the psyche-第3部分

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　　　　One　day；　after　the　lapse　of　many　years；　he　met　Angelo；　who

recognized　him。

　　　　〃Man！〃　exclaimed　Angelo。　〃Yes；　it　is　thou！　Art　thou　happy　now？

Thou　hast　sinned　against　God；　and　cast　away　His　boon　from　thee…　hast

neglected　thy　mission　in　this　world！　Read　the　parable　of　the　intrusted

talent！　The　MASTER；　who　spoke　that　parable；　spoke　the　truth！　What　hast

thou　gained？　What　hast　thou　found？　Dost　thou　not　fashion　for　thyself　a

religion　and　a　dreamy　life　after　thine　own　idea；　as　almost　all　do？

Suppose　all　this　is　a　dream；　a　fair　delusion！〃

　　　　〃Get　thee　away　from　me；　Satan！〃　said　the　monk；　and　he　quitted

Angelo。

　　　　〃There　is　a　devil；　a　personal　devil！　This　day　I　have　seen　him！〃

said　the　monk　to　himself。　〃Once　I　extended　a　finger　to　him；　and　he

took　my　whole　hand。　But　now；〃　he　sighed；　〃the　evil　is　within　me；　and

it　is　in　yonder　man；　but　it　does　not　bow　him　down；　he　goes　abroad　with

head　erect；　and　enjoys　his　comfort；　and　I　grasped　at　comfort　in　the

consolations　of　religion。　If　it　were　nothing　but　a　consolation？

Supposing　everything　here　were；　like　the　world　I　have　quitted；　only

a　beautiful　fancy；　a　delusion　like　the　beauty　of　the　evening　clouds；

like　the　misty　blue　of　the　distant　hills！…　when　you　approach　them；

they　are　very　different！　O　eternity！　Thou　actest　like　the　great　calm

ocean；　that　beckons　us；　and　fills　us　with　expectation…　and　when　we

embark　upon　thee；　we　sink；　disappear；　and　cease　to　be。　Delusion！

away　with　it！　begone！〃

　　　　And　tearless；　but　sunk　in　bitter　reflection；　he　sat　upon　his

hard　couch；　and　then　knelt　down…　before　whom？　Before　the　stone　cross

fastened　to　the　wall？　No；　it　was　only　habit　that　made　him　take　this

position。

　　　　The　more　deeply　he　looked　into　his　own　heart；　the　blacker　did

the　darkness　seem。　…〃Nothing　within；　nothing　without…　this　life

squanderied　and　cast　away！〃　And　this　thought　rolled　and　grew　like　a

snowball；　until　it　seemed　to　crush　him。

　　　　〃I　can　confide　my　griefs　to　none。　I　may　speak　to　none　of　the

gnawing　worm　within。　My　secret　is　my　prisoner；　if　I　let　the　captive

escape；　I　shall　be　his！〃

　　　　And　the　godlike　power　that　dwelt　within　him　suffered　and　strove。

　　　　〃O　Lord；　my　Lord！〃　he　cried；　in　his　despair；　〃be　merciful　and

grant　me　faith。　I　threw　away　the　gift　thou　hadst　vouchsafed　to　me；　I

left　my　mission　unfulfilled。　I　lacked　strength；　and　strength　thou

didst　not　give　me。　Immortality…　the　Psyche　in　my　breast…　away　with

it！…　it　shall　be　buried　like　that　Psyche；　the　best　gleam　of　my　life；

never　will　it　arise　out　of　its　grave！〃

　　　　The　Star　glowed　in　the　roseate　air；　the　Star　that　shall　surely

be　extinguished　and　pass　away　while　the　soul　still　lives　on；　its

trembling　beam　fell　upon　the　white　wall；　but　it　wrote　nothing　there

upon　being　made　perfect　in　God；　nothing　of　the　hope　of　mercy；　of　the

reliance　on　the　divine　love　that　thrills　through　the　heart　of　the

believer。

　　　　〃The　Psyche　within　can　never　die。　Shall　it　live　in

consciousness？　Can　the　incomprehensible　happen？　Yes；　yes。　My　being

is　incomprehensible。　Thou　art　unfathomable；　O　Lord。　Thy　whole　world　is

incomprehensible…　a　wonder…work　of　power；　of　glory　and　of　love。〃

　　　　His　eyes　gleamed；　and　then　closed　in　death。　The　tolling　of　the

church　bell　was　the　last　sound　that　echoed　above　him；　above　the　dead

man；　and　they　buried　him；　covering　him　with　earth　that　had　been

brought　from　Jerusalem；　and　in　which　was　mingled　the　dust　of　many　of

the　pious　dead。

　　　　When　years　had　gone　by　his　skeleton　was　dug　up；　as　the　skeletons

of　the　monks　who　had　died　before　him　had　been；　it　was　clad　in　a

brown　frock；　a　rosary　was　put　into　the　bony　hand；　and　the　form　was

placed　among　the　ranks　of　other　skeletons　in　the　cloisters　of　the

convent。　And　the　sun　shone　without；　while　within　the　censers　were

waved　and　the　Mass　was　celebrated。



　　　　And　years　rolled　by。

　　　　The　bones　fell　asunder　and　became　mingled　with　others。　Skulls　were

piled　up　till　they　formed　an　outer　wall　around　the　church；　and　there

lay　also　his　head　in　the　burning　sun；　for　many　dead　were　there；　and　no

one　knew　their　names；　and　his　name　was　forgotten　also。　And　see；

something　was　moving　in　the　sunshine；　in　the　sightless　cavernous　eyes！

What　might　that　be？　A　sparkling　lizard　moved　about　in　the　skull；

gliding　in　and　out　through　the　sightless　holes。　The　lizard　now

represented　all　the　life　left　in　that　head；　in　which　once　great

thoughts；　bright　dreams；　the　love　of　art　and　of　the　glorious；　had

arisen；　whence　hot　tears　had　rolled　down；　where　hope　and　immortality

had　had　their　being。　The　lizard　sprang　away　and　disappeared；　and　the

skull　itself　crumbled　to　pieces　and　became　dust　among　dust。

　　　　Centuries　passed　away。　The　bright　Star　gleamed　unaltered；

radiant　and　large；　as　it　had　gleamed　for　thousands　of　years；　and　the

air　glowed　red　with　tints　fresh　as　roses；　crimson　like　blood。

　　　　There；　where　once　had　stood　the　narrow　lane　containing　the　ruins

of　the　temple；　a　nunnery　was　now　built。　A　grave　was　being　dug　in　the

convent　garden　for　a　young　nun　who　had　died；　and　was　to　be　laid　in　the

earth　this　morning。　The　spade　struck　against　a　hard　substance；　it

was　a　stone；　that　shone　dazzling　white。　A　block　of　marble　soon

appeared；　a　rounded　shoulder　was　laid　bare；　and　now　the　spade　was

plied　with　a　more　careful　hand；　and　presently　a　female　head　was

seen；　and　butterflies'　wings。　Out　of　the　grave　in　which　the　young

nun　was　to　be　laid　they　lifted；　in　the　rosy　morning；　a　wonderful

statue　of　a　Psyche　carved　in　white　marble。

　　　　〃How　beautiful；　how　perfect　it　is！〃　cried　the　spectators。　〃A　relic

of　the　best　period　of　art。〃

　　　　And　who　could　the　sculptor　have　been？　No　one　knew；　no　one

remembered　him；　except　the　bright　star　that　had　gleamed　for

thousands　of　years。　The　star　had　seen　the　course　of　that　life　on

earth；　and　knew　of　the　man's　trials；　of　his　weakness…　in　fact；　that　he

had　been　but　human。　The　man's　life　had　passed　away；　his　dust　had

been　scattered　abroad　as　dust　is　destined　to　be；　but　the　result　of　his

noblest　striving；　the　glorious　work　that　gave　token　of　the　divine

element　within　him…　the　Psyche　that　never　dies；　that　lives　beyond

posterity…　the　brightness　even　of　this　earthly　Psyche　remained　here

after　him；　and　was　seen　and　acknowledged　and　appreciated。

　　　　The　bright　Morning　Star　in　the　roseate　air　threw　its　glancing

ray　downward　upon　the　Psyche；　and　upon　the　radiant　countenances　of　the

admiring　spectators；　who　here　beheld　the　image　of　the　soul　portrayed

in　marble。

　　　　What　is　earthly　will　pass　away　and　be　forgotten；　and　the　Star　in

the　vast　firmament　knows　it。　What　is　heavenly　will　shine　brightly

through　posterity；　and　when　the　ages　of　posterity　are　past；　the

Psyche…　the　soul…　will　still　live　on！





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。