Louis de Wohl - The Restless Flame: A Novel About Saint Augustine

The Restless Flame

A Novel about
Saint Augustine

by

Louis de Wohl

IGNATIUS PRESS SAN FRANCISCO

Original edition 1951, Louis de Wohl
1961 , by Ruth Magdalene de Wohl
Executrix of the Estate of Louis de Wohl
Copyright renewed 1979
All rights reserved
Published with ecclesiastical approval
Published by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia and New York
Reprinted with the permission of the Estate of Louis de Wohl
and with permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Cover art by Christopher J. Pelicano
Cover design by Roxanne Mei Lum
Published by Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1997

ISBN 9780-89870-6031
Library of Congress catalogue number 96-78019
Printed in the United States of America

For quotations from St. Augustines Confessions the very excellent translation by Frank Sheed (London: Sheed & Ward, 1949) has been used frequently by permission of the publisher.

The quotations from St. Ambroses hymns I found in a very old book in the possession of Monsignor Irving L. Gifford, Church of the Sacred Heart, Quincy, Massachusetts. I do not know the author of the translation.

The quotations from Horaces poems in English are from translations in The Complete Works of Horace , edited by C. Kraemer, Jr., Modern Library New York, copyright by Random House, Inc.

Late have I loved thee ,

O Beauty so ancient and so new ;

Late have I loved thee .

Where shall I go ,

Beyond the bounds of heaven and earth

That God may come to me ,

Since He has said :

Heaven and earth do I fill .

Thou hast made us for thyself

And our heart is restless

Until it rests in Thee .Saint Augustine

A.D. 370

I

You cheated, said Alypius.

I did not, said Augustine, white with anger.

Saw you do it, said Alypius. The pea was under the second nutthe one I guessed; but you made your fingers sticky, and the pea stuck to them when you lifted the nutshell. The old trick.

You lying son of a mangy jackal! said Augustine, shaking with fury. He threw the three nutshells in Alypius face. His large, dark eyes were smoldering, and his mouth was a thin red line.

All the other boys laughed.

I should really hit him now, thought Alypius. But he was a head taller and much heavier than Augustine. Stronger, too, though Augustine would not admit thathe was not very good at admitting anything. At school he had always a long string of excuses ready to avoid a whipping. The little lawyer they called him.

If I hit him now, he wont talk to me for at least a week, thought Alypius. It isnt worth it. I dont really want to lead the gang, and he does. He did cheat, of course. But then, he always does, when luck goes against him. I should have known better....

All right, he said lamely. You won.

Certainly I won. Augustine sniffed. Theres no need for me to cheat when Im playing the nut game with you youre about as skillful as a blind ostrich. I won. Therefore its up to me to lead the gang this week.

There were seven of themThe Seven against Tagaste, they called themselvesand the sleepy little town had suffered from them more than once. They had unlocked the stables of the towns miser, Rufus, and six hundred cows had roamed the streets for hours before they could be caught; they had gagged and blindfolded the fattest servant they could find; tied her on the hump of a dromedary, face toward the tail; and driven the beast into the town hall, where a meeting of the wise fathers was in full session; they had fought a pitched battle on the marketplace with the Sons of Lightning, another gang, far more numerous but younger than The Seven.

Since Augustine had come back from his year of studies in Madaura, life in Tagaste had livened up considerably. He was the smallest of them, except for little Pamphy, but he had an unlimited supply of ideas.

It was growing dark now. The boys strolled desultorily through the municipal park, alive as usual with loving couples.

Maggots in an old cheese, Alypius said contemptuously. Incredible how childish these people are. Did you hear that man? Therethats the sixth time that hes asked, Whose little ears are theseby the golden ass, there should be ways and means to find out, if hes so interested. And all she can do is giggle.

Augustine gave a condescending shrug. At least these people are deliberately childish, Alypiusyou are because you cant help it. He laughed secretively. By the milk of Tanitone day youll know better.

Very superior again, thought Alypius. And what would Monica say if she heard her son swearing by the love goddess? Everybody knew that she was more Christian than the bishopat least she was always in the basilica before the bishop came in and still there when he had left it again.

Now Augustine gave a gloating description of two girls he had met in Madaura.

Alypius listened sulkily. After a while he broke in. Who wants to hear all this fuss about girls? We havent done much today, have we? He was a little surprised at his own coinage, but he went on. Now, if I were in command of the gang...

Augustine swung round. If you were in command, he repeated haughtily, what would you do then, Alypius?

Well... Alypius said.

Well... mocked Augustine, what would you do if you were in command?

Whatever Id say you would be against it, of course.

Not at all. Augustines voice was like honey. Just say what you would do, my Alypius, or is it, perhaps, that you dont know yourself?

The Glabrios have a pear tree full of ripe pears said Tullus suddenly. Cant see why we shouldnt help ourselves to a few of them. He was seventeen, almost a year older than the others.

Thats just what I was going to suggest, Alypius said hastily. Good old Tullus.

Augustine shrugged his shoulders. A few pears, he repeated disdainfully, and they are not even goodIve tasted them.

Better than nothing, said Tullus. Come onlets do it.

He started across the street toward the orchard. But Augustine was there before him, with a few quick, cat-like jumps. A few pears is nothing, he whispered. Lets take all of them. Theyll rub their eyes when they wake up in the morning.

The boys giggled, and even Alypius was fascinated. Any six-year-old child could grab a few pears off a neighbors tree, but to take all of them! All the same, it was a little nettling to see how quickly Augustine had them all back in the palm of his hand.

You go up, Tullus, Augustine commanded, and you, Sextus. All the others catch themthere are a couple of sacks over there near the wall, Pamphy; get them. Up you go, you two.

Then the pear tree began to rain pears. It was not a very big tree, but full of fruit. There was no light coming from the housethe Glabrio household went to bed earlybut even so they worked in absolute silence. The two sacks were full, and still the pears came.

In the dark the young moon was a thin sickle floating across the bent palm tree over the house. It was very quiet. All the boys heard were the swishing of branches, the glopglop of the falling pears, and their own breathing.

At last they came down, fust Sextus, then Tullus, who saluted like a Numidian cavalry man, fist before forehead, and reported, Thats all, Commander.

Very good, said Augustine, collecting one last pear and promptly losing a few of those he had stored in his tunic. Take the two sacksnone of us here has a hand free.

They left the orchard, staggering under the weight of the pears. Practical little Pamphy thought they might be easier to carry inside than outside but gave up after the eleventh pear, not so much because he could not eat more but because they really were not very good pears.