The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Volume 3 of 8. The Countess Cathleen. The Land of Heart's Desire. The Unicorn from the Stars

JOHNNY

We have got candles here, Father. We had them to put around his body. Maybe they would keep away the evil things of the air.

PAUDEEN

Light them so, and he will say out a Mass for him the same as in a lime-washed church.

    [They light the candles.

THOMAS comes in

THOMAS

Where is he? I am come to warn him. The destruction he did in the night-time has been heard of. The soldiers are out after him and the constables – there are two of the constables not far off – there are others on every side – they heard he was here in the mountain – where is he?

FATHER JOHN

He has gone up the path.

THOMAS

Hurry after him! Tell him to hide himself – this attack he had a hand in is a hanging crime. Tell him to hide himself, to come to me when all is quiet – bad as his doings are, he is my own brother’s son; I will get him on to a ship that will be going to France.

FATHER JOHN

That will be best, send him back to the Brothers and to the wise Bishops. They can unravel this tangle, I cannot. I cannot be sure of the truth.

THOMAS

Here are the constables, he will see them and get away. Say no word. The Lord be praised that he is out of sight.

Constables come in

CONSTABLE

The man we are looking for, where is he? He was seen coming here along with you. You have to give him up into the power of the law.

JOHNNY

We will not give him up. Go back out of this or you will be sorry.

PAUDEEN

We are not in dread of you or the like of you.

BIDDY

Throw them down over the rocks!

NANNY

Give them to the picking of the crows!

ALL

Down with the law!

FATHER JOHN

Hush! He is coming back. [To Constables.] Stop, stop – leave him to himself. He is not trying to escape, he is coming towards you.

PAUDEEN

There is a sort of a brightness about him. I misjudged him calling him a traitor. It is not to this world he belongs at all. He is over on the other side.

MARTIN

[Standing beside the rock where the lighted candles are.]

Et calix meus inebrians quam præclarus est!

FATHER JOHN

I must know what he has to say. It is not from himself he is speaking.

MARTIN

Father John, Heaven is not what we have believed it to be. It is not quiet, it is not singing and making music, and all strife at an end. I have seen it, I have been there. The lover still loves but with a greater passion, and the rider still rides but the horse goes like the wind and leaps the ridges, and the battle goes on always, always. That is the joy of Heaven, continual battle. I thought the battle was here, and that the joy was to be found here on earth, that all one had to do was to bring again the old wild earth of the stories – but no, it is not here; we shall not come to that joy, that battle, till we have put out the senses, everything that can be seen and handled, as I put out this candle. [He puts out candle.] We must put out the whole world as I put out this candle [puts out another candle]. We must put out the light of the stars and the light of the sun and the light of the moon [puts out the rest of the candles], till we have brought everything to nothing once again. I saw in a broken vision, but now all is clear to me. Where there is nothing, where there is nothing – there is God!

CONSTABLE

Now we will take him!

JOHNNY

We will never give him up to the law!

PAUDEEN

Make your escape! We will not let you be followed.

[They struggle with Constables; the women help them; all disappear struggling. There is a shot. MARTIN stumbles and falls. Beggars come back with a shout.

JOHNNY

We have done for them, they will not meddle with you again.

PAUDEEN