Robert
Keable .
*ST.
PETER
SPEAKS
TO
A
LAD
WHO
VISITS
HIM
ON
THE
EVE
OF
MARTYRDOM .
A
YE , lad ! He
crossed
the
court
,
and
in
His
eyes
n
I
read
the
certain
knowledge
of
a
man
Who
looks
on
death
and
counts
its
agonies
,
Yet
garners
slow
and
sure
as
for
a
prize
.
I
looked
-
belike
you
scarcely
can
believe
!
And
saw
the bound
and
blood
-
stained
hands
,
the Face
Part
bruised
,
all
shamed
by
that
it
did
receive
,
And
yet
,
so
fierce
was
I,
forebore
to
grieve
.
I
did
expect
a
King
(I
saw
a
slave
!)
A
kingdom
ushered
with
the
trump
of
God
;
And
this
the thronement that His subjects
gave
A
brutal
hustling
to
a
certain
grave
!
I
looked
,
and
looking
could
have
cursed
the more
,
But
in
a
moment
,
lad
,
He
looked
on
me
;
And
I
was
stricken
;
sought
half
-
blind
the
door
;
Sobb
'd
that
I
had
not
seen
the half
before
.
.
.
Whose
curses
,
think
you
,
had He heard
that day
?
Whose
hands
had
beaten
in
upon
His
Face
?
The
Romans
?
Jews
?
Dull
,
blind
,
and
ignorant they
!
He
saw
no
traitor
till He looked my way
.
98