Verses on Various Occasions

 1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

 18

 19

 20

 21

 22

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

 31

 32

 33

 34

 35

 36

 37

 38

 39

 40

  41

  42

  43

 44

  45

  46

  47

 48

 49

 50

  51

  52

  53

  54

 55

 56

 57

 58

 59

 60

 61

 62

 63

 64

 65

 66

 67

 68

 69

 70

 71

 72

 73

 74

 75

 76

 77

 78

 79

 80

 81

 82

 83

 84

 85

 86

 87

 88

 89

 90

 91

 92

 93

 94

 95

 96

 97

 98

 99

 100

 101

 102

 103

 104

 105

 106

 107

 108

 109

 110

 111

 112

 113

 114

 115

 116

 117

 118

 119

 120

 121

 122

 123

 124

 125

 126

 127

 128

 129

 130

 131

 132

 133

 134

 135

 136

 137

 138

 139

 140

 141

 142

 143

 144

 145

 146

 147

 148

 149

 150

 151

 152

 153

 154

 155

 156

 157

 158

 159

 160

 161

 162

 163

 164

 165

 166

 167

 168

 169

 170

 171

 172

 173

 174

 175

 176

 Dream of Gerontius

 Appendix

96

 96. The Religion of Cain  "Am I my brother's keeper?"  THE time has been, it seem'd a precept plain  Of the true faith, Christ's tokens to display; And in life's commerce still the thought retain,  That men have souls, and wait a judgment    day;  Kings used their gifts as ministers of heaven, Nor stripp'd their zeal for God, of means which   God had given.   'Tis alter'd now; for Adam's eldest born  Has train'd our practice in a selfish rule,  Each stands alone, Christ's bonds asunder torn;  Each has his private thought, selects his school,  Conceals his creed, and lives in closest tie  Of fellowship with those who count it blasphemy.   Brothers! spare reasoning; men have settled long  That ye are out of date, and they are wise;  Use their own weapons; let your words be strong,  Your cry be loud, till each scared boaster flies;  Thus the Apostles tamed the pagan breast, They argued not, but preach'd; and conscience did   the rest.

   Off Sardinia .  June 19, 1833.