Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold Part 66

Why hast thou follow'd us?

_Callicles_

The night was hot, And the feast past its prime; so we slipp'd out, Some of us, to the portico to breathe;-- Peisianax, thou know'st, drinks late;--and then, As I was lifting my soil'd garland off, I saw the mules and litter in the court, And in the litter sate Empedocles; Thou, too, wast with him. Straightway I sped home; I saddled my white mule, and all night long Through the cool lovely country follow'd you, Pa.s.s'd you a little since as morning dawn'd, And have this hour sate by the torrent here, Till the slow mules should climb in sight again.

And now?

_Pausanias_

And now, back to the town with speed!

Crouch in the wood first, till the mules have pa.s.s'd; They do but halt, they will be here anon.

Thou must be viewless to Empedocles; Save mine, he must not meet a human eye.

One of his moods is on him that thou know'st; I think, thou wouldst not vex him.

_Callicles_

No--and yet I would fain stay, and help thee tend him. Once He knew me well, and would oft notice me; And still, I know not how, he draws me to him, And I could watch him with his proud sad face, His flowing locks and gold-encircled brow And kingly gait, for ever; such a spell In his severe looks, such a majesty As drew of old the people after him, In Agrigentum and Olympia, When his star reign'd, before his banishment, Is potent still on me in his decline.

But oh! Pausanias, he is changed of late; There is a settled trouble in his air Admits no momentary brightening now, And when he comes among his friends at feasts, 'Tis as an orphan among prosperous boys.

Thou know'st of old he loved this harp of mine, When first he sojourn'd with Peisianax; He is now always moody, and I fear him; But I would serve him, soothe him, if I could, Dared one but try.

_Pausanias_

Thou wast a kind child ever!

He loves thee, but he must not see thee now.

Thou hast indeed a rare touch on thy harp, He loves that in thee, too;--there was a time (But that is pa.s.s'd), he would have paid thy strain With music to have drawn the stars from heaven.

He hath his harp and laurel with him still, But he has laid the use of music by, And all which might relax his settled gloom.

Yet thou may'st try thy playing, if thou wilt-- But thou must keep unseen; follow us on, But at a distance! in these solitudes, In this clear mountain-air, a voice will rise, Though from afar, distinctly; it may soothe him.

Play when we halt, and, when the evening comes And I must leave him (for his pleasure is To be left musing these soft nights alone In the high unfrequented mountain-spots), Then watch him, for he ranges swift and far, Sometimes to Etna's top, and to the cone; But hide thee in the rocks a great way down, And try thy n.o.blest strains, my Callicles, With the sweet night to help thy harmony!

Thou wilt earn my thanks sure, and perhaps his.

_Callicles_

More than a day and night, Pausanias, Of this fair summer-weather, on these hills, Would I bestow to help Empedocles.

That needs no thanks; one is far better here Than in the broiling city in these heats.

But tell me, how hast them persuaded him In this his present fierce, man-hating mood, To bring thee out with him alone on Etna?

_Pausanias_

Thou hast heard all men speaking of Pantheia The woman who at Agrigentum lay Thirty long days in a cold trance of death, And whom Empedocles call'd back to life.

Thou art too young to note it, but his power Swells with the swelling evil of this time, And holds men mute to see where it will rise.

He could stay swift diseases in old days, Chain madmen by the music of his lyre, Cleanse to sweet airs the breath of poisonous streams, And in the mountain-c.h.i.n.ks inter the winds.

This he could do of old; but now, since all Clouds and grows daily worse in Sicily, Since broils tear us in twain, since this new swarm Of sophists has got empire in our schools Where he was paramount, since he is banish'd And lives a lonely man in triple gloom-- He grasps the very reins of life and death.

I ask'd him of Pantheia yesterday, When we were gather'd with Peisianax, And he made answer, I should come at night On Etna here, and be alone with him, And he would tell me, as his old, tried friend, Who still was faithful, what might profit me; That is, the secret of this miracle.

_Callicles_

Bah! Thou a doctor! Thou art superst.i.tious.

Simple Pausanias, 'twas no miracle!

Pantheia, for I know her kinsmen well, Was subject to these trances from a girl.

Empedocles would say so, did he deign; But he still lets the people, whom he scorns, Gape and cry _wizard_ at him, if they list.

But thou, thou art no company for him!

Thou art as cross, as sour'd as himself!

Thou hast some wrong from thine own citizens, And then thy friend is banish'd, and on that, Straightway thou fallest to arraign the times, As if the sky was impious not to fall.

The sophists are no enemies of his; I hear, Gorgias, their chief, speaks n.o.bly of him, As of his gifted master, and once friend.

He is too scornful, too high-wrought, too bitter.

'Tis not the times, 'tis not the sophists vex him; There is some root of suffering in himself, Some secret and unfollow'd vein of woe, Which makes the time look black and sad to him.

Pester him not in this his sombre mood With questionings about an idle tale, But lead him through the lovely mountain-paths, And keep his mind from preying on itself, And talk to him of things at hand and common, Not miracles! thou art a learned man, But credulous of fables as a girl.

_Pausanias_

And thou, a boy whose tongue outruns his knowledge, And on whose lightness blame is thrown away.

Enough of this! I see the litter wind Up by the torrent-side, under the pines.

I must rejoin Empedocles. Do thou Crouch in the brushwood till the mules have pa.s.s'd; Then play thy kind part well. Farewell till night!

SCENE II

_Noon. A Glen on the highest skirts of the woody region of Etna._

EMPEDOCLES--PAUSANIAS

_Pausanias_

The noon is hot. When we have cross'd the stream, We shall have left the woody tract, and come Upon the open shoulder of the hill.

See how the giant spires of yellow bloom Of the sun-loving gentian, in the heat, Are shining on those naked slopes like flame!

Let us rest here; and now, Empedocles, Pantheia's history!

[_A harp-note below is heard._

_Empedocles_

Hark! what sound was that Rose from below? If it were possible, And we were not so far from human haunt, I should have said that some one touch'd a harp Hark! there again!

_Pausanias_

'Tis the boy Callicles, The sweetest harp-player in Catana.

He is for ever coming on these hills, In summer, to all country-festivals, With a gay revelling band; he breaks from them Sometimes, and wanders far among the glens.

But heed him not, he will not mount to us; I spoke with him this morning. Once more, therefore, Instruct me of Pantheia's story, Master, As I have pray'd thee.

_Empedocles_

That? and to what end?

_Pausanias_

It is enough that all men speak of it.

But I will also say, that when the G.o.ds Visit us as they do with sign and plague, To know those spells of thine which stay their hand Were to live free from terror.

_Empedocles_

Spells? Mistrust them!