The Prince of India; Or, Why Constantinople Fell — Volume 01

by Lew Wallace

  CHAPTER II

  THE AUDIENCE

  The sedan was set down before a marble gate on the third terrace.

  "My duty is hardly complete. Suffer me to conduct you farther," theofficer said, politely, as the Prince stepped from the box.

  "And my servants?"

  "They will await you."

  The speakers were near the left corner of a building which projectedconsiderably from the general front line of the Palace. The wall, thegateway, and the building were of white marble smoothly dressed.

  After a few words with Syama, the Prince followed his guide into anarrow enclosure on the right of which there was a flight of steps, andon the left a guard house. Ascending the steps, the two traversed apassage until they came to a door.

  "The waiting-room. Enter," said the conductor.

  Four heavily curtained windows lighted the apartment. In the centrethere were a massive table, and, slightly removed from it, a burnishedcopper brazier. Bright-hued rugs covered the floor, and here and therestools carven and upholstered were drawn against the painted walls. Theofficer, having seen his charge comfortably seated, excused himself anddisappeared.

  Hardly was he gone when two servants handsomely attired came in withrefreshments--fruits in natural state, fruits candied, sweetened bread,sherbet, wine and water. A chief followed them, and, with much humilityof manner, led the Prince to a seat at the table, and invited him tohelp himself. The guest was then left alone; and while he ate and drankhe wondered at the stillness prevalent; the very house seemed in awe.

  Ere long another official entered, and after apologizing forintroducing himself, said: "I am Dean of the Court. In the absence ofmy lord Phranza, it has fallen to me to discharge, well as I can, theduties of Grand Chamberlain."

  The Prince, observant of the scrutinizing glance the Dean gave hisperson, acknowledged the honor done him, and the pleasure he derivedfrom the acquaintance. The Dean ought to be happy; he had great fame inthe city and abroad as a most courteous, intelligent, and faithfulservant; there was no doubt he deserved preeminently the confidence hisroyal master reposed in him.

  "I am come, O Prince," the old functionary said, after thanks for thefriendly words, "to ascertain if you are refreshed, and ready for theaudience."

  "I am ready."

  "Let us to His Majesty then. If I precede you, I pray pardon."

  Drawing the portiere aside, the Dean held it for the other's passage.

  They entered an extensive inner court, surrounded on three sides by agallery resting on pillars. On the fourth side, a magnificent staircaseascended to a main landing, whence, parting right and left, itterminated in the gallery. Floor, stairs, balustrading, pillars,everything here was red marble flooded with light from a circularaperture in the roof open to the sky.

  Along the stairs, at intervals, officers armed and in armor werestationed, and keeping their positions faced inwardly, they seemed likestatues. Other armed men were in the galleries. The silence wasimpressive. Coming presently to an arched door, the Prince glanced intoa deep chamber, and at the further end of it beheld the Emperor seatedin a chair of state on a dais curtained and canopied with purple velvet.

  "Take heed now, O Prince," said the Dean, in a low voice. "Yonder isHis Majesty. Do thou imitate me in all things. Come."

  With this kindly caution the Dean led into the chamber of publicaudience. Just within the door, he halter, crossed hands upon hisbreast, and dropped to his knees, his eyes downcast; rising, he kept onabout halfway to the dais, and again knelt; when near his person'slength from the dais, he knelt and fully prostrated himself. The Princepunctiliously executed every motion, except that at the instant ofhalting the last time he threw both hands up after the manner ofOrientals. A velvet carpet of the accepted imperial color stretchedfrom door to dais greatly facilitated the observances.

  A statuesque soldier, with lance and shield, stood at the left of thedais, a guard against treachery; by the chair, bare-headed,bare-legged, otherwise a figure in a yellow tunic lightly breastplated,appeared the sword-bearer, his slippers stayed with bands of gold, ablade clasped to his body by the left forearm, the hilt above hisshoulder; and spacious as the chamber was, a row of dignitaries civil,military, and ecclesiastical lined the walls each in prescribedregalia. The hush already noticed was observable here, indicative ofrigid decorum and awful reverence. "Rise, Prince of India," the Emperorsaid, without movement.

  The visitor obeyed.

  The last of the Palaeologae was in Basilean costume; a golden circleton his head brilliantly jewelled and holding a purple velvet cap inplace; an overgown of the material of the cap but darker in tint, andbelted at the waist; a mantle stiff with embroidery of pearls hangingby narrow bands so as to drop from the shoulder over the breast andback, leaving the neck bare; an ample lap-robe of dark purple clothsparkling with precious stones covering his nether limbs. The chair wassquare in form without back or arms; its front posts twined andintricately inlaid with ivory and silver, and topped each with a goldencone for hand-rest. The bareness of the neck was relieved by fourstrings of pearls dropped from the circlet two on a side, and drawnfrom behind the ears forward so as to lightly tip the upper edge of themantle. The right hand rested at the moment on the right cone of thechair; the left was free. The attitude of the figure thus presented waseasy and unconstrained, the countenance high and noble, and altogetherthe guest admitted to himself that he had seldom been introduced toroyalty more really imposing.

  There was hardly an instant allowed for these observations. To set hisguest at ease, Constantine continued: "The way to our door is deviousand upward. I hope it has not too severely tried you."

  "Your Majesty, were the road many times more trying I would willinglybrave it to be the recipient of honors and attentions which have madethe Emperor of Constantinople famous in many far countries, and notleast in mine."

  The courtierly turn of the reply did not escape the Emperor. It hadbeen strange if he had not put the character of his guest to question;indeed, an investigation had proceeded by his order, with theinvitation to audience as a result; and now the self-possession of thestranger, together with his answer, swept the last doubt from, theimperial mind. An attendant, responding to a sign, came forward.

  "Bring me wine," and as the servant disappeared with the order,Constantine again addressed his visitor. "You maybe a Brahman or anIslamite," he said, with a pleasant look to cover any possible mistake:"in either case, O Prince, I take it for granted that the offer of adraught of Chian will not be resented."

  "I am neither a Mohammedan, nor a devotee of the gentle son of Maya. Iam not even a Hindoo in religion. My faith leads me to be thankful forall God's gifts to his creatures. I will take the cup Your Majestydeigns to propose."

  The words were spoken with childlike simplicity of manner; yet nowherein these pages have we had a finer example of the subtlety which,characteristic of the speaker, seemed inspiration rather than study. Heknew from general report how religion dominated his host, and on thespur of the moment, thought to pique curiosity with respect to his ownfaith; seeing, as he fancied, a clear path to another audience, withampler opportunity to submit and discuss the idea of UniversalBrotherhood in God.

  The glance with which he accompanied assent to the cup was taken as amere accentuation of gratitude; it was, however, for discovery. Had theEmperor noticed the declaration of what he was not? Did hisintelligence suggest how unusual it was for an Indian to be neither aMohammedan, nor a Brahman, nor even a Buddhist in religion? He saw asudden lifting of the brows, generally the preliminary of a question;he even made an answer ready; but the other's impulse seemed to spenditself in an inquiring look, which, lingering slightly, might mean muchor nothing. The Prince resolved to wait.

  Constantine, as will be seen presently, did observe the negations, andwas moved to make them the subject of remark at the moment; butinordinately sensitive respecting his own religious convictions, heimagined others like himself in that respect, and upon the scruple, forwhich
the reader will not fail to duly credit him, deferred inquiryuntil the visitor was somewhat better understood.

  Just then the cupbearer appeared with the wine; a girlish lad he was,with long blond curls. Kneeling before the dais, he rested a silverplatter and the liquor sparkling on it in a crystal decanter upon hisright knee, waiting the imperial pleasure.

  Taking the sign given him, the Dean stepped forward and filled the twocups of chased gold also on the platter, and delivered them. Then theEmperor held his cup up while he said in a voice sufficiently raisedfor general hearing:

  "Prince of India, I desired your presence to-day the rather todischarge myself of obligations for important assistance rendered mykinswoman, the Princess Irene of Therapia, during her detention at theWhite Castle; a circumstance of such late occurrence it must be stillfresh in your memory. By her account the Governor was most courteousand hospitable, and exerted himself to make her stay in his strongholdagreeable as possible. Something truly extraordinary, considering theforbidding exterior of the house, and the limited means ofentertainment it must have to offer, she declared he succeeded inconverting what threatened to be a serious situation into an adventurereplete with pleasant surprises. A delegate is now at the Castleassuring the Governor of my appreciation of his friendly conduct. Byher account, also, I am bounden to you, Prince, scarcely less than tohim."

  The gravity of the visitor at hearing this was severely attacked. Greatas was his self-control, he smiled at thought of the dilemma theGovernor was in, listening to a speech of royal thanks and receivingrich presents in lieu of his young master Mahommed. When the envoyreturned and reported, if perchance he should describe the Turk whom hefound in actual keeping of the Castle, the discrepancy between hispicture of the man and that of the Princess would be both mysteriousand remarkable.

  "Your Majesty," the Prince returned, with a deprecating gesture, "thestorm menaced me quite as much as the Princess, and calls forconfession of my inability to see wherein I rendered her service freeof regard for myself. Indeed, it is my duty to inform Your Majesty, allthese noble witnesses hearing me, that I am more beholden to your noblekinswoman for help and deliverance in the affair than she can be to me.But for the courage and address, not to mention the dignity and forcewith which she availed herself of her royal relationship, resolvingwhat was at first a simple invitation to refuge into a high treatybetween the heads of two great powers, I and my daughter"--

  "Daughter, said you?"

  "Yes, Your Majesty--Heaven has so favored me--I, my daughter, and myfrightened boatmen would have been committed to the river near theCastle, without recourse except in prayer to Heaven. Nay, Your Majesty,have I permission to say on, Charity had never a sweeter flowering thanwhen the Princess remembered to take the stranger under her protection.I am past the age of enthusiasm and extravagance--my beard and dimmingeyes prove the admission--yet I declare, weighing each word, she hasthe wit, the spirit, the goodness, the loveliness to be the noblest ofqueens to the best of kings; and fails she such choice, it will bebecause destiny has been struck by some unaccountable forgetfulness."

  By this time the courtiers, drawn in from the walls, composed a verybrilliant circle around the throne, each one curious to hear thestranger as he had been to see him; and they were quick to point hislast sentence; for most of them had been with the Emperor in the voyageto Therapia, which was still a theme of wager and wrangle scarcely lessinteresting than in its first hour. By one impulse they ventured aglance at the royal face, seeking a revelation; but the countenance wassteady as a mask.

  "The encomium is well bestowed, and approves thy experience, Prince, asa reader of women," Constantine said, with just enough fervor."Henceforth I shall know the degree of trust to repose in thy judgment,other problems as difficult being in controversy. Nevertheless, is thelady to be believed, then, O Prince, I repeat my acknowledgment ofindebtedness. It pleases me to greatly estimate thy influence and goodjudgment happily exerted. Mayst thou live long, Prince of India, andalways find thyself as now among friends who charge themselves to bewatchful for opportunities to befriend thee."

  He raised the cup.

  "It is Your Majesty's pleasure," the guest replied, and they dranktogether.

  "A seat for the Prince of India," the Emperor next directed.

  The chair, when brought, was declined.

  "In my palace--for at home I exercise the functions of a king--it oftenfalls to me to give audiences; if public, we call them _durbars;_ andthen an inferior may not sit in my presence. The rule, like allgoverning the session, is of my own enactment. I see plainly howgreatly Your Majesty designs to heap me with honors; and if I daredecline this one, it is not from disposition to do a teacher's part,but from habit which has the sanction of heredity, and the argumentself addressed: Shall I despise my own ordinances? God forbid!"

  A murmur from the concourse was distinctly audible, which the Deaninterpreted by repeated affirmative nods. In other words, by thisstroke the able visitor won the court as he had already won its head;insomuch that the most doubting of the doubters would not have refusedto certify him on belief the very Prince of India he claimed to be. TheEmperor, on his part, could not but defer to scruples so cogently andsolemnly put; at the same time, out of his very certainty respectingthe guest, he passed to a question which in probability the reader hasbeen for some time entertaining.

  "The makers of a law should be first to observe it; for having done so,they then have God's license to exert themselves in its enforcement;and when one is found observant of a principle which has root soperceptibly in conscience, to deny him his pleasure were inexcusable.Have thy will, Prince."

  The applause which greeted the decision of His Majesty was hardly outof ear when he proceeded:

  "Again I pray you, Sir Guest--I greatly misapprehend the travellers whotell of India, if the people of that venerable country are not given toceremonials religious as well as secular. Many of our own observancesof a sacred nature are traceable to study and discernment of the goodeffects of form in worship, and since some of them are unquestionablyborrowed from temples of the Pagan gods, yet others may be of Hindooorigin. Who shall say? Wherefore, speaking generally, I should fear toask you to any of our Church mysteries which I did not know were purelyGreek. One such we have this evening. We call it _Pannychides_. Itsprincipal feature is a procession of monastic brethren from the holyhouses of the city and Islands--all within the jurisdiction of ourEastern Church, which, please God, is of broader lines than our State.The fathers have been assembling for the celebration several days. Theywill form in the city at set of sun, throwing the march into the night.Here, within our grounds, more particularly at the door of the Chapelof our Holy Virgin of Blacherne, I will meet them. They will pass thenight in prayer, an army on bended knees, sorrowing for the pains ofour Saviour in Gethsemane. I was uncertain what faith you profess; yet,Prince, I thought--forgive me, if it was an error--a sight of thespirit of our Churchmen as it will be manifested on this occasion mightprove interesting to you; so I have taken the liberty of ordering astand erected for your accommodation at a position favorable towitnessing the procession in movement up the terraces. No one has seenthe spectacle without realizing as never before the firmness of thehold Christ has taken upon the souls of men." The last words startledthe Prince. Christ's hold upon the souls of men! The very thing hewanted to learn, and, if possible, measure. A cloud of thoughts fellabout him; yet he kept clear head, and answered quietly:

  "Your Majesty has done me great kindness. I am already interested inthe Mystery. Since we cannot hope ever to behold God with these mortaleyes, the nearest amend for the deprivation is the privilege of seeingmen in multitudes demonstrating their love of Him."

  Constantine's eyes lingered on the Prince's face. The utterancesattracted him. The manner was so artfully reverential as not to leave asuspicion of the guile behind it. Going down great galleries, every onehas had his attention suddenly arrested; he pauses, looks, and looksagain, then wakes to find the attraction was no
t a picture, but only aflash within his own mind. So, with the guest before him, the Emperorwas thinking of the man rather than seeing him--thinking of him withcuriosity fully awakened, and a desire to know him better. And had hefollowed up the desire, he would have found its source in the idea thatIndia was a region in which reflection and psychological experiment hadbeen exhausted--where if one appeared with a thought it turned old ereit could be explained--where wisdom had fructified until there was noknowledge more--where the teaching capacity was all there wasremaining. That is to say, in the day of the last Byzantine Emperor,centuries ago, humanity in India was, as now, a clock stopped, butstopped in the act of striking, leaving a glory in the air imaginablelike the continuing sound of hushed cathedral bells.

  "Prince," he at length said, "you will remain here until the processionis announced at the Grand Gate. I will then give you a guide and aguard. Our steward has orders to look after your comfort." Turning thento the acting Chamberlain, he added: "Good Dean, have we not a littletime in which to hear our guest further?"

  "Your Majesty, an hour at least."

  "You hear, O Prince? Provided always that it be not to yourdispleasure, tell me what I am to understand by the disclaimer which,broadly interpreted, leaves you either a Jew or a Christian?"