sworn betrothed;
Went into the stately dwelling,
And the lowly and the humble,
Heedless of position took them;
To the sacred courts of prayer,
Where the Maker of the kingdoms
Held communion with the people;
And into the gay assemblies,
To the scenes of mirth and gladness,
Where were songs and revel dances,
In a maddened fulness rising.
Many widows left they mourning--
Widows wailing, orphans weeping,
In unmitigated sorrow,
For the loss of near and dear ones.
Hard and cruel seemed their dealings
In the sight of all the people;
For they could not learn the purpose
Which, in all their acts, directed.
Yet these were most wisely ordered;
For the Maker of the kingdom,
Of Nimaera's kingdom,--moved them--
Moved, and guided, and informed them.
Sero to the land of Blisses
Passed all the just and lowly;
They whose lives had been preserved
From the soiling stains of evil;
Who had lived in single purpose,
Holy and uprightly always;
Who had made oblations fitting,
Praise and honor to the Founder
Of Nimaera and his kingdom;
And had made a full endeavour
In obeying the commandments
Which were written for their guidance;
Who of charity gave freely
Unto all the poor and needy,
And, in giving, had no purpose
Selfishly to further thereby.
But unto the pit of terrors
Evil and unrighteous people,
All the lukewarm and the heedless
Of the order of the statutes,
All blasphemers and revilers,
And all foul and filthy talkers,
Liars, brawlers, and adulterers,
They whose hands are stained in murder,
All the proud and haughty boasters,
All licentious and deceivers,
They who are the poor's oppressors,
Robbers and unjust receivers,--
These for ever had their portion
In the pit of gloom and terrors.

If ye wonder at its greatness
And the grand and deep foundation
Of the kingdom of Nimaera,
We will take a tour and see it,
Going unto every limit
Where Nimaera great in power is,
Where he holds his goodly council,
Chief of all the powers beside him.
From the womb of words it came forth,
Out of chaos and of darkness,
First in rude and wild confusion,
Then arranged in goodly order;
Lands and waters, woods and pastures,
And with moving creatures peopled.
First, behold the orbs above us,
Which are ever sparkling brightly;
Let us upward rise and see them--
See their great and many wonders,
With a wonder rising mountains
Through the circuit they are set in.
These are worlds like our own one,
And have eac