Andreas: The Legend of St. Andrew | Page 9

the mast.
The sea grew still, the onset of
the waves
Turned back again, rough tumult of the flood.
Then was
the soul of that brave saint rejoiced,
After that time of terror; wise in
wit,
In counsel prudent, he began to speak
And thus unlocked the
treasure of his words:-- 470 "I never found a better mariner,
More
skilled than thou in sea-craft, as I think,
A stouter oarsman, one more
wise in words,
Sager in counsel. I will beg of thee
Yet one more
boon, hero most excellent;
Though little treasure I can give to thee,

Jewels or beaten gold, I fain would win
Thy friendship, if I might,
most glorious lord.
So shalt thou gain good gifts, and blessed joy 480
In heavenly glory, if of thy great lore
Thou'rt bountiful to weary
voyagers.
One art I fain would learn of thee, brave sir;
That since
the Lord, the Maker of mankind,
Hath given might and honor unto
thee,
Thou shouldst instruct me how thou pointest out
The course of
this thy billow-riding ship,
Thy sea-horse wet with spray. Though
sixteen times,
In former days and late, I've been to sea, 490 And
rowed with freezing hands upon the deep,
The ocean-streams--this
makes one voyage more--
Yet even so mine eyes have ne'er beheld

A mighty captain steering at the stern
Like unto thee. Loud roars the
surging flood,
Beats on the shore; this sea-boat is full fleet;
It fareth
foamy-necked most like a bird,
And glides upon the deep. I surely
know,
I never saw upon the ocean-road
Such wondrous skill in any
seafarer. 500 It is as though the ship were on the land,
Where neither
storm nor wind can make it move,
Nor water-floods can break it,
lofty-prowed;
Yet on the sea it hasteth under sail.
And thou art
young, defense of warriors,
Not old in winters, rider of the surge;

Yet in thy heart thou hast the noble speech
Of princes, and dost
wisely understand
All words employed by men upon the earth."
Him answered then the everlasting Lord:-- 510 "Full oft it happens
when we sail the sea
That with our ships, our ocean-coursing steeds,


We break our way across the watery roads[1]--
We and our
seamen--when the tempest comes,
And many times we suffer sore
distress
Upon the waves, though sailing bravely on
We end our
journey; for the seething flood
Can hinder no man 'gainst the Maker's
will.
The power of life He holds--He who doth bind
The billows,
and doth threaten and rebuke
The dusky waves. With justice He shall
rule 520 The nations--He who raised the firmament,
And made it fast
with His own hands; who wrought
And did uphold; and with His
glory filled
Bright Paradise--so was the angels' home
Made blessèd
by His sole eternal might.
[Footnote 1: Lit. "bath-road."]
The truth is manifest and clear to all,
That thou art thane most
excellent of Him,
The King who sits enthroned in majesty;
Because
the swelling ocean knew thee straight,
The circuit of the raging ocean
knew 530 That thou didst have the Holy Spirit's gifts.
The sea, the
mingling waves, turned back again;
Still grew the Terror, the
wide-bosomed flood;
The waves subsided straightway when they saw

That God had girt thee with His covenant,
He who did stablish by
His own strong might
The blessedness of glory without end."
Then spake with holy voice the champion
Valiant of heart; he
magnified the King
Who rules in glory, speaking thus in words:-- 540
"Blest art Thou, King of men, Redeeming Lord;
Thy power endureth
ever; near and far
Thy name is holy, bright with majesty,

Renowned in mercy 'mong the tribes of men.
There lives no man
beneath the vault of heaven,
Ruler of nations, Savior of men's souls,

No one of mortal race, who can declare
How gloriously Thou
dealest Thy good gifts,
Or tell their number. It is manifest
That
Thou has been most gracious to this youth. 550 And hast adorned him
with Thy holy grace,
Young as he is; for he is wise in wit
And in
discourse of words. I never found

A mind more prudent in a man so
young."

The Glory of kings, the Source and End of all,
Gave answer from the
ship and boldly asked:--
"Tell, if thou canst, O prudent-minded thane,

How on the earth it ever came to pass
That faithless men, the
nation of the Jews,
Raised blasphemy against the Son of God 560
With hearts of wickedness. Unhappy men,
Cruel, malicious, they did
not believe
In Him who gave them life, that He was God,
Though
many miracles among the tribes
He showed full clear and manifest;
but they,
Guilt-laden men, knew not the Royal Child,
Him that was
born a comfort and defense
Unto mankind, to all who dwell on earth.

In wisdom and in power of speech increased
The noble Prince; and
aye the Lord of might 570 Showed forth his wonders to that stubborn
folk."
Straightway did Andrew answer him again:--
"How could it happen
'mong the tribes of men
That thou, my friend, hast never heard men
tell
The Savior's power, how He made known His grace

Throughout the world--Son of the Mighty One.
Speech gave He to
the dumb; the deaf did hear;
The halt and lepers He made glad in
heart,
Those who long time