Felix.
He death escapes—if
so he do elect.
Paul.
He death embraces—as
doth all his sect.
Is’t thus a father
pleads for his own son?
Felix.
Who wills his death
is by himself undone.
Paul.
He cannot see!
Felix.
Because he chooses night.
Who loves the darkness
hateth still the light.
Paul.
O, by the Gods—
Felix.
Nay, daughter, save
thy breath;
Spurned—outraged—’tis
the Gods demand his death.
Paul.
They hear our prayers—
Felix.
Nay, then let Polyeucte
pray!
Paul.
Since Decius gives thee
power,—that word unsay!
Felix.
He gives me power, Pauline,
to do his will
Against his foes—’gainst
all who work him ill.
Paul.
Is Polyeucte his foe?
Felix.
All Christians rebels
are.
Paul.
Thy son shall plead
more loud than policy or war.
For mine is thine; O
father, save thine own—
Felix.
The son who is a traitor
I disown!
For treason is a crime
without redress,
’Gainst which
all else sinks into nothingness.
Paul.
Too great thy rigour!
Felix.
Yet more great his guilt.
Paul.
Too true my dream!
Must his dear blood be spilt?
With Polyeucte, I too—thy
child—shall fall!
Felix.
The Gods—the
Emperor—rule over all.
Paul.
O hear our dying supplication—hear!
Felix.
Not Jove alone, but
Decius I fear:—
But why anticipate a
doom so sad?
Shall this—his
blindness—make thy Polyeucte mad?
Fresh Christian zeal
remains not always new,
The sight of death compels
a saner view.
Paul.
O, if thou lov’st
him still, all hope forsake!
In one day can he two
conversions make?
Not this the Christians’
mould: they never change;
His heart is fixed—past
power of man to estrange.
This is no poison quaffed
all unawares,
What martyrs do and
dare—that Polyeucte dares;
He saw the lure by which
he was enticed,
He thinks the universe
well lost for Christ.
I know the breed; I
know their courage high,
They love the cross,—so,
for the cross, they die.
We see two stakes of
wood, the felon’s shame,
They see a halo round
one matchless Name.
To powers of earth,
and hell, and torture blind,
In death, for Him they
love, they rapture find.
They joy in agony,—our
gain their loss,
To die for Christ they
count the world but dross:
Our rack their crown,
our pain their highest pleasure,
And in the world’s
contempt they find their treasure.
Their cherished heritage
is—martyrdom!