That gentle Indian with his pregnant eye Saw all and mused it--then, and after, long-- The cheerful, joyful, reverent greeting given A Jewish prisoner by a Roman lord And by the Jewish prisoner so returned In unaccustomed words ill understood But solemn like the language of a spell; This, with the Roman captain's look benign Approving what surprised him yet; nor less, The menace of the mutual scowls that met Darkening each other on the alien brows Of Felix and Drusilla at the sight-- Most like two clouds that, black already, blown Together, shadow into a deeper dark!
In due time, anchor weighed with choral sound Of sailors' voices cheering each himself And each his fellow in a formless tune, The ship from out the haven slowly slid, Urged with the oar but wooing too the wind With slack sail doubtful drooping by the mast. Large planes of lucid ocean tranced in calm They traversed with loth labor of the oar, Or else were buffeted of winds that blew Thwart or full opposite day after day, While they hugged close the Asian shore, then Rhodes Saw southward, mooring fair her fruitful isle. The leisures long-drawn-out of those delays, To Paul and to his friends were prize and spoil. Grown wonted to the sway of wind and wave, They spent, cradled at grateful ease, the slow, Soft-lapsing, indistinguishable hours That wore the sunny summer season out, In various converse or communion sweet Oft with mere sense of mutual nearness nursed.
"Who was that kindly courteous gentleman," Thus at fit moment Rachel asked of Paul, "That spoke so fair my brother coming up? Roman he seemed, and lordly was his air; Yet something other, sweeter, differenced him From his compatriot peers, and I observed Thou gavest him thy grace from Christ the Lord."
"That, Rachel," Paul replied, "was one I knew-- Almost mightst thou have known him--long ago In Tarsus; we were boys together there. But since then twice, with now this added time, Has God in wisdom made our pathways meet. That Roman to Damascus went with me And saw, what time the glory of the Lord Blinded me to behold at last the True. But him that glory, seen not suffered, left For outward vision what he was before, While inwardly with denser darkness blind, Reclaimed from atheism to idolatry! But God had mercy on him; years went by, And I, with Barnabas to Cyprus come, Found there this selfsame Roman, governor. The skeptic whom theophany had made Religious not, but superstitious, now Led captive of delusion--worldly-wise Albeit he was, yet unto God a fool!-- Was given up wholly dupe and devotee Of a deceiver, Jew, Bar-jesus named, Pretender to the gift of prophecy. This sorcerer dared withstand us to the face Before the governor, who had summoned us (Not dreaming whom he summoned summoning me) To tell him of the word of God. But I, Filled with the Spirit of the Lord--mine eyes On him, that sorcerer, fastened--uttered words Which God the Faithful followed with such blast And blight of blindness on the wretched man That he groped seeking who would lead him thence. The governor beheld and wonder-struck To see God's work God's word at last believed. The pagan playmate of my boyhood so Became the changed soul thou hast seen him here, In Jesus brother, loving and beloved; And Sergius Paulus thou his name mayst call."