Waverley Novels — Volume 12

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FIRST.

  To-morrow--oh, that's sudden! Spare him, spare him! He's not prepared to die. SHAKSPEARE.

  At the moment when Achilles Tatius, with a feeling of much insecurity,awaited the unwinding of the perilous skein of state politics, aprivate council of the Imperial family was held in the hall termed theTemple of the Muses, repeatedly distinguished as the apartment in whichthe Princess Anna Comnena was wont to make her evening recitations tothose who were permitted the honour of hearing prelections of herhistory. The council consisted of the Empress Irene, the Princessherself, and the Emperor, with the Patriarch of the Greek Church, as asort of mediator between a course of severity and a dangerous degree oflenity.

  "Tell not me, Irene," said the Emperor, "of the fine things attached tothe praise of mercy. Here have I sacrificed my just revenge over myrival Ursel, and what good do I obtain by it? Why, the old obstinateman, instead of being tractable, and sensible of the generosity whichhas spared his life and eyes, can be with difficulty brought to exerthimself in favour of the Prince to whom he owes them. I used to thinkthat eyesight and the breath of life were things which one wouldpreserve at any sacrifice; but, on the contrary, I now believe menvalue them like mere toys. Talk not to me, therefore, of the gratitudeto be excited by saving this ungrateful cub; and believe me, girl,"turning to Anna, "that not only will all my subjects, should I followyour advice, laugh at me for sparing a man so predetermined to work myruin, but even thou thyself wilt be the first to upbraid me with thefoolish kindness thou art now so anxious to extort from me."

  "Your Imperial pleasure, then," said the Patriarch, "is fixed that yourunfortunate son-in-law shall suffer death for his accession to thisconspiracy, deluded by that heathen villain Agelastes, and thetraitorous Achilles Tatius?"

  "Such is my purpose," said the Emperor; "and in evidence that I meannot again to pass over a sentence of this kind with a seeming executiononly, as in the case of Ursel, this ungrateful traitor of ours shall beled from the top of the staircase, or ladder of Acheron, as it iscalled, through the large chamber named the Hall of Judgment, at theupper end of which are arranged the apparatus for execution, by which Iswear"----

  "Swear not at all!" said the Patriarch; "I forbid thee, in the name ofthat Heaven whose voice (though unworthy) speaks in my person, toquench the smoking flax, or destroy the slight hope which there mayremain, that you may finally be persuaded to alter your purposerespecting your misguided son-in-law, within the space allotted to himto sue for your mercy. Remember, I pray you, the remorse ofConstantine."

  "What means your reverence?" said Irene.

  "A trifle," replied the Emperor, "not worthy being quoted from such amouth as the Patriarch's, being, as it probably is, a relic ofpaganism."

  "What is it?" exclaimed the females anxiously, in the hope of hearingsomething which might strengthen their side of the argument, andsomething moved, perhaps, by curiosity, a motive which seldom slumbersin a female bosom, even when the stronger passions are in arms.

  "The Patriarch will tell you," answered Alexius, "since you must needsknow; though I promise you, you will not receive any assistance in yourargument from a silly legendary tale."

  "Hear it, however," said the Patriarch; "for though it is a tale of theolden time, and sometimes supposed to refer to the period whenheathenism predominated, it is no less true, that it was a vow made andregistered in the chancery of the rightful Deity, by an Emperor ofGreece."

  "What I am now to relate to you," continued he, "is, in truth, a talenot only of a Christian Emperor, but of him who made the whole empireChristian; and of that very Constantine, who was also the first whodeclared Constantinople to be the metropolis of the empire. This hero,remarkable alike for his zeal for religion and for his warlikeachievements, was crowned by Heaven with repeated victory, and with allmanner of blessings, save that unity in his family which wise men aremost ambitious to possess. Not only was the blessing of concord amongbrethren denied to the family of this triumphant Emperor, but adeserving son of mature age, who had been supposed to aspire to sharethe throne with his father, was suddenly, and at midnight, called uponto enter his defence against a capital charge of treason. You willreadily excuse my referring to the arts by which the son was renderedguilty in the eyes of the father. Be it enough to say, that theunfortunate young man fell a victim to the guilt of his step-mother,Fausta, and that he disdained to exculpate himself from a charge sogross and so erroneous. It is said, that the anger of the Emperor waskept up against his son by the sycophants who called upon Constantineto observe that the culprit disdained even to supplicate for mercy, orvindicate his innocence from so foul a charge.

  "But the death-blow had no sooner struck the innocent youth, than hisfather obtained proof of the rashness with which he had acted. He hadat this period been engaged in constructing the subterranean parts ofthe Blacquernal palace, which his remorse appointed to contain a recordof his paternal grief and contrition. At the upper part of thestaircase, called the Pit of Acheron, he caused to be constructed alarge chamber, still called the Hall of Judgment, for the purpose ofexecution. A passage through an archway in the upper wall leads fromthe hall to the place of misery, where the axe, or other engine, isdisposed for the execution of state prisoners of consequence. Over thisarchway was placed a species of marble altar, surmounted by an image ofthe unfortunate Crispus--the materials were gold, and it bore thememorable inscription, TO MY SON, WHOM I RASHLY CONDEMNED, AND TOOHASTILY EXECUTED. When constructing this passage, Constantine made avow, that he himself and his posterity, being reigning Emperors, wouldstand beside the statue of Crispus, at the time when any individual oftheir family should be led to execution, and before they suffered himto pass from the Hall of Judgment to the Chamber of Death, that theyshould themselves be personally convinced of the truth of the chargeunder which he suffered.

  "Time rolled on--the memory of Constantine was remembered almost likethat of a saint, and the respect paid to it threw into shadow theanecdote of his son's death. The exigencies of the state rendered itdifficult to keep so large a sum in specie invested in a statue, whichcalled to mind the unpleasant failings of so great a man. Your ImperialHighness's predecessors applied the metal which formed the statue tosupport the Turkish wars; and the remorse and penance of Constantinedied away in an obscure tradition of the Church or of the palace.Still, however, unless your Imperial Majesty has strong reasons to thecontrary, I shall give it as my opinion, that you will hardly achievewhat is due to the memory of the greatest of your predecessors, unlessyou give this unfortunate criminal, being so near a relation of yourown, an opportunity of pleading his cause before passing by the altarof refuge; being the name which is commonly given to the monument ofthe unfortunate Crispus, son of Constantine, although now deprived bothof the golden letters which composed the inscription, and the goldenimage which represented the royal sufferer."

  A mournful strain of music was now heard to ascend the stair so oftenmentioned.

  "If I must hear the Caesar Nicephorus Briennius, ere he pass the altarof refuge, there must be no loss of time," said the Emperor; "for thesemelancholy sounds announce that he has already approached the Hall ofJudgment."

  Both the Imperial ladies began instantly, with the utmost earnestness,to deprecate the execution of the Caesar's doom, and to conjureAlexius, as he hoped for quiet in his household, and the everlastinggratitude of his wife and daughter, that he would listen to theirentreaties in behalf of an unfortunate man, who had been seduced intoguilt, but not from his heart.

  "I will at least see him," said the Emperor, "and the holy vow ofConstantine shall be in the present instance strictly observed. Butremember, you foolish women, that the state of Crispus and the presentCaesar, is as different as guilt from innocence, and that their fates,therefore, may be justly decided upon opposite principles, and withopposite results. But I will confront this criminal; and you,Patriarch, may be present to render what help is in your pow
er to adying man; for you, the wife and mother of the traitor, you will,methinks, do well to retire to the church, and pray God for the soul ofthe deceased, rather than disturb his last moments with unavailinglamentations."

  "Alexius," said the Empress Irene, "I beseech you to be contented; beassured that we will not leave you in this dogged humour ofblood-shedding, lest you make such materials for history as are fitterfor the time of Nero than of Constantine."

  The Emperor, without reply, led the way into the Hall of Judgment,where a much stronger light than usual was already shining up the stairof Acheron, from which were heard to sound, by sullen and intermittedfits, the penitential psalms which the Greek Church has appointed to besung at executions. Twenty mute slaves, the pale colour of whoseturbans gave a ghastly look to the withered cast of their features, andthe glaring whiteness of their eyeballs, ascended two by two, as itwere from the bowels of the earth, each of them bearing in one hand anaked sabre, and in the other a lighted torch. After these came theunfortunate Nicephorus; his looks were those of a man half-dead fromthe terror of immediate dissolution, and what he possessed of remainingattention, was turned successively to two black-stoled monks, who wereanxiously repeating religious passages to him alternately from theGreek scripture, and the form of devotion adopted by the court ofConstantinople. The Caesar's dress also corresponded to his mournfulfortunes: His legs and arms were bare, and a simple white tunic, theneck of which was already open, showed that ho had assumed the garmentswhich were to serve his last turn. A tall muscular Nubian slave, whoconsidered himself obviously as the principal person in the procession,bore on his shoulder a large heavy headsman's axe, and, like a demonwaiting on a sorcerer, stalked step for step after his victim. The rearof the procession was closed by a band of four priests, each of whomchanted from time to time the devotional psalm which was thunderedforth on the occasion; and another of slaves, armed with bows andquivers, and with lances, to resist any attempt at rescue, if suchshould be offered.

  It would have required a harder heart than that of the unlucky princessto have resisted this gloomy apparatus of fear and sorrow, surrounding,at the same time directed against, a beloved object, the lover of heryouth, and the husband of her bosom, within a few minutes of thetermination of his mortal career.

  As the mournful train approached towards the altar of refuge,half-encircled as it now was by the two great and expanded arms whichprojected from the wall, the Emperor, who stood directly in thepassage, threw upon the flame of the altar some chips of aromatic wood,steeped in spirit of wine, which, leaping at once into a blaze,illuminated the doleful procession, the figure of the principalculprit, and the slaves, who had most of them extinguished theirflambeaux so soon as they had served the purpose of lighting them upthe staircase.

  The sudden light spread from the altar failed not to make the Emperorand the Princess visible to the mournful group which approached throughthe hall. All halted--all were silent. It was a meeting, as thePrincess has expressed herself in her historical work, such as tookplace betwixt Ulysses and the inhabitants of the other world, who, whenthey tasted of the blood of his sacrifices, recognised him indeed, butwith empty lamentations, and gestures feeble and shadowy. The hymn ofcontrition sunk also into silence; and, of the whole group, the onlyfigure rendered more distinct, was the gigantic executioner, whose highand furrowed forehead, as well as the broad steel of his axe, caughtand reflected back the bright gleam from the altar. Alexius saw thenecessity of breaking the silence which ensued, lest it should, givethe intercessors for the prisoner an opportunity of renewing theirentreaties.

  "Nicephorus Briennius," he said, with a voice which, although generallyinterrupted by a slight hesitation, which procured him, among hisenemies, the nickname of the Stutterer, yet, upon important occasionslike the present, was so judiciously tuned and balanced in itssentences, that no such defect was at all visible--"NicephorusBriennius," he said, "late Caesar, the lawful doom hath been spoken,that, having conspired against the life of thy rightful sovereign andaffectionate father, Alexius Comnenus, thou shalt suffer theappropriate sentence, by having thy head struck from thy body. Here,therefore, at the last altar of refuge, I meet thee, according to thevow of the immortal Constantine, for the purpose of demanding whetherthou hast any thing to allege why this doom should not be executed?Even at this eleventh hour, thy tongue is unloosed to speak withfreedom what may concern thy life. All is prepared in this world and inthe next. Look forward beyond yon archway--the block is fixed. Lookbehind thee, thou seest the axe already sharpened--thy place for goodor evil in the next world is already determined--time flies--eternityapproaches. If thou hast aught to say, speak it freely--if nought,confess the justice of thy sentence, and pass on to death."

  The Emperor commenced this oration, with those looks described by hisdaughter as so piercing, that they dazzled like lightning, and hisperiods, if not precisely flowing like burning lava, were yet theaccents of a man having the power of absolute command, and as suchproduced an effect not only on the criminal, but also upon the Princehimself, whose watery eyes and faltering voice acknowledged his senseand feeling of the fatal import of the present moment.

  Rousing himself to the conclusion of what he had commenced, the Emperoragain demanded whether the prisoner had any thing to say in his owndefence.

  Nicephorus was not one of those hardened criminals who may be termedthe very prodigies of history, from the coolness with which theycontemplated the consummation of their crimes, whether in their ownpunishment, or the misfortunes of others. "I have been tempted," hesaid, dropping on his knees, "and I have fallen. I have nothing toallege in excuse of my folly and ingratitude; but I stand prepared todie to expiate my guilt," A deep sigh, almost amounting to a scream,was here heard, close behind the Emperor, and its cause assigned by thesudden exclamation of Irene,--"My lord! my lord! your daughter isgone!" And in fact Anna Comnena had sunk into her mother's arms withouteither sense or motion. The father's attention was instantly called tosupport his swooning child, while the unhappy husband strove with theguards to be permitted to go to the assistance of his wife. "Give mebut five minutes of that time which the law has abridged--let myefforts but assist in recalling her to a life which should be as longas her virtues and her talents deserve; and then let me die at herfeet, for I care not to go an inch beyond."

  The Emperor, who in fact had been more astonished at the boldness andrashness of Nicephorus, than alarmed by his power, considered him as aman rather misled than misleading others, and felt, therefore, the fulleffect of this last interview. He was, besides, not naturally cruel,where severities were to be enforced under his own eye.

  "The divine and immortal Constantine," he said, "did not, I ampersuaded, subject his descendants to this severe trial, in orderfurther to search out the innocence of the criminals, but rather togive to those who came after him an opportunity of generously forgivinga crime which could not, without pardon--the express pardon of thePrince--escape unpunished. I rejoice that I am born of the willowrather than of the oak, and I acknowledge my weakness, that not eventhe safety of my own life, or resentment of this unhappy man'streasonable machinations, have the same effect with me as the tears ofmy wife, and the swooning of my daughter. Rise up, NicephorusBriennius, freely pardoned, and restored even to the rank of Caesar. Wewill direct thy pardon to be made out by the great Logothete, andsealed with the golden bull. For four-and-twenty hours thou art aprisoner, until an arrangement is made for preserving the public peace.Meanwhile, thou wilt remain under the charge of the Patriarch, who willbe answerable for thy forthcoming.--Daughter and wife, you must now gohence to your own apartment; a future time will come, during which youmay have enough of weeping and embracing, mourning and rejoicing. PrayHeaven that I, who, having been trained on till I have sacrificedjustice and true policy to uxorious compassion and paternal tendernessof heart, may not have cause at last for grieving in good earnest forall the events of this miscellaneous drama."

  The pardoned Caesar, who endeavoured to regulat
e his ideas according tothis unexpected change, found it as difficult to reconcile himself tothe reality of his situation as Ursel to the face of nature, afterhaving been long deprived of enjoying it; so much do the dizziness andconfusion of ideas, occasioned by moral and physical causes of surpriseand terror, resemble each other in their effects on the understanding.

  At length he stammered forth a request that he might be permitted to goto the field with the Emperor, and divert, by the interposition of hisown body, the traitorous blows which some desperate man might aimagainst that of his Prince, in a day which was too likely to be one ofdanger and bloodshed.

  "Hold there!" said Alexius Comnenus;--"we will not begin thynewly-redeemed life by renewed doubts of thine allegiance; yet it isbut fitting to remind thee, that thou art still the nominal andostensible head of those who expect to take a part in this day'sinsurrection, and it will be the safest course to trust itspacification to others than to thee. Go, sir, compare notes with thePatriarch, and merit your pardon by confessing to him any traitorousintentions concerning this foul conspiracy with which we may be as yetunacquainted.--Daughter and wife, farewell! I must now depart for thelists, where I have to speak with the traitor Achilles Tatius and theheathenish infidel Agelastes, if he still lives, but of whoseprovidential death I hear a confirmed rumour."

  "Yet do not go, my dearest father!" said the Princess; "but let merather go to encourage the loyal subjects in your behalf. The extremekindness which you have extended towards my guilty husband, convincesme of the extent of your affection towards your unworthy daughter, andthe greatness of the sacrifice which you have made to her almostchildish affection for an ungrateful man who put your life in danger."

  "That is to say, daughter," said the Emperor, smiling, "that the pardonof your husband is a boon which has lost its merit when it is granted.Take my advice, Anna, and think otherwise; wives and their husbandsought in prudence to forget their offences towards each other as soonas human nature will permit them. Life is too short, and conjugaltranquillity too uncertain, to admit of dwelling long upon suchirritating subjects. To your apartments, Princesses, and prepare thescarlet-buskins, and the embroidery which is displayed on the cuffs andcollars of the Caesar's robe, indicative of his high rank. He must notbe seen without them on the morrow.--Reverend father, I remind you oncemore that the Caesar is in your personal custody from this moment untilto-morrow at the same hour."

  They parted; the Emperor repairing to put himself at the head of hisVarangian guards--the Caesar, under the superintendence of thePatriarch, withdrawing into the interior of the Blacquernal Palace,where Nicephorus Briennius was under the necessity of "unthreading therude eye of rebellion," and throwing such lights as were in his powerupon the progress of the conspiracy.

  "Agelastes," he said, "Achilles Tatius, and Hereward the Varangian,were the persons principally entrusted in its progress. But whetherthey had been all true to their engagements, he did not pretend to beassured."

  In the female apartments, there was a violent discussion betwixt AnnaComnena and her mother. The Princess had undergone during the day manychanges of sentiment and feeling; and though they had finally unitedthemselves into one strong interest in her husband's favour, yet nosooner was the fear of his punishment removed, than the sense of hisungrateful behaviour began to revive. She became sensible also that awoman of her extraordinary attainments, who had been by a universalcourse of flattery disposed to entertain a very high opinion of her ownconsequence, made rather a poor figure when she had been the passivesubject of a long series of intrigues, by which she was destined to bedisposed of in one way or the other, according to the humour of a setof subordinate conspirators, who never so much as dreamed of regardingher as a being capable of forming a wish in her own behalf, or evenyielding or refusing a consent. Her father's authority over her, andright to dispose of her, was less questionable; but even then it wassomething derogatory to the dignity of a Princess born in thepurple--an authoress besides, and giver of immortality--to be, withouther own consent, thrown, as it were, at the head now of one suitor, nowof another, however mean or disgusting, whose alliance could for thetime benefit the Emperor. The consequence of these moody reflections,was that Anna Comnena deeply toiled in spirit for the discovery of somemeans by which she might assert her sullied dignity, and various werethe expedients which she revolved.