Polyuecte [20]
stormed to shake his constancy. To give his hot young blood due time to cool I played the coward--nay, I played the fool! Why did he thus assail the gods and me With insult, and with horrid blasphemy? But interest helped me, and resentment too. Else had I found my duty hard to do!
ALBIN. Soon mayst thou this thy dear-bought victory rue, For thou hast done what thou canst ne'er undo! Unworthy deed for Roman knight! ah, me! (Aside.) I would that I could add, 'unworthy /thee/!'
FELIX. Manlius and Brutus both a son have slain, And neither did thereby his glory stain; The part that is diseased--that part we bleed, So is the State from knaves and caitiffs freed.
ALBIN. Revenge and pressing peril thee unman, Else--couldst thou bless a deed all men must ban? When she, thy widowed daughter, comes--the air Of heaven will echo to her deep despair!
FELIX. Thou dost remind me she with Polyeucte went-- I know not with what mind, with what intent: But her despair awakes my fond alarm, Go, Albin, go, and guard my child from harm! She might the execution of the law Impede: I would not that his death she saw. Try to console her--Go! what dost thou fear?
(Enter Pauline)
ALBIN. I need not go, for ah--Pauline is here!
PAUL. Tyrant, why leave thy butchery half done? Come, slay thy daughter, thou hast slain thy son! For, hear!--His villainy--or worth--is mine! Why stay thy hand while I my neck incline? Thy sword in me shall find a kindred food, I too am new baptized, baptized in blood! These drops that fell from off the murderous knife, Have made the martyr's widow a true wife. I see!--I feel!--I know! My darkest night Is o'er--to break in purest heavenly light. I too, at last, am Christ's: that word says all, Those hands were pierced for me--I hear His call: Death--lovely death--thy beckoning hand I hail! Oh, help my passage, or thy schemes may fail! Dread Decius! Fear Severus! Fear thy fall! Oh, speed me to my lord--my love--my all! My husband calls me to his happier land-- See!--there Nearchus at his side doth stand! Lead me to these--the gods by thee confest, Some shrines spared Polyeucte, I will break the rest! There, there the gods thou fearest I will brave, Oh, bare thy knife!--no other gift I crave. /Thou/ hast my master been: another Lord Claims my obedience now; yes, raise thy sword! Revolt is holy when for Christ we fight,-- My day has dawned, the day that knows no night! Once more I cry--'Christ only has my heart!' Thy bliss and mine secure! Let me depart! Keep thou thy kingdom! Safe its treasure hold! My kingdom there--with Christ--within the fold!
(Enter Severus)
SEV. Unnatural sire, whose craft leads to the grave, The slaves of fear themselves alone enslave. Yes, Polyeucte is slain, and slain by thee,-- A sacrifice to greed and treachery. I offered rescue from the opening tomb, Base doubts enthralled thee, didst seal his doom; I prayed, I threatened, thou wouldst not believe, Deceiver thou, so must all men deceive. Thou thoughtst me coward, liar--thou shalt see All oaths Severus swears fulfilled shall be.
Poor moth! I might have saved thee--nay, I planned to save, Thy perfidy the torch that marks thee for the grave. Drench earth in blood,--for Jove pour forth malignant zeal, The strokes that thou hast dealt redoubled shalt thou feel! I go: the storm shall break o'er this devoted land, From Jove the bolt?--maybe--but I direct his hand.
FELIX. Why lags that hand? A willing victim I, I choose to suffer for my perfidy; My doubts, my fears unworthy, all I own, I have offended--let my death atone. Take thou my honours, their poor lustre thine, I kneel before another, nobler shrine. The Power that moved me, groping through the night Of wrong and darkness, wafts me to The Light! I slew thee, Polyeucte, but thy pardoning hand Shall guide thy murderer to the better land! He prays for me, and by his sacrifice, New-born upon his ashes I arise. (To Pauline.) Raised by his death from out the grave of sin, Thou tread'st the path thy father shall begin; By me his martyr-crown, as all my bliss By him. His Christ
ALBIN. Soon mayst thou this thy dear-bought victory rue, For thou hast done what thou canst ne'er undo! Unworthy deed for Roman knight! ah, me! (Aside.) I would that I could add, 'unworthy /thee/!'
FELIX. Manlius and Brutus both a son have slain, And neither did thereby his glory stain; The part that is diseased--that part we bleed, So is the State from knaves and caitiffs freed.
ALBIN. Revenge and pressing peril thee unman, Else--couldst thou bless a deed all men must ban? When she, thy widowed daughter, comes--the air Of heaven will echo to her deep despair!
FELIX. Thou dost remind me she with Polyeucte went-- I know not with what mind, with what intent: But her despair awakes my fond alarm, Go, Albin, go, and guard my child from harm! She might the execution of the law Impede: I would not that his death she saw. Try to console her--Go! what dost thou fear?
(Enter Pauline)
ALBIN. I need not go, for ah--Pauline is here!
PAUL. Tyrant, why leave thy butchery half done? Come, slay thy daughter, thou hast slain thy son! For, hear!--His villainy--or worth--is mine! Why stay thy hand while I my neck incline? Thy sword in me shall find a kindred food, I too am new baptized, baptized in blood! These drops that fell from off the murderous knife, Have made the martyr's widow a true wife. I see!--I feel!--I know! My darkest night Is o'er--to break in purest heavenly light. I too, at last, am Christ's: that word says all, Those hands were pierced for me--I hear His call: Death--lovely death--thy beckoning hand I hail! Oh, help my passage, or thy schemes may fail! Dread Decius! Fear Severus! Fear thy fall! Oh, speed me to my lord--my love--my all! My husband calls me to his happier land-- See!--there Nearchus at his side doth stand! Lead me to these--the gods by thee confest, Some shrines spared Polyeucte, I will break the rest! There, there the gods thou fearest I will brave, Oh, bare thy knife!--no other gift I crave. /Thou/ hast my master been: another Lord Claims my obedience now; yes, raise thy sword! Revolt is holy when for Christ we fight,-- My day has dawned, the day that knows no night! Once more I cry--'Christ only has my heart!' Thy bliss and mine secure! Let me depart! Keep thou thy kingdom! Safe its treasure hold! My kingdom there--with Christ--within the fold!
(Enter Severus)
SEV. Unnatural sire, whose craft leads to the grave, The slaves of fear themselves alone enslave. Yes, Polyeucte is slain, and slain by thee,-- A sacrifice to greed and treachery. I offered rescue from the opening tomb, Base doubts enthralled thee, didst seal his doom; I prayed, I threatened, thou wouldst not believe, Deceiver thou, so must all men deceive. Thou thoughtst me coward, liar--thou shalt see All oaths Severus swears fulfilled shall be.
Poor moth! I might have saved thee--nay, I planned to save, Thy perfidy the torch that marks thee for the grave. Drench earth in blood,--for Jove pour forth malignant zeal, The strokes that thou hast dealt redoubled shalt thou feel! I go: the storm shall break o'er this devoted land, From Jove the bolt?--maybe--but I direct his hand.
FELIX. Why lags that hand? A willing victim I, I choose to suffer for my perfidy; My doubts, my fears unworthy, all I own, I have offended--let my death atone. Take thou my honours, their poor lustre thine, I kneel before another, nobler shrine. The Power that moved me, groping through the night Of wrong and darkness, wafts me to The Light! I slew thee, Polyeucte, but thy pardoning hand Shall guide thy murderer to the better land! He prays for me, and by his sacrifice, New-born upon his ashes I arise. (To Pauline.) Raised by his death from out the grave of sin, Thou tread'st the path thy father shall begin; By me his martyr-crown, as all my bliss By him. His Christ