Works of Thomas Hardy discussion
Poetry
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The Lost Pyx: A Mediaeval Legend
Glossary for "The Lost Pyx: A Mediaeval Legend"pyx - a small container, usually metal, used to carry consecrated wafers/host/bread/Eucharist
Cross-and-Hand - a pillar of hard stone, located on Batcombe Hill overlooking Blackmoor Vale, with several legends attached to it.
bale - evil-doing, harm
mystic - with a divine meaning beyond human understanding
Vale-folk - refers to people living around Blackmoor Vale
Cernel's Abbey - in the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, the abbey was completed in 987. This was once a large Benedictine abbey, but only a few buildings and the cemetery remain today. It is now called Cerne Abbey.
dell - a hollow; usually a partially-wooded valley
cot - cottage or small homestead
waste - barren or uncultivated land
shrive - hear a confession and grant forgiveness
Visage - face (divine since it is capitalized)
smote - hit hard
High-Stoy - a hill in Dorset
Bubb-Down - a hill in West Dorset
in hail - near enough to hear a shout or see a signal
Abbey - referring to the Cerne Benedictine Abbey, and probably the Sherborne Abbey. (The Cerne Abbey is 2.5 miles south of the Cross-and-Hand monolith; the dying man and the Sherborne Abbey are north of the monolith.)
copse - an area of densely growing small trees
nigh and nigher - close and closer
Vessels - containers for liquids (probably containing the anointing oil for the Last Rites since it is capitalized)
Blessed Sacrament - Christian sacrament that commemorates Jesus Christ's Last Supper
dolorous - involving sorrow or pain
pelf - money, riches
Body of Christ - consecrated Eucharistic wafer/host/bread
vill - small medieval rural land unit, comparable to a parish, manor, or village
brakes - brushwood, briars, thicket of ferns
conies - rabbits
ireful - angry
coppice - a small group of trees growing very close to each other
Blessed Mary - mother of Jesus
sprite - in folklore, a ghost or spirit
won place - gained a position or job
There are many religious and medieval English words in the poem. Feel free to ask questions about words that may not be part of your tradition, or expand on the definitions I found of these words.
The Cross-and-Hand PillarThe Cross-and-Hand pillar has many stories associated with it, and Thomas Hardy used some folktales in the poem, "The Lost Pyx: A Mediaeval Legend," and in the novel, "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." The pillar is in Dorset, located about 2.5 miles north of Cerne Abbey. Both the Bristol and English Channels are visible from the area in clear weather. Some think the pillar might be a phallic symbol, a boundary marker, or a landmark to guide travelers.
In "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," the Cross-and-Hand pillar was described as a "strange rude monolith." Alec D'Urberville told Tess that the pillar was a "Holy Cross" and asked her to "put your hand upon that stone hand, and swear that you will never tempt me."
A shepherd told Tess, "Tis a thing of ill-omen, Miss. It was put up in wuld times by the relations of a malefactor who was tortured there by nailing his hand to a post and afterwards hung. They say he sold his soul to the devil and that he walks at times."
Now we are reading "The Lost Pyx" about a priest traveling on a stormy night to give the Last Rites to a dying man. He loses the pyx containing the Eucharist, and witnesses a miracle as he is searching. The Cross-and-Hand monolith commemorates the site according to a Dorset medieval legend. The poem was published in 1901 in "Poems of the Past and Present."
With folklore, it's difficult to know how much of a legend is true since stories were passed down in an oral tradition. Hardy's mother knew many old legends from the area and passed them down to her son. This medieval legend is fascinating as an expression of religious faith and a belief in miracles.
The Rolling Harbour Gallery has six beautiful photographs of the Cross-and-Hand pillar:
https://rollingharbourlife.uk/2020/11...
Turning it over to the group for comments now.
Interesting poem and legend. Given that it’s thought to be pre-Norman conquest and clearly made of limestone, I think Hardy has used this pillar to his own end! (It looks of Roman origin to my non-archaeological eyes.)However, what ends he has made of this to give us a considerable tale of spiritual belief? Quite impressive, the juxtaposition of the inclement elements of nature that contrast with the mystical calm surrounding the discovery of the Pyx.
It's really a mystery how and why the monolith came to be placed there. It might have had a cross on top which was destroyed. I enjoyed the myths in both Tess and in this poem.I'm glad you mentioned the descriptions of the inclement weather, Boadicea. The wind shrieking and whipping around is one of my favorite parts of the poem.
John led a discussion of "The Oxen" in December. There are similar elements about the wild animals in "The Lost Pyx" and the stabled oxen in the other poem as they kneel in quiet adoration.
Mod
I think this is the first narrative poem we have had, so the discussion of the contents will be interesting :) But just to add to Connie's great intro, I'll add just a bit of background (I live in Dorset for several months of the year.)
Mod
The Cerne Abbas Giant is also there. I explain its history here LINK HERE
Boadicea and Connie - it is sometimes difficult to determine whether something is truly prehistoric, as in the case of the Cerne Abbas Giant, explained in the link. It's entirely possible that there was an even more ancient monument at that site, serving a similar purpose as a marker, but then Christians appropriated it. After all, Early Christians did that with "Christmas Day" itself.
Thomas Hardy's use of "Cernel's Abbey" is archaic. As Connie says is is a ruined Benedictine monastery in Cerne Abbas. Here are the wiki pages for both https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerne_A...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerne_A...
If I find my own photos of these places, I can perhaps upload them and added them to this thread at a later date.
Mod
You can no longer see the hand, which was said to have been
carved on one face. We have about 350 of these crosses across the UK. The pillar of Eliseg (Connie mentioned) said to be 6th century in date, is the best known.
Wayside crosses are were erected during the medieval period, mostly from the 9th to 15th centuries AD. They were partly to reinforce the Christian faith amongst those who passed the cross, and also to mark the way especially in difficult and otherwise unmarked terrain.
Thank you for sharing this poem by Hardy. I found it very peaceful.
Pamela wrote: "Thank you for sharing this poem by Hardy. I found it very peaceful."I'm glad you enjoyed it, Pamela.
Jean's discussion of the area during our reading of Tess of the D’Urbervilles has a wealth of information about the area.There are more beautiful photos of Cerne Abbey at UK Southwest's website:
https://www.uksouthwest.net/dorset/ce...
Hardy does not specify which abbey is the nearby abbey in his poem, but it may be Sherborne Abbey which was a Benedictine abbey until 1539. The history of the abbey and some photos are on UK Southwest's website:
https://www.uksouthwest.net/dorset/sh...
Mod
It is a 20 minute drive between the two abbeys: Cerne Abbey and Sherborne Abbey. So Cerne Abbey is a more likely place for the priest to have come from on foot, though perhaps both are referenced?
"From the Abbey north of Blackmore Vale
To the Abbey south thereof."
Elsewhere, whenever Thomas Hardy talks of Sherborne, his invented name for the town itself is "Sherton Abbas". It's clear what he liked about it!
The priest is starting from Cerne Abbey, and traveling north by foot. In the seventh stanza, it seems like the priest could not see well in the dark night between the two abbeys, or hear anything except the howling winds. Sherborne Abbey seems the most likely location for the second abbey since it was in existence then.There seemed not a holy thing in hail,
Nor shape of light or love,
From the Abbey north of Blackmore Vale
To the Abbey south thereof.
Mod
"The Lost Pyx: A Mediaeval Legend" is a traditional or folk ballad and follows the usual rhymed (ABCB) quatrains. Traditional ballads have an unknown narrator who is not part of the story. They can narrate a tragic, comic, or heroic story with emphasis on a central dramatic event. The miracle is the central event in this ballad.Ballads often have internal rhymes as well which helped oral storytellers or folk singers remember the story. In this poem Hardy uses many internal rhymes. For example, in stanza three:
One night in his cell at the foot of yon dell
The priest heard a frequent cry:
"Go, father, in haste to the cot on the waste,
And shrive a man waiting to die."
There are internal rhymes of cell/dell and haste/waste.
The StormEarly in the poem, the priest is reluctant to venture out into the storm. But after dreaming that "a Visage seemed to frown from Heaven at him," he arose to make the long trip over the hills in a raging storm to see the dying man.
Hardy uses various poetic devices to give a vivid account of the storm so we can hear and feel the wind:
"The night howls" in stanza 4 uses Personification.
". . . the storm shrieked shrill,
And smote as in savage joy" and
"trees twanged" in stanza 6 use Alliteration (s, t) and Onomatopoeia (a word phonetically resembles the sound it describes).
Mod
And the trees "twanging" makes me think of strings being plucked on a instrument - those very thin branches perhaps being whipped about and vibrating. As well as the trees "twanging" we also have the alliterative "tempest tossed". It all helps to conjure the atmosphere (and aid memory, as Connie said).
Great analysis!
Some say the spot is banned; that the pillar Cross-and-HandAttests to a deed of hell;
But of else than of bale is the mystic tale
That ancient Vale-folk tell.
With the foreboding atmosphere conjured up in the opening verse I was expecting a Gothic tale along the lines of The Highwayman or The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I was surprised at the turn it took halfway through and it immediately put me in mind of The Oxen poem we recently covered.
Connie wrote: "In "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," the Cross-and-Hand pillar was described as a "strange rude monolith." Alec D'Urberville told Tess that the pillar was a "Holy Cross" and asked her to "put your hand upon that stone hand, and swear that you will never tempt me..."I'm discovering in this group that there are cross references in Hardy's poetry to Tess of the D’Urbervilles. As I remember very little of it, I'm inspired to read it again!
Connie wrote: "There are more beautiful photos of Cerne Abbey at UK Southwest's website..."
I'm not usually one for churches but I was struck by this image. Stunning.
Bionic Jean wrote: "I do love the idea of the night "howling"!And the trees "twanging" makes me think of strings being plucked on a instrument - those very thin branches perhaps being whipped about and vibrating. As..."
This was the first time I ever thought of trees twanging, and I loved the expression. I was thinking of thin birch trees being whipped around by the wind because my childhood home had some on the property.
Jane wrote: "Some say the spot is banned; that the pillar Cross-and-HandAttests to a deed of hell;
But of else than of bale is the mystic tale
That ancient Vale-folk tell.
With the foreboding atmosphere con..."
After reading the other myths in "Tess," I also was expecting a violent tale and loved the miraculous ending in this poem. It definitely resembles "The Oxen" when the animals kneel in adoration. Thanks for sharing your observations, Jane.
Jane wrote: "Connie wrote: "In "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," the Cross-and-Hand pillar was described as a "strange rude monolith." Alec D'Urberville told Tess that the pillar was a "Holy Cross" and asked her to ..."If you read "Tess" again, be sure to read the excellent commentary by Jean and the group. Jean spent months finding information and illustrations to share with the group.
Jane wrote: "Connie wrote: "There are more beautiful photos of Cerne Abbey at UK Southwest's website..."I'm not usually one for churches but I was struck by this image. Stunning."
Yes, it is a gorgeous photo! I've always loved the look of large stone buildings - old churches and old university buildings - although they must be terribly expensive to repair and heat.
Mod
And thank you 😊 I kept wishing I was back in Dorset when I prepared all that.
I am struck now by a mental image of birch trees.
Bionic Jean wrote: "They are usually decidedly chilly inside, even with a little heating! Congregations keep their coats on.And thank you 😊 I kept wishing I was back in Dorset when I prepared all that.
I am struck ..."
I hope your dog gets more comfortable with cars so you can visit Dorset again, Jean. It looks like a lovely area in the photos!
Bionic Jean wrote: "Wayside crosses are were erected during the medieval period, mostly from the 9th to 15th centuries AD. They were partly to reinforce the Christian faith amongst those who passed the cross, and also to mark the way especially in difficult and otherwise unmarked terrain..."Thank you. Jean. This really deepens my appreciation of this piece (and interesting in general!). I've barely seen any of England outside of London and I very much regret that now. I'm enjoying the immersive experience this group is providing me and I plan to read your post about the Cerne Abbas Giant when I reread Tess.
The Trek Over Difficult TerrainStanzas 8 and 9
Yet he plodded thence through the dark immense,
And with many a stumbling stride
Through copse and briar climbed nigh and nigher
To the cot and the sick man's side.
When he would have unslung the Vessels uphung
To his arm in the steep ascent,
He made loud moan: the Pyx was gone
Of the Blessed Sacrament.
The priest travels by foot over miles of hills and valleys "through the dark immense." Hardy shows us how difficult the journey is by his choice of words.
The priest didn't just walk. Hardy wrote that "he plodded . . . with many a stumbling stride . . . and climbed nigh and nigher."
The terrain was challenging, going "through copse and briar" and involved a "steep ascent."
Some vessels of anointing oil were carried on a chain around the neck (but others could be carried in a small bag). The priest "would have unslung the Vessels uphung" in a nice internal rhyme.
The Pyx is a container for carrying consecrated wafers, hosts, or bread to the sick. Most are small round metal containers, but some may be more elaborate. Wikipedia shows examples of some of the containers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyx
I enjoyed the myth/folktale at the heart of this poem. Thanks Connie!And thanks for all the wonderful supporting material Connie and Jean! I had figured out most of the words - I was thinking "bale" was along the lines of "baleful," which it was. But "in hail" for some reason I was having trouble with until I read your glossary. :)
I grew up Catholic and was an altar boy as a child if you can believe it. I've seen many pyx. The priest used to bring the host in a pyx to my father in the hospital before he died.
Catholics believe in the transubstatiation of the bread, where the host becomes the actual, literal body of Christ at consecration. So the host itself is held holy. That is why there are special places for storing consecrated host. I suppose the priest in the poem here would be Anglican but comes from the same root tradition, or perhaps as the title indicates a "Mediaeval Legend," the priest is actually Catholic? Either way, I can well imagine the horror of having lost the pyx full of consecrated host . . . as well as this lovely mythology of the animals gathered around it. I find that myth very touching.
In the church I belong to now, like most protestants they don't believe in the transubstantiation, so it is quite different. Certain women and men of the church bake homemade loaves for the communion and in communion services, the congregants tear off pieces of bread from the main loaf. It is much more mundane but also lovely in it's own way . . . the congregational sharing and the shared celebration of the sign/symbol/memory. It has a great intimacy, and that intimacy has its own sort of simpler, more homely holiness.
Thanks for your comments, Greg. The priest in this poem would have been Catholic (in the Benedictine order) since the events happened before King Henry VIII shut down the Catholic abbeys.I'm not a churchgoer now, but my parents were very religious Catholics. So this poem did bring back memories of elementary school mainly taught by nuns. I also have memories of the priest visiting my father in his last days. The poem was chosen for its connection with Tess of the D’Urbervilles which we just read.
As you have mentioned, it was a disturbing thing to have lost the pyx. Since the priest was a man of deep faith, he was very distressed to find it was gone. He faced an enormous task of trying to find it by retracing his steps.
Hardy gives the reader an intense picture of the emotional and physical state of the troubled priest in stanzas 10 and 11. He uses strong alliterative phrases:
"dolorous dread"
"he beat his head"
"hands groping the ground"
"head in a heat of shame"
I thought the poem was written with a lot of empathy for the priest, and a respect for those who have been passing down this medieval myth.
Thanks to all for their comments on this poem, it also resonates with my recent reading of The Mayor of Casterbridge albeit in slightly different circumstances. He’s really good at creating ominous surroundings in terms of both nature and character. I must find my copy of Tess and catch up with you all!
Boadicea wrote: "Thanks to all for their comments on this poem, it also resonates with my recent reading of The Mayor of Casterbridge albeit in slightly different circumstances. He’s really good at creating ominous..."The Mayor of Casterbridge sounds like a compelling read, Boadicea. I hope you will check out Jean's commentary when you read Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
The Ray of LightTill here on the hill, betwixt vill and vill,
He noted a clear straight ray
Stretching down from the sky to a spot hard by,
Which shone with the light of day.
In Stanza 12, Hardy describes the light as "a clear straight ray." It reminded me a bit of the star guiding the Magi.
The Dorset Ancestors web page has a version of the myth where the light is described as "a pillar of fire." Usually fire is more associated with the Holy Spirit in religious works, artwork, and literature. Since myths were passed down orally, it's not unusual to have several versions of the same story.
"In 1889 the Revd. C.R. Baskett related a legend, which he credited to a Mrs Cockeram “whose whole life was spent near Batcombe Hill, and whose memory was stored with Dorset legends.”
The legend has it that back in the middle ages, one dark and stormy winter’s night the Batcombe priest was called out to administer holy communion to a man close to death. Taking pyx and his service book the priest set off travelling through the storm across Batcombe Down to the sick man’s house. On arriving he found that he had dropped the pyx on the way and so he ventured forth back into the storm faced with the hopeless task of finding it.
Back on Batcombe Down he saw a pillar of fire reaching from heaven to earth and shining in the night. He could make out cattle kneeling in a circle around the pyx and the steady beam of light. According to Mrs Cockeram the stone is all that remains of a cross that was set up here. Hardy’s poem ‘The Lost Pyx’ is based on this legend."
https://dorset-ancestors.com/?p=1464
Mod
Stanzas 8 and 9
.."
Connie, thank you so much for choosing a narrative poem. I very much enjoyed reading it, and all the comments.
I'm glad you pointed out the rhyme pattern (ABCB) and the internal rhyme pattern. I was struck by the third line of Stanza nine:
When he would have unslung the Vessels uphung
To his arm in the steep ascent,
He made loud moan: the Pyx was gone
Of the Blessed Sacrament.
The internal rhyming pattern is broken as "moan" and "gone" don't rhyme, and I'm wondering if Hardy did that on purpose. Perhaps he wanted to draw the reader's attention to this line because it represents a dramatic moment int he poem. After this line is where the atmosphere turns from dark and stormy towards the peace of the ray of light and the reverent animals.
I might be wrong, but when I first read the poem, the change in the rhyme made me pause for a moment before continuing on.
Bridget, "moan" and "gone" would be considered a half rhyme or slant rhyme. The consonant sound at the end "n" is the same, but the vowel sound is different. Hardy did not use full internal rhymes in every line since that could be a bit "sing-songy" in a long poem. It's also difficult to always find the perfect rhyming word and half rhymes give the poet more choices of words.Another notable poetic technique in that line is Caesura, a stop or pause in the middle of a line of poetry. The punctuation, the colon, makes the reader stop, notice the word "moan," and slow down during the line.
That was a good catch noticing how Hardy emphasized this line. There is definitely a change of mood when we go to the peaceful conclusion of the poem.
Adoration and PeaceStanzas 13-15
And gathered around the illumined ground
Were common beasts and rare,
All kneeling at gaze, and in pause profound
Attent on an object there.
'Twas the Pyx, unharmed 'mid the circling rows
Of Blackmore's hairy throng,
Whereof were oxen, sheep, and does,
And hares from the brakes among;
And badgers grey, and conies keen,
And squirrels of the tree,
And many a member seldom seen
Of Nature's family.
Hardy paints a beautiful "picture in words" of the animals in adoration. It's been mentioned before that it is similar to the scene in "The Oxen."
He shows that we should be still focusing on the Pyx by the use of caesura, using punctuation in the middle of the line so we slow down at the stressed syllable Pyx:
'Twas the Pyx, unharmed 'mid the circling rows
The Quiet WindsStanza 16
The ireful winds that scoured and swept
Through coppice, clump, and dell,
Within that holy circle slept
Calm as in hermit's cell.
Hardy uses personification of the winds which slept.
There are also many quiet sounds in this stanza - "s" and "c which sounds like s." Words like scoured, swept, circle, slept, cell start with an s sound. Winds and hermit's end with an s sound. The feeling is peaceful, calm, and quiet.
Gosh, I’m learning so much in this discourse which I never knew. Thanks thanks for educating me, so much better than my detested English lessons in long past school days!
Boadicea wrote: "Gosh, I’m learning so much in this discourse which I never knew. Thanks thanks for educating me, so much better than my detested English lessons in long past school days!"There was plenty of information about the pillar and abbeys online, but nothing about the poem. I'm just giving my impressions, and love it when other people join in with theirs.
Mod
Thanks Connie. I had forgotten the terms half or slant rhyme and Caesura. Once I read your post the lessons from my college poetry class came back.
Bridget wrote: "Connie wrote: "Bridget, "moan" and "gone" would be considered a half rhyme or slant rhyme. The consonant sound at the end "n" is the same, but the vowel sound is different. Hardy did not use full i..."The Poetry Foundation has hundreds of poetic terms, but I only know a few basics. I found their site to be a good resource to check on terms I learned long ago.
A Positive EndingStanzas 18-19
And turning straight with his priceless freight,
He reached the dying one,
Whose passing sprite had been stayed for the rite
Without which bliss hath none.
And when by grace the priest won place,
And served the Abbey well,
He reared this stone to mark where shone
That midnight miracle.
The grateful priest reached the dying man in time to give him the Last Rites. The poem gives the impression that the man was holding on to life until the priest arrived.
I added the term "won place" to the glossary. (It's not associated with horse racing!) We know from stanza 2 that the priest had been appointed to the position of sub-prior at the abbey. He commemorated this miracle by marking the site with the pillar.
Mod
I don't think Protestants here believe in transubstantiation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transub.... At Holy Communion, Protestants here use communion wafers instead of bread, and they are a holy symbol of the body of Christ (as Greg said), not a literal one. The communion wine is to represent Christ's blood. In Baptist and Methodist Churches non-alcoholic wine is used.
The dissolution of the monasteries, when greedy Henry VIII made himself head of the Church of England so that Anglicanism was the religion of England and not Catholic, was between 1536 and 1541. Here's wiki on it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolu...
Many Catholics were persecuted over the years.
It's hard to imagine the private Hell that priest in the poem will have been going through, when he believed he had lost a sacred pyx.
Thank you again Connie, for choosing and leading this poem. I have really enjoyed it and learned a lot! Like Bridget I was pleased to read a narrative poem for a change, and you have taken us through the structure and detail perfectly. I'm looking forward to your choice for tomorrow 😊
Jean, you mentioned the word "censers" in your first paragraph. In the Catholic Church, that would be a covered incense holder. The incense is lit and the censer is swung on the chains. I've only seen incense used in a church for important occasions, not as part of a visit to the sick.The wine is blessed in a chalice and drunk by the priest. I've rarely seen drinking of wine at Communion by parishioners unless it's a special Mass for a small group. A communal Communion cup could lead to the spread of disease. Small disposable cups are safe, but create more plastic waste in the world especially if the congregation is large. Small paper cups could be a good choice since they are biodegradable. I have seen Catholic priests dip each host in the chalice of wine, or just give their parishioners the plain host.
Religious traditions are fascinating, and Hardy did his research well. I also admire how skillful he was as a poet.
Mod
Yes, I just meant that that is the only object I could remember relating especially to the Catholic church! It always looks so strange to me, and nonconformists don't use incense either, or worship the cross. Those who wish to partake in Holy Communion approach the pulpit, take a wafer, and the minister pours the non-alcoholic wine into individual tiny cups or glasses as they kneel.
I was surprised that Catholics have a special word for the communion cup, (although I had heard of a chalice too). Yes, since this was all outside Thomas Hardy's experience, it show how well-read he was.
Since I'm a night owl, I'll post another poem late tonight, Jean. This thread is still open for discussion of "The Lost Pyx," and I would enjoy hearing any other thoughts about the poem.
Mod
Actually, at my mom's Catholic church in Arizona in the US, they still used three or four chalices for communion wine at every service all the way up until covid. Everyone drank from the same cups, but a altar boy or the priest wiped the edge of the cup with a cloth between each person drinking. The chalices were very special and gold colored metal with enamel inlays. They also used censers quite often where the altar boys would walk the aisles with them, swinging them on chains, though I have never seen that in Catholic churches in California. I don't go to Catholic churches here often but I have visited some masses.I think since covid they have been doing things differently, but I don't know as my mom now usually watches church on tv as she's not as spry as she once was.
Greg wrote: "Actually, at my mom's Catholic church in Arizona in the US, they still used three or four chalices for communion wine at every service all the way up until covid. Everyone drank from the same cups,..."It seems like the priests have some latitude in how Mass is celebrated, and Covid brought on many changes. I've also noticed that some really like incense, and other priests hardly ever use it which is better for people with allergies. It's good that your mother is staying safe, although people do miss the social contact when they watch church services on TV or the computer.
I am new to the group. I love literature but have never learned to love poetry. I have been on a self-taught path for the last year or so - at least one poem a day to try to understand but I am not far enough along to say worthwhile things about Hardy's poetry. So I will be a lurker and a learner during this phase of reading poetry. Thanks in advance for letting me lurk. peace, janz
Works of Thomas Hardy
Books mentioned in this topic
Complete Poems of Thomas Hardy (other topics)The Mayor of Casterbridge (other topics)
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (other topics)
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (other topics)
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Thomas Hardy (other topics)Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Some say the spot is banned; that the pillar Cross-and-Hand
Attests to a deed of hell;
But of else than of bale is the mystic tale
That ancient Vale-folk tell.
Ere Cernel's Abbey ceased hereabout there dwelt a priest,
(In later life sub-prior
Of the brotherhood there, whose bones are now bare
In the field that was Cernel choir).
One night in his cell at the foot of yon dell
The priest heard a frequent cry:
"Go, father, in haste to the cot on the waste,
And shrive a man waiting to die."
Said the priest in a shout to the caller without,
"The night howls, the tree-trunks bow;
One may barely by day track so rugged a way,
And can I then do so now?"
No further word from the dark was heard,
And the priest moved never a limb;
And he slept and dreamed; till a Visage seemed
To frown from Heaven at him.
In a sweat he arose; and the storm shrieked shrill,
And smote as in savage joy;
While High-Stoy trees twanged to Bubb-Down Hill,
And Bubb-Down to High-Stoy.
There seemed not a holy thing in hail,
Nor shape of light or love,
From the Abbey north of Blackmore Vale
To the Abbey south thereof.
Yet he plodded thence through the dark immense,
And with many a stumbling stride
Through copse and briar climbed nigh and nigher
To the cot and the sick man's side.
When he would have unslung the Vessels uphung
To his arm in the steep ascent,
He made loud moan: the Pyx was gone
Of the Blessed Sacrament.
Then in dolorous dread he beat his head:
"No earthly prize or pelf
Is the thing I've lost in tempest tossed,
But the Body of Christ Himself!"
He thought of the Visage his dream revealed,
And turned towards whence he came,
Hands groping the ground along foot-track and field,
And head in a heat of shame.
Till here on the hill, betwixt vill and vill,
He noted a clear straight ray
Stretching down from the sky to a spot hard by,
Which shone with the light of day.
And gathered around the illumined ground
Were common beasts and rare,
All kneeling at gaze, and in pause profound
Attent on an object there.
'Twas the Pyx, unharmed 'mid the circling rows
Of Blackmore's hairy throng,
Whereof were oxen, sheep, and does,
And hares from the brakes among;
And badgers grey, and conies keen,
And squirrels of the tree,
And many a member seldom seen
Of Nature's family.
The ireful winds that scoured and swept
Through coppice, clump, and dell,
Within that holy circle slept
Calm as in hermit's cell.
Then the priest bent likewise to the sod
And thanked the Lord of Love,
And Blessed Mary, Mother of God,
And all the saints above.
And turning straight with his priceless freight,
He reached the dying one,
Whose passing sprite had been stayed for the rite
Without which bliss hath none.
And when by grace the priest won place,
And served the Abbey well,
He reared this stone to mark where shone
That midnight miracle.