The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats, Vol. 3 (of 8): The Countess Cathleen. The Land of Heart's Desire. The Unicorn from the StarsYeats, W. B. (William Butler)
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The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats, Vol. 3 (of 8): The Countess Cathleen. The Land of Heart's Desire. The Unicorn from the Stars
Yeats, W. B. (William Butler)
English literature -- Irish authors
He did—he took it from you—and how do I know what devil’s message it
may have been that brought him into that devil’s work, destruction and
drunkenness and burnings! That was not a message from heaven! It was
I awoke him, it was I kept him from hearing what was maybe a divine
message, a voice of truth, and he heard you speak and he believed the
message was brought by you. You have made use of your deceit and his
mistaking—you have left him without house or means to support him, you
are striving to destroy and to drag him to entire ruin. I will not help
you, I would rather see him die in his trance and go into God’s hands
than awake him and see him go into hell’s mouth with vagabonds and
outcasts like you!
JOHNNY [_turning to BIDDY_].
You should have knowledge, Biddy Lally, of the means to bring back a
man that is away.
BIDDY.
The power of the earth will do it through its herbs, and the power of
the air will do it kindling fire into flame.
JOHNNY.
Rise up and make no delay. Stretch out and gather a handful of an herb
that will bring him back from whatever place he is in.
BIDDY.
Where is the use of herbs, and his teeth clenched the way he could not
use them?
JOHNNY.
Take fire so in the devil’s name, and put it to the soles of his feet.
[_Takes a lighted sod from fire._
FATHER JOHN.
Let him alone, I say! [_Dashes away the sod._
JOHNNY.
I will not leave him alone! I will not give in to leave him swooning
there and the country waiting for him to awake!
FATHER JOHN.
I tell you I awoke him! I sent him into thieves’ company! I will not
have him wakened again and evil things it maybe waiting to take hold of
him! Back from him, back, I say! Will you dare to lay a hand on me! You
cannot do it! You cannot touch him against my will!
BIDDY.
Mind yourself, do not be bringing us under the curse of the Church.
[_JOHNNY steps back. MARTIN moves._
FATHER JOHN.
It is God has him in His care. It is He is awaking him. [_MARTIN has
risen to his elbow._] Do not touch him, do not speak to him, he may be
hearing great secrets.
MARTIN.
That music, I must go nearer—sweet marvellous music—louder than the
trampling of the unicorns; far louder, though the mountain is shaking
with their feet—high joyous music.
FATHER JOHN.
Hush, he is listening to the music of Heaven!
MARTIN.
Take me to you, musicians, wherever you are! I will go nearer to you;
I hear you better now, more and more joyful; that is strange, it is
strange.
FATHER JOHN.
He is getting some secret.
MARTIN.
It is the music of Paradise, that is certain, somebody said that. It is
certainly the music of Paradise. Ah, now I hear, now I understand. It
is made of the continual clashing of swords!
JOHNNY.
That is the best music. We will clash them sure enough. We will clash
our swords and our pikes on the bayonets of the red soldiers. It is
well you rose up from the dead to lead us! Come on, now, come on!
MARTIN.
Who are you? Ah, I remember—where are you asking me to come to?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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