Complete Poetical Works of Robert Southey
Page 136
Then were they in their substance seen,
The angelic form, the fiendish mien,
Face, look and lineament.
Behold where dawns before them now,
Far off, the boreal ray,
Sole daylight of that frozen zone,
The limit of their way.
In that drear realm of outer night,
Like the shadow, or the ghost of light,
It moved in the restless skies,
And went and came, like a feeble flame
That flickers before it dies.
There the fallen Seraph reign’d supreme
Amid the utter waste;
There on the everlasting ice
His dolorous throne was placed.
Son of the Morning! is it then
For this that thou hast given
Thy seat, pre-eminent among
The hierarchies of Heaven?
As if dominion here could joy
To blasted pride impart;
Or this cold region slake the fire
Of Hell within the heart!
Thither the Evil Angels bear
The youth, and rendering homage there
Their service they evince,
And in the name of Abibas
Present him to their Prince:
Just as they seized him when he made
The Sorcerer’s mandate known,
In that same act and attitude
They set him before the throne.
The fallen Seraph cast on him
A dark disdainful look;
And from his raised hand scornfully
The proffer’d tablets took.
Ay,.. love!” he cried. “It serves me well.
There was the Trojan boy,..
His love brought forth a ten years’ war,
And fired the towers of Troy.
“And when my own Mark Antony
Against young Cæsar strove,
And Rome’s whole world was set in arms,
The cause was,.. all for love!
“Some for ambition sell themselves,
By avarice some are driven;
Pride, envy, hatred, best will move
Some souls, and some for only love
Renounce their hopes of Heaven.
“Yes, of all human follies, love,
Methinks, hath served me best;
The Apple had done but little for me
If Eve had not done the rest.
“Well then, young Amorist, whom love
Hath brought unto this pass,
I am willing to perform the word
Of my servant Abibas.
“Thy Master’s daughter shall be thine,
And with her sire’s consent;
And not more to thy heart’s desire
Than to her own content.
Yea, more;.. I give thee with the girl,
Thine after-days to bless,
Health, wealth, long life, and whatsoe’er
The world calls happiness.
“But, mark me!.. on conditions, youth!
No paltering here we know!
Dost thou here, solemnly, this hour
Thy hope of Heaven forego?
“Dost thou renounce thy baptism,
And bind thyself to me,
My woeful portion to partake
Through all eternity?
“No lurking purpose shall avail,
When youth may fail and courage quail,
To cheat me by contrition!
I will have thee written down among
The children of Perdition.
“Remember, I deceive thee not,
Nor have I tempted thee!
Thou comest of thine own accord,
And actest knowingly.
“Dost thou, who now to choose art free,
For ever pledge thyself to me?
As I shall help thee, say!”...
“I do; so help me, Satan!” said
The wilful castaway.
“A resolute answer,” quoth the Fiend;
“And now then, Child of Dust,
In farther proof of that firm heart,
Thou wilt sign a Bond before we part,
For I take thee not on trust!” —
Swift as thought a scroll and a reed were brought,
And to Eleëmon’s breast,
Just where the heart-stroke plays, the point
Of the reed was gently prest.
It pierced not in, nor touch’d the skin;
But the sense that it caused was such,
As when an electric pellet of light
Comes forcibly out at a touch;
A sense no sooner felt than gone,
But with that short feeling then
A drop of his heart’s-blood came forth
And fill’d the fatal pen.
And with that pen accurst, he sign’d
The execrable scroll,
Whereby he to perdition bound
His miserable soul.
“Eleëmon, Eleëmon!” then said the Demon,
“The girl shall be thine,
By the tie she holds divine,
Till time that tie shall sever;
And by this writing thou art mine,
For ever, and ever, and ever!”
III.
LOOK at yon silent dwelling now!
A heavenly sight is there,
Where Cyra in her Chamber kneels Before the Cross in prayer.
She is not loth to leave the world;
For she hath been taught with joy
To think that prayer and praise thenceforth
Will be her life’s employ.
And thus her mind hath she inclined,
Her pleasure being still,
(An only child and motherless,)
To do her Father’s will.
The moonlight falls upon her face,
Upraised in fervour meek,
While peaceful tears of piety
Are stealing down her cheek.
That duty done, the harmless maid
Disposed herself to rest;
No sin, no sorrow in her soul,
No trouble in her breast.
But when upon the pillow then,
Composed, she laid her head,
She little thought what unseen Powers
Kept watch beside her bed.
A double ward had she that night,
When evil near her drew;
Her own Good Angel guarding her,
And Eleëmon’s too.
Their charge it was to keep her safe
From all unholy things;
And o’er her while she slept, they spread
The shadow of their wings.
So when an Evil Dream drew nigh
They barr’d him from access,
Nor suffer’d him to reach her with
A breath of sinfulness.
But with his instigations they
A hallowing influence blent,
And made his fiendish ministry
Subserve to their intent.
Thus while in troubled sleep she lay,
Strange impulses were given,
Emotions earthly and of earth,
With heavenly ones of Heaven.
And now the nightingale hath ceased
Her strain, who all night long
Hath in the garden rosier trill’d
A rich and rapturous song.
The storks on roof and dome and tower
Forbear their clattering din,
As now the motions and the sounds
Of daily life begin.
Then as from dreams that seem’d no dreams
The wondering Maid awoke,
A low sweet voice was in her ear;
Such as we might expect to hear
If some Good Angel spoke.
According with her dreams, it said,
“So, Cyra, must it be;
The duties of a wedded life
Hath Heaven ordain’d f
or thee.”
This was no dream full well she knew;
For open-eyed she lay,
Conscious of thought and wakefulness,
And in the light of day;
And twice it spake, if doubt had been,
To do all doubt away.
Alas! but how shall she make known
This late and sudden change?
Or how obtain belief for what
Even to herself is strange?
How will her Father brook a turn
That must to all seem shame?
How bear to think that vulgar tongues
Are busy with her name?
That she should for a voice,.. a dream,..
Expose herself to be the theme
Of wonder and of scorn;..
Public as her intent had been,
And this the appointed morn!
The Nuns even now are all alert;
The altar hath been drest,
The scissars that should clip her hair
Provided, and the black hood there,
And there the sable vest.
And there the Priests are robing now;
The Singers in their station;
Hark! in the city she can hear
The stir of expectation!
Thro’ every gate the people pour,
And guests on roof and porch and tower
Expectant take their place;
The streets are swarming, and the church
Already fills apace.
Speak, then, she must: her heart she felt
This night had changed its choice;
Nor dared the Maiden disobey,..
Nor did she wish to (sooth to say),..
That sweet and welcome voice.
Her Father comes: she studies not
For gloss, or for pretence;
The plain straight course will Cyra take,
(Which none without remorse forsake,)
Of truth and innocence.
“O Father, hear me patiently!”
The blushing Maiden said;
“I tremble, Father, while I speak,
But surely not for dread;
“If all my wishes have till now
Found favour in thy sight,
And ever to perform thy will
Hath been my best delight,
Why should I fear to tell thee now
The visions of this night?
“I stood in a dream at the altar,..
But it was as an earthly Bride;
And Eleëmon thy freedman
Was the Bridegroom at my side.
“Thou, Father, gavest me to him,
With thy free and full consent;
And,.. why should I dissemble it?..
Methought I was content.
“Months then and years were crowded
In the course of that busy night;
I claspt a baby to my breart,
And, oh! with what delight!
“Yea, I was fruitful as a vine;
Our heavenly Parent me and mine
In all things seem’d to bless;
Our ways were ways of peace, our paths
Were paths of pleasantness.
“When I taught lisping lips to pray
The joy it was to me,
O Father, thus to train these plants
For immortality!
“I saw their little winning ways
Their grandsire’s love engage;
Methought they were the pride, the joy,
The crown of his old age.
“When from the Vision I awoke,
A voice was in my ear,..
A waking voice,.. I heard it twice;
No human tongue was near;
“No human utterance so could reach
The secret soul, no human speech
So make the soul rejoice;
In hearing it I felt and knew
It was an Angel’s voice!
And thus in words distinct it said,
‘So, Cyra, must it be!
The duties of a wedded life
Hath Heaven ordain’d for thee.’”
Her cheek was like the new-blown rose,
While thus she told her tale;
Proterius listened earnestly,
And as he heard grew pale.
For he, too, in the dreams of night,
At the altar had seem’d to stand,
And to Eleëmon his freedman
Had given his daughter’s hand.
Their offspring, courting his caress,
About his knees had throng’d;
A lovely progeny, in whom,
When he was in the silent tomb,
His line should be prolong’d.
And he had heard a waking voice,
Which said it so must be,
Pronouncing upon Cyra’s name
A holiest eulogy:
“Her shall her husband praise, and her
Her children blest shall call;
Many daughters have done virtuously,
But thine excelleth them all!”
No marvel if his heart were moved;
The dream he saw was one;
He kiss’d his trembling child, and said,
“The will of Heaven be done!”
Little did child or sire in this
The work of sorcery fear;
As little did Eleëmon think
That the hand of Heaven was here.
IV.
FROM house to house, from street to street
The rapid rumour flies;
Incredulous ears it found, and hands
Are lifted in surprise;
And tongues through all the astonish’d town
Are busier now than eyes.
“So sudden and so strange a change!
A Freedman, too, the choice!
The shame,.. the scandal,.. and for what?
A vision and a voice!
“Had she not chosen the strait gate,..
The narrow way,.. the holy state,..
The Sanctuary’s abode?
Would Heaven call back its votary
To the broad and beaten road?
“To carnal wishes would it turn
The mortified intent?
For this are miracles vouchsafed?
For this are Angels sent?
“A plain collusion I a device
Between the girl and youth!
Good easy man must the Father be,
To take such tale for truth!”
So judged the acrid and the austere,
And they whose evil heart
Inclines them, in whate’er betides,
To take the evil part.
But others, whom a kindlier frame
To better thoughts inclined,
Preserved, amid their wonderment,
An equitable mind.
They would not of Proterius thus
Injuriously misdeem,..
A grave good man, and with the wise
For wisdom in esteem.
No easy ear, or vain belief,
Would he to falsehood lend;
Nor ever might light motive him
From well-weigh’d purpose bend.
And surely on his pious child,
The gentle Cyra, meek and mild,
Could no suspicion rest;
For in this daughter he had been
Above all fathers blest.
As dutiful as beautiful,
Her praise was widely known,
Being one who, as she grew in years,
Had still in goodness grown.
And what though Eleëmon were
A man of lowly birth?
Enough it was if Nature had
Ennobled him with worth.
“This was no doubtful thing,” they said,
“For he had in the house been bred,
Nor e’er from thence removed;
But there from childhood had been known,
And trusted and approved.
&nb
sp; “Such as he was his qualities
Might to the world excuse
The Maid and Father for their choice,
Without the vision and the voice,
Had they been free to choose.
“But Heaven by miracle had made
Its pleasure manifest;
That manifested will must set
All doubtful thoughts to rest.
Mysterious tho’ they be, the ways
Of Providence are best.”
The wondering City thus discoursed;
To Abibas alone
The secret truth, and even to him
But half the truth, was known.
Meantime the Church hath been prepared
For spousal celebration;
The Sisters to their cells retire,
Amazed at such mutation.
The habit and hood of camel’s hair,
Which with the sacred scissars there
On the altar were display’d,
Are taken thence, and in their stead
The marriage rings are laid.
Behold, in garments gay with gold,
For other spousals wrought,
The Maiden from her Father’s house
With bridal pomp is brought.
And now before the Holy Door
In the Ante-nave they stand;
The Bride and Bridegroom side by side,
The Paranymphs in festal pride
Arranged on either hand.
Then from the Sanctuary the Priests,
With incense burning sweet,
Advance, and at the Holy Door
The Bride and Bridegroom meet.
There to the Bride and Bridegroom they
The marriage tapers gave;
And to the altar as they go,
With cross-way movement to and fro,
The thuribule they wave.