 | Vivia Perpetua |  |
SCENE IV.
Temple of Jupiter Olympus.Vivia Perpetua at an altar burning before a statue of the god.
VIVIA.
Lo! where, all trembling, I have knelt and pray'd;
Where vow and sacrifice, at morn and eve,
Shrouded in incense dim, have risen to appease
The wrath, great Jove, of thy once-dreaded thunder,—
Up to the might of thy majestic brows,
Yet terrible with anger, thus I utter,—
I am no longer worshipper of thine!
Witness the firm farewell these stedfast eyes
For ever grave upon thy marble front;
Witness these hands—their trembling is not fear—
That on thine altar set for evermore
A firm renouncing seal—I am a Christian!
Where vow and sacrifice, at morn and eve,
Shrouded in incense dim, have risen to appease
The wrath, great Jove, of thy once-dreaded thunder,—
Up to the might of thy majestic brows,
Yet terrible with anger, thus I utter,—
I am no longer worshipper of thine!
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For ever grave upon thy marble front;
Witness these hands—their trembling is not fear—
That on thine altar set for evermore
A firm renouncing seal—I am a Christian!
Where are thy lightnings?—where thine awful thunder?
Melted from out thy grasp by love and peace!
Hush'd are those timorous whisperings of fear;
Only sad Echo, roaming through the space,
Lingers upon her way, again to catch
Sounds fraught with joy, seld heard within thy temple.
Melted from out thy grasp by love and peace!
Hush'd are those timorous whisperings of fear;
Only sad Echo, roaming through the space,
Lingers upon her way, again to catch
Sounds fraught with joy, seld heard within thy temple.
The shadows blacken, and the altar-flame
Troubles them into motion. God of stone,
For the last time, farewell! and farewell ye,
The altar where my childhood's wreath was flung,
Frail as the faith that claim'd its dedication!—
Yon niche, where an apart was sought, alone,
From crowds that own'd no reverence for him
They nam'd their god—is still the god they name!—
Unconscious treasury of tears, that oft
Fell, like fast rain, upon those senseless stones,
That, like yon image, then a deity,
Sent no returning pity. Jove! give back—
Give back those tears were shed in vain to thee;
Give back those trembling vows were made to thee;
Give back the sacrifice was paid to thee,—
That I may render all to that dear God
Hath freed me from those agonies of fear
Thou reckonest for worship. Oh! to Him
Vows upward rise like springing flowers, from whom
Sweet mercy first hath dropp'd the precious seed;
And sacrifice, that ceaseth, while it maketh,
So much of love doth mingle with the deed;
And blessed pray'r, that wings the trusting soul
At once into the heaven where He dwells;
And while we hallow his Almighty name,
Doth teach us say, Our Father. Hear me now;
Hear, thou great God of love; hear, blessed Christ!
Ye, dwelling not in temples made with hands,
Up in the eternal greatness of the heav'ns—
Bear witness, all ye myriads of angels,
That, like to radiant stars, cluster in heav'n;
Thus, on my knees,—thus—thus, before the Lord,
I solemn vow,—record it, all ye hosts,—
Never again to come within this temple,
Whate'er the penalty, or death to me,
Or agony—worse death—to those I love.
Upon my head so let it come, O God!
Troubles them into motion. God of stone,
For the last time, farewell! and farewell ye,
The altar where my childhood's wreath was flung,
Frail as the faith that claim'd its dedication!—
Yon niche, where an apart was sought, alone,
From crowds that own'd no reverence for him
They nam'd their god—is still the god they name!—
Unconscious treasury of tears, that oft
Fell, like fast rain, upon those senseless stones,
That, like yon image, then a deity,
Sent no returning pity. Jove! give back—
Give back those tears were shed in vain to thee;
Give back those trembling vows were made to thee;
Give back the sacrifice was paid to thee,—
That I may render all to that dear God
51
Thou reckonest for worship. Oh! to Him
Vows upward rise like springing flowers, from whom
Sweet mercy first hath dropp'd the precious seed;
And sacrifice, that ceaseth, while it maketh,
So much of love doth mingle with the deed;
And blessed pray'r, that wings the trusting soul
At once into the heaven where He dwells;
And while we hallow his Almighty name,
Doth teach us say, Our Father. Hear me now;
Hear, thou great God of love; hear, blessed Christ!
Ye, dwelling not in temples made with hands,
Up in the eternal greatness of the heav'ns—
Bear witness, all ye myriads of angels,
That, like to radiant stars, cluster in heav'n;
Thus, on my knees,—thus—thus, before the Lord,
I solemn vow,—record it, all ye hosts,—
Never again to come within this temple,
Whate'er the penalty, or death to me,
Or agony—worse death—to those I love.
Upon my head so let it come, O God!
| Vivia Perpetua | |