But he was dead: ‘twas about noon, the day Somewhat declining: we five buried him That eve, and then, dividing, went five ways, { 645} And I, disguised, returned to Ephesus.
By this, the cave’s mouth must be filled with sand. Valens is lost, I know not of his trace; The Bactrian was but a wild childish man, And could not write nor speak, but only loved: { 650} So, lest the memory of this go quite, Seeing that I to-morrow fight the beasts, I tell the same to Phoebas, whom believe! For many look again to find that face, Beloved John’s to whom I ministered, { 655} Somewhere in life about the world; they err: Either mistaking what was darkly spoke At ending of his book, as he relates, Or misconceiving somewhat of this speech Scattered from mouth to mouth, as I suppose. { 660} Believe ye will not see him any more About the world with his divine regard! For all was as I say, and now the man Lies as he lay once, breast to breast with God.
-- 652. Pamphylax tells the story to Phoebas, on the eve of his martyrdom.
654-660. See Gospel of St. John 21:20-24.
“To whom thus Michael, with regard benign:” P. L., XI., 334. “From that placid aspect and meek regard.”--P. R., III., 217.
De Quincey remarks (Milton vs. Southey and Landor) in reply to Landor’s demurring that “meek regard conveys no new idea to placid aspect”: “But ASPECT is the countenance of Christ when passive to the gaze of others; REGARD is the same countenance in active contemplation of those others whom he loves or pities. The PLACID ASPECT expresses, therefore, the divine rest; the MEEK REGARD expresses the divine benignity; the one is the self-absorption of the total Godhead, the other the external emanation of the Filial Godhead.” --
{ Cerinthus read and mused; one added this:-- { 665}
“If Christ, as thou affirmest, be of men Mere man, the first and best but nothing more,-- Account Him, for reward of what He was, Now and forever, wretchedest of all. For see; Himself conceived of life as love, { 670} Conceived of love as what must enter in, Fill up, make one with His each soul He loved: Thus much for man’s joy, all men’s joy for Him. Well, He is gone, thou sayest, to fit reward. But by this time are many souls set free, { 675} And very many still retained alive: Nay, should His coming be delayed awhile, Say, ten years longer (twelve years, some compute) See if, for every finger of thy hands, There be not found, that day the world shall end, { 680} Hundreds of souls, each holding by Christ’s word That He will grow incorporate with all, With me as Pamphylax, with him as John, Groom for each bride! Can a mere man do this? Yet Christ saith, this He lived and died to do. { 685} Call Christ, then, the illimitable God, Or lost!”