in sorrow ever bide; Stint of thy strife, cease to complain, Seek His compa.s.sion safe and wide, Thy prayer His pity may obtain, Till Mercy all her might have tried.

Thy anguish He will heal and hide, And lightly lift away thy gloom; For, be thou sore or satisfied, All is for Him to deal and doom."

VII

Doom me not, dearest damosel; It is not for wrath nor bitterness, If rash and raving thoughts I tell.

For sin my heart seethed in distress, Like bubbling water in a well.

I cry G.o.d mercy, and confess.

Rebuke me not with words so fell; I have lost all that my life did bless; Comfort my sorrow and redress, Piteously thinking upon this: Grief and my soul thou hast made express One music,--thou who wert my bliss.

"My bliss and bale, thou hast been both, But joy by great grief was undone; When thou didst vanish, by my troth, I knew not where my Pearl was gone.

To lose thee now I were most loth.

Dear, when we parted we were one; Now G.o.d forbid that we be wroth, We meet beneath the moon or sun So seldom. Gently thy words run, But I am dust, my deeds amiss; The mercy of Christ and Mary and John Is root and ground of all my bliss."

"A blissful life I see thee lead, The while that I am sorrow's mate; Haply thou givest little heed What might my burning hurt abate.

Since I may in thy presence plead, I do beseech thee thou narrate, Soberly, surely, word and deed, What life is thine, early and late?

I am fain of thy most fair estate; The high road of my joy is this, That thou hast happiness so great; It is the ground of all my bliss."

She said, "May bliss to thee betide,"

Her face with beauty beaming clear, "Welcome thou art here to abide, For now thy speech is to me dear.

Masterful mood and haughty pride, I warn thee win but hatred here; For my Lord loveth not to chide And meek are all that to Him come near.

When in His place thou shalt appear, To kneel devout be not remiss, My Lord the Lamb loveth such cheer, Who is the ground of all my bliss."

"Thou sayest a blissful life I know, And thou wouldst learn of its degree.

Thou rememberest when thy pearl fell low In earth, I was but young to see; But my Lord the Lamb, as if to show His grace, took me His bride to be, Crowned me a queen in bliss to go Through length of days eternally; And dowered with all His wealth is she Who is His love, and I am His; His worthiness and royalty Are root and ground of all my bliss."

VIII

"My blissful one, may this be true.

Pardon if I speak ill," I prayed: "Art thou the queen o' the heaven's blue, To whom earth's honour shall be paid?

We believe in Mary, of grace who grew, A mother, yet a blameless maid; To wear her crown were only due To one who purer worth displayed.

For perfectness by none gainsaid, We call her the Phoenix of Araby, That flies in faultless charm arrayed, Like to the Queen of courtesy."

"Courteous Queen," that bright one said, And, kneeling, lifted up her face: "Matchless Mother and merriest Maid, Blessed Beginner of every grace."

Then she arose, and softly stayed, And spoke to me across that s.p.a.ce: "Sir, many seek gain here, and are paid, But defrauders are none within this place; That Empress may all heaven embrace, And earth and h.e.l.l in her empery; Her from her heritage none will chase, For she is Queen of courtesy."

"The court of the kingdom of G.o.d doth thrive Only because of this wondrous thing: Each one who therein may arrive, Of the realm is either queen or king; And no one the other doth deprive, But is fain of his fellow's guerdoning, And would wish each crown might be worth five, If possible were their bettering.

But my Lady, from whom our Lord did spring, Rules over all our company, And for that we all rejoice and sing, Since she is Queen of courtesy."

"Of courtesy, as says St. Paul, Members of Christ we may be seen.

As head and arm and leg, and all, Bound to the body close have been, Each Christian soul himself may call A living limb of his Lord, I ween.

And see how neither hate nor gall 'Twixt limb and limb may intervene; The head shows neither spite nor spleen, Though arm and finger jewelled be, So fare we all in love serene, As kings and queens by courtesy."

"Courtesy flowers thy folk among, And charity, I well believe.

If foolish words flow from my tongue, Let not my speech thy spirit grieve.

A queen in heaven while yet so young, Too high thou dost thyself upheave.

Then what reward from strife were wrung?

What worship more might he achieve Who lived in penance morn and eve, Through bodily pain in bliss to be?

Honour more high might he receive, Than be crowned king by courtesy?"

IX

"That courtesy rewards no deed If all be true that thou dost say; Our life not two years didst thou lead Nor learned to please G.o.d, nor to pray, No Paternoster knew nor creed, And made a queen on the first day!

I may not think, so G.o.d me speed!

That G.o.d from right would swerve away; As a countess, damsel, by my fay!

To live in heaven were a fair boon, Or like a lady of less array, But a queen! Ah, no! it is too soon."

"With Him there is no soon nor late,"

Replied to me that worthy wight; "True always is His high mandate; He doth no evil, day nor night.

Hear Matthew in the ma.s.s narrate, In the Gospel of the G.o.d of might, His parable portrays the state Of the Kingdom of Heaven, clear as light: 'My servants,' saith He, 'I requite As a lord who will his vineyard prune; The season of the year is right, And labourers must be hired soon.'"

"Right soon the hirelings all may see How the master with the dawn arose; To hire his labourers forth went he, And workmen stout and strong he chose.

For a penny a day they all agree, Even as the master doth propose, They toil and travail l.u.s.tily, Prune, bind, and with a ditch enclose.

Then to the market-place he goes, And finds men idle at high noon: 'How can a man stand here who knows The vineyards should be tilled so soon?'"