learned well by the mystic sayings of prophets in
the books of God, that in days of yore ye were 290
dear unto the King of glory, loved of the Lord
and strong in his service. And lo! ye of this
knowledge unwisely and perversely cast Him forth
when ye cursed Him who thought to loose you from
your curse, your torture of fire, your servile bondage, 295
through the might of His glory. Foully ye
spat upon the face of Him who by his noble spittle
wrought anew the light of your eyes, the cure of 300
your blindness, and saved you oft from the unclean
spirits of devils. Ye doomed Him to death who
among a multitude of men roused from death itself
unto their former life a number of your own race. 305
Ye blind of soul, thus have ye confounded false
with sooth, light with darkness, hate with reverence,
and have woven a crime from your evil thoughts.
Therefore doth this curse weigh you down in your
sin--ye judged that pure Power, and until this day 310
ye have lived with clouded thoughts in heresy. Go
ye now quickly, and think upon the men most sage
in wisdom and skilled in speech, who, versed in the
knowledge of your law, hold it foremost in their 315
hearts, and who may declare unto me truly and
devise an answer for each token whereof I may
ask them.'

Then, sorely grieved and saddened, and burdened 320
with fear, the men wise in law went apart, and earnestly
sought the deepest mystic words wherewith