Festus

not he; and thou shalt not say it.
Stars vise and set⁠—rise, set, and rise again
In their sublime-like beauty through all time.
Why should not we, too, ever meet, like them? Lucifer

I see no beauty⁠—feel no love⁠—all things
Are unlovely.

Elissa

O earth! be deaf; and Heaven!
Shut thy blue eye. He doth blaspheme the world.
Dost not love me?

Lucifer

Love thee? Ay! Earth and Heaven
Together could not make a love like mine.

Elissa

When wilt thou come again? To-morrow?

Lucifer

Well.
And then I cross yon sea ere I return;
For I have matters in another land.
Fear not.

Elissa

When will our parting days be over?

Lucifer

Oh! soon⁠—soon! Think of me love, on the waters!
Be happy! and, for me, I love few things more
Than at night to ride upon the broad-backed billow,
Seaing along and plunging on his precipitous path;
While the red moon is westering low away,
And the mad waves are fighting for the stars,
Like men for⁠—what they know not.

Elissa

Scorner!

Lucifer

Saint!

Elissa

The world hath much that’s great; and but one sea,
Which is her spirit; and to her it stands
As the mad monarch passion to the heart⁠—
Fathomless, overwhelming, which receives
The rivers of all feeling; in whose depths
Lie wrecked the riches of all nature. God,
When He did make thee, moved upon thee then,
And left His impress there, the same even now
As when thy last wave leapt from Chaos.⁠—Hark!
Nay, there is some one coming.

Festus

Entering.

It is I.
I said we should be sure to meet thee here:
For I have brought one who would speak with thee.

Lucifer

Thanks! and where is he?

Festus

Yonder. He would not
Come up so far as this.

Lucifer

Who is it?

Festus

I know not
Who he may be, or what; but I can guess.

Lucifer

Remain a moment, love, till I return.

Elissa

Nay⁠—let me leave!

Lucifer

Not yet: do not dislike him.
He is a friend, and⁠—more another time.

Festus

I am sorry, lady, to have caused this parting.
I fear I am unwelcome.

Elissa

We were parting.

Festus

Then am I doubly sorry; for I know
It is the saddest and the sacredest
Moment of all with those who love.

Elissa

He is coming!
So I forgive thee.

Lucifer

I must leave thee, love:
I know not for how long; it rests with thee
If it seem long at all. Eternity
Might pass, and I not know it in thy love.

Elissa

If to believe that I do love thee always
May make time fly the fleeter⁠—

Lucifer

I’ll believe it⁠—
Trust me. I leave this lady in thy charge.

Festus

Be kind⁠—wait on her⁠—may he, love?

Elissa

Thou knowest. I receive him as thy friend
Whenever he come.

Festus

I ask no higher title
Than friend of the lovely and the generous.

Elissa

Farewell!

Festus

Lady! I will not forget my trust.
Apart. The breeze which curls the lake’s bright lip but lifts
A purer, deeper, water to the light;
The ruffling of the wild bird’s wing but wakes
A warmer beauty and a downier depth.
That startled shrink, that faintest blossom-blush
Of constancy alarmed!⁠—Love! if thou hast
One weapon in that shining armoury,
The quiver on thy shoulder, where thou keep’st
Each arrowy eye-beam feathered with a sigh;⁠—
If from that bow, shaped so like Beauty’s lip
Strung with a string of pearls, thou wilt twang forth
Bat one dart, fair into the mark I mean⁠—
Do it, and I will worship thee for ever:
Yea, I will give thee glory and a name
Known, sunlike, in all nations. Heart, be still!

Lucifer

This parting over⁠—

Elissa

Yes, this one⁠—and then?

Lucifer

Why, then another, may be.

Elissa

No⁠—no more.
I’ll be unhappy if thou tell’st me so.

Lucifer

Well, then⁠—no more.

Elissa

But when wilt thou come back?

Lucifer

Almost before thou wishest. He will know.

Elissa

I shall be always asking him. Farewell! Goes.

Lucifer

Shine on, ye stars! and light her to her rest;
Scarce are ye worthy for her handmaidens.
Why, Hell would laugh to learn I had been in love.
I have affairs in Hell. Wilt go with me?

Festus

Yes, in a month or two:⁠—not just this minute.

Lucifer

I shall be there and back again ere then.

Festus

Meanwhile I can amuse myself: so, go!
But sometime I would fain behold thy home,
And pass the gates of fire.

Lucifer

And so thou shalt.
My home is everywhere where spirit is.
All things are as I meant them. Fare thee well. Goes.

Festus

The strongest passion which I have is honour:
I would I had none: it is in my way.

XXII

Scene⁠—Everywhere.

	Lucifer and Festus.
Festus	Why, earth is in the very midst of Heaven! And space, though void of things, feels full of God. Hath space no limit?
Lucifer	None to thee. Yet, if Infinite, it would equal God; and that To think of is most vain.
Festus	And yet if not Infinite how can God exist therein?
Lucifer	I say not.
Festus	No. So soon when placed beside The infinite the poor immortal fails.
Lucifer	Space is God’s space: Eternity is His Eternity; His, Heaven. He only holds Perfections which are but the impossible To other beings.
Festus	We are things of time.
Lucifer	With God time is not. Unto Him all is Present Eternity. Worlds, beings, years, With all their natures, powers, and events, The range whereof when making He ordains, Unfold themselves like flowers. He foresees Not, but sees all at once. Time must not be Contrasted with Eternity: ’tis not A second of the everlasting year. Perfections although infinite with God, Are all identical; as much of Him⁠— And holy is His mercy, merciful His wisdom, wise His love, and kind his wrath⁠— As form, extension, parts, are requisites Of matter. Spirit hath no parts. It is One substance, whole and indivisible, Whatever else. Souls see each other clear At one glance, as two drops of rain in air Might look into each other, had they life. Death does away disguise. Even here I feel Among these mighty things, that, as I am, I am akin to God;⁠—that I am part Of the use universal, and can grasp Some portion of that reason in the which The whole is ruled and founded;⁠—that I have A spirit nobler in its cause and end, Lovelier in order, greater in its powers, Than all