When the Goodly Fere had shewn all false
Sin’ they nailed him to the tree,
As the Twelve restored we roamed abroad
On the land and the open sea.

“As ye follow me now ye shall follow me soon,
I promise thee this,” quo’ he,
But first ye mun’ preach—all men to teach,
For the Word to set them free!”

So this we ha’ done and the Word we spake,
Some plain, some cunningly,
I ha’ dodged the stone and cowered alone
When fear bid me to flee.

I ha’ walked the roads their Caesars made,
From Cana to Tartary,
We ha’ shoaled the shores and plied our oars
Through storm and the grey o’ the sea.

A gift of God was the Goodly Fere,
I shall join him presently,
For it’s nay the scrolls shall save men’s souls,
But the son of Galilee.

I ha’ seen the water turned to wine
And the blind  restored to see,
If they think to run from God’s own son
They are fools to the last degree.

There are but eight left of the Twelve, I think,
But messages come to me
That an upstart hand ha’ joined our band
Who was once our enemy.

I ha’ heard his claim—the Goodly Fere
Hath spake him secretly,
He scribbles and scribes among the tribes
Who was once a Pharisee!

A son of Rome from a rabbi’s tent
Who would set the Gentiles free,
I ha’ read his letters to one o’ his betters
And like not what I see.

The Goodly Fere was a brawny man,
He spake to our daughters free,
Who’s this new cock to chivvy the flock
And crow incessantly?

He ha’ not once met the Goodly Fere,
“No woman may teach,” says he,
But the Twelve ha’ heard Our Lady’s word
In cold Gethsemane.

This Saul, now Paul, is lately come
On a boat across the sea,
But he knew no fears by the crossed high spears
When they nailed Him to the tree.

I ha’ stood my ground for the Goodly Fere,
A sinner though I be,
This know-it-I-all—this Saul, now Paul
Shall answer yet to me.

If he thinks to take sweet Peter’s place—
He’s a fool eternally.