The Two Lovers of Heaven: Chrysanthus and Daria Part 20

CHRYSANTHUS.

Stay, I cannot live without thee, Or, if thou wilt go, the magnet Of thine eye must make me follow.

All my happiness is anch.o.r.ed There. Return, Daria. . . .

(Enter Carpophorus.)

CARPOPHORUS.

Stay.

Follow not her steps till after You have heard me speak.

CHRYSANTHUS.

What would you?

CARPOPHORUS.

I would reprimand your lapses, Seeing how ungratefully You, my son, towards me have acted.

CHRYSANTHUS.

I ungrateful!

CARPOPHORUS.

You ungrateful, Yes, because you have abandoned, Have forgotten G.o.d's a.s.sistance, So effectual and so ample.

CHRYSANTHUS.

Do not say I have forgotten Or abandoned it, wise master, Since my memory to preserve it Is as 't were a diamond tablet.

CARPOPHORUS.

Think you that I can believe you, If when having in this garment Sought you out to train and teach you, In the Christian faith and practice, Until deep theology You most learnedly have mastered; If, when having seen your progress, Your attention and exactness, I in secret gave you baptism, Which its mark indelibly stampeth; You so great a good forgetting, You for such a bliss so thankless, With such shameful ease surrender To this love-dream, this attachment?

Did it strike you not, Chrysanthus, To that calling how contrasted Are delights, delirious tumults, Are love's transports and its raptures, Which you should resist? Recall too, Can you not? the aid heaven granted When you helped yourself, and prayed for Its a.s.sistance: were you not guarded By it when a sweet voice sung, When a keen wit glowed and argued, When the instrument was silenced, When the tongue was forced to stammer, Until now, when with free will You succ.u.mb to the enchantment Of one fair and fatal face, Which hath done to you such damage That 't will work your final ruin, If the trial longer lasteth?--

CHRYSANTHUS.

Oh! my father, oh! my teacher, Hear me, for although the charges Brought against me thus are heavy, Still I to myself have ample Reasons for my exculpation.

Since you taught me, you, dear master, That the union of two wills In our law is well established.

Be not then displeased, Carpophorus . . .

(Aside.) Heavens! what have I said? My father!

(Enter Polemius.)

POLEMIUS (aside).

Ah! this name removes all doubt.

But I must restrain my anger, And dissemble for the present, If such patience Jove shall grant me:-- How are you to-day, Chrysanthus? (aloud.

CHRYSANTHUS.

Sir, my love and duty cast them Humbly at your feet: (aside, Thank heaven, That he heard me not, this calmness Cannot be a.s.sumed).

POLEMIUS.

I value More than I can say your manner Towards my son, so kind, so zealous For his health.

CARPOPHORUS.

Heaven knows, much farther Even than this is my ambition, Sir, to serve you: but the pa.s.sions Of Chrysanthus are so strong, That my skill they overmaster.

POLEMIUS.

How?

CARPOPHORUS.

Because the means of cure He perversely counteracteth.

CHRYSANTHUS.

Ah! sir, no, I 've left undone Nothing that you have commanded.

CARPOPHORUS.

No, not so, his greatest peril He has rashly disregarded.

POLEMIUS.

I implicitly can trust you, Of whose courage, of whose talents I have been so well informed, That I mean at once to grant them The reward they so well merit.

CARPOPHORUS.

Sir, may heaven preserve and guard you.

POLEMIUS.

Come with me; for I desire That you should from my apartments Choose what best doth please you; I Do not doubt you 'll find an ample Guerdon for your care.

CARPOPHORUS.

To be Honoured in this public manner Is my best reward.

POLEMIUS (aside).

The world Shall this day a dread example Of my justice see, transcending All recorded in time's annals. (Exeunt Polemius and Carpophorus.)

CHRYSANTHUS.

Better than I could have hoped for Has it happened, since my father Shows by his unruffled face That his name he has not gathered.

What more evidence can I wish for Than to see the gracious manner In which he conducts him whither His reward he means to grant him?

Oh! that love would do as much In the fears and doubts that rack me, Since I cannot wed Daria, And be faithful to Christ's banner.

(Enter Daria.)

DARIA (aside).

Tyrant question which methought Timely flight alone could answer, Once again, against my will To his presence thou dost drag me.

CHRYSANTHUS (aside).

But she comes again: let sorrow Be awhile replaced by gladness:-- Ah! Daria, so resolved[13] (aloud, Not to see or hear me more, Art thou here?

DARIA.

Deep pondering o'er, As the question I revolved, I would have the mystery solved: 'T is for that I 'm here, then see It is not to speak with thee.

CHRYSANTHUS.

Speak, what doubt wouldst thou decide?

DARIA.

Thou hast said a G.o.d once died Through His boundless love to me: Now to bring thee to conviction Let me this one strong point try . . .