"No conscious falseness," murmured he, aloud, Yet inly, as communing with himself; "No conscious falseness there, the same clear truth That ever was the character of Saul; No falseness, and no subtle secret flaw, Unconscious, in the soundness of the mind; The same sane sense that marked him from of old. He has been deceived; how could he be deceived? That light which fell around him at mid-noon, Who counterfeited that? It might have been Force from the sun that smote him in the brain, As he was smitten whom Elisha healed, That son of promise to the Shunammite-- Nay, that had made a darkness, and not light, To him, and dulled his senses not to hear, And dulled his fancy not to feign, such voice As that which spake so dreadfully to him. Astounding voice, that uttered human speech And yet, like thunder, occupied the world! Did Saul discern the tongue in which it spake? Perhaps some mere illusion of the mind, Whimsical contradiction to the thought That had so long been uppermost therein, Imposed itself upon him for the truth; Perhaps some automatic stroke reverse Of overwrought imagination made A momentary, irresponsible Conceit of fancy seem a fact of sense; Perhaps, not hearing, he but deemed he heard. If he distinguished clearly what the tongue Was of the voice that spake, then--I will ask And see. Those words, Saul, which thou seemedst to hear, What were they, Greek or Hebrew? Didst thou heed So as to mark the manner of the speech, Or peradventure but the meaning take?"
"Hebrew the words were, master," Saul replied; "If ever it were possible for me To lose them from my memory, mine ear Would hear their haunting echo evermore. Such light, such sound, forsake the senses never. O master, when God speaks to man, doubt not He finds the means to certify Himself. Let Him now certify Himself to thee, Through me, me the least worthy of such grace, To be ambassador of grace from Him!"
Paul's words were not so eloquent as Paul. He to such conscious noble dignity Joined such supreme effacement of himself; Burned with such zeal devoid of eagerness; A manner of entreaty that was his, Not for his own, but all for other's sake, Made such a sweet chastised persuasiveness, From self-regarding purpose purified; Meekness of wisdom such clothed on the man With an investiture of awfulness; While, fairer yet, a most unworldly light, A soft celestial radiancy, diffused, Self-luminous, illuminating all, The light divine of supernatural love, Upon him from a sacred source unseen Flung such a flush, like sunrise on some peak Of lonely height first to salute the sun; That Paul, to whoso had beholding eyes, Shone as a milder new theophany.