University of Virginia Library

Act III

Scene I

(The Bower of Bliss. Count Julian is discovered lying on a mosscovered rock asleep. Enter Endea who gazes on him with delightful astonishment.)
Endea
Is this some Angel God has sent to me
From Heaven to recompense me for my love,
And for the Orphan-life that I have lived?
For surely he was never born on earth!
Such beauty never walked this world before!
I feel entranced—rapt with delight—to see
Such heavenly beauty lying here on earth,
The very soul that I have seen in dreams,
Smiling upon me from the Bowers of Heaven—
Whom I have called my husband in my sleep!

(She approaches him, kneels down by him, combs back his locks with her fingers, when he wakes.)
Count Julian
(taking her hand)
Why, who is this, so beautiful, I pray,
Whom I now grasp so fondly by the hand?
I thought it was Celuta by my side!
Art thou some Angel sent to me from Heaven
To minister to my delight? or some
Fair Naiad, Nymph, or Dian of this Isle,
Sent here in absence of Celuta's face?
For surely there was never one more fair,
Or beautiful than thou art now! A bright
New Moon about the Folding Story of Love
Bright as that glorious Goddess of pure day, its joy,
Fresh from the Fauna upon the Cyprian Isle!
So that my soul could love you as it does
Celuta, were Celuta not my soul!
Tell me, fair Angel! what is thy sweet name?

Endea
(with tender emotion)
My name is Endea—Orphan of the House
Of old Lamorah, who is called my sire.
My real father's name was Simighan—
A bold Castillian from the Land of Spain,
Who married old Lamorah's sister—slain
By Outalissa, son of Miscou, Chief
In Cuscovilla's Valley near the sea,
Where rolls the mighty river of Mobile.
The Angels called him Lopez—but the name
My mother called him by, was Simighan.
My mother died to see my father die!

(She weeps. Enter Celuta on the outside of the Bower, who stops and watches them.)
Count Julian
Nay, do not weep! Why do you weep, my love?
I will be father, mother, friend to you,
And you shall never want for any thing!
Come, dry those dove-like eyes! You must not weep!
Though Beauty looks most beautiful in tears!

Endea
Alas! how can you be my husband here,
And love Celuta so? My heart is broke!

Count Julian
Fair One! it hurts my heart to see you weep!
Come—you shall never want for any thing!

Endea
Alas! how can you do all this for me,
And love Celuta so? My heart is broke!

Count Julian
Why, Endea? Would you have me cast away
Celuta from my soul, who is my soul?

Endea
Do as you please—you cannot love us both!
Alas! I am an orphan here on earth!
My parents both are dead! My God! my God!
How can I ever call you mine, when you
Do love Celuta so? My heart is broke!

Count Julian
Come Endea! do not weep! but smile, my love!
And I will love you from my very soul!

Endea
No! Take Celuta! Take her to your heart!
You say she is your wife—your very soul—
You never can be mine! All hope is gone!
And I can only die! So, fare-you-well!

(Starting away.)
Count Julian
Why, Endea! is it possible you mean
To leave me so abruptly? Do not go!
But sit here by me on this mossy rock,
And let me tell you all my love. Come back!
And you shall be the queen of half my heart!

(She returns.)
Endea
You mock me when you say you love me so!
You do—you do! You never can be mine!
How can you, when you love Celuta so?

Count Julian
No, by my soul! I love you as my life!
Come—you must go to where Celuta is,
And there remain until I come to you.
She has a thousand things to say to you,
Of which you little dream. Say, will you go?

Endea
I will; for I have many things to say
To her.

Count Julian
Farewell! Kiss her as I kiss thee!

(He kisses her and she goes.)
(Enter Celuta)
Celuta
What have I done to make you treat me so?
Alas! there is no truth this side of Heaven!
Far better had it been for me that you
Had never seen my face, than treat me so!

Count Julian
By heaven! You wrong me! that you do my love!

Celuta
She was my friend—has been for three long years—
Is this the way that she requites my love?
By trying to seduce my soul from me?
But why should I blame her for being false,
When you, the Jewel of my heart, have been?
How frail I was to think that you were true!
I never will be so deceived again!
You have forgotten what you said to her
You swore that you would love her while you lived!
What more could you have said to her than this?
This was the promise that you made to me!
How can you love us both? From this time forth,
A fire is to be kindled in my heart—
A raging fire—which Time shall never quench!
We cannot live together in one place!
If she remain, I will desert this Bower!
What peace can I now see with Endea here,
Who once was dearer to me than my life?

Count Julian
By Heaven! I never loved but you alone!
I told fair Endea that I never did!
Come, my Celuta! Come into my arms!
Like fair Egeria to her Numa's soul!
And lifting up thy deep blue eyes to mine,
And swimming with unshed throes of pure delight,
Throw thy soft tapering arms around my neck
White as fresh lilies from the Fields of Heaven—
As if by all the Graces moulded thus—
Shaming perfection with their perfectness—
And after sealing they deep, newawakened love
To the lips pure—let fall thy languid head
In blissful cose, upon my panting breast!
(Reenter Endea, who, perceiving them, retraces her steps.)
Go, my Celuta! call her back again!
(Exit Celuta)
Poor Endea! she is ready now to die!
For she has lived just long enough to love,
Which is life's prelude unto Death to all
Who have not been requited with the same;
For we have but two minuits here to live—
The first one is to love—the next to die!
This is the language of the great Jean-Paul.
In Endea's case it is the sacred truth

(Reenter Celuta attended by Endea. Celuta retires with Count Julian into the interior of the bower, where they converse unheard.)
Endea
Who can this be? this Julian so divine?
Is this the lover that she told me of?
It must be so from what he says of her—
Whom I believed descended from the skies.
My God! am I not wretched in this world?
Am I not doubly orphaned here on earth?
Surely I am—for I have lost all here!
What shall I do? he is Celuta's love!
I know he is! Celuta is his wife!
He is the one to whom the Dove was sent.
I saw the letter he returned to her,
He has been long expected on this Isle.
If this be so, he never can be mine!
And never to be mine—how can I live?
Oh! when I look upon his face, I feel
As if I were in Heaven—all full of light—
But when I turn my eyes away from him,
I then see nothing but the darkest night,
And his Celuta standing in the dark!
And, yet, I have not known him for an hour!
But what of that? he is my soul! the rich
Embodiment of all my Dreams of Heaven!
And losing him—I have no hope but—Hell!
But when did he arrive? how came he here?
Lamorah says that no one ever came
Upon this Isle without his knowing it.
A thought now strikes me. Is he not disguised
As young Yanassa from the Land of Souls?
It must be so, that is the reason why
He will not seek Lamorah's house again.
I know I should not have Celuta's love—
But, yet, I cannot live unless I do.
One only hope is left me now on earth—
A heritage which no one can deprive
Me of—the privilege bequeathed to all
Mankind by Heaven—the privilege to die!
I know, to lose him, will be living death!
Therefore, to die, will be to live again—
Free from the living death that I now die!

Count Julian
(coming forward with Celuta)
These were the pure outpourings of her heart,
In its most sinless moment, full of love,
And in the burning bliss that love inspires.

Celuta
The soul that loves is filled with part of God—
Thereby, possessing riches in the skies;
For when you lay your hand upon her form—
A Virgin whose pure heart is full of love—
You lay your hand upon high Heaven on earth!
(approaching Endea)
Come, Endea! take Count Julian's arm;
We have consulted what is best to do.
We are now going from this Bower of Bliss
This Daphnian Grove of Joy—into our Cave,
Where, banqueting upon the nectared Sweets
That thy Celuta has prepared for thee,
We will converse about the days that were,
When, on the morning-side of youth, we played
Beneath the fragrant Orange Grove at noon,
Beside the living Palm-tree Wells, in joy,
Before the Night of Sorrow had come down
To chase the golden sunshine from our hearts.

Endea
Ah! with poor Endea Joy can never dwell!
Not through the vistas of long, trying years—
Nor through the desert-waste of this dark life—
Can hie pure Memory now one single joy—
No bright Elysian Fields of Happiness,
Where have gathered flowers in infancy—
Drinking pure pleasure from the cup of bliss—
Pass in review to make her sad soul glad!
But all is barrenness—before—behind—
An ocean boundless of Saharian sand—
Which threatens now to overwhelm her soul!

(Exeunt omnes.)

Scene III

(A magnificent cave. Enter Count Julian, attended by Celuta and Endea.)
Count Julian
Within this Temple's grand, magnificent nave,
Studding with ever variant hues the dome—
Myriads of crystals blaze, like diamond flowers,
All newly blown, immortal in their blaze—
A petrified Parterre, bright as the Palace-home
Of Genie in the realms of Fairy-land.
Columns of glittering granite-pillars high
Of Crimson Porphyre, like Trophies torn
From mighty things in battle for the world.
Such is the splendor of the place when seen.
By torch-light, blazing high in glory bright
Like fragments of pure Beauty torn from out
The burning stars—forever burning here!
More beautiful than that Corycian cave,
The residence of all the Nymphs of Pan.
Or that delightful cave we read of in
The Hesperian Land, where Saturn with
His people spent the Golden Age in peace.
For, in this subterranean Vatican,
Of Nature's most superior workmanship—
The rich embodiment of myriad thought—
Exprest in crystals, far surpassing all
The richest Statuary in the world—
As if they were the leisure thoughts of Gods,
In emulation of some Work Divine
Done by the Maker of the world in Heaven.

(Exeunt into the interior of the cave.)

Scene IV

(Lamorah's Cottage. Lamorah and Canondah are discovered on the outside as in conversation. Enter Ostenee in haste.)
Ostenee
Father! they have escaped!

Lamorah
Escaped? What now?

Ostenee
Your son Yanassa, from the Land of Souls,
Has taken Celuta—Endea—all with him!
Why did my brother take my love away?
Celuta said, before he came, she was
To be his bride! But why take Endea too?
She was my Playmate—jewel of my heart—
The first that I did ever love in life!
Celuta was my last—more beautiful—
More rosy-white than Endea, whose divine
Complexion was pure olive, clear as Heaven!
One was the Evening—one, the Morning Star!
Dear Endea! She was timid as the Dove—
Wild as the Partridge that was never tamed—
So timid that she trembled at herself,
And feared the shadow of her own pure form.
I loved her though she would not love me back,
And, would have given the Stars for her—all worlds
For fair Celuta!—now they both are gone!—
By yonder Big-Light in the sky! if they
Are on this Isle, I yet will find them out,
And take revenge upon Yanassa's soul,
For this great thing that he has done to me!

(Starting away)
Lamorah
Where go you now?

Ostenee
I go to seek my soul,
And yours, Yanassa from the Land of Souls.

Lamorah
Lend me your dagger then; I want to kill
A Roe-buck ere you come again.

Ostenee
(handing him the dagger)
Farewell!
I go again to find them—or to die!
(Exit Ostenee)

Lamorah
(to Canondah)
While wandering through the woods, the other day,
I saw two persons near the Lake of Swans,
Walking together towards the Bower of Bliss—
Celuta with Yanassa, arm in arm.
I watched them till they both went in the Bower;
Then, sitting down beneath an aged Oak,
I heard such blissful music from the Bower
Rolling in rivers of Celestial Song—
That all the Isle seemed overflowed with joy!
Such deep Seraphic rapture tranced my soul,
That I seemed led away in golden chains
Into the Fields of Immortality,
Where came the Good Departed of the world,
With open arms to welcome me to bliss—
Bidding me join them in the happy Chase!
So, that, I lost all memory of all things,
Except my father's love which then came back
To me with all its pristine purity,
Till all that once was pleasant to my soul—
The pleasures of the Chase—the sound of streams,
The smell of woods—the Banqueting of Souls—
And all the bright things of the living world—
Came floating down the river of that song,
As floats some mighty Ship upon the sea,
When all the ocean boils like liquid fire
This was the song that young Yanassa sung
When he was in the Land of Souls, beside
The throne of Ataensic, where now sing,
The Great Departed of the world in bliss!
Such song was never sung on earth before!
He never used to sing before his death—
Nor was his song melodious to my ear.

Canondah
Cause, in the Land of Souls, they know all things.

Lamorah
In what he learnt by going up to God—
More than the greatest Man could ever know
Were he to live on earth ten thousand years!
I thank the White-Man that he killed my son
They thought that they had broke my heart
By driving his pure soul above the stars—
(Damning their own foul souls to injure mine!—)
But they were wrong, as they have ever been!
Although I fell to pieces for awhile,
Yet, it was all made whole again by that
Sweet Song! I think that I shall never more,
On earth, this side of Bright Manitoline, hear such
Another song, so sweet to me as that!
So now, you go into the Bower of Bliss,
And see Yanassa—tell him to beware,
Or he will die again—if die he can—
Who has been once, twice, in the Land of Souls—
For Ostenee, his brother, seeks his life.
Then back return to me again with both
My daughters, when I will unfold to him
How he may best escape his brother's wrath.
If he will not return, bring Endea home
With you. She shall obey if he will not.

(Exit Canondah as Lamorah enters the cottage)

Scene V

(The Bower of Bliss. Count Julian is discovered sitting alone reading. Enter Canondah.)
Canondah
My son! Yanassa from the Land of Souls!
Your brother Ostenee is mad with you,
And means, if you can die, to take your life!
Lamorah says: Return into his House,
And bring with you Celuta—Endea, too.

Count Julian
Well, he is welcome to as much of it
As he can take. Go, mother! tell him so.
Tell my old father I will not return.

(Exit Canondah. Count Julian falls asleep. Enter Ostenee with cautious steps. Count Julian wakes.)
Count Julian
(sitting up)
Who are you, going at me so, with eyes
As red as Hell? What business have you here?

Ostenee
(indignantly)
Why, from the garb you wear, you ought to know.

Count Julian
I know you not—nor do I care to know.

Ostenee
(sarcastically)
They tell me that you are my father's son—
His young Yanassa from the Land of Souls!
But, then, you seem to me far too pale
To be my brother, or my father's son!

Count Julian
All souls are pale face in the Land of Souls!

Ostenee
But you are not now on the Land of Souls!

Count Julian
I should dispute with you were you not here.

Ostenee
Where is Celuta?—tell me where she is!—
My brother has been most unkind to me—
To take Celuta—Endea from me too!
Do they have traitors in the Land of Souls?
Do they make liars in Manitoline?
For, if they do, may Ataensic's arm
Forever save me from that cursed place!
Where is my Endea? Tell me where she is!
Or, by Manito! I will take your life!

Count Julian
(springing on his feet)
What mean you by such angry words as these?
What mean you by such words, you copper snake?
You talk as though you were the Lord of life,
And had all power to take mine when you please!
But know, Yanassa cannot die by you!
If any one must die, you are the Man!

Ostenee
Then give me Endea! tell me where she is,
Or I must die!

Count Julian
Then you must die, indeed,
For I shall never tell. So, go your way.

Ostenee
Give me my Endea! tell me where she is—
Or I will tear your heart out with my hands,
And dash it to the dogs! You know, too well.
She was my Playmate—sister of my heart—
And cousin of my soul!—Give me my wife!

(Enter Ianthe rushing into Count Julian's arms)
Ianthe
Oh, Julian! Julian! This is Ostenee!
Beware of him! he comes to take your life!

Ostenee
Ah! “Julian! Julian,” did she say? She did!
It is—“Julian!” By Hell's everlasting King!
I thought you were my father's oldest son—
His young Yanassa from the Land of Souls!
Instead of that—you are the White-Man's child!
The murderer of Yanassa for his clothes!
This was his dress. I know Yanassa's clothes.
But “Julian!”—that was not my brother's name.
Now I see the serpent in your eye!
Now can I take revenge upon you good!
But by Hell's most infernal King! I know
Not how to muster up sufficient words,
Red hot from Hell, to curse thy damned soul!
What! murder my own brother for his clothes?
Then cheat my father in them to his face?
Coming upon this Isle to steal my wife!
This is the White-Man's game! this is his sport!
You cannot play this game on me! You fooled
My father—but you cannot fool his son!
No, “Julian!” pale face chicken hearted brat!
You cannot fool my father's son! Come on!

(Exit Ianthe in affright. Ostenee seizes Count Julian. They fight manfully for some time. Count Julian, grasping him by the throat, at length conquers him, leaving him lying on the ground as if dead, from which, after a little, he springs up and runs for his life. Reenter Ianthe).
Ianthe
Oh! Julian! Julian! Are you hurt my love?

Count Julian
No! Let us follow him. See how he runs—
Leaving a blue streak after him in flight!

Ianthe
No, let us go into our cave. Come, love!

(Exeunt)

Scene VI

(Lamorah's cottage as before. Lamorah and Canondah are sitting as in conversation.)
Lamorah
Then, by Manito! He may meet his doom!
Whatever fate may fall on him—may fall!
He never shall be warned by me again!
I am an old man now—too full of years
To trouble my old hand about such dogs!
Where is Celuta? saw you Endea there?

Canondah
He would not tell me where Celuta was
Nor where the young Fawn of my heart was hid—
Whether among the Valley Reeds alone,
Or with Celuta, fairest of the fair,
The milk white beauty of the Isle of Founts,
Feeding her cygnets by the Lake of Swans,
Or lived afar off in some mighty Oak;
But treated me with bitter, cold disdain,
As young Yanassa never did in life.
He looks not like Yanassa now—nor is—
But only wears the garb Yanassa wore.
The paint you put upon his face is gone.

Lamorah
The Great High Spirit knows that he is false—
False to the father that he seemed to love!
It was not so before he died—not so!
Have they false children in the Land of Souls?
Sure Ataensic would not suffer this.
For how can disobedience dwell in Heaven?
And how can disobedience dwell in him
Who sang so sweetly in the Bower of Bliss?
If he prove false to me, in whom my soul
Was so wrapped up—there is no rest on earth!
(Enter Ostenee in haste.)
What! are you shunning death, or flying from
The Devil, that you run so swiftly home?
When you have breath enough to speak, speak out!
And tell me what great Wonder you have seen!

Ostenee
A Wonder you may say!

Lamorah
So it appears!

Ostenee
A hellish, fiendish Devil called your son—
The young Yanassa from the Land of Souls!
Who murdered your Yanassa for his clothes—
Cheating you in them to your very face—
Coming upon this Isle to steal my wife!
For know, the traitor that you call your son,
Was never dead, nor in the Land of Souls—
(Would to the great Manito that he were!)
But is a White Man! “Julian” is his name!
He is Celuta's husband—curse his soul!
Who came within an inch of murdering me—
I only saving life by swiftest flight!

Lamorah
What do I hear? Who told you of this thing?

Ostenee
Celuta did—that Dove of Heaven—who called
Him “Julian”—called!him by his proper name!
I tell you that his face is white as snow!
Think you Yanassa from the Land of Souls,
Or Hell, would not remember Ostenee?
This villian knew me not, nor cared to know!
I tell you he is “Julian” in disguise—
After killing your son to cheat you in his clothes!
Oh! father! if you value your own life,
Or love the life of any one on earth—
Shew forth the thunder of your vengeance now!
For no one ever knew this Isle before,
But our own family! Now he is here!
A few short months will roll around in Heaven,
When he will bring ten thousand White Men here
To sweep us from the Earth! This Isle was ours;
But it will never more be ours again!

Lamorah
You say you fought?

Ostenee
We did for one whole hour!

Lamorah
And, from your flight, he foiled you in the fight?

Ostenee
He did by choking me—which no one could
Have helped!

Lamorah
But are you sure he's not my son?
Say, are you sure of it?

Ostenee
I know he's not!
I know Yanassa's garb too well! Thy son!
He is the White Man come to take this Isle!

Lamorah
Where is Manito that He will not hear?
In what sulphurous lair of cloud, afar
Off in the mighty realms of space, now sleep
The Eternal Thunderbolts of God, that they
Do not descend in lightnings on his head?—
Come, Ostenee go quickly—take this key—
Unlock the Boat chain from the Willow tree—
Get in the Boat—fly swiftly through the Lake—
Rowing as mortal never rowed before—
Until you reach the farthest shore! Then go—
Walk not—but run, as runs the Roebuck on
The Hills, when goaded on to swiftest flight
By Hounds with open mouths, whose eager cries
Tell how they long to drink his pure heart's blood—
To Ouithlacoochee's Isle of Founts—bring back
With you great Ensenore, the Man of men!
Areskou's mighty thunderbolt of War!
And Esnah, Captain of the Sons of Night;
And old Tekoah, Captain of the Brave—
Bloody Avengers of their father's slain!
Bring fifty warriors—ten fair Virgins pure—
To celebrate the Banqueting of Souls!
For on that night that foul traitor's soul—
Translated in a Chariot of Fire—
Amid the shouts of his exultant foes
Go back again into the Land of Souls!—