 | Julian The Apostate |  |
Interior of the Temple of Mars.
Maximus as Chief Priest before the Altar—inferior Priests ranged at each side—Julian on the steps of the altar—behind him Officers, Citizens.
Chorus of Priests.
MAXIMUS.
(as Pontifex Maximus.
Victorious Mars, bright God armipotent!
Where'er thine eye looks terrible, where'er
Thy blazing helm affrights the human heart,
Avenger, hearken! For thy Julian kneels—
Kneels at thy shrine. The sacrificial blood
Steams grateful, as of old, upon thine altars.
Lo, once again the renovated rites—
Once more the vast procession throngs thy gates
With angry shouts, to martial music marching.
We cry for vengeance—hear, avenger, hear!
He comes, he comes, amid yon golden clouds
I see his glorious presence in the air.
He comes, he comes! Lo, how his coursers strain
Upon the impalpable air their sinewy limbs,
Their eyes and swelling nostrils breathing fire.
(Addressing Julian.
Thou chosen warrior of the insulted Gods,
Julian, imperial lord, receive the omen!
Voices divine are murmuring in mine ear,
Prophetic visions rise upon mine eye,
And my heart swells with solemn augury.
The Gods themselves look down from high Olympus,
And smile upon thy battle; as of old
By bards and prophets noted, still they mingle
Their divine nature in our mortal quarrels,
And vindicate their majesty on earth!
Go, give thy bloody banners to the winds,
Strew the polluted land with victims, crush
With memorable vengeance! Thee, our temples
Insulted and defiled, our dear Penates,
Majestic oracles, and trampled altars,
Invoke, and constitute their sacred champion!
Arise, destroy.
People
shout.)
Long live the Emperor!
Long live our General! Julian lead to conquest.
(Julian comes forward slowly.
People shout.)
Kind master, generous friend! God save thee, Julian!
JULIAN.
My friends, I thank you: yes, my friends ye are,
To you I owe my throne—you have preserved it.
Nor have I been ungrateful: bear me witness,
When all our barriers, guarded by faint hearts,
Were broken—and advantaged by the times
The wild barbarian came like a flood upon ye,
Whose standard then was foremost to the rescue?
Whose red right hand redeemed your wasted fields—
Your smoking homes? Who struck from savage grasp
The uplifted sword, even at your children's throat?
Tore from his arms the unviolated wife,
And daughter still a virgin? Yes, they fled
Our banners, as the vapour flies the sun-beam.
And, oh! when gentle peace came like a bird,
And spread her fond wings over us, my sway
Fell on you lightly, as the wholesome dew—
Where'er the yoke lay sore, old imposts pressed,
I smote them with reforming zeal, and poured
Oil on your wounds, and cherished you to health.
Now once again does harsh necessity
Clothe us in sullen armour. Gods approve
Our enterprise. The mighty oracles
Have spoken with the voice of destiny!
You too, my people, by this acclamation
Fiat our purpose, and invest your prince
With more than regal terrors. Is 't not so?
(People shout
Draw then yuor swords, bold youth—to arms, to arms—
As ye do trust to clasp unravished brides,
As ye do hope to see connubial pledges,
As ye would still inherit from your sires
Sweet homes, untrodden by tumultuous war,
I call ye forth to arms.
People
shout.)
Lead on, lead on
To victory—Julian and victory!
(Julian comes forward with his train.
JULIAN.
And now, kind friends, (how pleasant 'tis to be
Environ'd by a living ring of friends)
We have begun with glorious presages.
Call in the Prefect's messenger. Well, Sir,
(Enter Messenger.
Repeat your errand. How stand our armies?
OFFICER.
Bravely.
The Master-General of the frontier, Jovian,
Hath joined our Prefect, Sallust, with his power,
And crossed the border merrily. We've had
Some sharp encounters and displayed high valour;
Made many captives and much booty: gained
Opinion, confidence, and happy omens.
JULIAN.
What say you to the foe?
OFFICER.
They 've lost all heart,
And at the very terror of our name
Retreat distractedly; abandoning
Honour and hope, with more substantial things.
'Tis thought, brave Dagalaiphus, by his march
Toward th' Euphrates' springs threatning their rear,
Secured our daring progress.
JULIAN.
'Twas foreseen, Sir
And now, good comrades, to your posts. My people,
When you kneel down at your dear household altars
Remember those who fight for you. Farewell!
(Exeunt, populace shouting
Maximus as Chief Priest before the Altar—inferior Priests ranged at each side—Julian on the steps of the altar—behind him Officers, Citizens.
Chorus of Priests.
Thou God of our battles, and Lord of the war,
Arise from thy slumber, awake in thy star!
Come down in thy whirlwind of anger, and tread,
Like a vision of wrath, o'er the field of the dead.
Arise from thy slumber, awake in thy star!
Come down in thy whirlwind of anger, and tread,
Like a vision of wrath, o'er the field of the dead.
114
The vulture is up on his shadowy wings,
His plume like a hero's, his eye like a king's:
The raven flies after with flap and with croak;
He hath sprung from his branch of the blasted oak.
His plume like a hero's, his eye like a king's:
The raven flies after with flap and with croak;
He hath sprung from his branch of the blasted oak.
Give breath to your trumpet, proud horseman, for, lo!
Your war-steed hath started at sound of the foe;
His nostrils are arched with impatience; his eye
Hath a fire that will bear thee to conquer or die.
Your war-steed hath started at sound of the foe;
His nostrils are arched with impatience; his eye
Hath a fire that will bear thee to conquer or die.
Oh, lives there the recreant would linger? Avaunt!
O'er the wide earth we'll hunt thee, with scoff and with taunt.
Give death to the coward! yet no—let him live:
What more to the good and the brave can we give?
O'er the wide earth we'll hunt thee, with scoff and with taunt.
Give death to the coward! yet no—let him live:
What more to the good and the brave can we give?
Then hail to thee, hail to thee, God of the brave!
Firm trust of the Freeman, last hope of the Slave;
Come down like a vision of wrath, and appear
As the swell of the sea when a tempest is near.
Firm trust of the Freeman, last hope of the Slave;
Come down like a vision of wrath, and appear
As the swell of the sea when a tempest is near.
115
Descend in thy garment of doom and dismay,
Like the pounce of the eagle that stoops to his prey,
Like the flash that shoots down through the shadowy air,
Like the spring of the lion when roused from his lair.
Like the pounce of the eagle that stoops to his prey,
Like the flash that shoots down through the shadowy air,
Like the spring of the lion when roused from his lair.
MAXIMUS.
(as Pontifex Maximus.
Victorious Mars, bright God armipotent!
Where'er thine eye looks terrible, where'er
Thy blazing helm affrights the human heart,
Avenger, hearken! For thy Julian kneels—
Kneels at thy shrine. The sacrificial blood
Steams grateful, as of old, upon thine altars.
Lo, once again the renovated rites—
Once more the vast procession throngs thy gates
With angry shouts, to martial music marching.
We cry for vengeance—hear, avenger, hear!
He comes, he comes, amid yon golden clouds
I see his glorious presence in the air.
He comes, he comes! Lo, how his coursers strain
Upon the impalpable air their sinewy limbs,
116
(Addressing Julian.
Thou chosen warrior of the insulted Gods,
Julian, imperial lord, receive the omen!
Voices divine are murmuring in mine ear,
Prophetic visions rise upon mine eye,
And my heart swells with solemn augury.
The Gods themselves look down from high Olympus,
And smile upon thy battle; as of old
By bards and prophets noted, still they mingle
Their divine nature in our mortal quarrels,
And vindicate their majesty on earth!
Go, give thy bloody banners to the winds,
Strew the polluted land with victims, crush
With memorable vengeance! Thee, our temples
Insulted and defiled, our dear Penates,
Majestic oracles, and trampled altars,
Invoke, and constitute their sacred champion!
Arise, destroy.
People
shout.)
Long live the Emperor!
117
(Julian comes forward slowly.
People shout.)
Kind master, generous friend! God save thee, Julian!
JULIAN.
My friends, I thank you: yes, my friends ye are,
To you I owe my throne—you have preserved it.
Nor have I been ungrateful: bear me witness,
When all our barriers, guarded by faint hearts,
Were broken—and advantaged by the times
The wild barbarian came like a flood upon ye,
Whose standard then was foremost to the rescue?
Whose red right hand redeemed your wasted fields—
Your smoking homes? Who struck from savage grasp
The uplifted sword, even at your children's throat?
Tore from his arms the unviolated wife,
And daughter still a virgin? Yes, they fled
Our banners, as the vapour flies the sun-beam.
And, oh! when gentle peace came like a bird,
And spread her fond wings over us, my sway
118
Where'er the yoke lay sore, old imposts pressed,
I smote them with reforming zeal, and poured
Oil on your wounds, and cherished you to health.
Now once again does harsh necessity
Clothe us in sullen armour. Gods approve
Our enterprise. The mighty oracles
Have spoken with the voice of destiny!
You too, my people, by this acclamation
Fiat our purpose, and invest your prince
With more than regal terrors. Is 't not so?
(People shout
Draw then yuor swords, bold youth—to arms, to arms—
As ye do trust to clasp unravished brides,
As ye do hope to see connubial pledges,
As ye would still inherit from your sires
Sweet homes, untrodden by tumultuous war,
I call ye forth to arms.
People
shout.)
Lead on, lead on
To victory—Julian and victory!
(Julian comes forward with his train.
119
And now, kind friends, (how pleasant 'tis to be
Environ'd by a living ring of friends)
We have begun with glorious presages.
Call in the Prefect's messenger. Well, Sir,
(Enter Messenger.
Repeat your errand. How stand our armies?
OFFICER.
Bravely.
The Master-General of the frontier, Jovian,
Hath joined our Prefect, Sallust, with his power,
And crossed the border merrily. We've had
Some sharp encounters and displayed high valour;
Made many captives and much booty: gained
Opinion, confidence, and happy omens.
JULIAN.
What say you to the foe?
OFFICER.
They 've lost all heart,
And at the very terror of our name
120
Honour and hope, with more substantial things.
'Tis thought, brave Dagalaiphus, by his march
Toward th' Euphrates' springs threatning their rear,
Secured our daring progress.
JULIAN.
'Twas foreseen, Sir
And now, good comrades, to your posts. My people,
When you kneel down at your dear household altars
Remember those who fight for you. Farewell!
(Exeunt, populace shouting
| Julian The Apostate | |