[
  {
    "title": "The Heretic's Tragedy: A Middle-Age Interlude",
    "author": "Robert Browning",
    "lines": [
      "The Lord, we look to once for all,",
      "        Is the Lord we should look at, all at once:",
      "He knows not to vary, saith Saint Paul,",
      "        Nor the shadow of turning, for the nonce.",
      "See him no other than as he is!",
      "        Give both the infinitudes their due--",
      "Infinite mercy, but, I wis,",
      "        As infinite a justice too.",
      "",
      "As infinite a justice too.",
      "",
      "John, Master of the Temple of God,",
      "        Falling to sin the Unknown Sin,",
      "What he bought of Emperor Aldabrod,",
      "        He sold it to Sultan Saladin:",
      "Till, caught by Pope Clement, a-buzzing there,",
      "        Hornet-prince of the mad wasps' hive,",
      "And clipt of his wings in Paris square,",
      "        They bring him now to be burned alive.",
      "                        [And wanteth there grace of lute or",
      "                                clavicithern, ye shall say to",
      "                                confirm him who singeth--",
      "        We bring John now to be burned alive.",
      "",
      "In the midst is a goodly gallows built;",
      "        'Twixt fork and fork, a stake is stuck;",
      "But first they set divers tumbrils a-tilt,",
      "        Make a trench all round with the city muck;",
      "Inside they pile log upon log, good store;",
      "        Faggots no few, blocks great and small,",
      "Reach a man's mid-thigh, no less, no more,--",
      "        For they mean he should roast in the sight of all.",
      "",
      "        We mean he should roast in the sight of all.",
      "",
      "Good sappy bavins that kindle forthwith;",
      "        Billets that blaze substantial and slow;",
      "Pine-stump split deftly, dry as pith;",
      "        Larch-heart that chars to a chalk-white glow:",
      "They up they hoist me John in a chafe,",
      "        Sling him fast like a hog to scorch,",
      "Spit in his face, then leap back safe,",
      "Sing \"Laudes\" and bid clap-to the torch.",
      "",
      "        Laus deo--who bids clap-to the torch.",
      "",
      "John of the Temple, whose fame so bragged,",
      "        Is burning alive in Paris square!",
      "How can he curse, if his mouth is gagged?",
      "        Or wriggle his neck, with a collar there?",
      "Or heave his chest, which a band goes round?",
      "        Or threat with his fist, since his arms are spliced?",
      "Or kick with his feet, now his legs are bound?",
      "        --Thinks John, I will call upon Jesus Christ.",
      "",
      "Jesus Christ--John had bought and sold,",
      "        Jesus Christ--John had eaten and drunk;",
      "To him, the Flesh meant silver and gold.",
      "        (Salva reverentia.)",
      "Now it was, \"Saviour, bountiful lamb,",
      "        \"I have roasted thee Turks, though men roast me!",
      "\"See thy servant, the plight wherein I am!",
      "        \"Art thou a saviour? Save thou me!\"",
      "",
      "       'Tis John the mocker cries, \"Save thou me!\"",
      "",
      "Who maketh God's menace an idle word?",
      "        --Saith, it no more means what it proclaims,",
      "Than a damsel's threat to her wanton bird?",
      "        For she too prattles of ugly names.",
      "--Saith, he knoweth but one thing--what he knows?",
      "        That God is good and the rest is breath;",
      "Why else is the same styled Sharon's rose?",
      "        Once a rose, ever a rose, he saith.",
      "",
      "        O, John shall yet find a rose, he saith!",
      "",
      "Alack, there be roses and roses, John!",
      "        Some, honied of taste like your leman's  tongue:",
      "Some, bitter; for why? (roast gaily on!)",
      "        Their tree struck root in devil's-dung.",
      "When Paul once reasoned of righteousness",
      "        And of temperance and of judgment to come,",
      "Good Felix trembled, he could no less:",
      "        John, snickering, crook'd his wicked thumb.",
      "",
      "        What cometh to John of the wicked thumb?",
      "",
      "Ha ha, John plucketh now at his rose",
      "        To rid himself of a sorrow at heart!",
      "Lo,--petal on petal, fierce rays unclose;",
      "        Anther on anther, sharp spikes outstart;",
      "And with blood for dew, the bosom boils;",
      "        And a gust of sulphur is all its smell;",
      "And lo, he is horribly in the toils",
      "        Of a coal-black giant flower of hell!",
      "",
      "        What maketh heaven, That maketh hell.",
      "",
      "So, as John called now, through the fire amain,",
      "        On the Name, he had cursed with, all his life--",
      "To the Person, he bought and sold again--",
      "        For the Face, with his daily buffets rife--",
      "Feature by feature It took its place:",
      "        And his voice, like a mad dog's choking bark,",
      "At the steady whole of the Judge's face--",
      "        Died. Forth John's soul flared into the dark.",
      "",
      "        God help all poor souls lost in the dark!"
    ],
    "linecount": "92"
  }
]