"Without doubt to-day some pilgrim Roweth to this island shore."

"Without doubt to-day some pilgrim Roweth to this island shore."

Theatre--Seventeenth Century--Pedro Calderón de la Barca--Saint Patrick's Purgatory

"SCENE VIII. THE ENTRANCE OF A CONVENT — AT THE END THE CAVE OF PATRICK..."

Pedro Calderón de la Barca, 1600-1681

Barca, Pedro Calderón de la, The Purgatory of St. Patrick, trans. by Denis Florence MacCarthy, Act III, Scene VIII

Henry S. King & Co., London

1873

Digitised for Project Gutenberg

Public domain

Collected Plays

Spanish (English trans.)

Play

Text

DD_0064

54.6083, -7.8714

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6371

"SCENE VIII. THE ENTRANCE OF A CONVENT — AT THE END THE CAVE OF PATRICK. Two Canons Regular; afterwards Luis. FIRST CANON. See, the waters of the lake Move although no breeze doth blow: Without doubt to-day some pilgrim Roweth to this island shore. SECOND CANON. Come unto the strand to see Who can be so brave and bold As to seek our gloomy dwelling, Crossing the dark waters o'er. [Enter LUIS. LUIS. Here my boat, my coffin, rather, On the billows I bestow. Who his sepulchre has ever Steered, as I, through fire and snow? What a pleasant spot is this! Here has Spring, methinks, invoked Flowers of high and low degree To assemble at her court. But this dismal mountain here, How unlike the plain below! Yet they are the better friends By the contrasts that they show. there the mournful birds of prey Hoarsely croak, presaging woe, Here the warblers in their joy Charm us with their tuneful notes. There the torrents leaping headlong Fright us with their frenzied roar, Here the crystal streamlets gliding Mirror back the sun's bright gold. Half way 'twixt that ugliness And this beauty, I be hold A plain building whose grave front Fear and love at once provokes. FIRST CANON. Happy wanderer, who here Hast arrived with heart so bold, Come unto my arms. LUIS. The ground That you tread on suits me more. Oh, for charity conduct me To the Prior of your fold, To the Abbot of this convent." (Act III, Scene VIII)

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