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LUCIFER。
The honor is mine； or will be when
I have cured your disease。
PRINCE HENRY。
But not till then。
LUCIFER。
What is your illness？
PRINCE HENRY。
It has no name。
A smouldering； dull； perpetual flame；
As in a kiln； burns in my veins；
Sending up vapors to the head；
My heart has become a dull lagoon；
Which a kind of leprosy drinks and drains；
I am accounted as one who is dead；
And； indeed； I think that I shall be soon。
LUCIFER。
And has Gordonius the Divine；
In his famous Lily of Medicine；
I see the book lies open before you；
No remedy potent enough to restore you？
PRINCE HENRY。
None whatever！
LUCIFER。
The dead are dead；
And their oracles dumb； when questioned
Of the new diseases that human life
Evolves in its progress； rank and rife。
Consult the dead upon things that were；
But the living only on things that are。
Have you done this； by the appliance
And aid of doctors？
PRINCE HENRY。
Ay； whole schools
Of doctors； with their learned rules；
But the case is quite beyond their science。
Even the doctors of Salern
Send me back word they can discern
No cure for a malady like this；
Save one which in its nature is
Impossible and cannot be！
LUCIFER。
That sounds oracular！
PRINCE HENRY。
Unendurable！
LUCIFER。
What is their remedy？
PRINCE HENRY。
You shall see；
Writ in this scroll is the mystery。
LUCIFER； reading。
〃Not to be cured； yet not incurable！
The only remedy that remains
Is the blood that flows from a maiden's veins；
Who of her own free will shall die；
And give her life as the price of yours！〃
That is the strangest of all cures；
And one； I think； you will never try；
The prescription you may well put by；
As something impossible to find
Before the world itself shall end！
And yet who knows？ One cannot say
That into some maiden's brain that kind
Of madness will not find its way。
Meanwhile permit me to recommend；
As the matter admits of no delay；
My wonderful Catholicon；
Of very subtile and magical powers！
PRINCE HENRY。
Purge with your nostrums and drugs infernal
The spouts and gargoyles of these towers；
Not me！ My faith is utterly gone
In every power but the Power Supernal！
Pray tell ne； of what school are you？
LUCIFER。
Both of the Old and of the New！
The school of Hermes Trismegistus；
Who uttered his oracles sublime
Before the Olympiads； in the dew
Of the early dusk and dawn of time；
The reign of dateless old Hephaestus！
As northward； from its Nubian springs；
The Nile； forever new and old；
Among the living and the dead；
Its mighty mystic stream has rolled；
So； starting from its fountain…head
Under the lotus…leaves of Isis；
From the dead demigods of eld；
Through long unbroken lines of kings
Its course the sacred art has held；
Unchecked； unchanged by man's devices。
This art the Arabian Geber taught；
And in alembics； finely wrought；
Distilling herbs and flowers； discovered
The secret that so long had hovered
Upon the misty verge of Truth；
The Elixir of Perpetual Youth；
Called Alcohol； in the Arab speech！
Like him； this wondrous lore I teach！
PRINCE HENRY。
What！ an adept？
LUCIFFR。
Nor less； nor more！
PRINCE HENRY。
I am a reader of your books；
A lover of that mystic lore！
With such a piercing glance it looks
Into great Nature's open eye；
And sees within it trembling lie
The portrait of the Deity！
And yet； alas！ with all my pains；
The secret and the mystery
Have baffled and eluded me；
Unseen the grand result remains！
LUCIFER； showing a flask。
Behold it here！ this little flask
Contains the wonderful quintessence；
The perfect flower and efflorescence；
Of all the knowledge man can ask！
Hold it up thus against the light！
PRINCE HENRY。
How limpid； pure； and crystalline；
How quick； and tremulous； and bright
The little wavelets dance and shine；
As were it the Water of Life in sooth！
LUCIFER。
It is！ It assuages every pain；
Cures all disease； and gives again
To age the swift delights of youth。
Inhale its fragrance。
PRINCE HENRY。
It is sweet。
A thousand different odors meet
And mingle in its rare perfume；
Such as the winds of summer waft
At open windows through a room！
LUCIFER。
Will you not taste it？
PRINCE HENRY。
Will one draught
Suffice？
LUCIFER。
If not； you can drink more。
PRINCE HENRY。
Into this crystal goblet pour
So much as safely I may drink；
LUCIFER； pouring。
Let not the quantity alarm you；
You may drink all； it will not harm you。
PRINCE HENRY。
I am as one who on the brink
Of a dark river stands and sees
The waters flow； the landscape dim
Around him waver； wheel； and swim；
And； ere he plunges； stops to think
Into what whirlpools he may sink；
One moment pauses； and no more；
Then madly plunges from the shore！
Headlong into the mysteries
Of life and death I boldly leap；
Nor fear the fateful current's sweep；
Nor what in ambush lurks below！
For death is better than disease！
An ANGEL with an aeolian harp hovers in the air。
ANGEL。
Woe！ woe！ eternal woe！
Not only the whispered prayer
Of love；
But the imprecations of hate；
Reverberate
For ever and ever through the air
Above！
This fearful curse
Shakes the great universe！
LUCIFER； disappearing。
Drink！ drink！
And thy soul shall sink
Down into the dark abyss；
Into the infinite abyss；
From which no plummet nor rope
Ever drew up the silver sand of hope！
PRINCE HENRY； drinking。
It is like a draught of fire！
Through every vein
I feel again
The fever of youth； the soft desire；
A rapture that is almost pain
Throbs in my heart and fills my brain
O joy！ O joy！ I feel
The band of steel
That so long and heavily has pressed
Upon my breast
Uplifted； and the malediction
Of my affliction
Is taken from me； and my weary breast
At length finds rest。
THE ANGEL。
It is but the rest of the fire； from which the air has been
taken！
It is but the rest of the sand； when the hour…glass is not
shaken！
It is but the rest of the tide between the ebb and the flow！
It is but the rest of the wind between the flaws that blow！
With fiendish laughter；
Hereafter；
This false physician
Will mock thee in thy perdition。
PRINCE HENRY。
Speak！ speak！
Who says that I am ill？
I am not ill！ I am not weak！
The trance； the swoon； the dream； is o'er！
I feel the chill of death no more！
At length；
I stand renewed in all my strength
Beneath me I can feel
The great earth stagger and reel；
As if the feet of a descending God
Upon its surface trod；
And like a pebble it rolled beneath his heel！
Th