Pierre Corneille

“ Who welcomes death can life's short pain endure! FABIAN. O lost indeed, if round her fatal light you hover!— The lover, losing all, speaks hardly like a lover! While passion still is lord—the passion-swept is slave— From this last bitterness would I Severus save! SEV. That word, my friend, unsay; tho' grief this bosom tear, The hand that wounds I kiss—love vanquishes despair; Fate only, not Pauline, the foe that I accuse, No plighted faith she breaks who did this hand refuse. Duty—her father—Fate—these willed, she but obeyed; Not hers the woe, the strife that envious Ate made! ”

“ Thee, Felix, I o'ercame within my cell, Laughed at thy threats if death and torture fell; Yet hast thou still one arm to rouse my fears, The rest I scorn, but dread thy daughter's tears! One only talisman remains; great God, 'tis mine, Sufficient for my every need His strength divine! O thou, dear saint, thy scars all healed, white-robed, in glory crowned, Plead that I too may victory win, thou who hast victory found! Nearchus, who hast clasped in Heaven that dear, that pierced hand, Plead that thy friend, who wrestles here, may safely by thee stand! ”

“ Rome grudged not the price; No Persian bribe could tempt him from his home. When Decius cried—'Fight once again for Rome!' Again he fights—he leads—all others hope resign; But from despair's deep breast he plucks a star benign, This—hope's fair fruit, contentment, plenty, ease, Brings joy from grief, to crown a lasting peace. The Emperor holds him as his dearest friend, And doth Severus to Armenia send— To offer up to Mars, and mighty Jove, 'Mid feast and sacrifice, his thanks and love. FELIX. Ah, Fortune, turn thy wheel, else I misfortune meet! ”

“ Our life is ours to use, and we that debt must pay. What life is this men love? An idle, empty dream, Where nothing can endure,—where all things only seem. Death ends their every joy which fickle Fortune leaves, They gain a royal throne to learn how pomp deceives; They gather wealth that men may envy their estate, They clear a path by blood, so envy turns to hate. Such vast ambition mine as Caesar never knew, Death bounds it not, for death is but its servant true. Peace that the world ne'er gave, and cannot take away, That peace, Pauline, is mine, mine wholly, mine for aye! ”

“ PAUL. My plighted faith, my troth, my duty still the same! STRAT. When twined about thy breast, the hideous serpent slay! Who mocks the Gods on high will his own wife betray! PAUL. If he be false, yet I will still be true, The ties that bind me I will ne'er undo: Let fate—Severus—passion—all combine Against him!—I am his, and he is mine. Yes, mine to guide, lead, win, forgive, and save! I seek his honour tho' he court the grave. Let Polyeucte be Christ's slave!—For woe, for weal, He is my lord; the bond I owe I seal; I fear my father,—all his vengeance, dread. ”

“ PAUL. Too plain, Severus, I my torture show,— Tho' flame leap up no more, the embers glow; Far other speech and voice, and mien were mine, Could I forget that once thou call'dst me thine! Tho' reason rules, yes, gains the mastery No queen benignant, but a tyrant she! Oh, if I conquer—if the strife I gain, Yet memory for aye is linked with pain! I feel the charm that binds me still to thee; If duty great, yet great thy worth to me: I see thee still the same, who waked the fire Which waked in me ineffable desire. Begirt by crown of everlasting fame Thou art more glorious—yet art still the same. ”

“ The grace I grant, reviled, Shall turn to swift revenge. The gods defied May do their will and speed the suicide! POLY. I thought the gods were dead, but they revive With human passion; Felix, do not strive Against thy nature; lay aside thy ruth; Who loves a lie can never follow truth. FELIX. I humoured madness, but the mood is o'er, I am myself again; I did implore,— 'Twas vain; the dark abyss that yawns for thee May hold thee now, tomb to thy constancy. The hope I cherished—fondled—now is flown Severus will be king, and I o'erthrown;— Shall I the gods by incense pacify? ”

“ Too well, Pauline, thou hast thy sire obeyed; Thy heart was fond, but duty love betrayed. How surely thy revolt had safety won! 'Tis thine obedience leaves us all undone. In thee, in thee alone, one hope remains, Love held him fast, relax not thou love's chains. O Love, my sometime foe, forgive, be mine ally, And let the dart that slew now bring the remedy! PAUL. Forbid it, Heaven! One good yet mine,—my will, The dart that wounded has the power to kill. One lesson woman learns—her feebleness; Shame is the only grief without redress. The traitor heart shall still a prisoner be ”

“ They will not choose immortal streams: they go To seek for pleasure—but find only care: Their pleasure wed to strife—ah, death the gate of life,— Christ's servants, none but they His crown shall wear! So pain Is gain: Count not the cost! The world well lost, His Heaven to share! O Pleasure, think not that I sigh for thee, Thy charms, that once enslaved, no more delight; In Christ's dear name I bid the tempter flee, His foes are mine,—unlovely in my sight. The mighty from their seat He hurls beneath His feet, His fan is in His hand, His vengeful sword is bright. ”

“ Pauline; the God who hears And answers prayers,—gives hopes, assuages fears. Thy gods are deaf and senseless, maimed and weak, Tongues, mouths they have, and yet they cannot speak. The Christians' God alone is mine,—is thine, Jehovah only rules—supreme—divine! PAUL. Adore Him in thy heart, but say no word! POLY. What! Can I call Jove and Jehovah—Lord? PAUL. One moment feign. Ah, let Severus go! Let but my father all his kindness show! POLY. Another Father mine! His love most dear Removes me from a world begirt with fear. ”

“ POLY. Once have I said—yet now I say once more— 'Live with Severus, or—with Polyeucte die!' Thy tears are mine, and thy pure constancy I share: But—I am soldier of the Cross! Take up thine own, and count all gain but loss! Pauline—no more! (To FELIX.) Thy slumbering wrath rewake! Thy fates and furies wait! Their vengeance slake! PAUL. His life is saved! These fetters all undo!— For justice never yet a madman slew; And he is mad,—but, father, thou art sane, And thou, his father, must his friend remain. A father cannot less than father be, Oh, be to him what thou hast been to me! ”

“ POLY. The offering grudged is sacrifice unblessed. NEAR. Seek thou the death thine own self-will prepares! POLY. A crown I seek, which every martyr shares! NEAR. A life of duty well that crown can win. POLY. The purest life on earth is stained with sin. Why yield to time and chance what death assures? Death but the gate of life that aye endures. If I be His—let me be His alone! The faith that soars shall full fruition own; Who trusts, yet fears and doubts, his faith is dead! NEAR. Not death the Christian's prayer, but daily bread. Live to protect the flock, so sore oppressed. ”

“ Athirst With quenchless rage, for blood of Christ's redeemed— Armenia shall arise, by thee accursed, On her at last has Light of Asia beamed, And our Deliverer from the holy east Shall dash the cup from thy Belshazzar feast! Secure, And pure, Christ's saints shall reign, And, purged by pain, For aye endure! Let Felix sacrifice me to thine ire, Yea, let my rival captivate the soul Of her who now with Decius doth conspire To chain immortal hope to earthly goal; Let earth-bound men pursue the world's desire, Sense charms not him who doth to Heaven aspire! ”

“ She loves thee not. What canst thou hope to gain? SEV. A glory that shall triumph over pain; 'Tis hers, and, by the Gods, it shall be mine! Nor God nor fiend can sully such a shrine! FABIAN. Speak low, for Jove has bolts, and Hell has ears! The dangers of this course arouse my fears. What? Decius implore a Nazarene to save! 'Tis death that hath thy heart; thou woo'st a grave. His rage against the sect thou knowest well, His power unbridled—his revenge is fell. To plead for Christians is a task too great, For man or God: thou rushest on thy fate. ”

“ ACT II—SEVERUS. FABIAN SEV. Let Felix bow to Jove and incense pour, I seek a dearer shrine, for I adore Nor Jove, nor Mars, nor Fortune—but Pauline. This fruit now ripening late my hand would glean: You know, my friend, the god who wings my way, You know the only goddess I obey: What reck the gods on high our sacrifice and prayer? An earthly worship mine, sole refuge from despair! FABIAN. Ah! You may see her—— SEV. Blessed be thy tongue! O magic word, that turns my grief to song! ”

“ Oh, thou shalt have reward, For thee he hides the secret! Let him guard Thy life beloved—in fullest liberty. The wife who wholly trusts alone is free! One heart for thee and him—one purpose sure, Yet this heart beats to dare—and to endure. The wife's true heart must o'er the peril sigh Which meets his heart moved but to purpose high; Thy pain his pain, but not his terror thine: He is Armenian, thou of Roman line. We, of Armenia, mock thy dreams to scorn, For they are born of night, as truth of morn; While Romans hold that dreams are heaven-sent, And spring from Jove for man's admonishment. ”

“ His pardon will my father grant to thee. He fears thee: more, if Polyeucte's life he take, For thee he slays him—yes, 'tis for thy sake. Christ died for man—let pagan virtue dim His fame: plead for thy foe! so rival him! No easy boon I ask, there needs a soul most rare; But when the fight is fierce—then is the victory fair. To help a man to be what thou wouldst be Is triumph that belongs alone to thee! Let this suffice thee: she, whom thou hast loved, She, who by thy great love was not unmoved, Of thee, and of no other dares to crave That thou, Severus, shouldst my husband save! ”