Classic Poem

SCENE THE SEVENTEENTH.

The Imperial Council Chamber.

THE TSAR THE PATRIARCH BASMANOFF. SHOUTSKY. BOYARDS

THE TSAR .

And dare a monk unfrocked, a runaway,
Against us lead his lawless troops, and write
To us his threat'ning letters insolent?
'Tis time this mad adventurer we crushed.
Thou, Troubetskoy, and thou, Basmanoff, see,
My faithful Voyevodes are helped at once:
Relieve the towns and citizens that now
By rebel forces are besieged.

BASMANOFF .

My liege,
Give but three months, and men, I swear by God,
Shall have forgot the name of this base rogue.
Like some show-beast, in foreign country caught,
In iron cage to Moscow will we bring him;
And this I swear!

THE TSAR .

The Swedish King has late
Proposed alliance close and friendship fast;
But we stand not in need of foreign aid;
His offer I refused. Stchelkaloff, send
Command supreme to all our Voyevodes,
That they the number full of horse and men
Enlist, that each religious house supply
Its quota due. In former times, the monks
Themselves, when danger gloomed the common weal,
Were made to serve, and fought on battle-field,
But we would not disturb their holy life,
And bid them keep their cells and pray for us:
Such is the will of Tsar and his Boyards.
And now remains one point we must decide:
You know, the saucy rogue has far and wide
His wild and lying story shameless spread,
By speech and letter, cunningly conceived;
On ev'ry side distrust and fear has sown;
In our squares we hear strange murmurs of revolt;
The minds of men are stirred, they must be calmed.
I would the hour of punishment severe
Forestall, but how? We must at once decide.
I pray thee, father, first thy counsel give.

PATRIARCH

Blest be the King of Kings, that He hath sown
Within thy soul, oh dread and mighty Tsar,
Sweet mercy's seed, God's best and chiefest gift!
Nor sinner's death deserved wouldst thou decree,
But, rather, wait till he his error sees;
For it will pass, and righteous truth shine forth,
And lighten all. Thy faithful priest and monk,
Though knowing naught of earthly things and use,
With help of God, presumes to give advice.
This son of evil born, and pervert curst,
Has won, in Dmitry's guise, the people's love;
Like thief in stolen cope, he wears the name
And rank august of the Tsarevitch dead.
That robe we tear from off him, and himself,
Shall be revealed in all his naked shame
And God has sent the means we should employ:
For know, great Tsar, what happed six years ago,
In that same year when thou wert called by God
To rule and guide our orphaned, bleeding land.
In evening hour there came by chance to me
A shepherd plain, in years most reverend,
Who told this story of a marvel strange.

" Whilst yet a child, with blindness I was struck, "
He said, " and from that hour till ripe age,
Nor day nor night I knew; in vain I sought
The aid of herbs, or charms of secret power;
In vain I made my vows, and lowly prayed
Before the shrines of wonder-working saints;
In vain I bathed at sacred wells and streams
My darkened eyes with waters that give life:
The Lord withheld His healing hand of grace
And in the end I lost all hope, nay, grew
Accustomed to the mist that hemmed me round.
And mystic shapes now ceased to haunt my dreams,
Though oft I heard strange sounds. And once, in sleep
Profound, I heard a childish voice that cried:
Arise, old man, to Uglitch make thy way,
And in cathedral-church, before my tomb,
Repeat thy vows, for God is merciful,
And I will add my helping prayers to thine.
But who art thou? I asked the childish voice.
I am Tsarevitch Dmitry, whom in love
The Lord hath called to join His Angel choir,
And now I am a wonder-working saint:
Go, friend, be healed! And when I woke, methought,
May be, His gift deferred of love He sends;
I go! And straight the distant way I made,
To Uglitch came, and in cathedral-church
Heard mass. My soul unearthly joy did stir,
And tears I shed of sweetness such, it seemed
As if my blindness fell away with them.
And when the church was emptied quite, I said:
Grandson Ivan, conduct me to the grave
Of the Tsarevitch Dmitry. And the boy
Me thither led, and ere my murmured prayer
Was finished half, mine eyes were filled with light:
I saw God's world, my grandson, and the tomb. "

Such, Tsar, the marvel strange the old man told.
I sent some trusty monks to Uglitch straight,
And learned that crowds of sufferers and sick
Have found relief and been to health restored
Before the tomb of young Dmitry murdered.
Now, my advice. Transfer to Kremlin quick,
The sacred relics lay in solemn state;
And thus the people will be brought to see
The patent falsehood of the godless rogue,
And Prince of Evil scattered into dust.

SHOUISKY .

What man can know the secret thoughts of God?
Not ours to sound the depth of mind divine!
Safe from decay the corpse of saintly youth
He can preserve and power unearthly grant;
But none the less with care and patient zeal
Should we pursue the common rumours vague;
Nor find it fit in times of discontent
And riotous revolt to lose our heads
In puzzling out these mysteries profound.
Will men not say, we holy things convert
To tools wherewith to gain a worldly end?
By false reports the people now are stirred,
Made eager to accept each novel tale;
It is not wise to feed the hungry flame
With wonders fresh and marvels yet more strange.
I grant, we must expose the baseless claim,
Uproot the lies, of this bold monk unfrocked:
But we have simpler, surer means at hand.
And if, great Tsar, thou wilt permission give,
I will myself before the people come,
Will speak to them, show how they have been duped,
Convince them of this vain and idle cheat.

THE TSAR .

Let it be so. And, holy father mine,
Forthwith we will withdraw to my own rooms;
I would in private speak with thee to-day.

FIRST BOYARD .

Didst thou remark, good friend, the Tsar grew pale,
Whilst drops of thickest sweat stood on his face?

SECOND BOYARD .

I do confess, I durst not raise my eyes,
Scarce dared to breathe, much more, to move or stir.

FIRST BOYARD .

'Tis Shouisky alone that rescued us.