Part 2
Where is he whose cup of abominations is now full? Where is he, who in a robe of silver shall one day die in the face of all the people? Bid him come forth, that he may hear the voice of him who hath cried in the waste places and in the houses of kings.
SALOMÉ
Of whom is he speaking?
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
You can never tell, Princess.
JOKANAAN
Where is she who having seen the images of men painted on the walls, the images of the Chaldeans limned in colours, gave herself up unto the lust of her eyes, and sent ambassadors into Chaldea?
SALOMÉ
It is of my mother that he speaks.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Oh, no, Princess.
SALOMÉ
Yes; it is of my mother that he speaks.
JOKANAAN
Where is she who gave herself unto the Captains of Assyria, who have baldricks on their loins, and tiaras of divers colours on their heads? Where is she who hath given herself to the young men of Egypt, who are clothed in fine linen and purple, whose shields are of gold, whose helmets are of silver, whose bodies are mighty? Bid her rise up from the bed of her abominations, from the bed of her incestuousness, that she may hear the words of him who prepareth the way of the Lord, that she may repent her of her iniquities. Though she will never repent, but will stick fast in her abominations; bid her come, for the fan of the Lord is in His hand.
SALOMÉ
But he is terrible, he is terrible!
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Do not stay here, Princess, I beseech you.
SALOMÉ
It is his eyes above all that are terrible. They are like black holes burned by torches in a Tyrian tapestry. They are like black caverns where dragons dwell. They are like the black caverns of Egypt in which the dragons make their lairs. They are like black lakes troubled by fantastic moons.... Do you think he will speak again?
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Do not stay here, Princess. I pray you do not stay here.
SALOMÉ
How wasted he is! He is like a thin ivory statue. He is like an image of silver. I am sure he is chaste as the moon is. He is like a moonbeam, like a shaft of silver. His flesh must be cool like ivory. I would look closer at him.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
No, no, Princess.
SALOMÉ
I must look at him closer.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess! Princess!
JOKANAAN
Who is this woman who is looking at me? I will not have her look at me. Wherefore doth she look at me with her golden eyes, under her gilded eyelids? I know not who she is. I do not wish to know who she is. Bid her begone. It is not to her that I would speak.
SALOMÉ
I am Salomé, daughter of Herodias, Princess of Judæa.
JOKANAAN
Back! daughter of Babylon! Come not near the chosen of the Lord. Thy mother hath filled the earth with the wine of her iniquities, and the cry of her sins hath come up to the ears of God.
SALOMÉ
Speak again, Jokanaan. Thy voice is wine to me.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess! Princess! Princess!
SALOMÉ
Speak again! Speak again, Jokanaan, and tell me what I must do.
JOKANAAN
Daughter of Sodom, come not near me! But cover thy face with a veil, and scatter ashes upon thine head, and get thee to the desert and seek out the Son of Man.
SALOMÉ
Who is he, the Son of Man? Is he as beautiful as thou art, Jokanaan?
JOKANAAN
Get thee behind me! I hear in the palace the beating of the wings of the angel of death.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess, I beseech thee to go within.
JOKANAAN
Angel of the Lord God, what dost thou here with thy sword? Whom seekest thou in this foul palace? The day of him who shall die in a robe of silver has not yet come.
[Illustration: JOHN AND SALOMÉ]
SALOMÉ
Jokanaan!
JOKANAAN
Who speaketh?
SALOMÉ
Jokanaan, I am amorous of thy body! Thy body is white like the lilies of a field that the mower hath never mowed. Thy body is white like the snows that lie on the mountains, like the snows that lie on the mountains of Judæa, and come down into the valleys. The roses in the garden of the Queen of Arabia are not so white as thy body. Neither the roses in the garden of the Queen of Arabia, the perfumed garden of spices of the Queen of Arabia, nor the feet of the dawn when they light on the leaves, nor the breast of the moon when she lies on the breast of the sea.... There is nothing in the world so white as thy body. Let me touch thy body.
JOKANAAN
Back! daughter of Babylon! By woman came evil into the world. Speak not to me. I will not listen to thee. I listen but to the voice of the Lord God.
SALOMÉ
Thy body is hideous. It is like the body of a leper. It is like a plastered wall where vipers have crawled; like a plastered wall where the scorpions have made their nest. It is like a whitened sepulchre full of loathsome things. It is horrible, thy body is horrible. It is of thy hair that I am enamoured, Jokanaan. Thy hair is like clusters of grapes, like the clusters of black grapes that hang from the vine-trees of Edom in the land of the Edomites. Thy hair is like the cedars of Lebanon, like the great cedars of Lebanon that give their shade to the lions and to the robbers who would hide themselves by day. The long black nights, when the moon hides her face, when the stars are afraid, are not so black. The silence that dwells in the forest is not so black. There is nothing in the world so black as thy hair.... Let me touch thy hair.
JOKANAAN
Back, daughter of Sodom! Touch me not. Profane not the temple of the Lord God.
SALOMÉ
Thy hair is horrible. It is covered with mire and dust. It is like a crown of thorns which they have placed on thy forehead. It is like a knot of black serpents writhing round thy neck. I love not thy hair.... It is thy mouth that I desire, Jokanaan. Thy mouth is like a band of scarlet on a tower of ivory. It is like a pomegranate cut with a knife of ivory. The pomegranate-flowers that blossom in the gardens of Tyre, and are redder than roses, are not so red. The red blasts of trumpets that herald the approach of kings, and make afraid the enemy, are not so red. Thy mouth is redder than the feet of those who tread the wine in the wine-press. Thy mouth is redder than the feet of the doves who haunt the temples and are fed by the priests. It is redder than the feet of him who cometh from a forest where he hath slain a lion, and seen gilded tigers. Thy mouth is like a branch of coral that fishers have found in the twilight of the sea, the coral that they keep for the kings!... It is like the vermilion that the Moabites find in the mines of Moab, the vermilion that the kings take from them. It is like the bow of the King of the Persians, that is painted with vermilion, and is tipped with coral. There is nothing in the world so red as thy mouth.... Let me kiss thy mouth.
JOKANAAN
Never! daughter of Babylon! Daughter of Sodom! Never.
SALOMÉ
I will kiss thy mouth, Jokanaan. I will kiss thy mouth.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess, Princess, thou who art like a garden of myrrh, thou who art the dove of all doves, look not at this man, look not at him! Do not speak such words to him. I cannot suffer them.... Princess, Princess, do not speak these things.
SALOMÉ
I will kiss thy mouth, Jokanaan.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Ah! [_He kills himself and falls between Salomé and Jokanaan._]
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
The young Syrian has slain himself! The young captain has slain himself! He has slain himself who was my friend! I gave him a little box of perfumes and ear-rings wrought in silver, and now he has killed himself! Ah, did he not foretell that some misfortune would happen? I, too, foretold it, and it has happened. Well I knew that the moon was seeking a dead thing, but I knew not that it was he whom she sought. Ah! why did I not hide him from the moon? If I had hidden him in a cavern she would not have seen him.
FIRST SOLDIER
Princess, the young captain has just killed himself.
SALOMÉ
Let me kiss thy mouth, Jokanaan.
JOKANAAN
Art thou not afraid, daughter of Herodias? Did I not tell thee that I had heard in the palace the beatings of the wings of the angel of death, and hath he not come, the angel of death?
[Illustration: ENTER HERODIAS]
SALOMÉ
Let me kiss thy mouth.
JOKANAAN
Daughter of adultery, there is but one who can save thee, it is He of whom I spake. Go seek Him. He is in a boat on the sea of Galilee, and He talketh with His disciples. Kneel down on the shore of the sea, and call unto Him by His name. When He cometh to thee (and to all who call on Him He cometh), bow thyself at His feet and ask of Him the remission of thy sins.
SALOMÉ
Let me kiss thy mouth.
JOKANAAN
Cursed be thou! daughter of an incestuous mother, be thou accursed!
SALOMÉ
I will kiss thy mouth, Jokanaan.
JOKANAAN
I do no wish to look at thee. I will not look at thee, thou art accursed, Salomé, thou art accursed. [_He goes down into the cistern._]
SALOMÉ
I will kiss thy mouth, Jokanaan; I will kiss thy mouth.
FIRST SOLDIER
We must bear away the body to another place. The Tetrarch does not care to see dead bodies, save the bodies of those whom he himself has slain.
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
He was my brother, and nearer to me than a brother. I gave him a little box full of perfumes, and a ring of agate that he wore always on his hand. In the evening we used to walk by the river, among the almond trees, and he would tell me of the things of his country. He spake ever very low. The sound of his voice was like the sound of the flute, of a flute player. Also he much loved to gaze at himself in the river. I used to reproach him for that.
SECOND SOLDIER
You are right; we must hide the body. The Tetrarch must not see it.
FIRST SOLDIER
The Tetrarch will not come to this place. He never comes on the terrace. He is too much afraid of the prophet.
[_Enter Herod, Herodias, and all the Court._]
HEROD
Where is Salomé? Where is the Princess? Why did she not return to the banquet as I commanded her? Ah! there she is!
HERODIAS
You must not look at her! You are always looking at her!
HEROD
The moon has a strange look to-night. Has she not a strange look? She is like a mad woman, a mad woman who is seeking everywhere for lovers. She is naked too. She is quite naked. The clouds are seeking to clothe her nakedness, but she will not let them. She shows herself naked in the sky. She reels through the clouds like a drunken woman.... I am sure she is looking for lovers. Does she not reel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad woman, is she not?
HERODIAS
No; the moon is like the moon, that is all. Let us go within.... You have nothing to do here.
HEROD
I will stay here! Manesseh, lay carpets there. Light torches, bring forth the ivory tables, and the tables of jasper. The air here is delicious. I will drink more wine with my guests. We must show all honours to the ambassadors of Cæsar.
HERODIAS
It is not because of them that you remain.
HEROD
Yes; the air is delicious. Come, Herodias, our guests await us. Ah! I have slipped! I have slipped in blood! It is an ill omen. It is a very evil omen. Wherefore is there blood here?... and this body, what does this body here? Think you I am like the King of Egypt, who gives no feast to his guests but that he shows them a corpse? Whose is it? I will not look on it.
FIRST SOLDIER
It is our captain, sire. He is the young Syrian whom you made captain only three days ago.
HEROD
I gave no order that he should be slain.
SECOND SOLDIER
He killed himself, sire.
HEROD
For what reason? I had made him captain.
SECOND SOLDIER
We do not know, sire. But he killed himself.
HEROD
That seems strange to me. I thought it was only the Roman philosophers who killed themselves. Is it not true, Tigellinus, that the philosophers at Rome kill themselves?
TIGELLINUS
There are some who kill themselves, sire. They are the Stoics. The Stoics are coarse people. They are ridiculous people. I myself regard them as being perfectly ridiculous.
HEROD
I also. It is ridiculous to kill oneself.
TIGELLINUS
Everybody at Rome laughs at them. The Emperor has written a satire against them. It is recited everywhere.
HEROD
Ah! he has written a satire against them? Cæsar is wonderful. He can do everything.... It is strange that the young Syrian has killed himself. I am sorry he has killed himself. I am very sorry; for he was fair to look upon. He was even very fair. He had very languorous eyes. I remember that I saw that he looked languorously at Salomé. Truly, I thought he looked too much at her.
HERODIAS
There are others who look at her too much.
HEROD
His father was a king. I drove him from his kingdom. And you made a slave of his mother, who was a queen, Herodias. So he was here as my guest, as it were, and for that reason I made him my captain. I am sorry he is dead. Ho! why have you left the body here? I will not look at it--away with it! [_They take away the body._] It is cold here. There is a wind blowing. Is there not a wind blowing?
HERODIAS
No; there is no wind.
HEROD
I tell you there is a wind that blows.... And I hear in the air something that is like the beating of wings, like the beating of vast wings. Do you not hear it?
HERODIAS
I hear nothing.
HEROD
I hear it no longer. But I heard it. It was the blowing of the wind, no doubt. It has passed away. But no, I hear it again. Do you not hear it? It is just like the beating of wings.
HERODIAS
I tell you there is nothing. You are ill. Let us go within.
HEROD
I am not ill. It is your daughter who is sick. She has the mien of a sick person. Never have I seen her so pale.
HERODIAS
I have told you not to look at her.
HEROD
Pour me forth wine [_wine is brought_]. Salomé, come drink a little wine with me. I have here a wine that is exquisite. Cæsar himself sent it me. Dip into it thy little red lips, that I may drain the cup.
SALOMÉ
I am not thirsty, Tetrarch.
HEROD
You hear how she answers me, this daughter of yours?
HERODIAS
She does right. Why are you always gazing at her?
HEROD
Bring me ripe fruits [_fruits are brought_]. Salomé, come and eat fruit with me. I love to see in a fruit the mark of thy little teeth. Bite but a little of this fruit and then I will eat what is left.
SALOMÉ
I am not hungry, Tetrarch.
HEROD
[_To Herodias._] You see how you have brought up this daughter of yours.
HERODIAS
My daughter and I come of a royal race. As for thee, thy father was a camel driver! He was also a robber!
HEROD
Thou liest!
HERODIAS
Thou knowest well that it is true.
HEROD
Salomé, come and sit next to me. I will give thee the throne of thy mother.
SALOMÉ
I am not tired, Tetrarch.
HERODIAS
You see what she thinks of you.
HEROD
Bring me--what is it that I desire? I forget. Ah! ah! I remember.
[Illustration: THE EYES OF HEROD]
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN
Lo! the time is come! That which I foretold has come to pass, saith the Lord God. Lo! the day of which I spoke.
HERODIAS
Bid him be silent. I will not listen to his voice. This man is for ever vomiting insults against me.
HEROD
He has said nothing against you. Besides, he is a very great prophet.
HERODIAS
I do not believe in prophets. Can a man tell what will come to pass? No man knows it. Moreover, he is for ever insulting me. But I think you are afraid of him.... I know well that you are afraid of him.
HEROD
I am not afraid of him. I am afraid of no man.
HERODIAS
I tell you, you are afraid of him. If you are not afraid of him why do you not deliver him to the Jews, who for these six months past have been clamouring for him?
A JEW
Truly, my lord, it were better to deliver him into our hands.
HEROD
Enough on this subject. I have already given you my answer. I will not deliver him into your hands. He is a holy man. He is a man who has seen God.
A JEW
That cannot be. There is no man who hath seen God since the prophet Elias. He is the last man who saw God. In these days God doth not show Himself. He hideth Himself. Therefore great evils have come upon the land.
ANOTHER JEW
Verily, no man knoweth if Elias the prophet did indeed see God. Peradventure it was but the shadow of God that he saw.
A THIRD JEW
God is at no time hidden. He showeth Himself at all times and in everything. God is in what is evil even as He is in what is good.
A FOURTH JEW
That must not be said. It is a very dangerous doctrine. It is a doctrine that cometh from the schools at Alexandria, where men teach the philosophy of the Greeks. And the Greeks are Gentiles: They are not even circumcised.
A FIFTH JEW
No one can tell how God worketh. His ways are very mysterious. It may be that the things which we call evil are good, and that the things which we call good are evil. There is no knowledge of any thing. We must needs submit to everything, for God is very strong. He breaketh in pieces the strong together with the weak, for He regardeth not any man.
FIRST JEW
Thou speaketh truly. God is terrible; He breaketh the strong and the weak as a man brays corn in a mortar. But this man hath never seen God. No man hath seen God since the prophet Elias.
HERODIAS
Make them be silent. They weary me.
HEROD
But I have heard it said that Jokanaan himself is your prophet Elias.
THE JEW
That cannot be. It is more than three hundred years since the days of the prophet Elias.
HEROD
There be some who say that this man is the prophet Elias..
A NAZARENE
I am sure that he is the prophet Elias.
THE JEW
Nay, but he is not the prophet Elias.
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN
So the day is come, the day of the Lord, and I hear upon the mountains the feet of Him who shall be the Saviour of the world.
HEROD
What does that mean? The Saviour of the world.
TIGELLINUS
It is a title that Cæsar takes.
HEROD
But Cæsar is not coming into Judæa. Only yesterday I received letters from Rome. They contained nothing concerning this matter. And you, Tigellinus, who were at Rome during the winter, you heard nothing concerning this matter, did you?
TIGELLINUS
Sire, I heard nothing concerning the matter. I was explaining the title. It is one of Cæsar's titles.
HEROD
But Cæsar cannot come. He is too gouty. They say that his feet are like the feet of an elephant. Also there are reasons of State. He who leaves Rome loses Rome. He will not come. Howbeit, Cæsar is lord, he will come if he wishes. Nevertheless, I do not think he will come.
FIRST NAZARENE
It was not concerning Cæsar that the prophet spake these words, sire.
HEROD
Not of Cæsar?
FIRST NAZARENE
No, sire.
HEROD
Concerning whom then did he speak?
FIRST NAZARENE
Concerning Messias who has come.
A JEW
Messiah hath not come.
FIRST NAZARENE
He hath come, and everywhere He worketh miracles.
HERODIAS Ho! ho! miracles! I do not believe in miracles. I have seen too many. [_To the page._] My fan!
FIRST NAZARENE
This man worketh true miracles. Thus, at a marriage which took place in a little town of Galilee, a town of some importance, He changed water into wine. Certain persons who were present related it to me. Also He healed two lepers that were seated before the Gate of Capernaum simply by touching them.
SECOND NAZARENE
Nay, it was blind men that he healed at Capernaum.
FIRST NAZARENE
Nay; they were lepers. But He hath healed blind people also, and He was seen on a mountain talking with angels.
A SADDUCEE
Angels do not exist.
A PHARISEE
Angels exist, but I do not believe that this Man has talked with them.
FIRST NAZARENE
He was seen by a great multitude of people talking with angels.
A SADDUCEE
Not with angels.
HERODIAS
How these men weary me! They are ridiculous! [_To the page._] Well! my fan! [_The page gives her the fan._] You have a dreamer's look; you must not dream. It is only sick people who dream. [_She strikes the page with her fan._]
SECOND NAZARENE
There is also the miracle of the daughter of Jairus.
FIRST NAZARENE
Yes, that is sure. No man can gainsay it.
HERODIAS
These men are mad. They have looked too long on the moon. Command them to be silent.
HEROD
What is this miracle of the daughter of Jairus?
FIRST NAZARENE
The daughter of Jairus was dead. He raised her from the dead.
HEROD
He raises the dead?
FIRST NAZARENE
Yea, sire, He raiseth the dead.
HEROD
I do not wish Him to do that. I forbid Him to do that. I allow no man to raise the dead. This Man must be found and told that I forbid Him to raise the dead. Where is this Man at present?
SECOND NAZARENE
He is in every place, my lord, but it is hard to find Him.
FIRST NAZARENE
It is said that He is now in Samaria.
A JEW
It is easy to see that this is not Messias, if He is in Samaria. It is not to the Samaritans that Messias shall come. The Samaritans are accursed. They bring no offerings to the Temple.
SECOND NAZARENE
He left Samaria a few days since. I think that at the present moment He is in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem.
FIRST NAZARENE
No; He is not there. I have just come from Jerusalem. For two months they have had no tidings of Him.
HEROD