At the base of it Stand the Evangelists; above their heads Four Angels blowing upon marble trumpets, And over them the blessed Christ, surrounded By his attendant ministers, upholding The instruments of his passion.
ELSIE.
O my Lord! Would I could leave behind me upon earth Some monument to thy glory, such as this! PRINCE HENRY.
A greater monument than this thou leavest In thine own life, all purity and love! See, too, the Rose, above the western portal Resplendent with a thousand gorgeous colors, The perfect flower of Gothic loveliness! ELSIE.
And, in the gallery, the long line of statues, Christ with his twelve Apostles watching us! A Bishop in armor, booted and spurred, passes with his train.
PRINCE HENRY.
But come away; we have not time to look, The crowd already fills the church, and yonder Upon a stage, a herald with a trumpet, Clad like the Angel Gabriel, proclaims The Mystery that will now be represented.
THE NATIVITY A MIRACLE-PLAY INTROITUS PRAECO.
Come, good people, all and each, Come and listen to our speech! In your presence here I stand, With a trumpet in my hand, To announce the Easter Play, Which we represent to-day! First of all we shall rehearse, In our action and our verse, The Nativity of our Lord, As written in the old record Of the Protevangelion, So that he who reads may run! Blows his trumpet.
I.HEAVEN.
MERCY, at the feet of God.
Have pity, Lord! be not afraid To save mankind, whom thou hast made, Nor let the souls that were betrayed Perish eternally! JUSTICE.
It cannot be, it must not be! When in the garden placed by thee, The fruit of the forbidden tree He ate, and he must die! MERCY.
Have pity, Lord! let penitence Atone for disobedience, Nor let the fruit of man's offence Be endless misery! JUSTICE.
What penitence proportionate Can e'er be felt for sin so great?
Of the forbidden fruit he ate, And damned must he be! GOD.
He shall be saved, if that within The bounds of earth one free from sin Be found, who for his kith and kin Will suffer martyrdom.
THE FOUR VIRTUES.
Lord! we have searched the world around, From centre to the utmost bound, But no such mortal can be found; Despairing, back we come.
WISDOM.
No mortal, but a God-made man, Can ever carry out this plan, Achieving what none other can, Salvation unto all! GOD.
Go, then, O my beloved Son! It can by thee alone be done; By thee the victory shall be won O'er Satan and the Fall! Here the ANGEL GABRIEL shall leave Paradise and fly towards the earth; the jaws of hell open below, and the Devils walk about, making a great noise.
II.

MARY AT THE WELL MARY.
Along the garden walk, and thence Through the wicket in the garden fence I steal with quiet pace, My pitcher at the well to fill, That lies so deep and cool and still In this sequestered place.
These sycamores keep guard around; I see no face, I hear no sound, Save bubblings of the spring, And my companions, who, within, The threads of gold and scarlet spin, And at their labor sing.
THE ANGEL GABRIEL.
Hail, Virgin Mary, full of grace! Here MARY looketh around her, trembling, and then saith: MARY.
Who is it speaketh in this place, With such a gentle voice?
GABRIEL.
The Lord of heaven is with thee now! Blessed among all women thou, Who art his holy choice! MARY, setting down the pitcher.
What can this mean?
No one is near, And yet, such sacred words I hear, I almost fear to stay.
Here the ANGEL, appearing to her, shall say: GABRIEL.
Fear not, O Mary! but believe! For thou, a Virgin, shalt conceive A child this very day.
Fear not, O Mary! from the sky The Majesty of the Most High Shall overshadow thee! MARY.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord! According to thy holy word, So be it unto me! Here the Devils shall again make a great noise, under the stage.
III.

THE ANGELS OF THE SEVEN PLANETS, BEARING THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM THE ANGELS.
The Angels of the Planets Seven, Across the shining fields of heaven The natal star we bring! Dropping our sevenfold virtues down As priceless jewels in the crown Of Christ, our new-born King.
RAPHAEL.
I am the Angel of the Sun, Whose flaming wheels began to run When God Almighty's breath Said to the darkness and the Night, Let there he light! and there was light! I bring the gift of Faith.
ONAFIEL.
I am the Angel of the Moon, Darkened to be rekindled soon Beneath the azure cope! Nearest to earth, it is my ray That best illumes the midnight way; I bring the gift of Hope! ANAEL.
The Angel of the Star of Love, The Evening Star, that shines above The place where lovers be, Above all happy hearths and homes, On roofs of thatch, or golden domes, I give him Charity! ZOBIACHEL.
The Planet Jupiter is mine! The mightiest star of all that shine, Except the sun alone! He is the High Priest of the Dove, And sends, from his great throne above, Justice, that shall atone! MICHAEL.
The Planet Mercury, whose place Is nearest to the sun in space, Is my allotted sphere! And with celestial ardor swift I hear upon my hands the gift Of heavenly Prudence here! URIEL.
I am the Minister of Mars, The strongest star among the stars! My songs of power prelude The march and battle of man's life, And for the suffering and the strife, I give him Fortitude! ORIFEL.
The Angel of the uttermost Of all the shining, heavenly host, From the far-off expanse Of the Saturnian, endless space I bring the last, the crowning grace, The gift of Temperance! A sudden light shines from the windows of the stable in the village below.
IV.

THE WISE MEN OF THE EAST The stable of the Inn.

The VIRGIN and CHILD.