Festus · Scene 21 (2/2) (2/2)

| Elissa | I dreamed once that the night came down to me; In figure, oh! too like thine own for truth, And looked into me with his thousand eyes, And that made me unhappy; but it passed, And I half wished it back. Mind hath its earth And Heaven. The many petty common thoughts On which we daily tread, as it were, make one, And above which few look; the other is That high and welkin-like infinity⁠— The brighter, upper half of the mind’s world, Thick with great sun-like and constellate thoughts; And in the night of mind, which is our sleep, These thoughts shine out in dreams. Dreams double life; They are the heart’s bright shadow on life’s flood; And even the step from death to deathlessness⁠— From this earth’s gross existence unto Heaven⁠— Can scarce be more than from the harsh hot day To sleep’s soft scenes, the moonlight of the mind. The wave is never weary of the wind, But in mountainous playfulness leaps to it Always; but mind gets weary of the world, And glooms itself in sleep, like a sweet smile, Line by line, settling into proper sadness; For sleep seems part of our immortality: And why should any thing that dies be sad? Last night I dreamed I walked within a hall⁠— The inside of the world. Long shroud-like lights Lit up its lift-like dome and pale wide walls, Horizon-like; and every one was there: It was the house of Death, and Death was there. We could not see him, but he was a feeling: We knew he was around us⁠—heard us⁠—eyed us; But where wast thou? I never met thee once. And all was still as nothing; or as God, Deep judging, when the thought of making first Quickened and stirred within Him; and He made All Heaven at one thought as at a glance. Noise was there none; and yet there was a sound Which seemed to be half like silence, half like sound. All crept about still as the cold wet worms, Which slid among our feet, we could not scape from. Bound me were ruined fragments of dead gods⁠— Those shadows of the mystery of One⁠— And the red worms, too, flourished over these, For marble is a shadow weighed with mind; Each being, as men of old believed, distinct In form, and place, and power. But Oh! not all The gathered gods of Eld could shine like ours, No more than all yon stars could make a sun. But truly then men lived in moral night, ’Neath a dim starlight of religious truth. I felt my spirit’s spring gush out more clear, Gazing on these: they beautified my mind As rocks and flowers reflected do a well. Mind makes itself like that it lives amidst, And on; and thus, among dreams, imaginings, And scenes of awe, and purity, and power, Grows sternly sweet and calm⁠—all beautiful With god-like coldness and unconsciousness Of mortal passion, mental toil; until, Like to the marble model of a god, It doth assume a firm and dazzling form, Scarcely less incorruptible than that It emblems: and so grew, methought, my mind. Matter hath many qualities; mind, one: It is irresistible: pure power⁠—pure god. While wandering on I met what seemed myself: Was it not strange that we should meet, and there? But all is strange in dreaming, as in death, And waking, as in life: nought is not strange. Methought that I was happy, because dead. All hurried to and fro; and many cried To each other⁠—Can I do thee any good? But no one heeded: nothing could avail: The world was one great grave. I looked, and saw Time on his two great wings⁠—one, night⁠—one, day⁠— Fly, moth-like, right into the flickering sun; So that the sun went out, and they both perished. And one gat up and spake⁠—a holy man⁠— Exhorting them; but each and all cried out⁠— Go to!⁠—it helps not⁠—means not: we are dead. Death spake no word methought, but me he made Speak for him; and I dreamed that I was Death; Then, that Death only lived: all things were mixed; Up and down shooting, like the brain’s fierce dance In a delirium, when we are apt to die. Hell is my heir; what kin to me is Heaven? Bring out your hearts before me. Give your limbs To whom ye list or love. My son, Decay, Will take them: give them him. I want your hearts, That I may take them up to God. There came These words among us, but we knew not whence; It was as if the air spake. And there rose Out of the earth a giant thing, all earth; His eye was earthy, and his arm was earthy: He had no heart. He but said, I am Decay; And, as he spake, he crumbled into earth, And the was nothing of him. But we all Lifted our faces up at the word, God, And spied a dark star high above in the midst Of others, numberless as are the dead. And all plucked out their hearts, and held them in Their right hands. Many tried to pick out specks And stains, but could not: each gave up his heart. And something⁠—all things⁠—nothing⁠—it was Death, Said, as before, from air⁠—Let us to God! And straight we rose, leaving behind the raw Worms and dead gods, all of us⁠—soared and soared Right upwards, till the star I told thee of Looked like a moon⁠—the moon became a sun: The sun⁠—there came a hand between the sun and us, And its five fingers made five nights in air. God tore the glory from the sun’s broad brow, And flung the flaming scalp off flat to Hell. I saw Him do it; and it passed close by us. And then I heard a long, cold, skeleton scream, Like a trumpet whining through a catacomb, Which made the sides of that great grave shake in. I saw the world and vision of the dead Dim itself off⁠—and all was life! I woke, And felt the high sun blazoning on my brow His own almighty mockery of woe, And fierce and infinite laugh at things which cease. Hell hath its light⁠—and Heaven; he burns with both. And my dream broke, like life from the last limb⁠— Quivering; so loth I felt to let it go, Just as I thought I had caught sight of Heaven. It came to nought, as dreams of Heaven on earth Do always. | | Lucifer | It is time we part again. | | Elissa | Farewell, then, gentle stars! To-night, farewell! For we all part at once. It is thus the bright Visions and joys of youth break up⁠—but they For ever. When ye shine again I will Be with ye; for I love ye next to him. To all, adieu! When shall I see thee next? | | Lucifer | Lady, I know not. | | Elissa | Say! | | Lucifer | Never! perchance. | | Elissa | There is but one immortal in the world Who need say⁠—never! | | Lucifer | What if I were he? | | Elissa | But thou art not he; and thou shalt not say it. Stars vise and set⁠—rise, set, and rise again In their sublime-like beauty through all time. Why should not we, too, ever meet, like them? | | Lucifer | I see no beauty⁠—feel no love⁠—all things Are unlovely. | | Elissa | O earth! be deaf; and Heaven! Shut thy blue eye. He doth blaspheme the world. Dost not love me? | | Lucifer | Love thee? Ay! Earth and Heaven Together could not make a love like mine. | | Elissa | When wilt thou come again? To-morrow? | | Lucifer | Well. And then I cross yon sea ere I return; For I have matters in another land. Fear not. | | Elissa | When will our parting days be over? | | Lucifer | Oh! soon⁠—soon! Think of me love, on the waters! Be happy! and, for me, I love few things more Than at night to ride upon the broad-backed billow, Seaing along and plunging on his precipitous path; While the red moon is westering low away, And the mad waves are fighting for the stars, Like men for⁠—what they know not. | | Elissa | Scorner! | | Lucifer | Saint! | | Elissa | The world hath much that’s great; and but one sea, Which is her spirit; and to her it stands As the mad monarch passion to the heart⁠— Fathomless, overwhelming, which receives The rivers of all feeling; in whose depths Lie wrecked the riches of all nature. God, When He did make thee, moved upon thee then, And left His impress there, the same even now As when thy last wave leapt from Chaos.⁠—Hark! Nay, there is some one coming. | | Festus | Entering. It is I. I said we should be sure to meet thee here: For I have brought one who would speak with thee. | | Lucifer | Thanks! and where is he? | | Festus | Yonder. He would not Come up so far as this. | | Lucifer | Who is it? | | Festus | I know not Who he may be, or what; but I can guess. | | Lucifer | Remain a moment, love, till I return. | | Elissa | Nay⁠—let me leave! | | Lucifer | Not yet: do not dislike him. He is a friend, and⁠—more another time. | | Festus | I am sorry, lady, to have caused this parting. I fear I am unwelcome. | | Elissa | We were parting. | | Festus | Then am I doubly sorry; for I know It is the saddest and the sacredest Moment of all with those who love. | | Elissa | He is coming! So I forgive thee. | | Lucifer | I must leave thee, love: I know not for how long; it rests with thee If it seem long at all. Eternity Might pass, and I not know it in thy love. | | Elissa | If to believe that I do love thee always May make time fly the fleeter⁠— | | Lucifer | I’ll believe it⁠— Trust me. I leave this lady in thy charge. | | Festus | Be kind⁠—wait on her⁠—may he, love? | | Elissa | Thou knowest. I receive him as thy friend Whenever he come. | | Festus | I ask no higher title Than friend of the lovely and the generous. | | Elissa | Farewell! | | Festus | Lady! I will not forget my trust. Apart. The breeze which curls the lake’s bright lip but lifts A purer, deeper, water to the light; The ruffling of the wild bird’s wing but wakes A warmer beauty and a downier depth. That startled shrink, that faintest blossom-blush Of constancy alarmed!⁠—Love! if thou hast One weapon in that shining armoury, The quiver on thy shoulder, where thou keep’st Each arrowy eye-beam feathered with a sigh;⁠— If from that bow, shaped so like Beauty’s lip Strung with a string of pearls, thou wilt twang forth Bat one dart, fair into the mark I mean⁠— Do it, and I will worship thee for ever: Yea, I will give thee glory and a name Known, sunlike, in all nations. Heart, be still! | | Lucifer | This parting over⁠— | | Elissa | Yes, this one⁠—and then? | | Lucifer | Why, then another, may be. | | Elissa | No⁠—no more. I’ll be unhappy if thou tell’st me so. | | Lucifer | Well, then⁠—no more. | | Elissa | But when wilt thou come back? | | Lucifer | Almost before thou wishest. He will know. | | Elissa | I shall be always asking him. Farewell! Goes. | | Lucifer | Shine on, ye stars! and light her to her rest; Scarce are ye worthy for her handmaidens. Why, Hell would laugh to learn I had been in love. I have affairs in Hell. Wilt go with me? | | Festus | Yes, in a month or two:⁠—not just this minute. | | Lucifer | I shall be there and back again ere then. | | Festus | Meanwhile I can amuse myself: so, go! But sometime I would fain behold thy home, And pass the gates of fire. | | Lucifer | And so thou shalt. My home is everywhere where spirit is. All things are as I meant them. Fare thee well. Goes. | | Festus | The strongest passion which I have is honour: I would I had none: it is in my way. |