SEV. Not mine to stain what Heaven hath made so pure! For me one offering left: 'tis this: Endure! Thy glory shall be mine, my load I bear, So, spotless, thou thy peerless crown shalt wear! Farewell, my love, farewell; I go to prove my faith, To bless, to save thy life, so will I mate with death! If prostrate from the blow, there yet remains of life Enough to summon death, and end the piteous strife! PAUL. My grief, too deep for voice, shall silent be, There, in my chamber, will I pray for thee! When thou art gone, great Heaven shall hear my cry; Grief's fruit for thee be hope--death--immortality! SEV. Now with my loss alone let Fate contented be. May Heaven shower bliss and peace on Polyeucte and thee! PAUL. Stern Fate obeyed, end, Death, his agony, And Jove receive my hero--to the sky! SEV. _Thou wast_ my heaven! PAUL. My father I obeyed-- SEV. O victim pure, obedient, undismayed! Pauline--too fair--too dear--I can no more! PAUL. So must I say--depart--where I adore! (Exit Severus.) STRAT. Yes, it is hard--most sad--behold my tears! But now, at least, there is no cause for fears: Thy dream is but a dream--is naught, is vain; Severus pardons. Gone that cause for pain! PAUL. Oh, if from pity start thy easy tear, Add not that other woe--forgotten fear! Ah! let me breathe, some respite give from trouble, Those fears, half-dead, thou dost revive, redouble! STRAT. What dost thou dread? PAUL. Heaven--hell--earth--empty air! All, all is food for dread to my despair, As thou unveil'st, begirt in lurid light, The pallid ghost that slew me in the night! STRAT. Severus he by name, yet noble in his heart! PAUL. Ah, Polyeucte bathed in blood! Depart! depart! STRAT. For Polyeucte's welfare did Severus pray! PAUL. Yes, yes, his heart is great; be that my stay! Yet, tho' his truth, his faith, well-proved be, Most baleful is his presence here to me; Yea, tho' he would all ill for me undo Yet he hath power, he loves--he came to woo. (Enter Polyeucte and Nearchus.) POLY. The source of tears is dry, oh, weep no more, Thy grief lay down, thy fearful heart restore! Let night's dark dream with superstition die, The dream is past, for here in life am I! PAUL. The day is young, and oh, the day is long,-- And half the dream is true, and Fate is strong; Severus have I seen, who thought him dead!