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Scenes From The Magico Prodigioso: From The Spanish Of Calderon
by
NOTE:
89 me miserable]miserable me editions 1839.
[ENTER DAEMON.]
DAEMON:
Follow, and I will lead thee where he is.
JUSTINA:
And who art thou, who hast found entrance hither,
Into my chamber through the doors and locks?
Art thou a monstrous shadow which my madness
Has formed in the idle air?
DAEMON:
No. I am one 105
Called by the Thought which tyrannizes thee
From his eternal dwelling; who this day
Is pledged to bear thee unto Cyprian.
JUSTINA:
So shall thy promise fail. This agony
Of passion which afflicts my heart and soul 110
May sweep imagination in its storm;
The will is firm.
DAEMON:
Already half is done
In the imagination of an act.
The sin incurred, the pleasure then remains;
Let not the will stop half-way on the road. 115
JUSTINA:
I will not be discouraged, nor despair,
Although I thought it, and although ’tis true
That thought is but a prelude to the deed:–
Thought is not in my power, but action is:
I will not move my foot to follow thee. 120
DAEMON:
But a far mightier wisdom than thine own
Exerts itself within thee, with such power
Compelling thee to that which it inclines
That it shall force thy step; how wilt thou then
Resist, Justina?
NOTE:
123 inclines]inclines to cj. Rossetti.
JUSTINA:
By my free-will.
DAEMON:
I 125
Must force thy will.
JUSTINA:
It is invincible;
It were not free if thou hadst power upon it.
[HE DRAWS, BUT CANNOT MOVE HER.]
DAEMON:
Come, where a pleasure waits thee.
JUSTINA:
It were bought
Too dear.
DAEMON:
‘Twill soothe thy heart to softest peace.
JUSTINA:
‘Tis dread captivity.
DAEMON:
‘Tis joy, ’tis glory. 130
JUSTINA:
‘Tis shame, ’tis torment, ’tis despair.
DAEMON:
But how
Canst thou defend thyself from that or me,
If my power drags thee onward?
JUSTINA:
My defence
Consists in God.
[HE VAINLY ENDEAVOURS TO FORCE HER, AND AT LAST RELEASES HER.]
DAEMON:
Woman, thou hast subdued me,
Only by not owning thyself subdued. 135
But since thou thus findest defence in God,
I will assume a feigned form, and thus
Make thee a victim of my baffled rage.
For I will mask a spirit in thy form
Who will betray thy name to infamy, 140
And doubly shall I triumph in thy loss,
First by dishonouring thee, and then by turning
False pleasure to true ignominy.