Domitia by S. Baring-Gould
CHAPTER X.
THE ACCURSED FIELD.
No notice was taken by Domitian of the presence in the palace of themurdered actor's widow. It concerned him in no way, and he allowed theunfortunate woman to remain there, under the care of his wife, and withoutmaking any protest.
Domitia found an interest and a delight in the society of the paralyzedwoman, so simple in mind, gentle in thought, always cheerful, ever serene,who lived in an atmosphere of love and harbored no resentments.
She marvelled at what she saw, but it was to her an unattainablecondition. Her own affections were seared, and a gnawing hate against theman who had blighted her life, and to whom she was tied, ever consumedher.
She was like a dead plant in the midst of spring vegetation. It looks downon the beautiful life about its feet, but itself puts forth no buds, showsno signs of mounting sap.
Every now and then Glyceria approached the topic of the Fish, and themysteries involved in the symbol, but would not disclose them, for she sawthat Domitia, however miserable she felt, however hopeless, was not in aframe of mind to receive and welcome the interpretation. For in her, theone dominating passion was hate--a desire to have her wrongs revenged, anda chafing at her powerlessness to do anything to revenge them.
Her treatment by Domitian was capricious. At one time he neglected her;then he went sometimes out of his way to offer her a slight; at others hemade real efforts to heal the breach between them, and to show her that heloved her still.
But he met with not merely a frosty but a contemptuous reception, thatsent him away, his vanity hurt, and his blood in a ferment.
In her indifference to life, she was able to brave him without fear, andhe knew that if he ordered her to execution she would hail death as awelcome means of escape from association with himself.
His blundering and brutal tyranny was no match for her keen wit cuttinginto him, and maddening him. He revenged himself by a coarse insult or bya side blow at her friends. She was without ambition. Many a woman wouldhave endured his treatment without repining, for the sake of the splendorwith which she could surround herself, and the towering position which sheoccupied. But neither had any attraction for Domitia. The one thing shedid desire, to be left alone in retirement, in the country, that he couldnot, he would not accord her.
Usually, when he was in his splendid villa at Albanum, she elected toremain in Rome, and when he came to the palace on the Palatine, ifpermitted, she escaped to Albanum; but he would not always suffer this.
Thus a wretched life was dragged on, and the heart of Domitia becameharder every day. It would have become as adamant but for the presence ofGlyceria, whom the Empress sincerely loved, and who exercised a subtle,softening and purifying influence on the princess.
Glyceria saw how the Empress suffered, and she pitied her, saw howhopeless the conditions were for improvement; she saw also what was hiddento other eyes, that circumstances were closing round and drawing towards acrisis.
Beyond a certain point Glyceria could effect nothing, once only did shedare to suggest that the Augusta should assume a gentler demeanor towardsthe sovereign of the world, but she was at once cut back with the words:--
"There, Glyceria, I allow no interference. He has wronged me pastendurance. I can never forgive. I have but one hope, I make but oneprayer--and that for revenge."
When Domitian was at Albanum, the Empress enjoyed greater freedom. She wasnot compelled when she went out, to journey in state; and she could makeexcursions into the country as she pleased. The absence of gardens on thePalatine and the throng of servants and officers made it an almostintolerable residence to her, beautiful as the situation was, and splendidas were the edifices on it. Nor was this all. Domitian had not restedcontent with the palaces already erected and crowding the summit of therock,--those of Augustus, of Tiberius, and of Caligula, he must build onehimself, and to find material, he tore down the golden house of Nero.
But the construction of his palace served still further to reduce theprivacy of the Palatine, for it was thronged with masons, carpenters andplasterers. Indeed the Palatine hill-top was almost as crowded and asnoisy as was the Forum below.
From this, then, Domitia was glad to escape to a little villa on the ViaNomentana, on a height above the Anio, commanding a view of the SacredMount.
On one occasion, when Domitian was away at Albanum, she had been at thismodest retreat, where she was surrounded by a few servants, and to whichshe had conveyed Glyceria, to enjoy the pure air and rest of the country.
But she was obliged to return to Rome; and with a small retinue, andwithout heralds preceding her, she started, and in the morning arrived atthe Porta Collina. Then Eboracus, coming to the side of the litter, said:--
"Lady, there is a great crowd, and the street is full to choking. What isyour good pleasure? shall we announce who you are, and command a passage?"
"Nay," answered the princess, "my good Eboracus, let us draw aside, andthe swarm will pass, then we can go our way unconcerned. I am in noprecipitate haste, and, in faith, every minute I am outside Rome, thebetter satisfied am I."
"But, madam, it is an ill spot, we are opposite the Accursed Field."
"That matters not. It is but for a brief while. Go forward, Eboracus, andinquire what this crowd signifies. Methinks the people are marvellouslystill. I hear no shout, not even a murmur."
"There be priests leading the way."
"It is some religious rite. Run forward, Eboracus, and make inquiries.That boy bears an inverted torch."
The sight was extraordinary. A procession of priests was advancing insilence, and an enormous crowd followed through the gate, pouring forthlike water from a sluice, yet without a word spoken. The only sound wasthat of the tramp of feet.
The place where Domitia had halted was just outside the Collina gateway,where was the wall of Servius Tullius and in its moat, thirty feet deep,but dry, out of which rose the wall of massive blocks to another thirtyabove the level of the ground.
This ditch was a pestilential refuse place into which the carcasses ofbeasts, foul rags, sometimes even the bodies of men, and all theunmentionable filth of a great city were cast. So foul was the spot, sounwholesome the exhalations that no habitations were near it, and the wideopen space before the wall went by the designation of the Accursed Field.
And now, through the gateway came a covered hearse, and at each cornerwalked a youth in mourning garb, one bearing a lamp and oil, another milkin a brass vessel, a third water, and a fourth bread. Now, and now only,with a shudder of horror, did Domitia suspect what was about to takeplace. She saw how that as the crowd deployed, it thickened about oneportion of the bank of the ditch, and she saw also the battlements abovecrowded with the faces of men and women leaning over to look down into thedyke. And there, at one spot in the fosse stood three men. InstinctivelyDomitia knew who they were--the executioner and his assistants.
But who was to be put to death--and on what charge, and by what means?
Now the hearse was slowly brought to the edge of the moat and the curtainswere raised.
Then Domitia saw how that within, prostrate, lay a woman, bound hand andfoot to the posts by leather straps, with her face covered, and her mouthmuffled that her cries might not be heard.
She saw the attendants of the priests untie the thongs and the unfortunatewoman was raised to a sitting posture, yet still her face was veiled, andher hands were held by servants of the pontiff. Now one by one theattendants descended into the moat bearing the lamp and the bread andmilk, and each handed what he had borne in the procession to theexecutioner, who gave each article as received to one of his deputies; andthe man immediately disappeared with it.
Domitia's heart beat furiously, she put forth her head to look, anddiscovered a hole at the base of the wall, and through this hole shediscerned the twinkling light of the lamp as it passed within, then it waslost. The bread followed, the milk and the water, all conveyed into someu
And now the chief pontiff present plucked the veil from the face of thevictim, and with a gasp--she could not cry out, the power was taken fromher--the Empress recognized Cornelia.
She made an effort to escape from her litter, and fly to her friend withoutstretched arms, but Eboracus, who with white face had returned, caughtand restrained her.
"Madam," he said in a low tone, vibrating with emotion, "I pray you, forthe sake of the Gods--do nothing rash. Stay where you are. No power--notthat of the Sacred Twelve can save her."
"Ye Gods! But what has she done?"
"She has been accused of breach of her vows, and condemned by theAugustus, as Chief Priest--" in a lower tone, hardly above a whisper,"unheard in her defence."
"I must go to her."
"You must not. Nothing can save her. Pray for a speedy death."
With glazed eyes, with a surging in her ears, and throbbing in thetemples--as in some paralyzing nightmare--Domitia looked on.
And now the gag was removed, and with dignity the Great Mother of theVestals descended from the bier. She stood, tall and with nobility in heraspect, and looked round on the crowd, then down into the moat, at theblack hole under the roots of the wall.
"Citizens, by the sacred fire of Vesta, I swear I am innocent of thecharge laid against me, and for which I am sentenced. No witnesses havebeen called. I have not been suffered to offer any defence. I knew not,citizens, until I was told that I was sentenced, that any accusation hadbeen trumped up against me. Thou, O Eternal God--above all lights in thefirmament, Thou, O Sovereign Justice that holdest true balances--I invokeThee--I summon the Chief Pontiff who has sentenced me, before your justthrones, to answer for what is done unto me this day. I summon him formidnight three days hence."
Then the deputy of the Chief Pontiff, who presided at the execution,Domitian being absent at Albanum (he being Pontifex Maximus), raised hisarms to heaven in silent prayer.
His prayer ended, he extended his hand to Cornelia, but she refusing hishelp, unaided descended into the fosse.
The vast concourse was as though turned to stone by a magician's wand--soimmovable was it and so hushed. Some swallows swept screaming along themoat, and their shrill cries sent a shudder through the entire concourse,wrought to such a tension, that even the note of the birds was anintolerable addition.
The Vestal reached the mouth of the pit--the ends of a ladder could be seenat the threshold of this opening. It was evident that the opening gaveaccess to a vault of some depth.
Beside it were stones from the wall piled up, and mortar. As soon as theAbbess reached the opening, she turned, and again declared her innocence."The Emperor," said she in clear, firm tones, "has adjudged me guilty,knowing that my prayers have obtained for him victory, triumph and animmortal name. I repeat my summons. I bid him answer before the throne onhigh, at midnight, three days hence."
Then she looked steadily at the blue sky--then up at the sun,--to take alast view of light. With calmness, with fortitude, she turned, andentering the opening began to disappear, descending the ladder.
In so doing her veil caught in one of the ends of the side poles of theladder. She must have reascended a step or two, for her hand was visibledisengaging the white veil, and then--hand and veil disappeared.
Immediately stones were caught up, trowels and mortar seized, and withincredible celerity the opening was walled up. The pontiff applied hisleaden seal.
"Be speedy! Remove her! Run--" shouted Eboracus, for his mistress hadfallen back in the litter in a dead faint,--"At once--to the Palace!"