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      Saying: "Great Princess! there have entered in

      At the south gate merchants of Hastinpur

      Tripusha called and Bhalluk, men of worth,

      Long traveled from the loud sea's edge, who bring

      Marvellous lovely webs pictured with gold,

      Waved blades of gilded steel, wrought bowls in brass,

      Cut ivories, spice, simples, and unknown birds

      Treasures of far-off peoples; but they bring

      That which doth beggar these, for He is seen!

      Thy Lord,—our Lord,—the hope of all the land

      Siddartha! they have seen him face to face

      Yea, and have worshipped him with knees and brows,

      And offered offerings; for he is become

      All which was shown, a teacher of the wise,

      World-honoured, holy, wonderful; a Buddh

      Who doth deliver men and save all flesh

      By sweetest speech and pity vast as Heaven

      And, lo! he journeyeth hither, these do say."

      Then—while the glad blood bounded in her veins

      As Gunga leaps when first the mountain snows

      Melt at her springs—uprose Yasodhara

      And clapped her palms, and laughed, with brimming tears

      Beading her lashes. "Oh! call quick," she cried,

      "These merchants to my purdah, for mine ears

      Thirst like parched throats to drink their blessed news.

      Go bring them in,—but if their tale be true,

      Say I will fill their girdles with much gold,

      With gems that kings shall envy; come ye too,

      My girls, for ye shall have guerdon of this

      If there be gifts to speak my grateful heart."

      So went those merchants to the Pleasure House,

      Full softly pacing through its golden ways

      With naked feet, amid the peering maids,

      Much wondering at the glories of the Court.

      Whom, when they came without the purdah's folds,

      A voice, tender and eager, filled and charmed

      With trembling music, saying: "Ye are come

      From far, fair Sirs! and ye have seen my Lord—

      Yea, worshipped—for he is become a Buddh,

      World-honoured, holy, and delivers men,

      And journeyeth hither. Speak! for, if this be,

      Friends are ye of my House, welcome and dear."

      Then answer made Tripusha: "We have seen

      That sacred Master, Princess! we have bowed

      Before his feet; for who was lost a Prince

      Is found a greater than the King of kings.

      Under the Bodhi-tree by Phalgu's bank

      That which shall save the world hath late been wrought

      By him—the Friend of all, the Prince of all—

      Thine most, High Lady! from whose tears men win

      The comfort of this Word the Master speaks.

      Lo! he is well, as one beyond all ills,

      Uplifted as a god from earthly woes,

      Shining with risen Truth, golden and clear.

      Moreover as he entereth town by town,

      Preaching those noble ways which lead to peace,

      The hearts of men follow his path as leaves

      Troop to wind or sheep draw after one

      Who knows the pastures. We ourselves have heard

      By Gaya in the green Tchirnika grove

      Those wondrous lips and done them reverence.

      He cometh hither ere the first rains fall."

      Thus spake he, and Yasodhara, for joy,

      Scarce mastered breath to answer: "Be it well

      Now and at all times with ye, worthy friends,

      Who bring good tidings; but of this great thing

      Wist ye how it befell?"

      Then Bhalluk told

      Such as the people of the valleys knew

      Of that dread night of conflict, when the air

      Darkened with fiendish shadows, and the earth

      Quaked, and the waters swelled with Mara's wrath.

      Also how gloriously that morning broke

      Radiant with rising hopes for man, and how

      The Lord was found rejoicing 'neath his Tree.

      But many days the burden of release—

      To be escaped beyond all storms of doubt,

      Safe on Truth's shore—lay, spake he, on that heart

      A golden load; for how shall men—Buddh mused—

      Who love their sins and cleave to cheats of sense,

      And drink of error from a thousand springs—

      Having no mind to see, nor strength to break

      The fleshly snare which binds them—how should such

      Receive the Twelve Nidanas and the Law

      Redeeming all, yet strange to profit by,

      As the caged bird oft shuns its open door?

      So had we missed the helpful victory

      If, in this earth without a refuge, Buddh

      Winning the way had deemed it all too hard

      For mortal feet, and passed, none following him.

      Yet pondered the compassion of our Lord,

      But in that hour there rang a voice as sharp

      As cry of travail, so as if the earth

      Moaned in birth-throe "Nasyami aham bhu

      Nasyati loka! Surely I Am Lost,

      I And My Creatures:" then a pause, and next

      A pleading sigh borne on the western wind,

      "Sruyatam dharma, Bhagwat!" Oh, Supreme

      Let Thy Great Law Be Uttered! Whereupon

      The Master cast his vision forth on flesh,

      Saw who should hear and who must wait to hear,

      As the keen Sun gilding the lotus-lakes

      Seeth which buds will open to his beams

      And which are not yet risen from their roots;

      Then spake, divinely smiling, "Yea, I preach!

      Whoso will listen let him learn the Law."

      Afterwards passed he, said they, by the hills

      Unto Benares, where he taught the Five,

      Showing how birth and death should be destroyed,

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