Ritmennt - 01.01.2000, Page 147

RITMENNT
THE DREAM
In other place a virtuous bishop52 stood
That tainted pale-fac'd ghosts with living blood;
He kept his 'guilty' hand in scorching blaze
Innocence loolc'd out of his tranquil face
The conscience clear, with stores of virtues frought,
His sense to Heav'n from burning members brought. 90
Unwilling flames his mortal part devour'd;
But white-rob'd band of angels to the Lord
Triumphing bore his soul upon their arms
Array'd in virtue's everlasting charms!
An holy pleasure through my bosom flow'd,
My pierced heart with sacred rapture glow'd,
I tasted sweets, that pleasure cannot give
And dust so seldom feels in earthly life.—
Britannia's isle, how is thy greatness bright,
That gav'st auspicious birth to such a light! 100
The flames exhal'd, this solemn scene was past,
Th'enchanted stage began its course at last:
Prisons, and caves of death in dreadful race
Rose up hy sudden change, and scar'd the stage
Poisonous steems, and loathsome stench imparts
An anxious horror to the hravest hearts.—
How beat thy tender heart great Howard53 there,
Relieving helpless mis'ries every-where!
I saw thee ford through mortifying smoke
Of venomous damps, and with undaunted looks 110
Observe, and cure, th'unhappy men' distress,
Who always shall thy generous ashes bless!
No traveller saw Europe ever pass,
So full of noble care for mankind's cause,
52 Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), erkibiskup af Canterbury. Hin kaþólska María
drottning krafðist þess að hann endurtæki opinberlega einkaafneitun sína á
kenningum siðbreytingarinnar, en hann neitaði á áhrifamikinn hátt að verða
við kröfunni. Þegar hann hélt því fram í St. Mary-kirkjunni í Oxford að það
sem hönd hans hefði skrifað væri andstætt sannleikanum í hjarta hans stakk
hann fyrst þessum svikula lim inn í logana, en síðan tók hann píslarvættis-
dauða sínum með stóískri ró.
53 John Howard (1726-90). Howard fæddist inn í eina af fremstu og stærstu að-
alsfjölskyldum Englands og var merkur fyrir baráttu sína um alla Evrópu fyr-
ir endurbótum á fangelsum og að koma í veg fyrir smitsjúkdóma.
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