The Purgatory of St. Patrick Part 17

FIRST CANON. Enter then, and in your mouth, As within your heart's deep core, Be the name of Jesus.

LUIS. Be With me, Lord, O gracious Lord, For here, armed but with Thy faith, I am pitted 'gainst my foe In the open field. That name Will my enemy o'erthrow.

Crossing myself many times I advance. Oh, save me, G.o.d!

[He enters the cave which they close.

FIRST CANON. Of the many who have entered None has equal courage shown.

Oh, enable him, just Jesus, To resist the demon host And their wiles, relying ever Upon Thee, divinest Lord.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX.

LESBIA, PHILIP, LEOGAIRE, The Captain, and POLONIA.

LESBIA. Before we reach the place, Whither you wish to lead us, for a s.p.a.ce Let us say why we came To see you here to-day: a definite aim All of us here has brought.

POLONIA. Speak as we go whatever be your thought, Still following where I lead, For I a sight that doth all sights exceed Will bring you here to see.

LESBIA. What, then, our wishes were you hear from me.

Polonia, you desired In this wild mountain waste to live retired, Making of me the heir, While living, of your kingdom. I would share With you in turn my plans, however small, And so I hither come to tell you all.

My will is in your hands; I ask not counsel, sister, but commands.

A single woman scarce can ever be Strong through advice, and of necessity She must be married.

POLONIA. Yes; and if your choice Has fallen on Philip I may well rejoice, For then to me you'll owe Both crown and husband.

PHILIP. May you live whilst glow The sun's bright beams, that orb which dies at night, And Phoenix of its rays is born with morning's light.

POLONIA. Then since you thus have gained Your wish, ye two, now free and unconstrained, Listen to what I tell, And all who hear me listen too, as well.

With all the outward show Of fervour came a man, whom we all know, Seeking for Patrick's cave, To enter there, and so his soul to save.

He entered it, and cometh forth today, And 'tis because my terror and dismay Are balanced by my wonder, that with me I bring you to behold this holy prodigy.

I do not tell you who he is lest fear Should so my heart make craven, that I ne'er Could reach the end I sought:-- 'Tis for this object that you here are brought.

LESBIA. It is but only right That I should mingle terror with delight.

POLONIA. If strength from him hath fled, And he extended in the cave lies dead, At least 'twill show His punishment; and if he comes, we'll know The mystery that is here; If safe he comes, who cometh forth, through fear Perchance he may not speak, But, flying men, some solitude may seek To live and die alone.

LEOGAIRE. What mighty mysteries lie here unknown.

CAPTAIN. The time is opportune that we come here, For the religious whom we see draw near, All bathed in tears, now go To the cave's mouth in solemn, silent row To throw the gates aside.

SCENE X.

The procession advances to the cave; the gates are opened by the Prior and his a.s.sistants. LUIS ENIUS comes forth, astonished.-- THE SAME.

PRIOR. And those of heaven, O Lord, keep open wide To penitent tears and sighs.

May this poor sinner from these dungeons rise, This dark and dismal place, Where never s.h.i.+nes the radiance of Thy face.

POLONIA. The gate is opened.

PRIOR. Oh, what happiness!

PHILIP. 'Tis Luis!

LUIS. Bless me, heaven! in pity bless!

Ah! is it possible that I am here Again on earth after so many a year, And that once more I see The light of the sun?

CAPTAIN. How rapt!

LEOGAIRE. How dazed is he!

PRIOR. Embrace us all, my son.

LUIS. My arms were prison chains to every one.

Polonia, since thou'rt here, Thy pity I may claim without a fear.

And thou, O Philip, know That thrice an angel saved thee from the blow Of my sharp sword: two nights I watched for thee To slay thee; may my error pardoned be.

Now flying from myself, oh, let me hide, And in some wilderness abide -- Far from the world in solitude and pain, For he who saw what I have seen would feign, So suffering live, so die.

PRIOR. Then on the part of G.o.d, O Enius! I Command thee what thou hast seen at once to say.

LUIS. So sacred a command I must obey:-- And that the startled world may now begin A better course, and man from mortal sin My words may waken like some midnight wail, Listen, O grave a.s.sembly to my tale.

After all the preparations, Fit and solemn were effected,*

Which in such a perilous case Might be needed and expected, And when I from all around me, Firm in faith, with courage strengthened, Tenderly farewell had taken This dark cavern here to enter, I my trust reposed in G.o.d, And my lips repeating ever Those mysterious, mystic words, At which even the demons tremble, I then placed me on the threshold, Where, until, as I expected, They would close the gate, I stood.

It was closed, and I remember Then I found me in black night, Whence the light was so ejected, That I closed on it mine eyes.

(A strange way it seems, but certain To see better in the dark.) With my lids thus closed together On I went, and felt a wall Which in front of me extended; And by following it, and groping For about the length of twenty Paces, came upon some rocks, And perceived through a small crevice Of this rugged mountain wall That a doubtful glimmer entered Of a light that was not light, As when the day the dark disperses, If 'tis morning, or not morning, Oft the twilight is uncertain.

With light steps a path pursuing, By the left-hand side I entered, When I felt a strange commotion; The firm earth began to tremble, And upheaving 'neath my feet, Ruin and convulsion threatened.

Stupified I stopped there, when With a voice which woke my senses From forgetfulness and fainting, Loud a thunder-clap re-echoed, And the ground on which I stood Bursting open in the centre, It appeared as if I fell To a depth where I lay buried In the loosened stones and earth Which had after me descended.

Then I found me in a hall Built of jasper, where the presence Of the chisel was made known By its ornate architecture.

Through a door of bronze twelve men Then advanced and came directly Where I stood, who, clothed alike In unspotted snow-white dresses, With a courteous air received me, And too humbly did me reverence.

One, who seemed to be among them The superior, said: "Remember That in G.o.d you place your faith, And that you be not dejected In your battle with the demons; For if moved by what they threaten, Or may promise, you turn back, You will have to dwell for ever In the lowest depths of h.e.l.l Amid torments most excessive."

Angels were these men for me, And so greatly was I strengthened By their counsel and advice That revived I once more felt me.

On a sudden then the whole Hall unto mine eyes presented Nothing but infernal visions, Fallen angels, the first rebels, And in forms so horrible, So disgusting, that resemblance It would be in vain to look for; And one said to me: "Demented Reckless fool, who here hast wished Prematurely to present thee To thy destined punishment, And the pains that thou deservest; If thy sins are so immense, That thyself must needs condemn them, Since thou in the eye of G.o.d Never can have hope of mercy, Why has thou come here thyself To endure them? Back to earth, then, Go, oh! go, and end thy life; And as thou hast lived, so perish.

Then again thou'lt come to see us; For hath h.e.l.l prepared already That dread seat in which thou must Sit for ever and for ever."-- I did answer not a word; And then giving me some heavy Blows, my hands and feet they bound, Tieing them with thongs together, And then caught and wounded me With sharp hooks of burning metal, Dragging me through all the cloisters, Where they lit a fire and left me Headlong plunged amid the flames.

I but cried, "O Jesus! help me."

At the words the demons fled, And the fire went out and ended Then they brought me to a plain Where the blackened earth presented Fruits of thistles and of thorns, 'Stead of pink and rose sweet scented.

Here a biting wind pa.s.sed by, Which with subtle sharpness entered Even my bones, whose faintest breath Like the keenest sword-edge cleft me.

Here in the profoundest depths Sadly, mournfully lamented Myriad souls, their parents cursing From whose loins they had descended.

Such despairing shrieks and cries, Such blaspheming screams were blended, Such atrocious oaths and curses So repeated and incessant, That the very demons shuddered.

I pa.s.sed on, and in a meadow Found me next, whose plants and gra.s.ses Were all flames, which waved and bent them, As when in the burning August Wave the gold ears all together.

So immense it was, the sight Never could make out where ended This red field, and in it lay An uncountable a.s.semblage All rec.u.mbent in the fire; Through their bodies and their members Burning spikes and nails were driven; These with feet and hands extended Were held nailed upon the ground, Vipers of red fire the entrails Gnawed of some; while others lying, With their teeth in maniac frenzy Bit the earth; and some there were Piecemeal who themselves dismembered, And who seemed to die, but only To revive and die for ever.

There the ministers of death Flung me from them bound and helpless, But at the sweet name of Jesus All their fury fled and left me.