’A dreamer—­who held every man for a brother;
A coward—­who, emit on one cheek, gave the other: 
A fool—­whose blind truth aye believed all knaves’ lying;
Too simple to live, so most fitted for dying. 

        Ha! such are best swept out of Vanity Fair.’

II.

Silence! though the flame-drifts wave and flutter;
Silence! though the crowd their curses mutter;
Silence! through this fiery purgatory
God is leading up a soul to glory.

See, the white lips with no moans are trembling, Hate of foes, or plaint of friends’ dissembling; If sighs come—­most patient prayers outlive them:  ’Lord, these know not what they do.  Forgive them!’

  Thirstier still the roaring flames are glowing,
  Fainter in his ear the laughters growing;
  Brief endures the fierce and fiery trial—­
  Angel-welcomes drown the earth-denial.

  Now the amorous death-fires, gleaming ruddy,
  Clasp him close.  Down sinks the quivering body,
  While through harmless flames immortal flying
  Shoots the beauteous soul.  This—­this is dying!

  Lo! the opening heavens with splendours rifted;
  Lo! the palms that wait those hands uplifted;
  And the fiery chariot cloud-descending,
  And the legioned angels close attending!

  Let his poor dust mingle with the embers,
  While the crowd sweeps on, and none remembers;
  Saints and angels through the Infinite glory,
  Praising God, recount the martyr’s story.

  Thou, who through the trial-fires bewildering
  Of this cruel world, dost lead Thy children,
  With the purifying give the balm;
  Grant to martyr-pangs the martyr’s palm!

* * * * *

[Footnote 6:  Suggested partly by a sketch in David Scott’s illustrations of the Pilgrim’s Progress.]

VARIETY OF AMBER.

There is a variety of amber, of the opacity of white wax, with a very slight yellowish tinge.  It is found intermixed with yellow amber, in thin bands of some breadth.  When the magnificent pile of buildings called Fonthill Abbey was exhibited to the public, before the sale of its curious and costly furniture, it contained an amber cabinet, as beautiful in workmanship as material.  It was quadrangular, and about fifteen inches by twelve at the base, standing on four legs, that raised it about half an inch from its pedestal.  It was pyramidal in form, about fourteen inches high, and divided into eleven stages.  These were separated by a ledge of yellow amber, about one-eighth of an inch in thickness, projecting a little over the under stage, like a cornice.  The front of each stage was ornamented with recumbent figures in white amber, in relief.  Some parts were at least one-eighth of an inch in thickness.  The effect was much like that of the white figures on the purple ground of the well-known Portland Vase.  Each stage had the appearance of opening as a drawer.  The top was flat, and the whole of the yellow amber beautifully transparent.