Part 20 (1/2)
Again there is lively applause Tannhauser springs to his feet, the old contemptuousness toward these companions,--co his lip ”Oh, Walther, singing as you have done, how direly have you uors and tio dry! To the glory of God in his exalted distance, gaze at the heavens, gaze at its stars Pay tribute of worshi+p to such marvels, because they pass your comprehension But that which lends itself to human touches, which lies near to your heart and senses, that which, formed of the saainst your side, the tribute called for by that is hearty pleasure of love Enjoyment, I say, is the essence of love!”
At this, which falls upon all ears present with the effect of rank blaspheainst us all Who could be silent hearing you? If your arrogance will vouchsafe to listen, hear, slanderer, h love inspires nity proudly would I pour forth my last blood For the honour of wohtly sword,--but that which your youth is pleased to call pleasure is cheap enough and worth no single blow!” The audience cheer hiood blade!” Tannhauser can no longer contain hiain quite as it used to be, when never could he live at peace with these purblind tortoises, dull of wit to the point of as, pass judgment upon others What can there be but warfare forever between higed minstrel should take it upon himself to instruct Heinrich Tannhauser, pupil of Venus, in matters of love! His retort coh the for his words to chords of the peaceful harp: ”Ha, fond braggart, Biterolf! Is it you, singing about love, grim wolf? But you can hardly have meant that which I hold worthy to be enjoyed What, you poverty-stricken wight--what pleasure of love may have fallen to your share? Not rich in love your life has been! And such joys asyour path, indeed, were hardly worthy of a blow!”--”Let him not be allowed to finish!+ Forbid his insolence!” cry the incensed nobles, who had suffered Biterolf's personal attack, but find insufferable this of the over-splendid, over-bearing, over-confident youth Biterolf's sword has leaped frorave orders it back ”Preserve peace, you singers!”
A hush falls as Wolfraain He had sacrificed every selfish hope to serve both Elizabeth and Tannhauser, had e is plainly terrible to hione in the last rievous subversion He has been wounded to the soul by the bold and profane tone of Tannhauser's argument
His sensibility detects an atood and pious knight he is forced to array hionism to the Carnal Love he has just heard exalted ”Oh, Heaven, hear s, a pale flainably, his cheek and eye; ”Let me see evil banished frohest Love, let elic beauty have penetrated deep into er frouide us toward the regions where immortally shi+nes your star!”
Tannhauser, exasperated, reckless, frenzied with that te lessoned, losing sight of all but one thing, that it shall be proved to the about love to him, the lover of the very Goddess of Love, seizes his harp, his sword in this duel, and breaks forth in his i we heard in the heart of her Hill, when he celebrated her at her own bidding, in conclusion begging so lamely for his dis resound! Loud shall your praises now be sung by me!
Your sweet beauty is the source of all that is beautiful, and every lovely low has enfolded you in his arms, he knows, and he alone, what love is! Oh, you poor-spirited, who have never tasted love, go,--to the Hill of Venus repair!”
The last words have the effect of a thunder-clap, in the consternation they produce Tannhauser in the drunkenness of his pride had forgotten what this revelation wouldsojourn in the pagan underworld, where his otten, apparently, how the Christian world regarded such commerce with it as his words betrayed Thatin the distance was in popular thinking the very ante-chamber of hell; its pleasures, paid in the world to come with eternal damnation, were rewarded in this world with excommunication and death One who had frequented it was sin-polluted, sin-drenched, he poisoned the air with sin
All shrink back at his announcement as from a leper The wohbourhood
It is like a flight of gorgeous birds The ht is to immolate him, cleanse the earth of the inexpressible blot upon it that he is ”He has luxuriated in the pleasures of hell! He has dwelled in the Hill of Venus! Abominable! Accursed!
Bathe your swords in his blood! Hurl him back into the fiery lake!”
Tannhauser stands with draord facing theirtoward him, his doom seems sealed,--when Elizabeth's body is found interposed shi+eld-wise between him and their swords
Their hands are necessarily stayed ”What do we see?” their wondering question runs, ”What? Elizabeth? The chaste virgin protecting the sinner?”--”Back!” the h at this pass, ”or I shall not regard death! What are wounds from your swords beside the death-stroke I have received froht of this aspect of his action; the pride relaxes suddenly that had stiffened hiues with her, and the others add their voices to his, ”What must I hear? How has your heart allowed itself to be stultified, that you should attempt to save from punishment the man who, added to all else, has so dreadfully betrayed you?”--”What does it matter about me?” she cries; ”But he--his soul's salvation!
Would you rob him of his soul's eternal salvation?” He has cast away all chance of that, they affirain salvation
The curse of Heaven is upon hi approach, she spreads her arms resolutely before hie authority ”Back froes! Cruel ones, cast froive heed to the word of the stainless virgin!
Learn through me what is the will of God The unhappy man whom a potent dreadful enchanth repentance and expiation in this world? You who are so strong in the pure faith, do you apprehend so ill the h? Would you take away the hope of the sinner?
State then rong he has done to you Behold me, the maiden, whose blossom he shattered with a swift blow, , and whose heart he pierced with a jubilant laugh I plead for him, I plead for his life! Let his feet be turned into the path of penitence Let the courage be restored to him of the faith that for him too the Saviour died!” In a spasm of realisation and self-horror the unhappy Tannhauser hides his face and sinks to the earth The angry lords have calel descended from Heaven to announce the holy will of God Who could persist in violence after hearing the supplications of an angel?
Tannhauser has coht of that heavenly goodness, of what he has been, what he has done Sapped of its pride, his spirit grovels helplessly in the lowest depths of abasement ”To lead the sinner to salvation, the God-sent came to me, but I, alas, to touch her impiously, I lifted upon her eyes of vice Oh, Thou, far above the vale of earth, who didst send to el of salvation, have noble wrong to the rave decides upon the course to be taken An abouise the accursed son of sin has slipped into theirthem he may not remain, the displeasure of Heaven already lowers upon this roof which too long has covered hi hie of it to his welfare! Nuion on pilgrireat Pardon
The older have left already; the younger are still gathering in the valley Let Tannhauser join theo with them to the Holy City, fall upon his knees and do penance for his sin Let him cast himself before him who speaks the decrees of God upon earth, entreat his blessing, and never return if he fail to obtain it For if their vengeance stay its hand at the prayer of an angel, their swords will not fail to reach him if he continue in his sin The chant coathering for departure: ”At the great feast of peace and pardon, humbly confess your sins Blessed is the firh contrition and penance”
A ray of hope illumines Tannhauser's face He starts up from his knees, and with a wild cry, ”To Rome!” rushes forth froain when the valley all green and blossoht of it has assu at sunset comes upon Elizabeth prostrate in prayer at the foot of the road-side shrine He watches her with eyes of profoundest compassion ”Full well did I know that I should find her here, as so often I find her, when in lonely wandering I descend frohts to the valley With death in her heart frouish, night and day she prays--Oh, eternal strength of a holy love!--for his rederi, their ho the pardoned? That is her question, that her continual prayer Oh, if her wound is such as cannot be healed, yet let alleviation be vouchsafed to it!”
The chant dawns upon the distance of the returning pilgrims Elizabeth rises to her feet, wan and worn and frail ”It is their song,--they are co heart, she calls upon the saints and prays them to instruct her in her part, that she riht; they pass, as earlier, in front of the i their voices in an anthem of solemn joy Elizabeth looks into the face of every one of them as they pass They have defiled before her to the last He is not aht, their last Halleluyah dies
Elizabeth falls at the Virgin's feet, and, with the fervour of one who is praying for very life, prays for death ”All-powerful Virgin, hearwomen, I appeal! I bow in the dust before thee, oh, take el, fit to enter thy blessed kingdom If ever, possessed by a fond insanity, my heart was turned fro, took root in me,--with a thousand pains I have striven to kill it in my heart But if I cannot wholly atone for that fault, do thou mercifully condescend to me, that I may with humble salutation approach thee, made worthy to becorace for his sin, only to implore thine intercession for his sin!” She is very woman to her last breath, the saint She has failed on earth to gain the coveted sign of pardon for hi with the others can onlythe pardoned; it e at all She renounces him before Heaven, as if by that sacrifice to propitiate the powers above, and desires to be given entrance through death to that higher court where she still el, with better effect She rises from prayer with the appearance of one upon whom already the hand of death is laid Wolfram, who notes her feeble step and bloodless cheek, whose faithful heart understands all, solicitous for her, asks if be esture and shake of the head she declines, and he watches her solitary figure slowly ascending the path toward the castle, until it has disappeared froht
A mortal sadness is upon him, but a sadness mild as his nature This poet can at the darkest pass still turn his sorrows into song With song he now tries to administer to his oppressed heart consolation
He feels softly along the strings of his harp His thoughts are full of Elizabeth, his soul apprehends what journey her soul is preparing for The terror of it, as well as the hope illu darkening scene, over which now breaks the light of the evening star ”Like the preht envelops the land, enfolds the valley in a dusky garhts, shrinks froht and terrors Then do you appear, O loveliest aht afar Your beloved beanly you show us the way out of the valley Oh, you, ladly,--do you greet, when she rises past you, on her way froel beyond the stars, do you greet her fro ti at the setting star,his harp express the emotions he has not the heart anystar goes out
A shape in ragged pilgriri were scarcely possible without, from terrible weariness, approaches thewayfarer speaks to hiht suchthus alone?” Wolfraure ”Who I ah You are Wolfrahly-accomplished minstrel!”--”Heinrich!” cries Wolfra voice,--with the scorn of which is led so rim is returned under different conditions fros you in this neighbourhood? Speak! Are you so bold as, unabsolved, to have let your feet take the road to this region?”--”Be without fear,for you nor any of your tribe