I do believe thou wilt! Paol Nay, my love, Enter OLAF, muffled in his hunting dress. Ter. Why, why the boy? What dost thou want Olaf. He shall go out with me on this day's hunt Olaf. Why, 't is a puny, feeble-hearted thing, But he shall go with me, and learn to dare I pr'ythee what new fancy's in thy head, Paol. I besought My mother to sing me her Corinth songs; To tell me of the groves and of the flowers, And of that happy home that was more fair Than even was ours, in pleasant Italy; And she has promised that she will, my father. Olaf. Ha ha! is 't so?--"T is even as I thought. I know wherefore these stories of the past! Yes, I will feed them, Mark me, Teresa, if thou school him thus, And then there will be nothing all the day I'll sunder ye! -Thou need'st not clasp thy hands; To take me from thy side! For on my life I'll do it! Paol. [weeping.] Ter. Paol. Ter. [He goes out. Thou dear, dear child! Thou happy, innocent spirit! "T is o'er-payment, A rich o'er-payment of my many woes, To see thee gainer up such full enjoyment Within the narrowed limits of the good Which thy hard fortune gives thee! And no more Let me account myself forlorn and stripped, My husband! But hark! here comes Father, father, Ter. [aside to Olaf.] Pray thee, speak him kindly! To be a man;-dry up these childish tears! Ter. My sweet boy, do not weep! Go out this day Olaf. Where is this wild? I know not where thou But in our flight! drivest! Hunter. Below our feet lies the eternal ice Of the great sea! [He fires. Now heaven must be our helper! On, on, spare not the thong! [The horse in dashing forward, breaks from the sledge; the wolves fall upon him instantly. Now must we fly! Hunt. There is a hut among these icy deserts Raised by some hunters. While they gorge themselves We may escape. Paol. Take, take my hand, dear father! Olaf. How cold it is, poor boy! [They turn among the ice-mountains, and soon are out of sight. SCENE V. A chaotic wilderness of icebergs. Olaf. Let go my cloak - they shall not hurt thee, Enter the HUNTER, and OLAF carrying PAOLO, who child! appears faint. Throw them the child! Hunt. Sweet father, do it not! [The wolves surround them; and the Hunter snatching up Paolo throws him among them. Paol. Oh father, father, save me! Olaf. My boy! my boy! Hunt. It is too late-they tear him limb from limb! Now for escape! Run, run, and we shall reach A place of safety! [He darts forward. Olaf. God in heaven! my boyMy gentle-hearted boy! my murdered boy! [He dashes among the wolves with his hunting knife, and then springs forward after the Hunter. SCENE VI. Night-the interior of Olaf's house-Teresa alone a bright fire burns on the hearth-refreshments are set out, and clothes hanging by the fire for Olaf and Paolo. Teresa. How late it is! an hour beyond the midnight! And bitter cold it is! The icy wind Even pierces through these walls! Poor little Paolo, But he shall sit upon the bench beside me, Lady, thy husband, to preserve himself, [She puts fresh logs on the fire. Hath given thy little Paolo to the wolves! And this is the third time I have renewed The wasting fire! and when I piled it first, "My Paolo will be here," I said, "before These logs shall have burned through!" but, now alas, I know not what to say, saving the wonder Ter. Lady, he is but missing! Hunt. [Teresa clasps her hands, and stands in I might have snatched a pretty lock of hair; Enter HULDA, with a very dejected countenance; she Ere long thy husband comes. Ter. [falling on her kness.] God, of thy mercy strengthen, strengthen me! [She falls insensible to the floor. Huld. Wretch, why didst tell it her so cruelly The following day—the interior of the chapel-Teresa on her knees before the image of the Virgin. Mother of God, who borest That cruel pang which made thy spirit bleed! My need is great, my woe is like thine own! Kind Saviour, who didst shed Who raised the widow's son from off his bier; Thou that art strong to comfort, look on me Have gone, and left me faint! Forbear to smite A bruised and broken reed! Sustain, sustain ; Divinest Comforter, to thee I fly, Let me not fly in vain! Support me with thy love, or else I die! Father, who didst send down thy Well-Beloved, To suffer shame and death that I might live, Hear me, in this great sorrow not unmoved, And if I sin, forgive! Whate'er I had was thine! A God of mercy thou hast ever been; Assist me to resign; And if I murmur, count it not for sin! How rich I was, I dare not-dare not think; Forgive me if I shrink! Forgive me if I shed these human tears! To yield my will to thine, forgive, forgive! [She bows her face, and after a time of My soul is strengthened! It shall bear Many weeks afterwards—a chamber of Olaf's house -Olaf near death, lying upon his bed-Teresa sits beside him. Olaf. For years of tyranny I do beseech Ter. Thank God! affliction has been merciful! My boy, thy death has saved thy father's soul! Olaf. And the great might of virtue in thyself;— Thy resignation, and thy pitying pardon — For these, receive my blessing ere I dieThese, which have been the means of my salvation! Ter. Bless Him, my husband, who is strong to save! Olaf. I do, I do!- and I rejoice in death; Though, had my life been spared, I would have been Both son and husband to thee! - Weep not thouWe shall all three ere long be united I, the poor outcast else, be one with you! [Olaf remains perfectly quiet, and after Oh human soul, 't is done, Upon thy spirit-robes, redeemed one! Of sin and passion hast been wildly tost, With songs of triumph do we welcome thee! Thou shalt shine out before the Infinite!- In love, which human frailty held in thrall;- Distrust and fear in heaven there cannot be, For love enfoldeth all! Oh happy pair, too long divided, Pour out your souls in one strong sympathy! Eternal Love your meeting steps hath guided, Ne'er to be parted through eternity! fore them." Achzib," said he, "thou hast tried the sons of men, and hast tempted four to perdition; thus has the All-wise permitted. I come not, however, to speak of their doom, but of good and evil as it regards human life. Thou hast introduced sin and sorrow among men; but thou hast only feebly known the result of every downward step in human degradation and woe. Thou hast seen evil obtaining the mastery over good; sin laying desolate the home of virtue and peace; the good and the kind brought to the grave, or going through life mourning because of it; and thou hast exclaimed, 'surely, I am mightier than God! Thou hast riveted on the chains of oppression; thou hast darkened the minds of the noble and pure, with thy lying deeds; and hast left generations Ter. [waking.] I know that he is dead; but this yet unborn, to groan under thy sinful agency; and sweet omen, These holy voices pealing joy in heaven, men beholding these things, have exclaimed, with bleeding hearts, surely, evil is mightier than good!" Have taken the sting from death! My dear, dear But a superior intelligence looks beyond the outward husband, I know that thou art blessed -art reunited Unto our boy! [She bends over the body for a few moments; then kneeling down and covering her face, she remains in silent prayer. ACHZIB's mission was ended; and he returned to his fellows with exultation. "I have done that which I set out to do!" he exclaimed, "and ye shall declare me victor. I have proved the supremacy of evil; for of the seven whom I have tried, I have won four. Let me no longer be called Achzib the Liar, for I have proved that evil obtains a wider and more powerful agency than good. I have won four young men, in the strength of manhood, and in the full force of intellect: I have lost only a poor scholar, an old man, and a woman!" "Methinks," said the younger spirit, "thou hast been in some measure defeated; inasmuch as these feeble ones were mightier than thou!" "I was a fool," returned Achzib, "to attempt any of the three in them, passion, and the aptitude to sin, were weak: one was enfeebled by sickness, one by old age, the third by long endurance of evil." "Thy triumph had been greater," interrupted the elder, “had thou won any of the three, whom, losing, thou pretendest to undervalue; the four thou hast won were an easy conquest, for though boastful of virtue, they were weak in principle." "It matters not," said Achzib: "any of these, but for my ministration, might have gone on through life without materially adding to crime; without drawing others after them into sin; and without baptizing! human hearts in woe, as they have done; and I tell ye, of the seven whom I have tried, four have become my victims." "We deny it not," said the two. "Then let me reign as a crowned one," exclaimed Achzib, "for I have proved that evil is mightier than good "" As Achzib thus spoke, an angel of truth stood be seeming, and perceives in the midst of evil, only more widely-extended good. "O fools and blind, you cannot degrade God! Your malign interference cannot reverse the decrees of his omnipotent wisdom. His goodness upholds and pervades all things, both of the outward creation, and man's moral existence; and though evil is permitted, it neither mars nor deranges the great plan of universal Providence. Evil, like darkness, which makes visible the glory and immensity of God's works, unseen by day, though still present; brings forth, in the moral world, the loveliness, the nobility, and the joy-dif fusing nature of virtue. It is the depth of shadow, by which good is thrown into strong relief; it is the source whence many of the highest actions, many of the most triumphant passages of a conflicting life; whence often, the most melting and beautiful trophies of the soul, winged in all its strength and affection, have been made to proceed. It is the trial of love, of faith, of patience; it calls for forgiveness, and Christian charity; it teaches forbearance, meckness, and pity. It is the subjection to evil which is the ordeal of the human spirit, and it is the severe contrast of crime, which leads it to pay its devoutest homage to virtue. "Designer of evil, thou hast failed! For every soul whom thou hast lured into sin, thou hast thrown others, through the anguish, or by the example of that sin, upon the healing mercy of Him who is able and willing to save!" Achzib turned abashed from the speaker of Truth, and retired with his fellows into darkness; and the angel lifting up his voice, poured out a hymn of praise. Thou, that createdst with a word each star; Who, out of nothingness brought systems forth, Yet didst exalt beyond creation, far, 1 |