These  deeds  the  annals  of  these  realms  record;
Go  then,  and  reign  with  your  triumphant  Lord.'

"Then  turning  to  the  guilty  crowds  who  wait
Their  too  well-known  intolerable  fate,
While  justice  frowns  on  that  tremendous  brow
Which  melts  in  tears,  or  smiles  in  mercy  naw^
And  kindly  offers  to  remit  their  sins.
With  solemn  aspect  thus  the  Judge  begins :

*  Go,  ye  accurs'd,  to  endless  torments  go.
And  writhe  in  groans  in  endless  worlds  of  woe ;
In  fires  prepared  when  rebel  angels  fell;
You  shared  their  crimes,  and  must  partake  their  helL
By  you,  unkindness  in  the  world  was  shown;
You  there  disowned  me,  here  I  you  disown;
My  hunger  there  neglected  to  relieve,
Nor  did  you  even  a  cup  of  water  give,

360


The  Life  of  Christ

You  saw  me  wand'riiig,  and  expressed  disdain.
Scorned  my  condition,  and  despised  my  pain;
With  stripes  you  clothed  me,  scorned  my  plaintive  tale,
Gave  stones  for  bread,  and  lodged  me  in  a  jail.'

"With  all  the  haste  of  impudent  despair
These  sons  of  vice  will  ask  me,  'When  and  where?'
To  them  my  answer,  like  the  last,  shall  be,
*The  wrongs  my  servants  felt,  I  view  as  done  to  me.'

"A  place  there  is  from  heavenly  light  debarred,
Where  dismal  shrieks  of  guilty  souls  are  heard ;
Loud  yells,  deep  groans,  thick  stripes,  long  clanks  of

chains.
Where  solid  everlasting  darkness  reigns;
Where  raging  fire  that  on  the  wretched  feeds.
No  new  supplies  of  sulphurous  matter  needs ;
Where  hope  refuses  her  consoling  ray.
And  change  of  torment  measures  night  and  day.
Hither  the  damned,  with  fallen  angels  driven,
Shall  quit  the  precincts,  and  be  shut  from  heaven.
Tormentors  and  tormented,  deep  they  fall.
And,  from  the  ruins  of  this  burning  ball.
