the complete poetical works-第186节
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GARDNER。
Ah； I have never known a wreck like yours！
Would I could save you！
COREY。
Do not speak of that。
It is too late。 I am resolved to die。
GARDNER。
Why would you die who have so much to live for？
Your daughters； and
COREY。
You cannot say the word。
My daughters have gone from me。 They are married；
They have their homes； their thoughts； apart from me；
I will not say their hearts；that were too cruel。
What would you have me do？
GARDNER。
Confess and live。
COREY。
That's what they said who came here yesterday
To lay a heavy weight upon my conscience
By telling me that I was driven forth
As an unworthy member of their church。
GARDNER。
It is an awful death。
COREY。
'T is but to drown；
And have the weight of all the seas upon you。
GARDNER。
Say something； say enough to fend off death
Till this tornado of fanaticism
Blows itself out。 Let me come in between you
And your severer self； with my plain sense；
Do not be obstinate。
COREY。
I will not plead。
If I deny； I am condemned already；
In courts where ghosts appear as witnesses；
And swear men's lives away。 If I confess；
Then I confess a lie； to buy a life
Which is not life； but only death in life。
I will not bear false witness against any；
Not even against myself； whom I count least。
GARDNER （aside）。
Ah； what a noble character is this！
COREY。
I pray you； do not urge me to do that
You would not do yourself。 I have already
The bitter taste of death upon my lips；
I feel the pressure of the heavy weight
That will crush out my life within this hour；
But if a word could save me； and that word
Were not the Truth； nay； if it did but swerve
A hair's…breadth from the Truth； I would not say it！
GARDNER （aside）。
How mean I seem beside a man like this！
COREY。
As for my wife； my Martha and my Martyr；
Whose virtues； like the stars； unseen by day；
Though numberless； do but await the dark
To manifest themselves unto all eyes；
She who first won me from my evil ways；
And taught me how to live by her example；
By her example teaches me to die；
And leads me onward to the better life！
SHERIFF （without）。
Giles Corey！ Come！ The hour has struck！
COREY。
I come！
Here is my body； ye may torture it；
But the immortal soul ye cannot crush！
＇Exeunt。
SCENE III A street in the Village。 Enter GLOYD and others。
GLOYD。
Quick； or we shall be late！
A MAN。
That's not the way。
Come here； come up this lane。
GLOYD。
I wonder now
If the old man will die； and will not speak？
He's obstinate enough and tough enough
For anything on earth。
A bell tolls。
Hark！ What is that？
A MAN。
The passing bell。 He's dead！
GLOYD。
We are too late。
＇Exeunt in haste。
SCENE IV。 A field near the graveyard； GILES COREY lying dead；
with a great stone on his breast。 The Sheriff at his head；
RICHARD GARDNER at his feet。 A crowd behind。 The bell tolling。
Enter HATHORNE and MATHER。
HATHORNE。
This is the Potter's Field。 Behold the fate
Of those who deal in Witchcrafts； and； when questioned；
Refuse to plead their guilt or innocence；
And stubbornly drag death upon themselves。
MATHER。
O sight most horrible！ In a land like this；
Spangled with Churches Evangelical；
Inwrapped in our salvations； must we seek
In mouldering statute…books of English Courts
Some old forgotten Law； to do such deeds？
Those who lie buried in the Potter's Field
Will rise again； as surely as ourselves
That sleep in honored graves with epitaphs；
And this poor man； whom we have made a victim；
Hereafter will be counted as a martyr！
FINALE
SAINT JOHN
SAINT JOHN wandering over the face of the Earth。
SAINT JOHN。
The Ages come and go；
The Centuries pass as Years；
My hair is white as the snow；
My feet are weary and slow；
The earth is wet with my tears
The kingdoms crumble； and fall
Apart； like a ruined wall；
Or a bank that is undermined
By a river's ceaseless flow；
And leave no trace behind！
The world itself is old；
The portals of Time unfold
On hinges of iron； that grate
And groan with the rust and the weight；
Like the hinges of a gate
That hath fallen to decay；
But the evil doth not cease；
There is war instead of peace；
Instead of Love there is hate；
And still I must wander and wait；
Still I must watch and pray；
Not forgetting in whose sight；
A thousand years in their flight
Are as a single day。
The life of man is a gleam
Of light； that comes and goes
Like the course of the Holy Stream。
The cityless river； that flows
From fountains no one knows；
Through the Lake of Galilee；
Through forests and level lands；
Over rocks； and shallows； and sands
Of a wilderness wild and vast；
Till it findeth its rest at last
In the desolate Dead Sea！
But alas！ alas for me
Not yet this rest shall be！
What； then！ doth Charity fail？
Is Faith of no avail？
Is Hope blown out like a light
By a gust of wind in the night？
The clashing of creeds； and the strife
Of the many beliefs； that in vain
Perplex man's heart and brain；
Are naught but the rustle of leaves；
When the breath of God upheaves
The boughs of the Tree of Life；
And they subside again！
And I remember still
The words； and from whom they came；
Not he that repeateth the name；
But he that doeth the will！
And Him evermore I behold
Walking in Galilee；
Through the cornfield's waving gold；
In hamlet； in wood； and in wold；
By the shores of the Beautiful Sea。
He toucheth the sightless eyes；
Before Him the demons flee；
To the dead He sayeth： Arise！
To the living： Follow me！
And that voice still soundeth on
From the centuries that are gone；
To the centuries that shall be！
From all vain pomps and shows；
From the pride that overflows；
And the false conceits of men；
From all the narrow rules
And subtleties of Schools；
And the craft of tongue and pen；
Bewildered in its search；
Bewildered with the cry；
Lo； here！ lo； there； the Church！
Poor； sad Humanity
Through all the dust and heat
Turns back with bleeding feet；
By the weary road it came；
Unto the simple thought
By the great Master taught；
And that remaineth still：
Not he that repeateth the name；
But he that doeth the will！
********
JUDAS MACCABAEUS。
ACT I。
The Citadel of Antiochus at Jerusalem。
SCENE I。 ANTIOCHUS； JASON。
ANTIOCHUS。
O Antioch； my Antioch； my city！
Queen of the East！ my solace； my delight！
The dowry of my sister Cleopatra
When she was wed to Ptolemy； and now
Won back and made more wonderful by me！
I love thee； and I long to be once more
Among the players and the dancing women
Within thy gates； and bathe in the Orontes；
Thy river and mine。 O Jason； my High…Priest；
For I have made thee so； and thou art mine；
Hast thou seen Antioch the Beautiful？
Jason。
Never； my Lord。
ANTIOCHUS。
Then hast thou never seen
The wonder of the world。 This city of David
Compared with Antioch is but a village；
And its inhabitants compared with Greeks
Are mannerless boors。
JASON。
They are barbarians；
And mannerless。
ANTIOCHUS。
They must be civilized。
They must be made to have more gods than one；
And goddesses besides。
JASON。
They shall have more。
ANTIOCHUS。
They must have hippodromes； and games； and baths；
Stage…plays and festivals； and most of all
The Dionysia。
JASON。
They shall have them all。
ANTIOCHUS。
By Heracles！ but I should like to see
These Hebrews crowned with ivy； and arrayed
In skins of fawns； with drums and flutes and thyrsi；
Revel and riot through the solemn streets
Of their old town。 Ha； ha！ It makes me merry
Only to think of it！Thou dost not laugh。
JASON。
Yea； I laugh inwardly。
ANTIOCHUS。
The new Greek leaven
Works slowly in this Israelitish dough！
Have I not sacked the Temple； and on the altar
Set up the statue of Olympian Zeus
To Hellenize it？
JASON。
Thou hast done all this。
ANTIOCHUS。
As thou wast Joshua once and now art Jason；
And from a Hebrew hast become a Greek；
So shall this Hebrew nation be translated；
Their very natures and their names be changed；
And all be Hellenized。
JASON。
It shall be done。
ANTIOCHUS。
Their manners and their laws and way of living
Shall all be Greek。 They shall unlearn their language；
And learn the lovely speech of Antioch。
Where hast thou been to…day？ Thou comest late。
JASON。
Playing at discus with the other priests
