The Old Astronomer To His Pupil<\/b>
\nSarah Williams<\/p>\n
Reach me down my Tycho Brahe, I would know him when we meet,
\nWhen I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet;
\nHe may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how
\nWe are working to completion, working on from then to now.<\/p>\n
Pray remember that I leave you all my theory complete,
\nLacking only certain data for your adding, as is meet,
\nAnd remember men will scorn it, ’tis original and true,
\nAnd the obliquy of newness may fall bitterly on you.<\/p>\n
But, my pupil, as my pupil you have learned the worth of scorn,
\nYou have laughed with me at pity, we have joyed to be forlorn,
\nWhat for us are all distractions of men’s fellowship and smiles;
\nWhat for us the Goddess Pleasure with her meretricious wiles.<\/p>\n
You may tell that German College that their honor comes too late,
\nBut they must not waste repentance on the grizzly savant’s fate.
\nThough my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
\nI have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.<\/p>\n
What, my boy, you are not weeping? You should save your eyes for sight;
\nYou will need them, mine observer, yet for many another night.
\nI leave none but you, my pupil, unto whom my plans are known.
\nYou “have none but me,” you murmur, and I “leave you quite alone”?<\/p>\n
Well then, kiss me, — since my mother left her blessing on my brow,
\nThere has been a something wanting in my nature until now;
\nI can dimly comprehend it, — that I might have been more kind,
\nMight have cherished you more wisely, as the one I leave behind.<\/p>\n
I “have never failed in kindness”? No, we lived too high for strife,
\nCalmest coldness was the error which has crept into our life;
\nBut your spirit is untainted, I can dedicate you still
\nTo the service of our science: you will further it? you will!<\/p>\n
There are certain calculations I should like to make with you,
\nTo be sure that your deductions will be logical and true;
\nAnd remember, “Patience, Patience,” is the watchword of a sage,
\nNot to-day nor yet to-morrow can complete a perfect age.<\/p>\n
I have sown, like Tycho Brahe, that a greater man may reap;
\nBut if none should do my reaping, ’twill disturb me in my sleep
\nSo be careful and be faithful, though, like me, you leave no name;
\nSee, my boy, that nothing turn you to the mere pursuit of fame.<\/p>\n
I must say Good-bye, my pupil, for I cannot longer speak;
\nDraw the curtain back for Venus, ere my vision grows too weak:
\nIt is strange the pearly planet should look red as fiery Mars,
\nGod will mercifully guide me on my way amongst the stars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Old Astronomer To His Pupil Sarah Williams Reach me down my Tycho Brahe, I would know him when we meet, When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet; He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how We are working to completion, working on from then to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-whatever"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4982"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4982\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4989,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4982\/revisions\/4989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}