Polyeucte | Page 4

to make me deaf to her distress??The bonds I slacken I would not unloose?Nothing I yield--yet grant a timely truce.
NEAR.?How grant you know not what? Are you assured?Of constancy?--as one who has endured??God claims your soul for Him!--Now! Now! To-day!?The fruit to-morrow yields--oh, who shall say??Our God is just, but do His grace and power?Descend on recreants with equal shower??On darkened souls His flame of light He turns,?Yet flame neglected soon but faintly burns,?And dying embers fade to ashes cold?If we the heart His spirit wooes withhold.?Great Heaven retains the fire no longer sought,?While ashes turn to dust, and dust to naught.?His holy baptism He bids thee seek,?Neglect the call, and the desire grows weak.?Ah! whilst from woman's breast thou heedst the sighs,?The flame first flickers, then, untended--dies!
POLY.?You know me ill,--'tis mine, that holy fire,?Fed, not extinguished, by unslaked desire?Her tears--I view them with a lover's eye;?And yet your Christ is mine--a Christian I!?The healing, cleansing flood o'er me shall flow,?I would efface the stain from birth I owe;?I would be pure--my sealed eyes would see!?The birthright Adam lost restored to me?This, this, the unfading crown! For this I yearn,?For that exhaustless fount I thirst, I burn.?Then, since my heart is true, Nearchus, say--?Shall I not grant to pity this delay?
NEAR.?So doth the ghostly foe our souls abuse,?And all beyond his force he gains by ruse;?He hates the purpose fast he cannot foil,--?Then he retreats--retreats but to recoil!?In endless barricade obstruction piles,?To-day 'tis tears impede, to-morrow--smiles!?And this poor dream--his coinage of the night?Gives place to other lures, all falsely bright:?All tricks he knows and uses--threats and prayers?Attacks in parley--as the Parthian dares.?In chain unheeded weakest link must fail,?So fortress yet unwon he'll mount and scale.?O break his bonds! Let feeble woman weep!?The heart that God has touched 'tis God must keep!?Who looks behind to dally with his choice?When Heaven demands--obeys another voice!
POLY.?Who loves thy Christ--say, must he love no other?
NEAR.?He may--he must! 'Tis Christ says, "Love thy brother,'?Yet on the altar of the Heavenly King?No rival place, no alien incense fling!?Through Him--by Him--for Him--all goodness know!?'Tis from the source alone each stream must flow.?To please Him, wife, and wealth, and rank, and state?Must be forsaken--strait the heavenly gate.?Poor silly sheep! afar you err and stray?From Him who is The Life, The Truth, The Way!?My grief chokes utterance! I see your fate,?As round the fold the hungry wolves of hate?Closer and fiercer rage: from sword and flame?One shelter for His flock--one only Name!?The Cross alone our victor over fears,?Not this thy strength,--thy plea--a woman's tears!
POLY.?I know thy heart! It is mine own--the tear?My pity drops hath ne'er a taint of fear!?Who dreads not torture, yet--to give relief?To her he loves, perforce must ease her grief!?If Heaven should claim my life, my death, my all,?Then Heaven will give the strength to heed the call.?The shepherd guides me surely to the fold,?There, safe with Him, 'tis He will make me bold!
NEAR.?Be bold! O come!
POLY.?Yes, let thy faith be mine!?There--at his feet--do I my life resign?If but Pauline--my love--would give consent!?Else heaven were hell, and home but banishment!
NEAR.?Come!--to return. Thrice welcome to her sight,?To see thee safe will double her delight:?As the pierced cloud unveils a brighter sun,?So is her joy enhanced--thy glory won!?O come, they wait!
POLY.?Appease her fear! Ah, this?Alone will give her rest--her lover bliss.?She comes!
NEAR.?Then fly!
POLY.?I cannot!
NEAR.?To deny would yield thine enemy the victory!?He loves to kill, and knows his deadliest dart?Finds friend within the fort--thy traitor heart!
Enter Pauline and Stratonice
POLY.?I needs must go, Pauline! My love, good-bye!?I go but to return--for thine am I!
PAUL.?Oh, why this haste to leave a loving wife??Doth honour call?--or fear'st thou for thy life?
POLY.?For more, a thousandfold!
PAUL.?Great Gods above!
POLY.?Thou hast my heart! Let this content thy love!
PAUL.?You love and yet you leave me. What am I??Not mine to solve the dreary mystery!
POLY.?I love thee more than self--than life--than fame?But----
PAUL.?There is something that thou dar'st not name.?Oh, on my knees I supplicate, I pray,?Remove my darkness!--turn my night to day!
POLY.?Oh, dreams are naught!
PAUL.?Yet, when they tell of thee,?I needs must listen, for I love! Ah, me!
POLY.?Take courage, dear one, 'tis but for an hour,?Thy love must draw me back, for love hath power?O'er all in earth and heaven. My soul's delight,?I can no more! My only safety--flight!
(Exeunt Polyeucte and Nearchus.)
PAUL.?Yes, go, despise my prayer--my agony;?Go, ruthless--meet thy fate--forewarned by me;?Chase thy pursuer, herald thine own doom;?Go, kiss the murderer's hand, and hail the tomb!?Ah, Stratonice! for our boasted power?As sovereigns o'er man's heart! Poor regents of an hour!?Faint, helpless, moonbeam--light was all I gave,?The sun breaks forth--his queen becomes his slave!?Wooed? Yes; as other queens I held my court?Won--but to lose my crown, and be the sport?Of proud, absorbing and imperious man!
STRAT.?Ah, man does what he wills--we, what we can;?He loves thee, lady!
PAUL.?Love should mate with