CYPRIAN and The Demon.
CYPRIAN. Scarcely o'er earth's wounded bosom
Had I the true spell-word uttered,
When in the ensuing action,
She, of all my dreams the subject,
My adored, divine Justina....
But why take the useless trouble,
That to tell you know already?
I embraced her, would unmuffle
Her fair face, when (woe is me!)
In her beauty I discovered
A gaunt skeleton, a statue,
A pale image, a sepulchral
Show of death, which in these measured
Words thus spoke (even yet I shudder),
"Cyprian, such are all the glories
Of the world that you so covet."--
To assert, that on thy magic
As expressed by me, the burden
Of the fault should lie, is vain,
For I, point by point, so worked it,
That of all its silent symbols
There was not a line but somewhere
Had its place, of all its spell-words
Not one word that was not uttered.
Then, 'tis plain thou has deceived me,
For though acting as instructed,
I but found an empty phantom
Where I sought a blissful substance.
DEMON. Cyprian, this defect from thee,
Nor from me, in truth, resulted:
Not from thee, because the magic
Thou didst exercise with subtle
Thought and skill; and not from me,
For I could not teach thee further.
From a higher cause, believe me,
Came this injury thou hast suffered.
But be not cast down: for I,
Who in tranquil rest would lull thee,
Will to thee unite Justina,
By a different way and juster.
CYPRIAN. That is not my intention now.
For this strange event has struck me
With such terror and confusion,
That thy ways I do not covet.
And since thou has not complied with
The conditions, the assumptions
Of my love, I only ask thee,
Now that from thy face I'm rushing,
As the contract is annulled,
That my bond thou shouldst return me.
DEMON. What I promised was to teach thee,
By a course of secret study,
How to draw to thee Justina
By the potent power impulsive
Of thy words: and since the wind
Here Justina hath conducted,
I have then fulfilled my contract,
I have kept my plighted word then.
CYPRIAN. What was offered to my love
Was that I should surely pluck here
The sweet fruit whose seeds my hope
Had to these wild wastes entrusted.
DEMON. Cyprian, I was only bound
Her to bring here.
CYPRIAN. A mere shuffle:
To my arms you swore to give her.
DEMON. In thy arms I saw her struggle.
CYPRIAN. 'Twas a phantom.
DEMON. 'Twas a portent.
CYPRIAN. Worked by whom?
DEMON. By one who worked it
To protect her.
CYPRIAN. Who was he?
DEMON [trembling]. I don't wish the name to utter.
CYPRIAN. I will turn my magic science
'Gainst thyself. By its compulsion
Speak, inform me who he is.
DEMON. Well, a god who takes this trouble
For Justina.
CYPRIAN. What's one God,
When of gods there's such a number?
DEMON. All their power in Him is centred.
CYPRIAN. Then One only, sole and sovereign,
Must He be, whose single will
Their united wills outworketh.
DEMON. I know nothing, I know nothing.
CYPRIAN. I renounce then with my utmost
Power the pact that I made with thee;
What compelled Him (this I urge thee
In that God's great name) to guard her?
DEMON [after having struggled ineffectually not to say it]. To
preserve her pure, unsullied.
CYPRIAN. Then He is the sovereign goodness
Since a wrong He will not suffer.
But if she remained here hidden
Say what loss would have resulted?
DEMON. Loss of honour, if the secret
Leaked out to the gossiping vulgar.
CYPRIAN. Then that God must be all sight,
Since he could foresee these trouble.
But, why could not thy enchantment
Be as potent and consummate?
DEMON. Ah! His power is ampler, fuller.
CYPRIAN. Then that God must be all hands,
Since whate'er He wills He worketh.
Tell me then who is that God,
Whom to-day I have discovered
The supreme of good to be,
The Creator, the Annuller,
The Omniscient, the All-seeing,
Whom I've sought for years unnumbered?
DEMON. Him I know not.
CYPRIAN. Speak, who is He?
DEMON. As I speak it, how I shudder!
He--He is the God of the Christians.
CYPRIAN. Say what moved Him to obstruct me
In my wish?
DEMON. Her Christian faith.
CYPRIAN. Does He guard so those who love Him?
DEMON. Yes; but now too late, too late,
Dost thou hope to gain His succour,
Since, in being my slave, thou canst not
Claim the privilege of His subject.
CYPRIAN. I thy slave?
DEMON. In my possession
Is thy signature.
CYPRIAN. I'll struggle
To regain it from thee, since
'Twas conditional at the utmost.
I don't doubt I will get it.
DEMON. How?
CYPRIAN. In this way.
[He draws his sword, strikes at The Demon, but cannot touch him.
DEMON. Although the lunges
Of thy naked sword against me
Are well aimed, thou hast not struck me,
Fierce as were thy blows. And now,
Even in more despair to plunge thee,
I would have thee learn at least
That the Devil is thy instructor.
CYPRIAN. What do you say?
DEMON. That I am he.
CYPRIAN. Oh! to hear thee how I shudder!--
DEMON. Not alone a slave art thou,
But MY slave; be that thy comfort.
CYPRIAN. I the slave of the Devil! I
Own a master so unworthy?
DEMON. Yes; for since thy soul thou gav'st me,
Thenceforth it to me was subject.
CYPRIAN. Is there then no gleam of hope,
No appeal, no aid, no succour,
By which I so great a crime
Can blot out?
DEMON. No.
CYPRIAN. Why doubt further?
Let not this sharp sword rest idly
In my hand, but swiftly cutting
Through my breast, become the willing
Instrument of mine own murder.
But what say I? He who could
Snatch Justina from thy clutches,
Can He not, too, rescue me?
DEMON. No. By choice thou wert a culprit,
And He does not favour crimes,
Virtues only.
CYPRIAN. If the summit
Of all power He be, to pardon
Is as easy as to punish.
DEMON. He rewardeth by His power,
He chastiseth from His justice.
CYPRIAN. One who yields He'll not chastise.
I am one, since I am humbled.
DEMON. Thou art mine, my slave: no master
Canst thou have but me.
CYPRIAN. I trust not.
DEMON. How, when still in my possession
Is that bond of thine, that bloody
Scroll inscribed by thine own hand?
CYPRIAN. He who is supreme and sovereign,
And depends not on another,
Will yet bear me through triumphant.
DEMON. In what way?
CYPRIAN. He is all sight,
And will see the fitting juncture.
DEMON. It I hold.
CYPRIAN. He is all hands,
And will burst my bonds asunder.
DEMON. Ere that comes I'll see thee dead:
Thus my clasping arms shall crush thee.
[They struggle together.
CYPRIAN. Thou great God, the Christians' God,
Oh, assist me in this struggle!
DEMON [flinging CYPRIAN from his arms].
It is He who has saved thy life.
CYPRIAN. More He'll do since I seek Him humbly.
[Exeunt.
* * * * *