University of Virginia Library

SCENE VII.

Room in the house of Caiaphas where the Sanhedrim are assembled.—A mixed crowd of excited people pressing in at the doors, and listening eagerly.—After awhile Peter enters cautiously, and watches from a distance.
Caiaphas.
We have heard three witnesses, and all their speech
Tallies; there can no longer be a doubt
That this man's followers, rough, illiterate, base,
Were growing a danger to the city's peace.
Disturbance on disturbance—in the streets
And in the Temple's courts! aye, surely next
The Roman stalwart arm will interfere
(Just to keep order—saying that we cannot)
—Then blood will flow, and all because of this
Proud-browed impetuous self-styled Son of God!
This must not be: we have heard good Eleazar
Salathiel's son, the seller of oil and wine
There in the Temple's courts—we have heard besides
Aminadab who sells the snow-white doves
And Talan, money-changer, son of Pharez:—
These all depose—aye, with one voice depose—
That Jesus, shouting through the Temple Courts
Ran, using violent gestures, violent words;
Then—more than gestures, words—that Jesus seized
Their stalls and overturned them, spilt their oil,
Scattered their money, and set free their doves
(That straightway fluttered forth with eager wings),
Saying, “My Father's house was built for prayer,
But ye have made that house a den of thieves:”
More—then he made a small keen scourge of cords
And with that scourge he drove with furious zeal
Talan, Aminadab, and all the rest
Far from the Temple's precincts.
(Turning to the Court).
Ye have heard:
What think ye of this man?

Priests and Elders
(with one voice).
He stands condemned.

Caiaphas.
Yet is there further witness; next we call
Rabbi Jephunneh—he, of good repute,
Proved worthy through long years of highest esteem,
Versed in the law of Moses, learned, wise,
Hath—so we hear—apt evidence to tender
On this the matter in hand.
(Enter Jephunneh the Pharisee).
Thou art welcome, friend.
Speak—without fear—the cause of holiest truth
Clamours for aid.

Jephunneh.
But if my witness bears
Too hard upon him? mercy in my soul
Wrestles with justice; I am soft of heart,
Too soft, I know it—yet the man is poor,
His friends are poor,—it may be that the man
Will yet recant, abjure his dangerous creed,
Cease to stir up the passions of the mob,
Become—who knows?—a sober citizen.

Caiaphas.
Nay, bear thy witness,—time is past for this.
Pity, though fair and bounteous, has its day,
Then steps forth justice—justice stern and fair,
Fairer than pity.

Jephunneh.
Then you bid me speak?

Caiaphas.
Speak.

Jephunneh.
Once I saw this Jesus in the fields:
'Twas on a Sabbath day, the sun shone bright,
And all creation rested—as the Lord
Upon the seventh day rested from his toil.
Jesus and his disciples wandered through
The golden corn-fields, and I met them there;
His followers plucked the golden ears of corn
And rubbed them in their hands—poor hungry folk!
(Here pity speaks again; I stamp it down)—
They ground in greedy hands the ears of corn
And made a sorry meal; I straightway spake,
For all my righteous Pharisaic zeal
Was kindled hot within me—“Why do these
Thy followers thus profane the Sabbath day?”
Then this man: “Hold thy peace, nor interfere.
I know thee, lying false-heart—thou art one
Of that smug-featured strait-laced viperous crew
Who in God's name defile the world of God,
Making creation hideous as themselves.”
(You start? I give you Jesus' very words;
My memory's good—thus he continued) “Liar
Thou art; thy fathers slew the prophets—thou
Dost build their sepulchres; through sea and land
To win one proselyte thy swift steps go,
Then, having gained him, thou dost make him more,
Yea twofold, threefold more, the child of hell
Than thou thyself art: thou dost pray long prayers,
Thou hypocrite—thou cleansest cups and platters
But thou within art full of dead men's bones
And all uncleaness.” Such were this man's words!
I answered not: I never answer violence.
Then he resumed—“The Sabbath day was made
For man, not man for any Sabbath day
Though called of Moses holy; I proclaim
To man the newer Sabbath, even the day
Of love and freedom and sweet fellowship
That shall annul thy Sabbath.” Then he turned
Aside with one long glance of withering scorn
And his disciples turned—they, jeering, turned—
They trampled through the corn, they plucked the corn
In golden handfuls and they flung them, scoffing,
Full in my face.

Caiaphas.
No more—thou hast said enough.
We thank thee for thy kindly courtesy
And for thy true strong witness.
(To the Usher of the Court).
Call Ben-Aaron.

(The Usher calls Ben-Aaron. Ben-Aaron enters).
Caiaphas.
We know thou art indeed most erudite
And, also, this man's friend, but yet thy zeal
For truth and law will outweigh, will it not,
The claims of friendship even? Speak the truth:
Thou shalt be then repaid by truth's own joy
And by high dealing's sweetness,—yea, the God
Of all our fathers shall be glad of thee,
Thou with God's blessing gladdened. What thou knowest
Speak clearly, friend, and fully.

Ben-Aaron.
I will speak.
This man was once my friend: I loved him well—
In his bright youth I loved him, and I grieved,
Wept with his parents, at the unseemly sight
Of his completest downfall, for he chose
Low base companions, held erroneous views
That shocked all those who loved him; not the death
Of John was warning—no, the mantle of John
Fell on his shoulders—he conceived no doubt,
John once removed, that every obstacle
To his Messiahship was swept away,
So from that moment he with eager joy
Posed as Messiah and Saviour of the race.
Little by little healthy-minded folk
Drew off from him; his followers soon became
A motly gathering, an ill-omened crew
Of publicans and harlots—aye, of thieves,
For what are those who seek to rob the rich
For the base lazy poor but arrant thieves,
Bandits and robbers? When this Jesus preached
His gospel to the poor, he drew the crowd
(As preachers such as he in every age
Have drawn the crowd) by promising to spend
Freely the wealth of others for their sakes:
Plunder, swift plunder, plunder sure and large,
Such was the bait he held before the crowd
And they like eager-hearted hungry fish
Rose at it; then the harlots likewise rose,
Rose at their bait—the bait of hopeful days
Held out before them, days in which to walk
In silk apparel, rendering back contempt
Most brazen-faced to those pure-minded folk
Who hitherto had scorned them; modest worth,
Quite at a discount, could attract no more—
No, rags and sin were at a premium now.
With men like these and women such as these
Did this man pass his days, and then, besides,
Glaring imposture, practised in broad day,
Haunted his steps, and he connived at it
(Connived—I use a charitable word;
Others might doubtless choose an uglier term).
What was this raising, but the other day,
Raising of Lazarus, and the blind men healed
At Jericho—what were these cases, friends,
(turning round, and facing the Court)
But gross imposture practised in the name
Of God profaned for private purposes?
The dead man, Lazarus, is alive and strong,
Myself have seen him—spoken since his death
To Lazarus—Lazarus never died at all;
Mere catalepsy—from his deathlike trance
Jesus aroused him, and the thing became
Forthwith a miracle to vulgar folk
For whom all things, all deeds of every day,
Brim o'er with marvel. Then again the woman
In foul adultery seized, who should have been
(But was not) stoned—a grosser case than this
Ne'er laughed in justice' face: the woman's name
Was Timna (concubine to Eliphaz,
The son of Esau—just that very name—
History repeats itself!)—she was not stoned
As Moses bade us, so the jade survives
To mislead others, yea to draw strong men
To their destruction with her mincing ways
That should have ceased for ever—then again
(This damns the man, if ever yet a word
Could damn the utterer) Jesus said to me—
I vouch for this—he said, “I will destroy
Your Temple made with hands, and in three days
Raise up another—”

Caiaphas.
Peace. (Aside)
The thing is ripe.
(Aloud)
Few further words are needed.
(Turning to Jesus).
Answer this,
And answer truth—Art thou the Son of God?

Jesus.
I am; and, likewise, all who love the Father
Shall be the sons of God.

Caiaphas
(rending his clothes).
What further need
Have we of witnesses—ye hear him speak?
Hath he not spoken blasphemy?

Crowd of Priests and Elders.
He hath.

Caiaphas.
What fate deserves he? He who thus puffed up,
Thus egotistic even to madness' point,
Before a grave assembly such as ours
Dares mock the historic faith, sneer at the Law,
And, adding blasphemy to his former crimes,
Now calls himself God's Son?

Priests and Elders.
The man must die.

Caiaphas
(mockingly).
The Son of God must die! Now lead him forth.
During the night let him be closely watched,
Then brought at morning's first convenient hour
To Pilate, who shall ratify our sentence.
It shall be carried out in Roman form,
Although by Moses' law he should be stoned;
But I have ever held it right and fit
To honour Roman customs.—None the less,
That justice may be perfect, let him speak
If aught the man would utter.

Jesus.
All is well.
Now shall I pass beyond your swords and spears,
Beyond thy foolish tongue, thou mocking judge,
Back to the holy heaven from which I came
To judge with righteous judgement all the world.
I came from God, now back to God I go,
But yet on earth my spirit shall ever live,
Deathless, divine, unconquered: tell ye Cæsar
That, though the world lies bowed beneath his feet,
I stand with foot upon his neck to-day;
I whom your laws condemn to suffer death,
Am lord of all the world—aye, lord of Rome,
King of Jerusalem, the Son of God,
Messiah whom the prophets have foretold,
And, more than all, the suffering Son of man.
For man is mine, man's future all is mine;
My empire is not bounded as is Rome's
By rivers, forests, and the bridgeless seas:
Cæsar a poor small straitened empire sways;
My empire is co-equal with the world,
Commensurate with the long march of time,
Based on the affections, stablished in the heart,
Eternal, vast, supreme, impregnable:—
Aye, followers who shall sign upon their brows
And on their children's brows the cross for sign
Shall rule imperial Rome, and in my name
Traverse the seas until they find a land
Circled by storm-winds, guarded by the waves,
Wherein my Church shall flourish, spreading wide
Its branches East and West and North and South
Like some well-watered fruitful growing tree
Beneath whose shadow all the world shall rest.
That is my future. From the cross that now
Your hands prepare, I shall for ever reign.
Stone upon stone Jerusalem shall fall;
Each word the prophets spake shall be fulfilled;
Your tribes shall all be scattered through the earth,
Yea, by the sword all ye who sought the sword
Shall surely perish, but my soul shall live,
Live in the hearts first of the chosen few
Whom I commission in my name to preach
The wondrous gospel of the love of God
First to mine own and then to every land,
Live in their hearts, and then in hearts of all
Who shall believe on me through this their word.
I, mightiest lord of all the kings of men,
I, coming forth from God, return to God;
But, ere my soul reseeks the starry road
And traverses the silence of the night,
I, having first unlocked the golden gate
That leads past all the stars to God's high throne,
Hand to my faithful followers the key—
(turning towards Peter, who gazes tearfully at his Master).
Peter, take thou the key:
Thou art a rock, and on this rock I build
My Church—the hosts of hell shall not prevail
Against it; this I do in token of love
For, though thou didst deny me but just now,
Thou shalt bear witness yet before the world
That I am in truth thy Master and thy King.

Peter.
My Master and my King.

Crowd.
Away with him!

Caiaphas.
Ye have spoken rightly. Lead the man away,
Lest further blasphemy from reckless lips
Damage his cause, and shock the Lord of heaven.

(Jesus is led away, closely guarded).