Let all this happen where some spacious public place May let all see...

Let all this happen where some spacious public place May let all see, that all may know of my disgrace. Then drive me forth; away from thee in exile sent; And they'll receive me, under feint of sorrow bent. 'In secret,' I'll pretend, 'a Christian I'm at heart; Call God to witness how my faith has worked my hurt. 25 The King a knowledge gained of zeal in me that burned; Its flame to put out quite, his anger on me turned.

I strove to hide my faith, my leaning to keep hid; Affected still to be, think, act, just as he bid. Suspicion crossed his mind; my secret he espied; All I could plead for nothing went; he said I lied. "Thy specious words," quoth he, "are needles in a loaf; 1 My eye, as through a glass, sees all thy thoughts; thou oaf!

No curtain of thy trickeries can veil thy faith from me; I'm proof against thy knaveries; thy cunning I can see." 30 Were not the faith of Jesus the refuge of my heart, He'd not have mutilated me in this sad sort. For love of Jesus, head and life I will lay down; All persecution suffer to gain a martyr's crown. My life I will not grudge to lose for Jesus’ sake. His faith I hold from point to point without mistake. I dread his doctrine's fall to uninstructed guides.

The truth from their bad teaching still to ruin glides. Thanks be to God, to Jesus thanks, who me have made A teacher perfect of the faith so free from shade. 35 The Jew and Judaism I have forsworn in sooth; About my loins the sacred cord 2 I wear; ’tis truth. This age the age of Jesus is; O men, give ear! His doctrine take to heart; nought else have you to fear." The Vazīr having laid this plot before the King, All shame and scruple vanished; ’twas a perfect thing.

In presence of the public, nose, ears were cut off. The rabble wondered greatly; now's the time to scoff. He fled unto the Christians; begged them him to hear; 40 And straightway set up preaching; saintlike was he there. The Christians soon with one accord accepted him, In multitudes they round him flocked, all meek and prim. The Gospel's holy words, the prayer, the cord, he'd preach; The mysteries of all of these to them he'd teach.

To outward view a guide to sanctity was he; In very truth, a trap and fowler's whistle; see. Of such effect his wiles, disciples were deceived; From Jesu's teaching fell, and in this cheat believed. It is so. Often does the flesh, for selfish end, 45 Intrude itself across the soul's most fervent trend.