CARDINAL MANNING
By Aubrey De Vere
I learn’d his greatness first at Lavington:The moon had early sought her bed of brine,But we discours’d till now each starry signHad sunk: our theme was one and one alone:“Two minds supreme,” he said, “our earth has known;One sang in science; one served God in song;Aquinas—Dante.” Slowly in me grew strongA thought, “These two great minds in him are one;‘Lord, what shall this man do?’” Later at RomeBeside the dust of Peter and of PaulEight hundred mitred sires of ChristendomIn Council sat. I mark’d him ’mid them all;I thought of that long night in years gone byAnd cried, “At last my question meets reply.”
I learn’d his greatness first at Lavington:The moon had early sought her bed of brine,But we discours’d till now each starry signHad sunk: our theme was one and one alone:“Two minds supreme,” he said, “our earth has known;One sang in science; one served God in song;Aquinas—Dante.” Slowly in me grew strongA thought, “These two great minds in him are one;‘Lord, what shall this man do?’” Later at RomeBeside the dust of Peter and of PaulEight hundred mitred sires of ChristendomIn Council sat. I mark’d him ’mid them all;I thought of that long night in years gone byAnd cried, “At last my question meets reply.”
I learn’d his greatness first at Lavington:The moon had early sought her bed of brine,But we discours’d till now each starry signHad sunk: our theme was one and one alone:“Two minds supreme,” he said, “our earth has known;One sang in science; one served God in song;Aquinas—Dante.” Slowly in me grew strongA thought, “These two great minds in him are one;‘Lord, what shall this man do?’” Later at RomeBeside the dust of Peter and of PaulEight hundred mitred sires of ChristendomIn Council sat. I mark’d him ’mid them all;I thought of that long night in years gone byAnd cried, “At last my question meets reply.”
I learn’d his greatness first at Lavington:
The moon had early sought her bed of brine,
But we discours’d till now each starry sign
Had sunk: our theme was one and one alone:
“Two minds supreme,” he said, “our earth has known;
One sang in science; one served God in song;
Aquinas—Dante.” Slowly in me grew strong
A thought, “These two great minds in him are one;
‘Lord, what shall this man do?’” Later at Rome
Beside the dust of Peter and of Paul
Eight hundred mitred sires of Christendom
In Council sat. I mark’d him ’mid them all;
I thought of that long night in years gone by
And cried, “At last my question meets reply.”