Tales from Blackwood Volume Ii Part 8

"His back is up," said Joe Macgillicuddy, "and there's no use of trying to get it down. I am sorry he is gone, because I should have made him pay for another round."

But he was gone, not to return again--and the story remains unknown.

Yea, as undiscoverable as the hieroglyphical writings of the ancient Egyptians. It exists, to be sure, in the breast of Harlow; but there it is buried, never to emerge into the light of day. It is lost to the world--and means of recovering it, there, in my opinion, exist none.

The world must go on without it, and states and empires must continue to flourish and to fade without the knowledge of what it was that Humphries told Harlow. Such is the inevitable course of events.

For my part, I shall be satisfied with what I have done in drawing up this accurate and authentic narrative, if I can seriously impress on the minds of my readers the perishable nature of mundane affairs--if I can make them reflect that memory itself, the n.o.blest, perhaps the characteristic, quality of the human mind, will decay, even while other faculties exist--and that, in the words of a celebrated Lord of Trade and Plantations, of the name of John Locke, "we may be like the tombs to which we are hastening, where, though the bra.s.s and marble remain, yet the imagery is defaced, and the inscription is blotted out for ever!"

THE ENCHANTER FAUSTUS AND QUEEN ELIZABETH.

ANECDOTE EXTRACTED PROM THE DOCTOR'S UNPUBLISHED MEMOIRS.

"I do not say it is possible--I only say it is true."

[_MAGA._ AUGUST 1822.]

Elizabeth was a wonderful princess for wisdom, learning, magnificence, and grandeur of soul. All this was fine,--but she was as envious as a decayed beauty--jealous and cruel--and that spoiled all. However, be her defects what they may, her fame had pierced even to the depths of Germany, whence the Enchanter Faustus set off for her court, that great magician wis.h.i.+ng to ascertain by his own wits, whether Elizabeth was as gifted with good qualities as she was with bad. No one could judge this for him so well as himself, who read the stars like his A B C, and whom Satan obeyed like his dog--yet, withal, who was not above a thousand pleasant tricks, that make people laugh, and hurt no one: such, for instance, as turning an old lord into an old lady, to elope with his cook-maid--exchanging a handsome wife for an ugly one, &c. &c.

The Queen, charmed with the pretty things which she heard of him, wished much to see him--and from the moment that she did, became quite fascinated. On his side, he found her better than he had expected; not but that he perceived she thought a great deal too much of her wit--though she had a tolerable share of it; and still more of her beauty--of which she had rather less.

One day that she was dressed with extraordinary splendour, to give audience to some amba.s.sadors, she retired into her cabinet at the close of the ceremony, and sent for the Doctor. After having gazed at herself in all the mirrors in the room, and seeming very well pleased with their reflection,--for her roses and lilies were as good as gold could buy, her petticoat high enough to show her ankle, and her frill low to expose her bosom,--she sat down _en att.i.tude_, in her great chair. It was thus the Enchanter Faustus found her. He was the most adroit courtier that you could find, though you searched the world over. For though there are good reasons why a courtier may not be a conjuror, there are none why a conjuror may not be a courtier; and Faustus, both in one--knowing the Queen's foible as to her imaginary beauty--took care not to let slip so fine an opportunity of paying his court. He was wonderstruck, thunderstruck, at such a blaze of perfection. Elizabeth knew how to appreciate the moment of surprise. She drew a magnificent ruby from her finger, which the Doctor, without making difficulties about it, drew on his.

"You find me then pa.s.sable for a Queen?" said she, smiling. On this he wished himself at the devil (his old resting-place), if, not alone that he had ever seen, but if anybody else had ever seen, either queen or subject to equal her.

"Oh, Faustus, my friend," replied she, "could the beauties of antiquity return, we should soon see what a flatterer you are!"

"I dare the proof," returned the Doctor. "If your Majesty will it--but speak, and they are here."

Faustus, of course, never expected to be taken at his word; but whether Elizabeth wished to see if magic could perform the miracle, or to satisfy a curiosity that had often tormented her, she expressed herself amazingly pleased at the idea, and begged it might be immediately realised.

Faustus then requested her Majesty to pa.s.s into a little gallery near the apartment, while he went for his book, his ring, and his large black mantle.

All this was done nearly as soon as said. There was a door at each end of the gallery, and it was decided that the beauties should come in at one, and go out at the other, so that the Queen might have a fair view of them. Only two of the courtiers were admitted to this exhibition; these were the Earl of Ess.e.x and Sir Philip Sydney.

Her Majesty was seated in the middle of the gallery, with the Earl and the Knight standing to the right and left of her chair. The enchanter did not forget to trace round them and their mistress certain mysterious circles, with all the grimaces and contortions of the time. He then drew another opposite to it, within which he took his own station, leaving a s.p.a.ce between for the actors.

When this was finished, he begged the Queen not to speak a word while they should be on the stage; and, above all, not to appear frightened, let her see what she might.

The latter precaution was needless, for the good Queen feared neither angel nor devil. And now the Doctor inquired what _belle_ of antiquity she would first see.

"To follow the order of time," she answered, "they should commence with HELEN."

The magician, with a changing countenance, now exclaimed, "Sit still!"

Sydney's heart beat quick. The brave Ess.e.x turned pale. As to the Queen, not the slightest emotion was perceptible.

Faustus soon commenced some muttered incantations and strange evolutions, such as were the fas.h.i.+on of the day for conjurors. Anon the gallery shook, so did the two courtiers, and the Doctor, in a voice of anger, called out,

"Daughter of fair Leda, hear!

From thy far Elysian sphere; Lovely as when, for his fee, To Paris Venus promised thee-- Appear--appear--appear!"

Accustomed to command, rather than to be commanded, the fair Helen lingered to the last possible moment; but when the last moment came, so did she, and so suddenly, that no one knew how she got there. She was habited _a la Grecque_,--her hair ornamented with pearls and a superb aigrette. The figure pa.s.sed slowly onwards--stopped for an instant directly opposite the Queen, as if to gratify her curiosity, took leave of her with a malicious smile, and vanished. She had scarcely disappeared when her Majesty exclaimed--"What! that the fair Helen! I don't pique myself on beauty, but may I die if I would change faces with her!"

"I told your Majesty how it would be," remarked the enchanter; "and yet there she is, as she was in her best days."

"She has, however, very fine eyes," observed Ess.e.x.

"Yes," said Sydney, "they are large, dark, and brilliant--but after all, what do they say?" added he, correcting himself.

"Nothing," replied the favourite.

The Queen, who was this day extravagantly rouged, asked if they did not think Helen's tint too _China-white_.

"China!" cried the Earl; "Delf rather."

"Perhaps," continued the Queen, "it was the fas.h.i.+on of her time; but you must confess that such turned-in toes would have been endured in no other woman. I don't dislike her style of dress, however, and probably I may bring it round again, in place of these troublesome hoops, which have their inconveniences."

"O, as to the dress," chimed in the favourite--"let it pa.s.s; it is well enough, which is more than can be said for the wearer."

A conclusion, in which Sydney heartily joined, rhapsodying--

"O Paris, fatal was the hour, When, victim to the blind G.o.d's power, Within your native walks you bore That firebrand from a foreign sh.o.r.e; Who--ah, so little worth the strife!-- Was fit for nothing, but a wife."

"'Od's my life now," said her Majesty, "but I think she looks fitter for anything else, Sydney!--My Lord of Ess.e.x, how think you?"

"As your Majesty does," returned he; "there is a meaning in that eye."

"And a minute past they said there was none," thought Faustus.

This liberal critique on the fair Helen being concluded, the Queen desired to see the beautiful and hopeless Mariamne.

The enchanter did not wait to be twice asked; but he did not choose to invoke a Princess who had wors.h.i.+pped at holy altars in the same manner as he had summoned the fair Pagan. It was then, by way of ceremony, that, turning four times to the east, three to the south, two to the west, and only once to the north, he uttered, with great suavity, in Hebrew--

"Lovely Mariamne, come!

Though thou sleepest far away, Regal spirit! leave thy tomb!

Let the splendours round thee play, Silken robe and diamond stone, Such as, on thy bridal-day, Flash'd from proud Judea's throne."

Scarcely had he concluded, when the spouse of Herod made her appearance, and gravely advanced into the centre of the gallery, where she halted, as her predecessor had done. She was robed nearly like the high-priest of the Jews, except that instead of the Tiara, a veil, descending from the crown of the head, and slightly attached to the cincture, fell far behind her. Those graceful and flowing draperies threw over the whole figure of the lovely Hebrew an air of indescribable dignity. After having stopped for several minutes before the company, she pursued her way,--but without paying the slightest parting compliment to the haughty Elizabeth.

"Is it possible," said the Queen, before she had well disappeared--"is it possible that Mariamne was such a figure as that?--such a tall, pale, meagre, melancholy-looking affair, to have pa.s.sed for a beauty through so many centuries!"

"By my honour," quoth Ess.e.x, "had I been in Herod's place, I should never have been angry at her keeping her distance."

"Yet I perceived," said Sydney, "a certain touching languor in the countenance,--an air of dignified simplicity."