The Judgement

by Dora Read Goodale

Thou hast evil And given place to the devil; Yet so cunningly thou concealest The thing which thou feelest, That no eye espieth it, Satan himself denieth it. Go where it chooseth thee, There is none that accuseth thee; Neither foe nor lover Will the wrong uncover; The world’s breath raiseth thee, And thy own past praiseth thee, Yet know thou this: At quick of thy being Is an eye all-seeing, The snake’s wit evadeth not, The charmed lip persuadeth not; So thoroughly it despiseth The thing thy hand prizeth, Though the sun were thy clothing, It should count thee for nothing. Thing own eye divineth thee, Thine own soul arraigneth thee; God himself cannot shrive thee Till that judge forgive thee.

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