Brian Friel Plays 1 (68 page)

(
OWEN
finds
a
sack
and
throws
it
across
his
shoulders.
)

OWEN:
I know where I live.

HUGH:
James thinks he knows, too. I look at James and three thoughts occur to me: A – that it is not the literal past, the ‘facts’ of history, that shape us, but images of the past embodied in language. James has ceased to make that discrimination.

OWEN:
Don’t lecture me, Father.

HUGH:
B – we must never cease renewing those images; because once we do, we fossilize. Is there no soda bread?

OWEN:
And C, Father – one single, unalterable ‘fact’: if Yolland is not found, we are all going to be evicted. Lancey has issued the order.

HUGH:
Ah.
Edictum
imperatoris.

OWEN:
You should change out of those wet clothes. I’ve got to go. I’ve got to see Doalty Dan Doalty.

HUGH:
What about?

OWEN:
I’ll be back soon.

(
As
OWEN
exits.
)

HUGH:
Take care, Owen. To remember everything is a form of madness.

(
He
looks
around
the
room,
carefully,
as
if
he
were
about
to
leave
it
forever.
Then
he
looks
at
Jimmy,
asleep
again.
)
The road to Sligo. A spring morning. 1798. Going into battle. Do you remember, James? Two young gallants with pikes across their shoulders and the
Aeneid
in their pockets. Everything seemed to find definition that spring – a congruence, a miraculous matching of hope and past and present and possibility. Striding across the fresh, green land. The rhythms of perception heightened. The whole enterprise of consciousness accelerated. We were gods that morning, James; and I had recently married
my
goddess, Caitlin Dubh Nic Reactainn, may she rest in peace. And to leave her and my infant son in his cradle – that was heroic, too. By God, sir, we were magnificent. We marched as far as – where was it? – Glenties! All of twenty-three miles in one day. And it was there, in Phelan’s pub, that we got homesick for Athens, just like Ulysses. The
desiderium
nostrorum –
the
need for our own. Our
pietas,
James, was for
older, quieter things. And that was the longest twenty-three miles back I ever made. (
Toasts
JIMMY
.) My friend, confusion is not an ignoble condition.

(
MAIRE
enters.
)

MAIRE:
I’m back again. I set out for somewhere but I couldn’t remember where. So I came back here.

HUGH:
Yes, I will teach you English, Maire Chatach.

MAIRE:
Will you, Master? I must learn it. I need to learn it.

HUGH:
Indeed you may well be my only pupil.

(
He
goes
towards
the
steps
and
begins
to
ascend.
)

MAIRE:
When can we start?

HUGH:
Not today. Tomorrow, perhaps. After the funeral. We’ll begin tomorrow. (
Ascending
)
But don’t expect too much. I will provide you with the available words and the available grammar. But will that help you to interpret between privacies? I have no idea. But it’s all we have. I have no idea at all.

(
He
is
now
at
the
top.
)

MAIRE:
Master, what does the English word ‘always’ mean?

HUGH:
Semper – per
omnia
saecula.
The Greeks called it
‘aei
’
.
It’s not a word I’d start with. It’s a silly word, girl.

(
He
sits.
JIMMY
is
awake.
He
gets
to
his
feet.
MAIRE
sees
the
Name-Book,
picks
it
up,
and
sits
with
it
on
her
knee.
)

MAIRE:
When he comes back, this is where he’ll come to. He told me this is where he was happiest.

(
JIMMY
sits
beside
MAIRE
.)

JIMMY:
Do you know the Greek word
endogamein
?
It means to marry within the tribe. And the word
exogamein
means to marry outside the tribe. And you don’t cross those borders casually – both sides get very angry. Now, the problem is this: Is Athene sufficiently mortal or am I sufficiently godlike for the marriage to be acceptable to her people and to my people? You think about that.

HUGH:
Urbs
antiqua
fuit
– there was an ancient city which,’ tis said, Juno loved above all the lands. And it was the goddess’s aim and cherished hope that here should be the capital of all nations – should the fates perchance allow that. Yet in truth she discovered that a race was springing from
Trojan blood to overthrow some day these Tyrian towers – a people
late
regem
belloque
superbum –
kings
of broad realms and proud in war who would come forth for Lybia’s downfall – such was – such was the course – such was the course ordained – ordained by fate … What the hell’s wrong with me? Sure I know it backways. I’ll begin again.
Urbs
antiqua
fuit
–
there was an ancient city which, ’tis said, Juno loved above all the lands.

(
Begin
to
bring
down
the
lights.
)

And it was the goddess’s aim and cherished hope that here should be the capital of all nations – should the fates perchance allow that. Yet in truth she discovered that a race was springing from Trojan blood to overthrow some day these Tyrian towers – a people kings of broad realms and proud in war who would come forth for Lybia’s downfall …

Black

(Homer,
Odyssey,
XIII, 420):

(
Lit.
)
‘But the grey-eyed goddess Athene then replied to him’

(Homer,
Odyssey,
XIII, 423–4):

(
Lit.
)
‘
… but he sits at ease in the halls of the Sons of Athens  …’

(Homer,
Odyssey
‚ XIII, 429):

(
Lit.
)
‘As she spoke Athene touched him with her wand’

(Homer,
Odyssey,
XIII, 433):

(
Lit.
)
‘She dimmed his eyes’

(
Lit.
)
flashing-eyed Athene

(Homer,
Odyssey,
XIV, 1):

(
Lit.
)
‘But he went forth from the harbour …’

(Homer,
Odyssey,
XIV, 3–4):

(
Lit.
)
‘… he cared very much for his substance …’

Esne
fatigata?
:
Are you tired?  

Sum
fatigatissima:
I am very tired

Bene!
Optime!
:
Good! Excellent!

Ignari‚
stulti,
rustici
:
Ignoramuses, fools, peasants  

Responde – responde!
:
Answer – answer!

a god

a goddess

Nigra
fere
et
presso
pinguis
sub
vomere
terra

Land that is black and rich beneath the pressure of the plough 

cui
putre:
crumbly
soil

adsum
:
I am present

sobrietate
perfecta
:
with complete sobriety

sobrius
:
sober

ave
:
hail

caerimonia
nominationis
:
ceremony of naming

to dip or immerse 

baptisterium
:
a cold bath, swimming-pool

Gratias
tibi
ago
:
I thank you

studia
:
studies

perambulare
:
to walk through

verecundus
:
shame-faced, modest

conjugo
:
I join together

acquiesco‚
acquiescere
:
to rest, to find comfort in
procede
:proceed

Silentium!
:
Silence!  

diverto,
divertere
:
to turn away

unfillable cask

Jacobe,
quid
agis?
:
James, how are you?

Festinate!
:
Hurry!

Gaudeo
vos
hic
adesse
:
Welcome

Nonne
Latine
loquitur?
:
Does he not speak Latin?

opus
honestum
:
an honourable task

Quantumvis
cursum
longum
fessumque
moratur

Sol,
sacro
tandem
carmine
vesper
adest
: 

No matter how long the sun delays on his long weary course

At length evening comes with its sacred song

expeditio
:
an expedition

Tu
es
centurio
in
exercitu
Britannico
:
You are a centurion in the British Army

Et
es
in
castris
quae
sunt
in
agro
:
And you are in the camp in the field