"And came to King Suddhodan's gates;
And entrance craved--'Go, royal page,
And tell thy lord an ancient sage
To see the king permission waits.'

"The page obeyed, and joined his hands
Before the prince, and said, 'A sage
Of shrivelled form, and bowed with age,
Before the gate, my sovereign, stands,

"'And humbly asks to see the king.'
To whom Suddhodan cried, 'We greet
All such with joy; with honour meet
The holy man before us bring!'

"The saint beside the monarch stood,
And spake his blessing--'Thine be health,
With length of life, and might, and wealth;
And ever seek thy people's good.'

"With all due forms and meet respect
The king received the holy man
And bade him sit; and then began--
'Great sage, I do not recollect

"'That I thy venerable face
Have ever seen before; allow
That I inquire what brings thee now
From thy far distant dwelling-place.'

"'To see thy babe,' the saint replies,
'I come from Himalaya's steeps.'
The king rejoins, 'My infant sleeps;
A moment wait until he rise.'

"'Such great ones ne'er,' the Rishi spike,
In torpor long their senses steep,
Nor softly love luxurious sleep;
The infant prince will soon awake.'

"The wondrous child, alert to rise,
At will his slumbers light dispelled.
His father's arms the infant held
Before the sage's longing eyes.

"The babe beholding, passing bright,
More glorious than the race divine,
And marked with every noble sign,
The saint was whelmed with deep delight;

"And crying, 'Lo! an infant graced
With every charm of form I greet!'
He fell before the Buddha's feet,
With fingers joined, and round him paced.

"Next round the babe his arms he wound,
And 'One,' he said, 'of two careers
Of fame awaits in coming years
The child in whom these signs are found.

"'If such an one at home abide,
He shall become a king, whose sway
Supreme a mighty armed array
On earth shall 'stablish far and wide.

"'If, spurning worldly pomp as vain,
He choose to lead a tranquil life,
And wander forth from home and wife,
He then a Buddha's rank shall gain.'

"He spoke, and on the infant gazed,
When tears suffused his aged eyes;
His bosom heaved with heavy sighs;
Then King Suddhodan asked, amazed--