Callista : a Tale of the Third Century

by John Henry Newman

  CHAPTER XXXII.

  THE IMPERIAL RESCRIPT.

  Had the imperial edict been acted on by the magistrates of Sicca, withouta reference to Carthage, it is not easy to suppose that Callista wouldhave persevered in her refusal to commit the act of idolatry required ofher. But, to speak of second causes, the hesitation of her judges was hersalvation. Once baptised, there was no reason she should desire anyfurther delay of her conflict. Come it must, and come it did. WhileCaecilius was placing her beyond danger, the rescript of the Proconsul hadbeen received at the office of the Duumvirs.

  The absence of the Proconsul from Carthage had been the cause of thedelay; and then, some investigation was needed to understand the relationof Callista's seizure to the riot on the one hand, and to the strong actof the military on the other, in quelling it. It was thought thatsomething or other might come to light to account for the anomalous andunaccountable position which she had taken up. The imperial governmentconsidered it had now a clear view of her case, and its orders weredistinct and peremptory. Christianity was to cease to be. It was a subtlefoe, sapping the vitals of the state. Rome must perish, or this illegalassociation. Such evasions as Callista had used were but instances of itscraft. Its treason lay, not in its being Christianity, but in its notsacrificing to the gods of Rome. Callista was but throwing dust in theireyes. There had been no blow struck against the treason in inland Africa.Women had often been the most dangerous of conspirators. As she was astranger, there was more probability of her connection with secretsocieties, and also less inconvenience in her execution. Whateverhappened, she was to be got rid of; but first her resolution was to bebroken, for the sake of the example. First, let her be brought before thetribunal and threatened: then thrust into the Tullianum; then put upon therack, and returned to prison; then scorched over a slow fire; last of all,beheaded, and left for beasts of prey. She would sacrifice ere the laststage was reached. When she had given way, let her be given up to thegladiators. The message ended by saying that the Proconsular Procurator,who came by the same carriages, would preside at the process.

  O wisdom of the world! and strength of the world! what are you whenmatched beside the foolishness and the weakness of the Christian? You aregreat in resources, manifold in methods, hopeful in prospects; but onething you have not,--and that is peace. You are always tumultuous,restless, apprehensive. You have nothing you can rely upon. You have norock under your feet. But the humblest, feeblest Christian has that whichis impossible to you. Callista had once felt the misery of maladies akinto yours. She had passed through doubt, anxiety, perplexity, despondency,passion; but now she was in peace. Now she feared the torture or the flameas little as the breeze which arose at nightfall, or the busy chatter ofthe grasshoppers at the noonday. Nay, rather, she did not think of tortureand death at all, but was possessed by a peace which bore her up, as ifbodily, on its mighty wings. For hours she remained on her knees, afterCaecilius left her: then she lay down on her rushes and slept her lastsleep.

  She slept sound; she dreamed. She thought she was no longer in Africa, butin her own Greece, more sunny and bright than before; but the inhabitantswere gone. Its majestic mountains, its rich plains, its expanse of waters,all silent: no one to converse with, no one to sympathize with. And, asshe wandered on and wondered, suddenly its face changed, and its colourswere illuminated tenfold by a heavenly glory, and each hue upon the scenewas of a beauty she had never known, and seemed strangely to affect allher senses at once, being fragrance and music, as well as light. And therecame out of the grottoes and glens and woods, and out of the seas, myriadsof bright images, whose forms she could not discern; and these came allaround her, and became a sort of scene or landscape, which she could nothave described in words, as if it were a world of spirits, not of matter.And as she gazed, she thought she saw before her a well-known face, onlyglorified. She, who had been a slave, now was arrayed more brilliantlythan an oriental queen; and she looked at Callista with a smile so sweet,that Callista felt she could but dance to it.

  And as she looked more earnestly, doubting whether she should begin ornot, the face changed, and now was more marvellous still. It had aninnocence in its look, and also a tenderness, which bespoke both Maid andMother, and so transported Callista, that she must needs advance towardsher, out of love and reverence. And the lady seemed to make signs ofencouragement: so she began a solemn measure, unlike all dances of earth,with hands and feet, serenely moving on towards what she heard some ofthem call a great action and a glorious consummation, though she did notknow what they meant. At length she was fain to sing as well as dance; andher words were, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of theHoly Ghost;" on which another said, "A good beginning of the sacrifice."And when she had come close to this gracious figure, there was a freshchange. The face, the features were the same; but the light of Divinitynow seemed to beam through them, and the hair parted, and hung down longon each side of the forehead; and there was a crown of another fashionthan the Lady's round about it, made of what looked like thorns. And thepalms of the hands were spread out as if towards her, and there were marksof wounds in them. And the vestment had fallen, and there was a deepopening in the side. And as she stood entranced before Him, andmotionless, she felt a consciousness that her own palms were pierced likeHis, and her feet also. And she looked round, and saw the likeness of Hisface and of His wounds upon all that company. And now they were suddenlymoving on, and bearing something or some one, heavenwards; and they toobegan to sing, and their words seemed to be, "Rejoice with Me, for I havefound My sheep," ever repeated. They went up through an avenue or longgrotto, with torches of diamonds, and amethysts, and sapphires, which litup its spars and made them sparkle. And she tried to look, but could notdiscover what they were carrying, till she heard a very piercing cry,which awoke her.