The Two Lovers of Heaven: Chrysanthus and Daria Part 8

(Enter Polemius.)

POLEMIUS.

What has happened?

AURELIUS.

Oh! a wonder.-- We Carpophorus arrested, And with him this other Christian; Both we held here bound and fettered, When from out our hands he vanished.

POLEMIUS.

By some sorcery 't was effected, For those Christians use enchantments, And then miracles pretend them.

A SOLDIER.

See, a crowd of them there flying To the mountains.

POLEMIUS.

Intercept them, And secure the rabble rout; This one I shall guard myself here:-- [Exeunt Aurelius and soldiers.

Miserable wretch! who art thou?

Thus that I may know thee better, Judging from thy face thy crimes, I unveil thee. Gracious heaven!

My own son!

CHRYSANTHUS.

Oh! heavens! my father!

POLEMIUS.

Thou with Christians here detected?

Thou here in their caverns hidden?

Thou a prisoner? Wherefore, wherefore, O immense and mighty Jove, Are thy angry bolts suspended?

CHRYSANTHUS.

'T was to solve a certain doubt Which some books of thine presented, That I sought Carpophorus, That I wandered to these deserts, And . . .

POLEMIUS.

Cease, cease; for now I see What has led to this adventure: Thou unhappily art gifted With a genius ill-directed; For I count as vain and foolish All the lore that lettered leisure Has in human books e'er written; But this pa.s.sion has possessed thee, And to learn their magic rites Here, a willing slave, has led thee.

CHRYSANTHUS.

No, not magic was the knowledge I came here to learn--far better-- The high mysteries of a faith Which I reverence, while I dread them.

POLEMIUS.

Cease, oh! cease once more, nor let Such vile treason find expression On thy lips. What! thou to praise them!

AURELIUS (within).

Yonder wait the two together.

POLEMIUS.

Cover up thy face once more, That the soldiers, when they enter, May not know thee, may not know How my honour is affected By this act, until I try Means more powerful to preserve it.

CHRYSANTHUS (aside).

G.o.d, whom until now I knew not, Grant Thy favour, deign to help me: Grant through suffering and through sorrow I may come to know Thee better.

(Enter Aurelius and Soldiers.)

AURELIUS.

Though we searched the whole of the mountain, Not one more have we arrested.

POLEMIUS.

Take this prisoner here to Rome, And be sure that you remember All of you my strict commands, That no hand shall dare divest him Of his veil:-- [Chrysanthus is led out.

Why, why, O heavens! [aside.

Do I pause, but from my breast here Tear my bleeding heart? How act In so dreadful a dilemma?

If I say who he is, I tarnish With his guilt my name for ever, And my loyalty if I 'm silent, Since he being here transgresses By that fact alone the edict: Shall I punish him? The offender Is my son. Shall I free him? He Is my enemy and a rebel:-- If between these two extremes Some mean lies, I cannot guess it.

As a father I must love him, And as a judge I must condemn him. [Exeunt.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

A hall in the house of Polemius.

Enter Claudius and Escarpin.

CLAUDIUS.

Has he not returned? Can no one Guess in the remotest manner[8]

Where he is?

ESCARPIN.

Sir, since the day That you left me with my master In Diana's grove, and I Had with that divinest charmer To leave him, no eye has seen him.

Love alone knows how it mads me.

CLAUDIUS.

Of your loyalty I doubt not.

ESCARPIN.

Loyalty 's a different matter, 'T is not wholly that.

CLAUDIUS.

What then?

ESCARPIN.

Dark suspicions, dismal fancies, That perhaps to live with her He lies hid within those gardens.

CLAUDIUS.

If I could imagine that, I, Escarpin, would be gladdened Rather than depressed.

ESCARPIN.

I 'm not:-- I am filled, like a full barrel, With depressions.