Thou hast
promised
Thou wouldst surely come for me,
And now Thou takest me not, — forgettest Thy handmaid !
And now Thou takest me not, — forgettest Thy handmaid !
Krasinski - The Undivine Comedy
He stands before me like
One of Thy prophets, saints, or holy angels, —
He speaks — I hear his words — and long to die !
{She buries her face in her hands. )
Have pity on me, Christ 1 Deliver me !
(Victor enters, folloioed by the procession. It passes on,
lohile he remains. )
Victor. "As oft as in my name ye shall together
meet,
I R IDIOM. 359
I will be in your midst. " {^To Meiella. ) Daughter, you
have
Not been with us to-day, to hearken to His Word.
Simeon and others I have missed from prayer.
Leave solitary ways to wicked men.
And turn away from those who furtively
Lurk through these graves, weaving their plots of guile,
Sowing dissension even 'midst the saints.
Metella. Father!
Victor. Hast thou been praying here ?
Metella. \ P^^y-
Victor. Hast thou been quite alone?
Metella. I ^"^^ z^or^Q.
Victor. Thou flutterest like a flickering, dying lamp!
Metella, what means this?
Metella. I seek the Lord,
My God,— and cannot find Him. Pray for me !
Victor. The greatest saints have moments of despair,
A sign the Fiend is near. Watch then and pray ;
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Metella. Father !
Victor. What is it, daughter ?
Metella. Is it near dawn ?
Victor. ' Nay, daughter, the long night is just begun.
Metella. But, Father, is the Day of Judgment near ?
Victor. The Son of man may come at any hour.
To call us to His bar. Art thou afraid ?
Metella. No : but I am so weak,— I fain would know. . .
Victor. I will remember thee at sacrifice.
Thy soul is sad ; thy body weak with fasts :
Rise, daughter, and fear nothing ! Try to sleep.
*= (Exit Victor. ^
Metella. Why did I not detain the Bishop ? . . . Hark !
I hear light steps {^Enter Iridion), the footsteps of the
tempter !
(She turns toward hifii. ) As perfect as a Seraph ! Beautiful!
Victor ! Victor !
Iridion. He is too far to hear you.
Metella {throwing her arms round the sarcophagus).
O ashes of the holy dead, protect
Metella through this lingering, dreadful night !
360
IRIDION.
Iridion. What do you fear?
Mete/la. I know not what I fear.
It grows so dark ! so dark ! so bitter cold !
It seems as if the living all were dead,
And we alone remained alive on earth !
And we are damned : the rest are safe in Heaven !
Iridion. The hour of which I told you comes, and is
Too hard for your soft heart.
Metella. It is not so.
Have I not longed to bear the martyr's palm,
And shall I tremble when my Lord prevails? . . .
Something so black, vast, wild, and terrible
Is tearing up my soul, breaking my heart.
Whirling my brain ! What is it, Hieronymus?
Iridion. A woman needs no deeds. In tranquil prayers
She may find her redemption. If she feel
Not strong enough to follow on my path,
Let her forsake me ! Here part our ways, — farewell !
Young virgin of the Lord, you may be blest
As ere we met ! We may meet once again,
Though never more, Metella, upon earth !
Metella. So were it best, my brother ; I will go !
Feet rise, and bear my soul far . . . far from here !
{She struggles to rise, Iridion gives his hand to aid her. )
You plunge me back anew, — I cannot move . . .
Ah, me !
Iridion. Unhappy girl ! Fly while you can from me !
Metella. Something Immortal seizes upon me !
All-powerful arms embrace me — hold me here!
Iridion. For the last time I speak, — Metella, fly!
Metella. I will not leave you, brother, to the Fiend !
Until your soul is dead in mortal sin.
You are my brother, signed with the same cross
Before the face of our great God in Heaven !
Iridion. Bones of the dead, and thou, my mother earth,
Bear witness, I would brave a thousand deaths
To save this innocent victim ! Her alone !
{He paces up and down in agitation. ')
Thus did my father once destroy the soul
Of the young dedicated priestess !
IRIDION. 361
O powerful Fate, thou triumphest o'er all !
{He approaches Afetcl/a. ) There's no escape ! Metella !
O Metella !
Metella. I pray for you. Kneel here. Give up re-
venge !
Say, I forgive them for Metella' s sake ;
Kneel and repeat the prayer after me !
Iridion. It cannot be ! To-morrow must begin
My prayer of blood, not muttered in a vault,
But loudly breathed through the wide air to heaven,
Amid the sobs, wails, shrieks of dying foes !
{A cry is heard approaching). To arms ! To arms !
Iridion. I come !
Metella. 'Tis Simeon !
Iridion. Yes, — thousands more like him await me
now,
And chide me with delay ! I may not stay !
{He draws off her veil. ) Away! thou hid'st from me
my angel's soul !
(He folds her to his heart and kisses her forehead. )
Lips, press the promise on this brow of snow
Of happier destiny ! Awake to life !
Metella. Alas ! I'm damned with thee to all eternity!
{She faints. )
Voices. Haste ! Haste !
{Iridion places Metella, still tinconscious, upon the sar-
cophagus. He takes up his helmet, places it ttpon his
head, and buckles on his armor. He approaches Me-
tella, and bends over her prostrate form. )
Iridion. No, no ! Thou art not dead ! Metella, wake !
{He lifts her in his arms. ) Awake on this mailed
breast ! . . . And thou.
Old man, be damned to everlasting woe,
Unless thou payest me for all tliis blight
With victory, and Rome's entire ruin !
Metella {recovering). Who calls? I thought I heard an
angel speak !
Iridion. He calls of whom 'tis said : " He comes to
abase
The proud ! ' '
31*
362
IRIDION.
Metella. At last I see Thee ! Take Thy bride !
Oh, I have waited for Thee long, my Lord !
Iridion. Lift up your head ! Pierce with your gaze
these walls ;
Behold the Elect ! They chant the triumph hymn :
Rise, dead ! The Resurrection is at hand !
Metella. The conqueror's glory beams from Thy high
Face,
And glittering swords are flashing round Thy Brow !
Where are Thy wounds, my Lord, that I may bathe
Them with my tears?
Iridion {lifting her f>-om the ground'). To-morrow,
woman, will
The promise of the kingdom of the Cross
Be all fulfilled !
Metella. I fear to lose, Thee, Lord,
In this great darkness! Let me be with Thee!
Thou hast promised Thou wouldst surely come for me,
And now Thou takest me not, — forgettest Thy handmaid !
Iridion. Unfortunate, weep not ! Do not despair !
Metella. Let me die in the light of Thy great glory!
I am already dead in Thee, my Lord !
Iridion {lifting her iip). Woman^ wait but a day, — I
will return.
To all the brethren loudly cry : To arms !
{Exit Iridion. ^
Metella. My Lord is here ! . . . He comes again to
earth.
The sword of victory flashes in His hands,
His last words were. To arms! To arms! Ye priests.
Bones of the dead, ami living warriors,
And all ye people of the Lord, cry out:
To arms! To arms! Men, follow me! To arms I
{She hurries forward. )
SCENE n. Another fart of the catacombs. Simeon of
Corinth. A roll of parchment, a crucifix, and a death's-
head stand on a tablet near him.
Simeon. With one day's bound to rule o'er all the
world !
IRIDION. 363
Not that material earth glittering with gold,
Groaning in chains; but that realm infinite
Of souls; — to reign there in Thy name, O Lord!
Like a vast sea of light, this thought unrolls
Before me. I ever float toward this great sea,
Struggling through torrents of oppression, pain,
Cleaving the gloomy waves with greater force;
Each hour the tide bears me more swiftly on !
All that is matter, Christ, I would subject to Thee !
There are the deserts, mountains, cities, streams,
The cries of merchants, clamors of the kings:
My soul, made in Thy image, then would float
Above them, ruling and embracing all.
Ordain them prayer or silence, thought or sleep,
Joy, fear, repentance, — I would reign with Christ! . . .
Iridion {enters). I greet you, son of Hellas ! Doubly
brother !
Simeon. You come at last !
Iridion. I am in time to act.
Simeon. Have you seen Victor? Will he move with us?
Iridion. The superannuated child who rules us?
His gentleness is weakness; weakness, obstinacy!
Simeon. His flock will not move on in unknown fields
Witliout the shepherd. Greek, he must be won!
Iridion. We will delay our onset till the last,
Then with despairing prayers surround him suddenly;
All unprepared his fears may force him on,
Or God's own Spirit shine into his heart.
Simeon. I'll go and throw myself before his feet;
Perhaps the hot sparks breathing from my heart
Will kindle his cold brain.
Iridion. His eyes are dim,
His soul asleep; we must go on without him.
Surmount all obstacles; thus only can
We hope to win deliverance from shame!
Simeon. All will be as you've prophesied! Hark!
Hear
You not the sound of many mingling voices?
As I ordained, they meet upon the space
Which separates the holy Cliristian graves
From the wide cemeteries of the pagans.
364 IRTDION.
Tndioji. Simeon, take up this mystic crucifix,
And bear their God, still unavenged, before them!
Simeon {seizing the crucifix). Alas! how blind and
groveling I have been !
I thought that man must bear wrong patiently ;
That to win Heaven, he must bear shame and pain !
{He takes up the death' s-head. ) Look on these fleshless
temples; into these
Dim caverns from which shone a lustrous eye,
The joy and light of my once happy life !
The Bishop had consented to unite us
In holy bonds; we were so young and happy;
Another day had made her mine forever!
But at the dead of night a centurion came,
And dragged the helpless innocent away
To fight with wild beasts in the Flavian circus: —
This skull alone was left me from the tiger's jaws!
I struggled with resistance, rage, despair,
As if with Lucifer, wild as a fiend !
At last I bowed before the Holy Lamb,
And gave to Jesus all my fiery soul.
{He places the skull upo? i the tablet. )
Rest, hapless maiden, rest! The dawn is near.
The Resurrection trump about to sound,
And soon thou wilt arise in loveliness
From thy red bed of death !
Iridion. Revenge! Revenge!
Where swarm the bees, let vengeance fall the first !
{Exeunt Simeon and Iridion. )
SCENE in. Spacious vaults in the catacombs. The walls
are filled with pagan cenotaphs and inscriptions, the ground
is almost covered zaith grave-mounds, tombstones, and mon-
umental pillars. It has been the receptacle of the pagan
dead, and no Christian inscriptions are 7oithin it. The
Christians enter, bearing torches.
CHORUS OF YOUNG DISCIPLES.
Wretched is he who is of woman born :
His days are few, and ever full of woe !
IRIDION. 365
Even on the cross He cannot turn for thorns,
Nor tear away His hands for cruel nails!
His sister darkness is: His grave is with the worm!
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES.
Holy ! Holy ! Holy ! Just are all Thy judgments !
From martyr-sires, Thou bring'st new generations
Of Christian sons ! Thou coverest the mounds
Of our dead bones with the fresh green of spring,
The flowers of young life ! And Thou wilt found,
From the dying life-flood of our willing veins.
Thy holy kingdom, justice, for our children!
CHORUS OF YOUNG DISCIPLES.
Send us a Comforter, and let Him stand
On the high places of the earth, and plant
His feet upon the neck of our proud foes !
{Enter Simeon ««^Iridion. )
Simeon. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost,
Peace be upon you all !
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES,
O Simeon !
Why is he who is with thee, lately clad
In the catechumen's peaceful robes, now girt
With armor, glittering with steel?
Teach him repentance is the truest shield.
And prayer the only armor for a Christian.
Simeon {to Iridion'). Step on this mound, and answer
for yourself!
I will meanwhile invoke the Holy Spirit.
Jridion. Let him who doubts trust not to his now
wisdom,
But look upon the signs, remembering
The Promised Days, which were to precede the last
Of woes on earth ! Tiiis hour Time ends his silence;
The tortures of the Just are over now ;
Graves will no longer for our martyrs ope ;
Our virgins no more fill the tiger's maw;
366
IRIDION.
The dead bones quicken, mount to Heaven's blue !
Arise, ye Cliristians, cowering in the dust !
Tremble, ye rulers, who increase our pangs 1
For all " the valleys shall exalted be,
And the high places of the earth laid low ! "
Young Disciples. O son of promise, may the Lord be
with thee !
Iridion. The lightnings of Jehovah are with us :
From our humiliation springs our inspiration !
Our trust is in the mercy of the Son,
The glorious power of the triune God !
If ye will aid me with your wills and prayers,
Our strength will be increased a thousand-fold.
Strike as one man for vengeance ! Even to-night
Division seals the doom of the cursed city !
The son of madness totters on his throne.
The praetorians turn away from him their hearts,
The storm-tost people know not by what wind
To steer their course; like waves before the tumult,
They rise and fall ; but soon the heavy wings
Of the black tempest will swoop down on them,
Awaking all the lightnings of their passions !
Look how the clouds are piling above Rome
Which murders prophets, crucifies the saints !
The legions throughout Asia revolt ;
The Alemanni on the Rhine rebel ;
Csesar and Alexander stand prepared
For their last struggle. The one cries ''Jupiter ! "
The other summons Mithras to his aid !
What matters it to us which of them conquers.
Since both will equally blaspheme our Lord ?
Such are the signs long since predicted you ;
Look up, and see them glittering in the sky !
Will firmly, you are free ; and Christ shall rule I
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES.
Who gave thee the commission to conduct us ?
Who stamped thy brow with the seal of the Holy Word?
Where is the anointed shepherd of our flock?
Will he point to thee, saying clearly to us:
Behold the Leader whom the Lord hath armed ?
IRIDION. 367
Simeon {standing upon a tomb). I bear him witness !
{He holds aloft the crucifix. )
Flow on, ye tears of Christ !
Open afresh, ye gaping, bleeding wounds !
Behold the Lord, regarding not the proud,
Whom you would fetter at the thrones of men !
But God is conqueror of the gates of death !
Men without hearts, sleep on, if sleep you can ;
Cumber like stocks and stones His living way,
To you I speak not ! You who do not burn
To see the new Jerusalem descend
Upon the waves of time, — to you I speak not !
I call on those for whom He suffered shame
And anguish, till woe grew to such a height
The sun ia horror veiled his radiant face !
Ah ! since that night of terror, who defends
The Son of man ? . . . who strikes for Jesus Christ ?
He hungered — there were none to give Him food 1
Thirsted — but there were none to give Him drink !
Naked — none came to clothe or comfort Him !
But every day and every passing hour
The nations of the earth conspire against Him,
Scorn His disciples, crucify anew !
CHORUS OF THE YOUNG.
Curses upon the worshipers of Moloch !
Iridion. Let not the appointed hour escape us,
brothers 1
Gaze not upon it as the gleam of wings
Whirring above our heads, fading in distance ;
Nor as the lightning flash, scathing the sky,
To vanish 'midst the clouds ! O brothers, seize.
And clasp these moments to your heart of hearts !
Press from them that which never will return !
Strike from them noio the glittering spark of life.
For they contain the germs of our whole future ;
Long centuries are wrapped within their shroud ;
They hold the hope of all humanity, —
These centuries are yours, — if you know how to grasp
them !
368 IRIDION.
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES.
The flame of prayer is dying in our souls ;
A mystic veil darkens the sky above us ;
Save us, O Lord, from all the Devil's wiles !
Iridion. This is mere weakness ! Summon all your
strength !
I call on you by chains your fathers wore ;
By Nero's butcheries; the arena's bloody sands;
The victims of the amphitheatre ;
Your daughters' shame, — shake off these craven fears !
Be men ! And Rome is yours !
CHORUS OF YOUNG DISCIPLES.
Thy voice, like trumpet-thunders, stirs our souls,
Driving us up to the surface of the earth ;
But our hearts throb, and our hair stands on end !
Simeon of Corinth, speak ! what seest thou ?
Simeon. I gaze with the eyes of John, to whom ap-
peared
The new Jerusalem of the Elect. He sleeps
In his lone grave, and angels bend above him.
To-day or else to-morrow, he will rise.
And then I will retire that he may lead you.
But now 'tis I who call you, prophesy.
CHORUS.
Simeon, strange clouds are sweeping o'er thy brow,
The black cross quivers in thy trembling hands
Like swaying branch upborne by stormy winds !
One of Thy prophets, saints, or holy angels, —
He speaks — I hear his words — and long to die !
{She buries her face in her hands. )
Have pity on me, Christ 1 Deliver me !
(Victor enters, folloioed by the procession. It passes on,
lohile he remains. )
Victor. "As oft as in my name ye shall together
meet,
I R IDIOM. 359
I will be in your midst. " {^To Meiella. ) Daughter, you
have
Not been with us to-day, to hearken to His Word.
Simeon and others I have missed from prayer.
Leave solitary ways to wicked men.
And turn away from those who furtively
Lurk through these graves, weaving their plots of guile,
Sowing dissension even 'midst the saints.
Metella. Father!
Victor. Hast thou been praying here ?
Metella. \ P^^y-
Victor. Hast thou been quite alone?
Metella. I ^"^^ z^or^Q.
Victor. Thou flutterest like a flickering, dying lamp!
Metella, what means this?
Metella. I seek the Lord,
My God,— and cannot find Him. Pray for me !
Victor. The greatest saints have moments of despair,
A sign the Fiend is near. Watch then and pray ;
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Metella. Father !
Victor. What is it, daughter ?
Metella. Is it near dawn ?
Victor. ' Nay, daughter, the long night is just begun.
Metella. But, Father, is the Day of Judgment near ?
Victor. The Son of man may come at any hour.
To call us to His bar. Art thou afraid ?
Metella. No : but I am so weak,— I fain would know. . .
Victor. I will remember thee at sacrifice.
Thy soul is sad ; thy body weak with fasts :
Rise, daughter, and fear nothing ! Try to sleep.
*= (Exit Victor. ^
Metella. Why did I not detain the Bishop ? . . . Hark !
I hear light steps {^Enter Iridion), the footsteps of the
tempter !
(She turns toward hifii. ) As perfect as a Seraph ! Beautiful!
Victor ! Victor !
Iridion. He is too far to hear you.
Metella {throwing her arms round the sarcophagus).
O ashes of the holy dead, protect
Metella through this lingering, dreadful night !
360
IRIDION.
Iridion. What do you fear?
Mete/la. I know not what I fear.
It grows so dark ! so dark ! so bitter cold !
It seems as if the living all were dead,
And we alone remained alive on earth !
And we are damned : the rest are safe in Heaven !
Iridion. The hour of which I told you comes, and is
Too hard for your soft heart.
Metella. It is not so.
Have I not longed to bear the martyr's palm,
And shall I tremble when my Lord prevails? . . .
Something so black, vast, wild, and terrible
Is tearing up my soul, breaking my heart.
Whirling my brain ! What is it, Hieronymus?
Iridion. A woman needs no deeds. In tranquil prayers
She may find her redemption. If she feel
Not strong enough to follow on my path,
Let her forsake me ! Here part our ways, — farewell !
Young virgin of the Lord, you may be blest
As ere we met ! We may meet once again,
Though never more, Metella, upon earth !
Metella. So were it best, my brother ; I will go !
Feet rise, and bear my soul far . . . far from here !
{She struggles to rise, Iridion gives his hand to aid her. )
You plunge me back anew, — I cannot move . . .
Ah, me !
Iridion. Unhappy girl ! Fly while you can from me !
Metella. Something Immortal seizes upon me !
All-powerful arms embrace me — hold me here!
Iridion. For the last time I speak, — Metella, fly!
Metella. I will not leave you, brother, to the Fiend !
Until your soul is dead in mortal sin.
You are my brother, signed with the same cross
Before the face of our great God in Heaven !
Iridion. Bones of the dead, and thou, my mother earth,
Bear witness, I would brave a thousand deaths
To save this innocent victim ! Her alone !
{He paces up and down in agitation. ')
Thus did my father once destroy the soul
Of the young dedicated priestess !
IRIDION. 361
O powerful Fate, thou triumphest o'er all !
{He approaches Afetcl/a. ) There's no escape ! Metella !
O Metella !
Metella. I pray for you. Kneel here. Give up re-
venge !
Say, I forgive them for Metella' s sake ;
Kneel and repeat the prayer after me !
Iridion. It cannot be ! To-morrow must begin
My prayer of blood, not muttered in a vault,
But loudly breathed through the wide air to heaven,
Amid the sobs, wails, shrieks of dying foes !
{A cry is heard approaching). To arms ! To arms !
Iridion. I come !
Metella. 'Tis Simeon !
Iridion. Yes, — thousands more like him await me
now,
And chide me with delay ! I may not stay !
{He draws off her veil. ) Away! thou hid'st from me
my angel's soul !
(He folds her to his heart and kisses her forehead. )
Lips, press the promise on this brow of snow
Of happier destiny ! Awake to life !
Metella. Alas ! I'm damned with thee to all eternity!
{She faints. )
Voices. Haste ! Haste !
{Iridion places Metella, still tinconscious, upon the sar-
cophagus. He takes up his helmet, places it ttpon his
head, and buckles on his armor. He approaches Me-
tella, and bends over her prostrate form. )
Iridion. No, no ! Thou art not dead ! Metella, wake !
{He lifts her in his arms. ) Awake on this mailed
breast ! . . . And thou.
Old man, be damned to everlasting woe,
Unless thou payest me for all tliis blight
With victory, and Rome's entire ruin !
Metella {recovering). Who calls? I thought I heard an
angel speak !
Iridion. He calls of whom 'tis said : " He comes to
abase
The proud ! ' '
31*
362
IRIDION.
Metella. At last I see Thee ! Take Thy bride !
Oh, I have waited for Thee long, my Lord !
Iridion. Lift up your head ! Pierce with your gaze
these walls ;
Behold the Elect ! They chant the triumph hymn :
Rise, dead ! The Resurrection is at hand !
Metella. The conqueror's glory beams from Thy high
Face,
And glittering swords are flashing round Thy Brow !
Where are Thy wounds, my Lord, that I may bathe
Them with my tears?
Iridion {lifting her f>-om the ground'). To-morrow,
woman, will
The promise of the kingdom of the Cross
Be all fulfilled !
Metella. I fear to lose, Thee, Lord,
In this great darkness! Let me be with Thee!
Thou hast promised Thou wouldst surely come for me,
And now Thou takest me not, — forgettest Thy handmaid !
Iridion. Unfortunate, weep not ! Do not despair !
Metella. Let me die in the light of Thy great glory!
I am already dead in Thee, my Lord !
Iridion {lifting her iip). Woman^ wait but a day, — I
will return.
To all the brethren loudly cry : To arms !
{Exit Iridion. ^
Metella. My Lord is here ! . . . He comes again to
earth.
The sword of victory flashes in His hands,
His last words were. To arms! To arms! Ye priests.
Bones of the dead, ami living warriors,
And all ye people of the Lord, cry out:
To arms! To arms! Men, follow me! To arms I
{She hurries forward. )
SCENE n. Another fart of the catacombs. Simeon of
Corinth. A roll of parchment, a crucifix, and a death's-
head stand on a tablet near him.
Simeon. With one day's bound to rule o'er all the
world !
IRIDION. 363
Not that material earth glittering with gold,
Groaning in chains; but that realm infinite
Of souls; — to reign there in Thy name, O Lord!
Like a vast sea of light, this thought unrolls
Before me. I ever float toward this great sea,
Struggling through torrents of oppression, pain,
Cleaving the gloomy waves with greater force;
Each hour the tide bears me more swiftly on !
All that is matter, Christ, I would subject to Thee !
There are the deserts, mountains, cities, streams,
The cries of merchants, clamors of the kings:
My soul, made in Thy image, then would float
Above them, ruling and embracing all.
Ordain them prayer or silence, thought or sleep,
Joy, fear, repentance, — I would reign with Christ! . . .
Iridion {enters). I greet you, son of Hellas ! Doubly
brother !
Simeon. You come at last !
Iridion. I am in time to act.
Simeon. Have you seen Victor? Will he move with us?
Iridion. The superannuated child who rules us?
His gentleness is weakness; weakness, obstinacy!
Simeon. His flock will not move on in unknown fields
Witliout the shepherd. Greek, he must be won!
Iridion. We will delay our onset till the last,
Then with despairing prayers surround him suddenly;
All unprepared his fears may force him on,
Or God's own Spirit shine into his heart.
Simeon. I'll go and throw myself before his feet;
Perhaps the hot sparks breathing from my heart
Will kindle his cold brain.
Iridion. His eyes are dim,
His soul asleep; we must go on without him.
Surmount all obstacles; thus only can
We hope to win deliverance from shame!
Simeon. All will be as you've prophesied! Hark!
Hear
You not the sound of many mingling voices?
As I ordained, they meet upon the space
Which separates the holy Cliristian graves
From the wide cemeteries of the pagans.
364 IRTDION.
Tndioji. Simeon, take up this mystic crucifix,
And bear their God, still unavenged, before them!
Simeon {seizing the crucifix). Alas! how blind and
groveling I have been !
I thought that man must bear wrong patiently ;
That to win Heaven, he must bear shame and pain !
{He takes up the death' s-head. ) Look on these fleshless
temples; into these
Dim caverns from which shone a lustrous eye,
The joy and light of my once happy life !
The Bishop had consented to unite us
In holy bonds; we were so young and happy;
Another day had made her mine forever!
But at the dead of night a centurion came,
And dragged the helpless innocent away
To fight with wild beasts in the Flavian circus: —
This skull alone was left me from the tiger's jaws!
I struggled with resistance, rage, despair,
As if with Lucifer, wild as a fiend !
At last I bowed before the Holy Lamb,
And gave to Jesus all my fiery soul.
{He places the skull upo? i the tablet. )
Rest, hapless maiden, rest! The dawn is near.
The Resurrection trump about to sound,
And soon thou wilt arise in loveliness
From thy red bed of death !
Iridion. Revenge! Revenge!
Where swarm the bees, let vengeance fall the first !
{Exeunt Simeon and Iridion. )
SCENE in. Spacious vaults in the catacombs. The walls
are filled with pagan cenotaphs and inscriptions, the ground
is almost covered zaith grave-mounds, tombstones, and mon-
umental pillars. It has been the receptacle of the pagan
dead, and no Christian inscriptions are 7oithin it. The
Christians enter, bearing torches.
CHORUS OF YOUNG DISCIPLES.
Wretched is he who is of woman born :
His days are few, and ever full of woe !
IRIDION. 365
Even on the cross He cannot turn for thorns,
Nor tear away His hands for cruel nails!
His sister darkness is: His grave is with the worm!
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES.
Holy ! Holy ! Holy ! Just are all Thy judgments !
From martyr-sires, Thou bring'st new generations
Of Christian sons ! Thou coverest the mounds
Of our dead bones with the fresh green of spring,
The flowers of young life ! And Thou wilt found,
From the dying life-flood of our willing veins.
Thy holy kingdom, justice, for our children!
CHORUS OF YOUNG DISCIPLES.
Send us a Comforter, and let Him stand
On the high places of the earth, and plant
His feet upon the neck of our proud foes !
{Enter Simeon ««^Iridion. )
Simeon. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost,
Peace be upon you all !
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES,
O Simeon !
Why is he who is with thee, lately clad
In the catechumen's peaceful robes, now girt
With armor, glittering with steel?
Teach him repentance is the truest shield.
And prayer the only armor for a Christian.
Simeon {to Iridion'). Step on this mound, and answer
for yourself!
I will meanwhile invoke the Holy Spirit.
Jridion. Let him who doubts trust not to his now
wisdom,
But look upon the signs, remembering
The Promised Days, which were to precede the last
Of woes on earth ! Tiiis hour Time ends his silence;
The tortures of the Just are over now ;
Graves will no longer for our martyrs ope ;
Our virgins no more fill the tiger's maw;
366
IRIDION.
The dead bones quicken, mount to Heaven's blue !
Arise, ye Cliristians, cowering in the dust !
Tremble, ye rulers, who increase our pangs 1
For all " the valleys shall exalted be,
And the high places of the earth laid low ! "
Young Disciples. O son of promise, may the Lord be
with thee !
Iridion. The lightnings of Jehovah are with us :
From our humiliation springs our inspiration !
Our trust is in the mercy of the Son,
The glorious power of the triune God !
If ye will aid me with your wills and prayers,
Our strength will be increased a thousand-fold.
Strike as one man for vengeance ! Even to-night
Division seals the doom of the cursed city !
The son of madness totters on his throne.
The praetorians turn away from him their hearts,
The storm-tost people know not by what wind
To steer their course; like waves before the tumult,
They rise and fall ; but soon the heavy wings
Of the black tempest will swoop down on them,
Awaking all the lightnings of their passions !
Look how the clouds are piling above Rome
Which murders prophets, crucifies the saints !
The legions throughout Asia revolt ;
The Alemanni on the Rhine rebel ;
Csesar and Alexander stand prepared
For their last struggle. The one cries ''Jupiter ! "
The other summons Mithras to his aid !
What matters it to us which of them conquers.
Since both will equally blaspheme our Lord ?
Such are the signs long since predicted you ;
Look up, and see them glittering in the sky !
Will firmly, you are free ; and Christ shall rule I
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES.
Who gave thee the commission to conduct us ?
Who stamped thy brow with the seal of the Holy Word?
Where is the anointed shepherd of our flock?
Will he point to thee, saying clearly to us:
Behold the Leader whom the Lord hath armed ?
IRIDION. 367
Simeon {standing upon a tomb). I bear him witness !
{He holds aloft the crucifix. )
Flow on, ye tears of Christ !
Open afresh, ye gaping, bleeding wounds !
Behold the Lord, regarding not the proud,
Whom you would fetter at the thrones of men !
But God is conqueror of the gates of death !
Men without hearts, sleep on, if sleep you can ;
Cumber like stocks and stones His living way,
To you I speak not ! You who do not burn
To see the new Jerusalem descend
Upon the waves of time, — to you I speak not !
I call on those for whom He suffered shame
And anguish, till woe grew to such a height
The sun ia horror veiled his radiant face !
Ah ! since that night of terror, who defends
The Son of man ? . . . who strikes for Jesus Christ ?
He hungered — there were none to give Him food 1
Thirsted — but there were none to give Him drink !
Naked — none came to clothe or comfort Him !
But every day and every passing hour
The nations of the earth conspire against Him,
Scorn His disciples, crucify anew !
CHORUS OF THE YOUNG.
Curses upon the worshipers of Moloch !
Iridion. Let not the appointed hour escape us,
brothers 1
Gaze not upon it as the gleam of wings
Whirring above our heads, fading in distance ;
Nor as the lightning flash, scathing the sky,
To vanish 'midst the clouds ! O brothers, seize.
And clasp these moments to your heart of hearts !
Press from them that which never will return !
Strike from them noio the glittering spark of life.
For they contain the germs of our whole future ;
Long centuries are wrapped within their shroud ;
They hold the hope of all humanity, —
These centuries are yours, — if you know how to grasp
them !
368 IRIDION.
CHORUS OF OLD DISCIPLES.
The flame of prayer is dying in our souls ;
A mystic veil darkens the sky above us ;
Save us, O Lord, from all the Devil's wiles !
Iridion. This is mere weakness ! Summon all your
strength !
I call on you by chains your fathers wore ;
By Nero's butcheries; the arena's bloody sands;
The victims of the amphitheatre ;
Your daughters' shame, — shake off these craven fears !
Be men ! And Rome is yours !
CHORUS OF YOUNG DISCIPLES.
Thy voice, like trumpet-thunders, stirs our souls,
Driving us up to the surface of the earth ;
But our hearts throb, and our hair stands on end !
Simeon of Corinth, speak ! what seest thou ?
Simeon. I gaze with the eyes of John, to whom ap-
peared
The new Jerusalem of the Elect. He sleeps
In his lone grave, and angels bend above him.
To-day or else to-morrow, he will rise.
And then I will retire that he may lead you.
But now 'tis I who call you, prophesy.
CHORUS.
Simeon, strange clouds are sweeping o'er thy brow,
The black cross quivers in thy trembling hands
Like swaying branch upborne by stormy winds !
