He sware to me That no man should molest thee, no, nor touch The bordering of mine outmost field.

I say, When I obeyed, He made His matters plain.
With whom could I have left thee, but with them, Born in thy mother's house, and bound thy slaves ?" She said, "I love not pygmies; they are naught." And he, "Who made them pygmies ?" Then she pushed Her veiling hair back from her round, soft eyes, And answered, wondering, "Sir, my mothers did, Ye know it." And he drew her near to sit Beside him on the settle, answering, "Ay." And they went on to talk as writ below, If any one shall read: "Thy mother did, And they that went before her.

Thinkest thou That they did well ?" "They had been overcome; And when the angered conquerors drave them out, Behoved them find some other way to rule,-- They did but use their wits.

Hath not man aye Been cunning in dominion, among beasts To breed for size or swiftness, or for sake Of the white wool he loveth, at his choice?
What harm if coveting a race of men That could but serve, they sought among their thralls, Such as were low of stature, men and maids; Ay, and of feeble will and quiet mind?
Did they not spend much gear to gather out Such as I tell of, and for matching them One with another for a thousand years?
What harm, then, if there came of it a race, Inferior in their wits, and in their size, And well content to serve ?" "'What harm ?' thou sayest.
My wife doth ask, 'What harm?
'" "Your pardon, sir.
I do remember that there came one day, Two of the grave old angels that God made, When first He invented life (right old they were, And plain, and venerable); and they said, Rebuking of my mother as with hers She sat, 'Ye do not well, you wives of men, To match your wit against the Maker's will, And for your benefit to lower the stamp Of His fair image, which He set at first Upon man's goodly frame; ye do not well To treat his likeness even as ye treat The bird and beast that perish.'" "Said they aught To appease the ancients, or to speak them fair ?" "How know I?
'T was a slave that told it me.
My mother was full old when I was born, And that was in her youth.

What think you, sir?
Did not the giants likewise ill ?" "To that I have no answer ready.