Polyuecte [15]
Lord, hear my call! My inmost heart now see, Who lives a Christian life must Christian be! Her nature god-like, stamped from print divine; She must be sealed Thine own, yes, only Thine! Say, must she burn, condemned to depths of hell?-- Thy Will be done--Who doest all things well!
PAUL. O wretch, what words are these? Thou dost desire----
POLY. To snatch thee from a never-ending fire.
PAUL. Or else?
POLY. O God, I trust to Thy control, Who when we think not, canst illume the soul! The when--the how--is His--here am I dumb,-- I wait--I wait--That blessed hour will come!
PAUL. Oh, leave illusions! Love me!
POLY. Thee I love Far more than self, but less than God above!
PAUL. For love's dear sake, ah, listen to my prayer!
POLY. For love's dear sake--await the answer /there/!
PAUL. To leave me here is naught! Thou wouldst seduce my soul!
POLY. Heaven is scarce Heaven for me, if thou reach not the goal.
PAUL. O fancy-fooled!
POLY. Nay, led by heavenly light!
PAUL. Thy faith is blindness!
POLY. Faith is more than sight!
PAUL. Ah, death, strange rival to a wife's pure love!
POLY. This world our rival with the joys above!
PAUL. Go, monster! woo thy death! Thou lov'dst me never!
POLY. Go, seek the world! and yet I love thee ever!
PAUL. Yes, I will go--if absence bring relief--
(Enter Severus, Fabian and Guards)
Who comes to invade, ah, not to cure my grief? Severus! Who could guess that thou wouldst show Revenge unworthy o'er a prostrate foe?
POLY. Unworthy thee the thought, Pauline, for I Severus called, and he hath heard my cry. My importunity he will excuse, My prayer I know that he will not refuse. Severus--this--the treasure that was mine To thy most tender care I now resign: To thee, as noblest man that I have known;-- Since earthly ties and joys I must disown. The gift is worthy thee,--I know thy worth Is great, but she no equal hath on earth. My life, the bar,--my death the link shall be,-- Oh, grudge me not my dear brief ecstasy! Oh, ease the heart that once was hers,--and guide Her doubting footsteps to the Crucified! This my last benison! All else is poor! Await the promised light! Believe! Endure! But words are vain!
(Polyeucte signs to Guards to conduct him back to prison. Exeunt Polyeucte and Guards.)
SEV. Most vain! No word have I Such blindness must amaze! must stupefy! Nay, this is frenzy! I cannot conceive A mind so strange! Mine ears cannot believe That one who loved thee--yet, who would not love A face that must the great immortals move?-- Blessed by thy heart!--Thy sweetest lips to taste!-- Then leave, refuse, spurn--yield with clamorous haste, To yield a girl so dear--so pure--so fair! And of that gift to make thy rival heir-- This beggars madness! Or the Christian bliss Beyond man's soul to grasp! To spurn thy kiss!-- We treasure barter for a just exchange, But to buy pain for thee! Pauline, 'tis strange! Not thus, ye Gods! Severus had been blind To perfect bliss--had Fortune been more kind The only heaven for me is in thine eyes, These are my kings, these my divinities! To me--for thee--were death with torture dear; But to renounce thee!
PAUL. Nay, I must not hear! Thy words bring back the dear, the bygone days, When I, a maid, might listen to thy praise: Severus, thou must know my inmost heart; I hear the knell bids Polyeucte depart. He dies,--the victim of thine Emperor's laws, And thou, though innocent, art yet the cause. Oh, if thy soul, to thy desires a slave, See hope emerging from my husband's grave Then will I wed with pain--despair embrace,-- But wed Severus? Never! 'Twere disgrace! To light fresh torch from that pale, flickering fire-- Oh, bliss too monstrous! Thrice abhorred desire! Back, hope! Back, happiness! The mate for me When Polyeucte leaves my side--is Constancy! Were this my will, were this, ye Gods, my fate-- To shame would memory turn, as love must yield to hate! But generous art thou--most generous be! His pardon will my father grant to thee. He fears thee: more, if Polyeucte's life he take, For thee he slays him--yes,
PAUL. O wretch, what words are these? Thou dost desire----
POLY. To snatch thee from a never-ending fire.
PAUL. Or else?
POLY. O God, I trust to Thy control, Who when we think not, canst illume the soul! The when--the how--is His--here am I dumb,-- I wait--I wait--That blessed hour will come!
PAUL. Oh, leave illusions! Love me!
POLY. Thee I love Far more than self, but less than God above!
PAUL. For love's dear sake, ah, listen to my prayer!
POLY. For love's dear sake--await the answer /there/!
PAUL. To leave me here is naught! Thou wouldst seduce my soul!
POLY. Heaven is scarce Heaven for me, if thou reach not the goal.
PAUL. O fancy-fooled!
POLY. Nay, led by heavenly light!
PAUL. Thy faith is blindness!
POLY. Faith is more than sight!
PAUL. Ah, death, strange rival to a wife's pure love!
POLY. This world our rival with the joys above!
PAUL. Go, monster! woo thy death! Thou lov'dst me never!
POLY. Go, seek the world! and yet I love thee ever!
PAUL. Yes, I will go--if absence bring relief--
(Enter Severus, Fabian and Guards)
Who comes to invade, ah, not to cure my grief? Severus! Who could guess that thou wouldst show Revenge unworthy o'er a prostrate foe?
POLY. Unworthy thee the thought, Pauline, for I Severus called, and he hath heard my cry. My importunity he will excuse, My prayer I know that he will not refuse. Severus--this--the treasure that was mine To thy most tender care I now resign: To thee, as noblest man that I have known;-- Since earthly ties and joys I must disown. The gift is worthy thee,--I know thy worth Is great, but she no equal hath on earth. My life, the bar,--my death the link shall be,-- Oh, grudge me not my dear brief ecstasy! Oh, ease the heart that once was hers,--and guide Her doubting footsteps to the Crucified! This my last benison! All else is poor! Await the promised light! Believe! Endure! But words are vain!
(Polyeucte signs to Guards to conduct him back to prison. Exeunt Polyeucte and Guards.)
SEV. Most vain! No word have I Such blindness must amaze! must stupefy! Nay, this is frenzy! I cannot conceive A mind so strange! Mine ears cannot believe That one who loved thee--yet, who would not love A face that must the great immortals move?-- Blessed by thy heart!--Thy sweetest lips to taste!-- Then leave, refuse, spurn--yield with clamorous haste, To yield a girl so dear--so pure--so fair! And of that gift to make thy rival heir-- This beggars madness! Or the Christian bliss Beyond man's soul to grasp! To spurn thy kiss!-- We treasure barter for a just exchange, But to buy pain for thee! Pauline, 'tis strange! Not thus, ye Gods! Severus had been blind To perfect bliss--had Fortune been more kind The only heaven for me is in thine eyes, These are my kings, these my divinities! To me--for thee--were death with torture dear; But to renounce thee!
PAUL. Nay, I must not hear! Thy words bring back the dear, the bygone days, When I, a maid, might listen to thy praise: Severus, thou must know my inmost heart; I hear the knell bids Polyeucte depart. He dies,--the victim of thine Emperor's laws, And thou, though innocent, art yet the cause. Oh, if thy soul, to thy desires a slave, See hope emerging from my husband's grave Then will I wed with pain--despair embrace,-- But wed Severus? Never! 'Twere disgrace! To light fresh torch from that pale, flickering fire-- Oh, bliss too monstrous! Thrice abhorred desire! Back, hope! Back, happiness! The mate for me When Polyeucte leaves my side--is Constancy! Were this my will, were this, ye Gods, my fate-- To shame would memory turn, as love must yield to hate! But generous art thou--most generous be! His pardon will my father grant to thee. He fears thee: more, if Polyeucte's life he take, For thee he slays him--yes,