The Two Lovers of Heaven: Chrysanthus and Daria Part 2

He doth lord the world below.

Second Voice.

He is Lord of Heaven's high kingdom.

First Voice.

Shun the lightnings of his wrath.

Second Voice.

Seek the waves of his forgiveness. [The Figures disappear.

CHRYSANTHUS.

Oh! what darkness, what confusion, In myself I find here pitted 'Gainst each other! Spirits twain Struggle desperately within me, Spirits twain of good and ill,-- One with gentle impulse wins me To believe, but, oh! the other With opposing force resistless Drives me back to doubt: Oh! who Will dispel these doubts that fill me?

POLEMIUS (within).

Yes, Carpophorus must pay For the trouble that this gives me.--

CHRYSANTHUS.

Though these words by chance were spoken As an omen I 'll admit them: Since Carpophorus (who in Rome Was the most renowned, most gifted Master in all science), now Flying from the emperor's lictors, Through suspect of being a Christian, In lone deserts wild and dismal Lives a saintly savage life, He will give to all my wishes The solution of these doubts:-- And till then, O restless thinking Torture me and tease no more!

Let me live for that! [His voice gradually rises.

ESCARPIN (within).

Within there My young master calls.

CLAUDIUS (within).

All enter.

(Enter Polemius, Claudius, Aurelius, and Escarpin).

POLEMIUS.

My Chrysanthus, what afflicts thee?

CHRYSANTHUS.

Canst thou have been here, my father?

POLEMIUS.

No, my son, 't was but this instant That I entered here, alarmed By the strange and sudden shrillness Of thy voice; and though I had On my hands important business, Grave and weighty, since to me Hath the Emperor transmitted This decree, which bids me search Through the mountains for the Christians Hidden there, and specially For Carpophorus, their admitted Chief and teacher, for which cause I my voice too thus uplifted-- "Yes, Carpophorus must pay For the trouble that this gives me"-- I left all at hearing thee.-- Why so absent? so bewildered?

What 's the reason?

CHRYSANTHUS.

Sir, 't is naught.

POLEMIUS.

Whom didst thou address?

CHRYSANTHUS.

Here sitting I was reading to myself, And perchance conceived some image I may have addressed in words Which have from my memory flitted.

POLEMIUS.

The grave sadness that o'erwhelms thee Will, unless it be resisted, Undermine thy understanding, If thou hast it still within thee.

CLAUDIUS.

'T is a loud soliloquy, 'T is a rather audible whisper That compels one's friends to hasten Full of fear to his a.s.sistance!

CHRYSANTHUS.

Well, excitement may . . .

POLEMIUS.

Oh! cease; That excuse will scarce acquit thee, Since when one 's alone, excitement Is a flame that 's seldom kindled.

I am pleased, well pleased to see thee To the love of books addicted, But then application should not To extremes like this be driven, Nor should letters alienate thee From thy country, friends, and kinsmen.

CLAUDIUS.

A young man by heaven so favoured, With such rare endowments gifted, Blessed with n.o.ble birth and valour, Dowered with genius, rank, and riches, Can he yield to such enthralment, Can he make his room a prison, Can he waste in idle reading The fair flower of his existence?

POLEMIUS.

Dost thou not remember also That thou art my son? Bethink thee That the great Numeria.n.u.s, Our good emperor, has given me The grand government of Rome As chief senator of the city, And with that imperial burden The whole world too--all the kingdoms, All the provinces subjected To its varied, vast dominion.

Know'st thou not, from Alexandria, From my native land, my birth-place, Where on many a proud escutcheon My ancestral fame is written, That he brought me here, the weight Of his great crown to bear with him, And that Rome upon my entry Gave to me a recognition That repaid the debt it owed me, Since the victories were admitted Which in glorious alternation By my sword and pen were given her?

Through what vanity, what folly, Wilt thou not enjoy thy birth-right As my son and heir, indulging Solely in these idle whimseys?--

CHRYSANTHUS.

Sir, the state in which you see me, This secluded room, this stillness, Do not spring from want of feeling, Or indifference to your wishes.

'T is my natural disposition; For I have no taste to mingle In the vulgar vain pursuits Of the courtier crowds ambitious.

And if living to myself here More of true enjoyment gives me, Why would you desire me seek for That which must my joys diminish?

Let this time of sadness pa.s.s, Let these hours of lonely vigil, Then for fame and its applauses, Which no merit of my own, But my father's name may bring me.

POLEMIUS.

Would it not, my son, be fitter That you should enjoy those plaudits In the fresh and blooming spring-time Of your life, and to hereafter Leave the loneliness and vigil?

ESCARPIN.

Let me tell a little story Which will make the whole thing simple:-- A bad painter bought a house, Altogether a bad business, For the house itself was bad: He however was quite smitten With his purchase, and would show it To a friend of his, keen-witted, But bad also: when they entered, The first room was like a kitchen, Black and bad:--"This room, you see, sir, Now is bad, but just permit me First to have it whitewashed over, Then shall my own hand with pictures Paint the walls from floor to ceiling, Then you 'll see how bright 't will glisten".-- To him thus his friend made answer, Smiling archly: "Yes, 't will glisten, But if you would paint it first, And then whitewash o'er the pictures, The effect would be much better".-- Now 's the time for you, my lord, To lay on the s.h.i.+ning pigment: On that brilliant ground hereafter Will the whitewash fall more fitly, For, in fine, the poorest painting Is improved by time's slow finger.

CHRYSANTHUS.

Sir, I say, that in obedience To your precepts, to your wishes, I will strive from this day forward So to act, that you will think me Changed into another being. [Exit.

POLEMIUS.

Claudius, my paternal instinct Makes me fear Chrysanthus' sadness, Makes we tremble that its issue May result in total madness.

Since thou art his friend and kinsman Both combined, make out, I pray thee, What occasions this bewitchment, To the end that I may break it: And my promise now I give thee, That although I should discover Love's delirious dream delicious May be at the root,--most likely At his age the true suspicion,-- It shall not disturb or grieve me.

Nay, since I am doomed to witness His dejection, it will glad me To find out that so it springeth.

ESCARPIN.

Once a high priest of Apollo Had two nephews soft and silly, More than silly, wretched creatures, More than wretched, doltish drivels; And perceiving from experience How love smartens up its victims, He but said to them this only, "Fall in love at least, ye ninnies".-- Thus, though not in love, sir, now, I 'll be bound he 'll be so quickly, Merely to oblige you.

POLEMIUS.

This Is not quite as I would wish it, For when anything has happened, The desire to know it, differs From the wish it so should happen.

CLAUDIUS.

I, my lord, my best a.s.sistance Offer thee to strive and fathom From what cause can have arisen Such dejection and such sadness; This henceforth shall be my business To divert him and distract him.

POLEMIUS.

Such precisely are my wishes: And since now I am forced to go In obedience to the mission Sent me by Numeria.n.u.s, 'Mid the wastes to search for Christians, In my absence, Claudius, Most consoling thoughts 't will give me, To remember that thou watchest O'er Chrysanthus.