The Elder spake to him, Yet shaking with the burden, "Who art thou ?" He answered, "I, the man whom thou didst send To fetch through this thy woodland, do forbear To tell my name; thou lovest it not, great sire,-- No, nor mine errand.

To thy house I spake, Touching their beauty." "Wherefore didst thou spite," Quoth he, "the daughters ?" and it seemed he lost Count of that prophecy, for very age, And from his thin lips dropt a trembling laugh.
"Wicked old man," quoth he, "this wise old man I see as 't were not I.Thou bad old man, What shall be done to thee?
for thou didst burn Their babes, and strew the ashes all about, To rid the world of His white soldiers.

Ay, Scenting of human sacrifice, they fled.
Cowards! I heard them winnow their great wings: They went to tell Him; but they came no more.
The women hate to hear of them, so sore They grudged their little ones; and yet no way There was but that.

I took it; I did well." With that he fell to weeping.

"Son," said he, "Long have I hid mine eyes from stalwart men, For it is hard to lose the majesty And pride and power of manhood: but to-day, Stand forth into the light, that I may look Upon thy strength, and think, EVEN THUS DID I, IN THE GLORY OF MY YOUTH, MORE LIKE TO GOD THAN LIKE HIS SOLDIERS, FACE THE VASSAL WORLD." Then Noah stood forward in his majesty, Shouldering the golden billhook, wherewithal He wont to cut his way, when tangled in The matted hayes.