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SONNETS UPON THE PUNISHMENT OF DEATH (14) - ZaunköniG - 30.09.2007 SONNETS UPON THE PUNISHMENT OF DEATH I. SUGGESTED BY THE VIEW OF LANCASTER CASTLE (ON THE ROAD FROM THE SOUTH) THIS Spot--at once unfolding sight so fair Of sea and land, with yon grey towers that still Rise up as if to lord it over air-- Might soothe in human breasts the sense of ill, Or charm it out of memory; yea, might fill The heart with joy and gratitude to God For all his bounties upon man bestowed: Why bears it then the name of "Weeping Hill"? Thousands, as toward yon old Lancastrian Towers, A prison's crown, along this way they past For lingering durance or quick death with shame, From this bare eminence thereon have cast Their first look--blinded as tears fell in showers Shed on their chains; and hence that doleful name. II TENDERLY do we feel by Nature's law For worst offenders: though the heart will heave With indignation, deeply moved we grieve, In after thought, for Him who stood in awe Neither of God nor man, and only saw, Lost wretch, a horrible device enthroned On proud temptations, till the victim groaned Under the steel his hand had dared to draw. But oh, restrain compassion, if its course, As oft befalls, prevent or turn aside Judgments and aims and acts whose higher source Is sympathy with the unforewarned, who died Blameless--with them that shuddered o'er his grave, And all who from the law firm safety crave. III THE Roman Consul doomed his sons to die Who had betrayed their country. The stern word Afforded (may it through all time afford) A theme for praise and admiration high. Upon the surface of humanity He rested not; its depths his mind explored; He felt; but his parental bosom's lord Was Duty,--Duty calmed his agony. And some, we know, when they by wilful act A single human life have wrongly taken, Pass sentence on themselves, confess the fact, And, to atone for it, with soul unshaken Kneel at the feet of Justice, and, for faith Broken with all mankind, solicit death. IV IS 'Death', when evil against good has fought With such fell mastery that a man may dare By deeds the blackest purpose to lay bare? Is Death, for one to that condition brought, For him, or any one, the thing that ought To be 'most' dreaded? Lawgivers, beware, Lest, capital pains remitting till ye spare The murderer, ye, by sanction to that thought Seemingly given, debase the general mind; Tempt the vague will tried standards to disown, Nor only palpable restraints unbind, But upon Honour's head disturb the crown, Whose absolute rule permits not to withstand In the weak love of life his least command. V NOT to the object specially designed, Howe'er momentous in itself it be, Good to promote or curb depravity, Is the wise Legislator's view confined. His Spirit, when most severe, is oft most kind; As all Authority in earth depends On Love and Fear, their several powers he blends, Copying with awe the one Paternal mind. Uncaught by processes in show humane, He feels how far the act would derogate From even the humblest functions of the State; If she, self-shorn of Majesty, ordain That never more shall hang upon her breath The last alternative of Life or Death. VI YE brood of conscience--Spectres! that frequent The bad Man's restless walk, and haunt his bed-- Fiends in your aspect, yet beneficent In act, as hovering Angels when they spread Their wings to guard the unconscious Innocent-- Slow be the Statutes of the land to share A laxity that could not but impair 'Your' power to punish crime, and so prevent. And ye, Beliefs! coiled serpent-like about The adage on all tongues, "Murder will out," How shall your ancient warnings work for good In the full might they hitherto have shown, If for deliberate shedder of man's blood Survive not Judgment that requires his own? VII BEFORE the world had past her time of youth While polity and discipline were weak, The precept eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, Came forth--a light, though but as of daybreak, Strong as could then be borne. A Master meek Proscribed the spirit fostered by that rule, Patience 'his' law, long-suffering 'his' school, And love the end, which all through peace must seek. But lamentably do they err who strain His mandates, given rash impulse to control And keep vindictive thirstings from the soul, So far that, if consistent in their scheme, They must forbid the State to inflict a pain, Making of social order a mere dream. VIII FIT retribution, by the moral code Determined, lies beyond the State's embrace, Yet, as she may, for each peculiar case She plants well-measured terrors in the road Of wrongful acts. Downward it is and broad, And, the main fear once doomed to banishment, Far oftener then, bad ushering worse event, Blood would be spilt that in his dark abode Crime might lie better hid. And, should the change Take from the horror due to a foul deed, Pursuit and evidence so far must fail, And, guilt escaping, passion then might plead In angry spirits for her old free range, And the "wild justice of revenge" prevail. IX THOUGH to give timely warning and deter Is one great aim of penalty, extend Thy mental vision further and ascend Far higher, else full surely shalt thou err. What is a State? The wise behold in her A creature born of time, that keeps one eye Fixed on the statutes of Eternity, To which her judgments reverently defer. Speaking through Law's dispassionate voice the State Endues her conscience with external life And being, to preclude or quell the strife Of individual will, to elevate The grovelling mind, the erring to recall, And fortify the moral sense of all. X OUR bodily life, some plead, that life the shrine Of an immortal spirit, is a gift So sacred, so informed with light divine, That no tribunal, though most wise to sift Deed and intent, should turn the Being adrift Into that world where penitential tear May not avail, nor prayer have for God's ear A voice--that world whose veil no hand can lift For earthly sight. "Eternity and Time," 'They' urge, "have interwoven claims and rights Not to be jeopardised through foulest crime: The sentence rule by mercy's heaven-born lights." Even so; but measuring not by finite sense Infinite Power, perfect Intelligence. XI AH, think how one compelled for life to abide Locked in a dungeon needs must eat the heart Out of his own humanity, and part With every hope that mutual cares provide; And, should a less unnatural doom confide In life-long exile on a savage coast, Soon the relapsing penitent may boast Of yet more heinous guilt, with fiercer pride. Hence thoughtful Mercy, Mercy sage and pure, Sanctions the forfeiture that Law demands, Leaving the final issue in 'His' hands Whose goodness knows no change, whose love is sure, Who sees, foresees; who cannot judge amiss, And wafts at will the contrite soul to bliss. XII SEE the Condemned alone within his cell And prostrate at some moment when remorse Stings to the quick, and, with resistless force, Assaults the pride she strove in vain to quell. Then mark him, him who could so long rebel, The crime confessed, a kneeling Penitent Before the Altar, where the Sacrament Softens his heart, till from his eyes outwell Tears of salvation. Welcome death! while Heaven Does in this change exceedingly rejoice; While yet the solemn heed the State hath given Helps him to meet the last Tribunal's voice In faith, which fresh offences, were he cast On old temptations, might for ever blast. XIII. CONCLUSION YES, though He well may tremble at the sound Of his own voice, who from the judgment-seat Sends the pale Convict to his last retreat In death; though Listeners shudder all around, They know the dread requital's source profound; Nor is, they feel, its wisdom obsolete-- (Would that it were!) the sacrifice unmeet For Christian Faith. But hopeful signs abound; The social rights of man breathe purer air, Religion deepens her preventive care; Then, moved by needless fear of past abuse, Strike not from Law's firm hand that awful rod, But leave it thence to drop for lack of use: Oh, speed the blessed hour, Almighty God! XIV. APOLOGY THE formal World relaxes her cold chain For One who speaks in numbers; ampler scope His utterance finds; and, conscious of the gain, Imagination works with bolder hope The cause of grateful reason to sustain; And, serving Truth, the heart more strongly beats Against all barriers which his labour meets In lofty place, or humble Life's domain. Enough;--before us lay a painful road, And guidance have I sought in duteous love From Wisdom's heavenly Father. Hence hath flowed Patience, with trust that, whatsoe'er the way Each takes in this high matter, all may move Cheered with the prospect of a brighter day. |