StoryTitle("caps", "The Star Bearer") ?>
StoryOrigin("center", SmallCapsText("Edmund Clarence Stedman") ) ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PagePoem(42, "L0", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "There were seven angels erst that spanned", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Heaven's roadway out through space,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Lighting with stars, by God's command,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " The fringe of that high place", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Whence plumèd beings in their joy,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The servitors His thoughts employ,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Fly ceaselessly. No goodlier band", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " Looked upward to His face.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "There, on bright hovering wings that tire", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Never, they rested mute,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Nor of far journeys had desire,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Nor of the deathless fruit;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "For in and through each angel soul", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "All waves of life and knowledge roll,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Even as to nadir streamed the fire", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " Of their torches resolute.", "") ?>
PagePoem(43, "L0", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "They lighted Michael's outpost through", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Where fly the armored brood,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And the wintry Earth their omens knew", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Of Spring's beatitude;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Rude folk, ere yet the promise came,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Gave to their orbs a heathen name,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Saying how steadfast in men's view", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " The watchful Pleiads stood.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "All in the solstice of the year,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " When the sun apace must turn,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The seven bright angels 'gan to hear", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Heaven's twin gates outward yearn:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Forth with its light and minstrelsy", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "A lordly troop came speeding by,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " And joyed to see each cresset sphere", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " So gloriously burn.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Staying his fearless passage then", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " The Captain of that host", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Spake with strong voice: \"We bear to men", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " God's gift the uttermost,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Whereof the oracle and sign", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Sibyl and sages may divine:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " A star shall blazon in their ken,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " Borne with us from your post.", "") ?>
PagePoem(44, "L0", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0DQ", "", "\"This night the Heir of Heaven's throne", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " A new-born mortal lies!", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Since Earth's first morning hath not shone", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Such joy in seraph eyes.\"", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "He spake. The least in honor there", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Answered with longing like a prayer,—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " \"My star, albeit thenceforth unknown,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " Shall light for you Earth's skies.\"", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Onward the blessed legion swept,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "That angel at the head;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "(Where seven of old their station kept", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "There are six that shine instead.)", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Straight hitherward came troop and star;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Like some celestial bird afar", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Into Earth's night the cohort leapt", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " With beauteous wings outspread.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Dazzling the East beneath it there,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " The Star gave out its rays:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Right through the still Judean air", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " The shepherds see it blaze,—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "They see the plume-borne heavenly throng,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And hear a burst of that high song", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Of which in Paradise aware", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " Saints count their years but days.", "") ?>
PagePoem(45, "L0", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "For they sang such music as, I deem,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " In God's chief court of joys,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Had stayed the flow of the crystal stream", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " And made souls in mid-flight poise;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "They sang of Glory to Him most High,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Of Peace on Earth abidingly,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " And of all delights the which, men dream,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " Nor sin nor grief alloys.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Breathless the kneeling shepherds heard,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Charmed from their first rude fear,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Nor while that music dwelt had stirred", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Were it a month or year:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And Mary Mother drank its flow,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Couched with her Babe divine,—and, lo!", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Ere falls the last ecstatic word", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " Three Holy Kings draw near.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Whenas the star-led shining train", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Wheeled from their task complete,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Skyward from over Bethlehem's plain", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " They sped with rapture fleet;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And the angel of that orient star,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Thenceforth where Heaven's lordliest are,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", " Stands with a harp, while Christ doth reign,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", " A seraph near His feet.", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>