Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (153 page)

JULIAN.
Ah, through whom? through whom? I myself wrote at once to the Emperor and told him everything, but —

HELENA.
Well — and how did he answer?

JULIAN.
As usual. You know his ominous silence when he means to strike a blow.

HELENA.
I believe you misinterpret all this. It must be so. You will see that his envoy will soon assure you of —

JULIAN.
I am assured, Helena! Here, in my bosom, I have some intercepted letters, which —

HELENA.
Oh, Lord my God, let me see!

JULIAN.
By-and-by.
[He walks up and down
.
And all this after the services I have rendered him! I have put a stop to the inroads of the Alemanni for years to come, whilst he himself has suffered defeat after defeat on the Danube, and the army in Asia seems to make no way against the Persians. Shame and disaster on all sides, except here, where he placed a reluctant philosopher at the head of affairs. Yet none the less am I the scorn of the court. Even after the last great victory, they have lampooned me, and called me Victorinus. This must come to an end.

HELENA.
So I, too, think.

JULIAN.
On such terms, what is the title of Caesar worth?

HELENA.
No; you are right, Julian; things cannot go on thus!

JULIAN.
[Stopping.
Helena, could you follow me?

HELENA.
[Softly.]
Have no fear for me; I will not fail you.

JULIAN.
Then away from all this thankless toil; away to the solitude I have sighed for so long — !

HELENA.
What do you say? Solitude!

JULIAN.
With you, ray beloved; and with my dear books, that I have so seldom been able to open here, save only on my sleepless nights.

HELEN (
looking him down from head to foot.]
Ah, that is what you mean!

JULIAN.
What else?

HELENA.
Ay,
truly; what else?

JULIAN.
Yes, yes — I ask, what else?

HELENA.
[Corning nearer.]
Julian — how did the barbarian king hail you?

JULIAN.
[Shrinking.]
Helena!

HELENA.
[Still nearer.]
What was the name that echoed through the ranks of the legions?

JULIAN.
Rash woman; there may be an eavesdropper at every door!

HELENA.
Why should you fear eavesdroppers? Is not God’s grace upon you? Have you not been victorious in every encounter? — I see the Saviour calling upon you; I see the angel with the flaming sword, who cleared the way for my father when he drove Maxentius into the Tiber!

JULIAN.
Shall I rebel against the ruler of the empire?

HELENA.
Only against those who stand between you. Oh, go, go; smite them with the lightning of your wrath; put an end to this harassing, joyless life! Gaul is an outer wilderness. I am so cold here, Julian! I pine for home, for the sunshine of Rome and Greece.

JULIAN.
For home and your brother?

HELENA.
[Softly.]
Constantius is but a wreck.

JULIAN.
Helena!

HELENA.
I can bear it no longer, I tell you. Time is flying. Eusebia is gone; her empty seat invites me to honour and greatness, while I am ageing —

JULIAN.
You are not ageing; you are young and fair!

HELENA.
No, no, no! Time speeds; I cannot bear this patiently; life slips away from me!

JULIAN.
[Gazing at her.]
How temptingly beautiful, how divine you are!

HELENA.
[Clinging to him
j Am I so indeed, Julian?

JULIAN.
[Embracing her
.] You are the only woman I have loved, — the only one who has loved me.

HELENA.
I am older than you. I will not age still more. When all is over, then ——

JULIAN.
[Tearing himself away.]
Hush! I will hear no more.

HELENA.
[Following him.]
Constantius is dying by inches; he hangs by a hair over the grave. Oh, my beloved Julian, you have the soldiers on your side —

JULIAN.
No more, no more!

HELENA.
He can bear no agitation. What is there, then, to recoil from? I mean nothing bloody. Fie, how can you think so? The terror will be enough; it will fold him in its embrace and gently end his sufferings.

JULIAN.
Do you forget the invisible bodyguard around the Lord’s anointed?

HELENA.
Christ is good. Oh, be pious, Julian, and He will forgive much. I will help. Prayers shall go up for you. Praised be the saints! Praised be the martyrs! Trust me, we will atone for everything later. Give me the Alemanni to convert; I will send out priests among them; they shall bow under the mercy of the cross.

JULIAN.
The Alemanni will not bow.

HELENA.
Then they shall die! Like sweet incense shall their blood rise up to Him, the blessed One. We will magnify His glory; His praise shall be made manifest in us. I myself will do my part. The women of the Alemanni shall be my care. If they will not bow, they shall be sacrificed! And then, my Julian — when next you see me — ; young, young once more! Give me the women of the Alemanni, my beloved! Blood—’twould be no murder, and the remedy is a sovereign one — a bath of young virgins’ blood —

JULIAN.
Helena, the thought is crime!

HELENA.
Is it crime to commit crime for your sake?

JULIAN.
You beautiful, you peerless one!

HELENA.
[
Bowing herself down over his hands.]
My lord before God and men! — Draw not back this time, Julian! My hero, my Emperor! I see heaven open. Priests shall sing praises to Christ; my women shall assemble in prayer. [
With upraised arms.]
Oh, thou blessed One! Oh, thou God of Hosts, — thou, in whose hand lie grace and victory —

JULIAN.
[
With a look towards the door
,
exclaims
:] Helena!

HELENA.
Ah!

THE CHAMBERLAIN EUTHERIUS.
[
From the back.]
My lord, the Emperor s emissary —

JULIAN.
Is he come?

EUTHERIUS.
Yes, my lord!

JULIAN.
His name? Who is he?

EUTHERIUS.
The tribune Decentius.

JULIAN.
Indeed? The pious Decentius!

JULIAN.
Has he talked with any one?

EUTHERIUS.
With no one, my lord; he has this moment arrived.

JULIAN.
I will see him at once. And listen; one thing more. Summon the captains and officers to me here.

EUTHERIUS.
It is well, most gracious lord.
[He goes out by the back
.

JULIAN.
Now, my Helena, now we shall see —

HELENA.
[Softly.]
Whatever happens, forget not that you can trust in the soldiers.

JULIAN.
Ah, trust, trust — ; I am not sure that I can trust in any one.
The
Tribune Decentius
enters from the back.

HELENA.
Meeting him
.] Welcome, noble Decentius! A Roman face, — and, above all, this face, — oh! it sheds genial sunlight over our inclement Gaul.

DECENTIUS.
The Emperor meets your longing and your hope half-way, noble Princess! We may hope that Gaul will not much longer hold you in its chains.

HELENA.
Say you so, messenger of gladness? So the Emperor still thinks lovingly of me? How is it with his health?

JULIAN.
Go, go, my beloved Helena!

DECENTIUS.
The Emperor’s health is certainly no worse.

HELENA.
No, surely not? I thought as much. All those alarming rumours — ; God be praised that they were but rumours! Thank him most lovingly, good Decentius! And let me thank you too. What splendid gifts have heralded your coming! Imperial — no, let me say brotherly gifts indeed! Two shining black Nubians, — you should see them, my Julian! — and pearls! See, I am wearing them already. And fruits, — sweet, luscious fruits! Ah, peaches from Damascus, peaches in chalices of gold! How they will refresh me; — fruit, fruit; I am pining away here in Gaul.

JULIAN.
A feast shall end the day; but business first. Go, my precious wife!

HELENA.
I go to the church, — to pray for my brother and for all good hopes.
[She goes out to the right.

JULIAN.
[After an instant’s pause.]
A message, or letters?

DECENTIUS.
Letters. —
[He hands him a roll of paper.

JULIAN.
[Reads, represses a smile, and holds out his hand
.] More!

DECENTIUS.
Noble Caesar, that is well-nigh all.

JULIAN.
Truly? Has the Emperor sent his friend all this long way only to — ?
[He bursts into a short laugh, and then walks up and down.
Had Knodomar, the King of the Alemanni, arrived in Rome ere you left?

DECENTIUS.
Yes, noble Caesar!

JULIAN.
And how fares he in the strange land, ignorant as he is of our tongue! For he knows nought of it, Decentius! He was positively a laughingstock to my soldiers. Only think, he mixed up two such common words as Emperor and Caesar.

DECENTIUS.
[Shrugging his shoulders
.] A barbarian. What can one expect?

JULIAN.
No, what can one expect? But the Emperor has received him graciously?

DECENTIUS.
Knodomar is dead, my lord!

JULIAN.
[Stopping suddenly
.] Knodomar dead!

DECENTIUS.
Dead, in the foreigners’ quarters, on the Coelian hill.

JULIAN.
Dead? Indeed! — Ah, the Roman air is unwholesome.

DECENTIUS.
The King of the Alemanni died of home-sickness, my lord! The longing for kindred and freedom —

JULIAN.
 
— wastes a man away, Decentius; yes, yes, I know that. — I should not have sent him living to Rome. I should have had him killed here.

DECENTIUS.
Caesar’s heart is merciful.

JULIAN.
H’m — ! Home-sickness? Indeed!
To the Master of the Horse,
Sintuh,
who enters by the back.
Are you there, old faun? Tempt me no more.
[To
Decentius.] Since the battle at Argentoratum, he is for ever talking to me of the triumphal chariot and the white horses.
[To
Sintula.] ‘Twould be like Phaeton’s career with the Lybian sun-horses. How did that end? Have you forgotten — have you forgotten your heathendom, I had almost said? — Pardon me, Decentius, for wounding your pious ear.

DECENTIUS.
Caesar delights his servant’s ear; he cannot wound it.

JULIAN.
Yes, yes; bear with Caesar’s jesting. In truth I know not how else to take the matter. — Here they are. Severus
and
Florentius,
together with other captains and gentlemen of Caesar s court
,
enter from the back.

JULIAN.
[Advancing to receive them
.] Greeting to you, brothers in arms and friends. Blame me not overmuch for summoning you hither, straight from the dust and toil of the march; truly, I should not have grudged you some hours’ rest; but —

FLORENTIUS.
Has aught of moment happened, my lord?

JULIAN.
Aye, truly. Can you tell me — what was lacking to complete Caesar’s happiness?

FLORENTIUS.
What should be lacking to complete Caesar’s happiness?

JULIAN.
Now, nothing. [
To
Decentius.] The army has demanded that I should enter the city in triumph. They would have had me pass through the gates of Lutetia at the head of the legions. Captive barbarian princes, with pinioned hands, were to march beside my chariot-wheels; women and slaves from twenty conquered peoples were to follow, crowded closely together, head against head —
[Breaking off suddenly.]
Rejoice, my
valiant fellow soldiers; here you see the Tribune Decentius, the Emperor’s trusted friend and councillor. He has arrived this morning with gifts and greetings from Rome.