As now I apprehended? Say, thou hast not;
And though thy present act is most audacious,
Yet will I spare thy life.
First bind thyself by every sacred oath
To give this body to the flames, then hear me;
O could I speak what might convince Rome's chief,
Cor. If thou wouldst spare my life, and to that Her senators, her tribes, her meanest slaves,
Add all the wealth of Rome, and all the power
Of Rome's great lord, I would not for the bribe
Be other than I am, or what I am
Nero. Thou art a Christian, then? Thou art a
maniac!
Cor. I am a man, who, seeing in the flames
Those dauntless Christians suffer, long'd to know
What power could make them brave the fear of
death,
Disgrace, and infamy. And I have learnt
That they adore a God,-one God, supreme,
Who, over all men, his created sons.
Rules as a father; and beholding sin,
Growth of corruption, mar this earthly race,
Sent down to earth his sinless, heavenly Son,
Who left, with generous devoted love,
His state of exaltation and of glory,
To win them back to virtue, yea, to virtue
Which shall be crown'd with never-ending bliss.
I've learnt that they with deep adoring gratitude
Pay homage to that Son, the sent of God,
Who here became a willing sacrifice
To save mankind from sin and punishment,
And earn for them a better life hereafter,
Of Christ's most blessed truth, the fatal pile
Would be to me a car of joyful triumph,
Mounted more gladly than the laurell'd hero
Vaults to his envied seat, while Rome's throng'd
Resound his shouted name. Within me stirs
The spirit of truth and power which spoke to me,
And will upon thy mind.-
Nero.
I charge thee cease!
Orc. Nay, emperor ! might I entreat for him?
Cor. (catching hold of Orceres eagerly.) Not for
my life.
Orc. No; not for that, brave Maro!
(To Nero.) Let me entreat that he may freely
speak.
Fear'st thou he should convince thee by his words?
That were a foul affront to thine own reason,
Or to the high divinities of Rome.
Nero. Cease, Prince of Parthia! nor too far pre
Upon a noble stranger's privilege.
Pon. Shall words so bold be to mine ear august So freely utter'd with impunity?
Orc. Pontiff! I much revere thy sacred office, But scorn thy paltry words. Not freely speak! Not with impunity! Is this a threat?
When mortal life is closed. The heart's deep ho- Let Rome's great master, or his angry slaves,
Becoming well such creatures, so redeem'd.
Nero. Out on that dreaming madness?
Cor. Is it madness
To be the humble follower of Him,
Who left the bliss of heaven to be for us
A man on earth, in spotless virtue living
As man ne'er lived: such words of comfort speak
To rouse,
As man ne'er spoke; and suffering poverty,
Contempt, and wrong, and pain, and death itself,
As man ne'er suffer'd ?-0, if this be madness,
Which makes each generous impulse of my nature
Warm into ecstasy, each towering hope
Rise to the noblest height of bold conception;
That which is reason call'd, and yet has taught you
To worship different gods in every clime,
As dull and wicked as their worshippers,
Compared to it, is poor, confined, and mean,
As is the Scythian's curtain'd tent, compared
With the wide range of fair, expanded nature.
Nero. Away, away! with all those lofty words!
They but bewilder thee.
and elevate, and cheer the heart,
Cor. Yet hear them, Nero! O resist them not!
Perhaps they are appointed for thy good,
And for the good of thousands. When these hands
Which have so oft done Rome a soldier's service,
This tongue which speaks to thee, are turn'd to
ashes,
What now appears so wild and fanciful,
May be remembered with far other feelings.
It is not life that I request of Nero,
Shed one drop of my blood, and on our plains
Where heretofore full many a Roman corse,
With Parthian arrows pierced, have vultures fed,
Twice thirty thousand archers in array,
Each with his bow strain'd for the distant mark,
Shall quickly stand, impatient for revenge.
Not with impunity!
Sul. Nay, nay, Orceres! with such haughty
Thou'lt injure him thou plead'st for. Noble Cæsar!
Permit an aged man, a faithful servant,
To speak his thoughts. This brave deluded youth
Is now, as I sincerely do believe,
Beneath the power of strong and dire enchantment.
Hear not his raving words, but spare his life,
And when its power (for all delusion holds
Its power but for a season) shall be spent,
He will himself entreat your clemency,
And be again the soldier of the state,
Brave and obedient. Do not hear him now;
Command him to retire.
Cor. I thank thee, good Sulpicius, but my life,
For which thou plead'st, take no account of that;
I yield it freely up to any death,
Cruel or merciful, which the decree
Of Cæsar shall inflict, for leave to speak
E'en but a few short moments. Princely Nerc !
The strong enchantment which deludes my soul
Is, that I do believe myself the creature,
Subject and soldier, if I so may speak,
Of an Almighty Father, King, and Lord,
Before whose presence, when my soul shall be
Of flesh and blood disrobed, I shall appear,
Although I said these hands have fought for Rome. There to remain with all the great and good
No; in the presence of these senators,
That e'er have lived on earth; yea, and with spirits
Higher than earth e'er own'd, in such pure bliss
As human heart conceives not,-if my life,
With its imperfect virtue, find acceptance
From pardoning love and mercy; but, if otherwise,
That I shall pass into a state of misery
With souls of wicked men and wrathful demons.
That I believe this earth on which we stand
Is but the vestibule to glorious mansions,
Through which a moving crowd for ever press;
And do regard the greatest Prince, who now
Inflicts short torment on this flesh, as one
Who but in passing rudely rends my robe.
And thinkest thou that I, believing this,
Will shrink to do his will whom I adore ?
Or thinkest thou this is a senseless charm,
Which soon will pass away?
Nero. High words, indeed, if resting on good
proof!
A maniac's fancies may be grand and noble.
Cor. Ay, now thou listenest, as a man should
1
listen,
With an inquiring mind. Let me produce
The proofs which have constrain'd me to believe,
From written law and well-attested facts;-
Let me produce my proofs, and it may be,
The Spirit of Truth may touch thy yielding heart,
And save thee from destruction.
Nero. Ha! dost thou think to make of me a con
Away, weak fool! and most audacious rebel!
Give proofs of thy obedience, not thy faith,
If thou wouldst earn thy pardon.
Cor. If thou condemn me in the flames to die
I will and must obey thee; if to live,
Disgraced by pardon won through treachery
To God, my King supreme, and his bless'd Christ,
I am, indeed, thy disobedient rebel.
Orc. Noble Cordenius! can thy martial spirit
Thus brook to be a public spectacle,
Fighting with savage beasts, the sport of fools,
Till thou shalt fall, deform'd and horrible,
Mangled and piece-meal torn? It must not be.
Cor. Be not so moved, Orceres; I can bear it
The God I worship, who hath made me humble,
Hath made me dauntless too. And for the shame
Which, as I guess, disturbs thee most, my Master,
The Lord and Leader I have sworn to follow,
Did as a malefactor end his days,
To save a lost, perverted race: shall I
Feel degradation, then, in following him?
Orc. In this, alas! thou'lt follow him too surely;
But whither, noble Maro?
Cor. E'en to my destined home, my Father's house.
Orc. And where is that? O, canst thou tell me where?
Beyond the ocean or beneath the earth?
Be there more worlds than this, beyond our ken
In regions vast, above the lofty stars?
Could we through the far stretch of space descry
E'en but the distant verge, though dimly mark'd,
Of any other world, I would believe
That virtuous men deceased have in good truth
A destined place of rest.
Cor. Believe it-O, believe it, brave Orceres!
Orc. I'll try to do it. I'll become a Christian,
Were it but only to defy this tyrant.
Cor. Thou must receive with a far different spirit
The faith of Jesus Christ. Perhaps thou wilt.
My heart leaps at the thought. When I am dead,
Remain in Rome no longer. In the East
Search thou for Ethocles, whom I have rescued;
And if he shall convert thee, O, how richly
He will repay all I have done for him!
Nero. And shall as such, most dearly pay the But, I would now withdraw a little space,
Out!-take him from my presence till the time
Of public execution.
Cordenius Maro, thou shalt fall this day
By no ignoble foe ;--a noble lion,
Famish'd and fierce, shall be thy adversary.
And dost thou smile and raise thy head at this,
In stately confidence?
Cor. God will deliver me from every adversary.
And thou too smilest.-Yes; he will deliver
That which I call myself. For this poor form
Which vests me round, I give it to destruction
As gladly as the storm-beat traveller,
Who, having reach'd his destined place of shelter,
Drops at the door his mantle's cumbrous weight.
Nero. (going.) Then to thy visionary hopes I
leave thee,
Incorrigible man! Here, in this chamber
Keep him secure till the appointed hour.
To pour my thoughts in prayer and thankfulness
To Him, the great, the good, the wise, the just,
Who holds man's spirit in his own high keeping,
And now supports my soul, and will support it,
Till my appointed task is done. In secret
The hearts by Jesus taught, were bid to pray,
And, if it be permitted, so will I.
(To the Guards, who advance as he speaks to
them.)
My guards and, some time past, my fellow soldiers,
Let me remain alone a little while,
And fear not my escape. If ye distrust me,
Watch well the door, and bind my hands with
chains.
First Offi. Yes, brave Cordenius, to another
Thou mayst retire, and we will watch without.
But be thy person free: we will not bind,
With felon cord or chain, those valiant hands
(To the Officers, &c.) Which have so often for thy country fought,
Until we are commanded.
Off, good Sulpicius! hang not on me thus !
Sul. O, mighty Cæsar! countermand your orders:
Delay it but a month, a week, a day.
[EXEUNT Nero, Sulpicius, Senators, &c. Sulpicius
still keeping close to Nero in the act of sup-
plication.-Orceres, Cordenius, and Guards
remain, the Guards standing respectfully at a
distance in the back-ground.
Cor. I thank ye all, my friends, and I believe That I shall meet and thank ye too hereafter; For there is something in you God must love, And, loving, will not give to reprobation.
(To First Officer.) Codrus, thou once didst put thy life in hazard, And sufferedst much to save a helpless Greek
Who sought protection of thee.
(Turning to the Second Officer.)
Ay, and thou,
Young Lelius, once a rich and tempting ransom
Nobly remittedst to a wretched captive.
Ye are of those whom Jesus came to save:
Yes; we shall meet hereafter. (To Third Officer.)
And thou, my former enemy, weepest thou?'
We're enemies no more; thou art my brother.
I will retire; my little term of life
Runs fleetly on; I must not spend it thus.
SCENE III-A CROWDED AMPHITHEATRE: NERO
AND THE SENATORS DISCOVERED IN THE BACK-
GROUND SITTING IN STATE, PORTIA BY THE SIDE
OF NERO, IN THE ACT OF SUPPLICATION.
E'en to be spent in want and contumely,
Rather than grieve thy kind and tender heart,
My dearest, gentlest friend! I had accepted:
But to deny my God, and put dishonour
Upon the noblest, most exalted faith
That ever was to human thoughts reveal'd,
Is what I will not—yea, and though a Roman,
A noble Roman, and a soldier too,
I dare not do. Let Nero have this answer.
Por. No, not this answer, Maro; not this an
Cast not life from thee, dear, most dear Cordenius!
Life, too, which I should spend my life in cheering,
Cast it not from thee like a worthless thing.
Cor. Because it is not worthless but most pre-
cious,
Enter SULPICIUS on the front, meeting with another noble And now, when dear to thee, more precious far
Than I have e'er esteem'd it, 'tis an offering
More meet for God's acceptance;
Sul. (eagerly.) Is he advancing?
Yes, and close at hand, Withheld from Him, not e'en thyself, sweet maid,
Couldst cheer its course, nor yet couldst thou be
Surrounded by a group of martial friends.
Oft have I seen him on a day of battle
March to the charge with noble, portly gait,
But now he treads the ground with buoyant steps
Which from its surface spring, as though he press'd
Substance of renovating power. His form
Seems stately and enlarged beyond its wont ;
And in his countenance, oft turn'd to heaven,
There is a look as if some god dwelt in him.
Sul. How do the people greet him?
Noble Rom.
Gazing upon him, turns, with transit quick,
Pity to admiration. Warlike veterans
Are shedding tears like infants. As he pass'd
The legion he commanded in Armenia,
They raised a shout as if a victor came,
Saluting him with long and loud applause
None daring to reprove them.
(Noise without of shoutings.)
Hark! he comes.
Enter CORDENIUS, followed by ORCERES and SYLVIUS,
and attended by other friends, with GUARDS, &c.
Sul. (advancing eagerly to meet him.) Cordenius,
O Cordenius! hear a friend,
A faithful, ancient friend; thy Portia's father!
At Nero's footstool she is pleading for thee,
And will not plead in vain, if thou wilt testify
A yielding mind, a willingness to live.
Por. Nay, but I could!-to see thee still alive, And by my side, mine own redeemed friend, Should I not then be happy?
Cor. I should be by thy side, dear love! but
With all thy excellence, couldst have no happiness,
Mated with one, whose living form alone
Could move upon the earth, whilst far adrift
His mind would dwell, by ceaseless meditation,
In other worlds of blessedness or wo;
Lost to the one, and to the other link'd
By horrid sympathy, till his wrench'd nature
Should to a demon's fell and restless spirit
At last be changed.
Por. Alas, alas! and dost thou then believe
That naught remains for thee but death or misery?
Cor. No, gentle Portia! firmly I believe
That I shall live in endless happiness,
And with the blest hereafter shall behold
Thy blessed self, with ecstasy of love,
Exceeding every thought of earth-born passion,
As the fair morning star in lovely brightness
Excels a night-fly, twinkling through the gloom.
Live in this hope, dear Portia! hold it fast;
And may his blessing rest upon thy head,
Who loves the loving and the innocent!
Farewell, in love and hope! farewell, in peace!
Cor. I am so pleased to die, and am so honour'd, Farewell, in quickening faith,—in holy joy!
In dying for the pure and holy truth,
That nature's instinct seems in me extinguish'd.
But if the emperor freely pardon me,
I shall believe it is the will of God
That I should yet on earth promote his service,
And, so believing, am content to live;
Living or dying, to his will resign'd.
Enter PORTIA on the front, and catching hold of CORDE-
NIUS with eagerness and great agitation.
Por. Cordenius, thou art pardoned. Nero spares
thee,
If thou wilt only say thou art a Roman,
In heart and faith as all thy fathers were,
Or but forbear to say thou art a Christian.
Por. (clasping his knees.) Nay, let me yet con-
jure thee!
Make me not wretched, me who once was happy,
Ay, happiest of all in loving thee.
Cor. This is mine anguish and my suffering!
O, good Sulpicius! bear her to her home.
Sul. (leading her gently away, while she still
clings to him.) Forbear, my child, thy
Lic. Cæsar forbids all further interruption
To his imperial sentence. Let Cordenius
Forthwith prepare him for the fatal fight.
Cor. Thanks, gentle Portia! life preserved by This is mine office, and I must perform it.
(Begins to disrobe Cordenius, while Portia shrieks
aloud, and is carried off in the arms of her father.)
Disrobe thee, Maro, of those martial weeds.
For the better understanding of different allusions in
Cor. Gladly; for him I serve, my glorious the foregoing drama, I beg to transcribe a few passages
Hath braced me with an armour that defies
All hostile things; in which I'll strive more proudly
Than I have ever fought in field or breach
With Rome's or Nero's foes.
Lic. Cæsar desires thee also to remember,
That no ignoble audience, e'en thy emperor,
And all the states of Rome, behold thy deeds.
from Fox's History of Martyrs, taken from book i., which contains an account of the ten persecutions of the primitive church.
He says, on the authority of Justin Martyr,-" And whether earthquake, pestilence, or whatever public ca lamity befell, it was attributed to the Christians;" (then is added) "over and besides all these, a great occasion that stirred up the emperors against the Christians came by one Publius Tarquinius, the chief prelate of the
Cor. Tell him my deeds shall witness'd be by idolatrous sacrifices, and Mamertinus, the chief governor
Compared to whom the emperor of Rome,
With all her high estates, are but as insects
Hovering at midday o'er some tainted marsh.
I know full well that no ignoble audience
Are present, though from mortal eyes conceal'd.
Farewell, my friends! kind, noble friends, farewell!
Apart to Sylvius, while Orceres goes off, reap-
pearing in another part of the theatre.)
Sylvius, farewell! If thou shouldst e'er be call'd
To die a holy martyr for the truth,
God give thee then the joy which now I feel.
But keep thy faith conceal'd, till useful service
Shall call thee to maintain it. God be with thee!
(Looking round.)
Where is Orceres gone? I thought him near me.
Syl. 'Tis but a moment since he left thy side
With eager haste.
of the city, in the time of Trajanus, who, partly with money, partly with sinister, pestilent counsaile, partly with infamous accusations, (as witnesseth Nauclerus,) incensed the mind of the emperor so much against God's people."
In the account of the third persecution (an. 100,) Eustasius, a great and victorious captain, is mentioned as suffering martyrdom by order of the Emperor Adrian, who went to meet him on his return from conquest over the barbarians; but upon Eustasius's refusing on the way to do sacrifice to Apollo for his victory, brought him to Rome, and had him put to death.
In the fourth persecution, (an. 162,) it is mentioned that many Christian soldiers were found in the army of Marcus Aurelius.
"As these aforesaid were going to their execution, there was a certain soldier who in their defence took
part against those who railed upon them, for the which cause the people crying out against him, he was apprehended, and being constant in his profession, was forthwith beheaded."
In the persecutions of Decius, several soldiers are Cor. He would not see my death. I'm glad he's mentioned as martyrs, some of whom had before con
Say I inquired for him, and say I bless'd him.
-Now I am ready. Earthly friends are gone.
Angels and blessed spirits, to your fellowship
A few short pangs will bring me.
-O, Thou, who on the cross for sinful men
A willing sufferer hung'st! receive my soul!
Almighty God and sire, supreme o'er all!
Pardon my sins and take me to thyself!
Accept the last words of my earthly lips:
High hallelujah to thy holy name !
cealed their faith; and in the tenth persecution, Mauritius, the captain of the Theban band, with his soldiers, to the number of 6666, (a number probably greatly exaggerated,) are recorded as having been slain as martyrs by the order of Maximinian.
Tertullian, in his Apology for the Christians, mentions the slanderous accusations against them, of putting to death children and worshipping an ass's head. And when we consider how fond the ignorant are of excitement arising from cruel, absurd, and wonderful stories, and how easily a misapprehended and detached expression may be shaped by conjecture into a detailed transaction, such accusations were very probable and (A Lion now appears, issuing from a low door might be naturally expected; particularly when the at the end of the Stage, and Cordenius, advan-unoffending meekness of their behaviour made supposed cing to meet it, enters the Arena, when Orceres hidden atrocities more necessary for the justification of from a lofty stand amongst the spectators, sends an arrow from his bow, which pierces Cordenius through the heart. He then disappears, and re-entering below, catches hold of his hand as Sylvius supports him from falling to the ground.)
Orc. (to Cordenius.) Have I done well, my Is there a man, that from some lofty steep,
friend?-this is a death
More worthy of a Roman.
I made a vow in secret to my heart,
Views in his wide survey the boundless deep, When its vast waters, lined with sun and shade, Wave beyond wave, in seried distance, fade To the pale sky;-or views it, dimly seen, The shifting screens of drifted mist between As the huge cloud dilates its sable form, When grandly curtain'd by th' approaching storm,Says that thou hast done well; though words no Who feels not his awed soul with wonder rise
That thou shouldst ne'er be made a mangled sight
For gazing crowds and Nero's ruthless eye.
Syl. That dying look, which almost smiles upon
thee,
To Him whose power created sea and skies, May pass from these closed lips, whose last bless'd Mountains and deserts, giving to the sight
Was the soul's purest and sublimest impulse.
The wonders of the day and of the night? But let some fleet be seen in warlike pride, (The curtain drops.) | Whose stately ships the restless billows ride,
While each, with lofty masts and brightening sheen
Of fair spread sails, moves like a vested queen ;-
Or rather, be some distant bark, astray,
Seen like a pilgrim on his lonely way,
Holding its steady course from port and shore,
A form distinct, a speck, and seen no more,-
How doth the pride, the sympathy, the flame,
Of human feeling stir his thrilling frame!
O Thou! whose mandate dust inert obey'd!
With heavy sigh and look depress'd,
The greatest men will sometimes hear
The story of their acts address'd
To the young stranger's wandering ear,
And check the half-swoln tear.
Is it or modesty or pride
Which may not open praise abide ?
No; read his inward thoughts! they tell,
His deeds of fame he prizes well.
What is this creature man whom thou hast made !" But, ah! they in his fancy stand,
On Palos' shore, whose crowded strand
Bore priests and nobles of the land,
And rustic hinds and townsmen trim,
And harness'd soldiers stern and grim,
And lowly maids and dames of pride,
And infants by their mother's side,-
The boldest seaman stood that e'er
Did bark or ship through tempest steer;
And wise as bold, and good as wise;
The magnet of a thousand eyes,
That on his form and features cast;
His noble mien and simple guise,
In wonder seem'd to look their last.
A form which conscious worth is gracing,
A face where hope, the lines effacing
Of thought and care, bestow'd, in truth,
To the quick eyes' imperfect tracing
The look and air of youth.
II.
Who, in his lofty gait, and high
Expression of th' enlighten'd eye,
Had recognised in that bright hour
The disappointed suppliant of dull power,
Who had in vain of states and kings desired
The pittance for his vast emprise required ?—
The patient sage, who, by his lamp's faint light,
O'er chart and map spent the long silent night?
The man who meckly fortune's buffets bore,
Trusting in One alone, whom heaven and earth
adore ?
Another world is in his mind,
Peopled with creatures of his kind,
With hearts to feel, with minds to soar,
Thoughts to consider and explore;
Souls, who might find, from trespass shriven,
Virtue on earth and joy in heaven.
"That power divine, whom storms obey,"
(Whisper'd his heart,) a leading star,
Will guide him on his blessed way;
Brothers to join by fate divided far.
Vain thoughts! which heaven doth but ordain
In part to be, the rest, alas! how vain!
But hath there lived of mortal mould,
Whose fortunes with his thoughts could hold
An even race? Earth's greatest son
That e'er earn'd fame, or empire won,
Bath but fulfill'd, within a narrow scope,
A stinted portion of his ample hope.
As relics of a blighted band,
Who, lost to man's approving sight,
Have perish'd in the gloom of night,
Ere yet the glorious light of day
Had glitter'd on their bright array.
His mightiest feat had once another,
Of high imagination born,—
A loftier and a nobler brother,
From dear existence torn;
And she for those, who are not, steeps
Her soul in wo,-like Rachel, weeps.
The signal given, with hasty strides
The sailors climb'd their ships' dark sides;
Their anchors weigh'd; and from the shore
Each stately vessel slowly bore.
High o'er the deeply shadow'd flood,
Upon his deck their leader stood,
And turn'd him to the parted land,
And bow'd his head and waved his hand
And then, along the crowded strand,
A sound of many sounds combined,
That wax'd and waned upon the wind,
Burst like heaven's thunder, deep and grand
A lengthen'd peal, which paused, and then
Renew'd, like that which loathly parts,
Oft on the ear return'd again,
The impulse of a thousand hearts.
But as the lengthen'd shouts subside,
Distincter accents strike the ear,
Wafting across the current wide,
Heart-utter'd words of parting cheer:
"O! shall we ever see again
Those gallant souls recross the main ?
God keep the brave! God be their guide!
God bear them safe through storm and tide
Their sails with favouring breezes swell!
O brave Columbus! fare thee well!"
From shore and strait, and gulf and bay,
The vessels held their daring way,
Left far behind, in distance thrown
All land to Moor or Christian known,
Left far behind the misty isle,
Whose fitful shroud, withdrawn the while,
Shows wood and hill and headland bright
To later seamen's wondering sight,
And tide and sea left far behind
That e'er bore freight of human kind;
Where ship or bark to shifting gales,
E'er tack'd their course or spread their sails.
Around them lay a boundless main
In which to hold their silent reign;
|