University of Virginia Library

Scene V.

The road to the Sepulchre. Same morning.
(Enter Peter, Thomas, John, Mary the Mother of Jesus, and Mary Cleophas).
Peter.
Darkness complete and utter shrouds our hopes:
The Master's dead,—and with him dies the dream
That stirred a thousand hearts; the worst comes true.
We are defeated: back to Galilee
Our steps must travel.

John.
We shall see the sun
Shine on the lake, the summer flowers will bloom;
All will be as of old—save only this,
The Lord will not be there.

Thomas.
You see it now?
I spoke my warning word,—you would not heed
My warning: that descent the Master made
Upon Jerusalem was most untimely.
The priests and rulers there with coarse lewd strength
Know how to nip young bright thought in the bud:
What could we do?

Mary Cleophas.
You might at least have shown
Some fight, some true men's courage. Peter there,
Had but his sword been backed by swords of yours,
Would nobly have led the way.

Mary the Mother.
Too late! too late!

Mary Cleophas.
Too late it is: it had not been too late
If in the garden these men had but fought
Like men; some men are women after all,
Or rather are not women, for no woman
Would tamely have stood and seen the Master seized—
Aye, weaponless, I would have made them feel
A woman's anger.

John.
Peace, and say no more.
The Master taught us this, to love each other:
Shall we soon forget?

Mary the Mother.
My well-beloved,
Cold in the tomb! Ah, had he only listened
To me, to Joseph, all had then been well!
To beard the powers that be is never safe:
It is not wise nor seemly.

Peter.
Powers that be?
'Twas liar Ben-Aaron who convicted Jesus.
The crook-tongued dotard! One thing's left to do
Ere I start Northward—in his black foul heart
To sheathe my sword.

John.
That was not Jesus' mode.
When I besought him to invoke from heaven
The wild revenge of flame on those base villages,
Remember he rebuked me.

Mary the Mother.
He was ever
Most gentle, was my son.

Thomas.
He was too gentle.
Against the ravening herd of priests and scribes
The wiser method—and more righteous too—
Is to meet force by force, cunning by cunning.
But still the fatal error was to attack
With strengthless hands this city where the Law
Still holds its own.

Peter.
The Law will triumph now.
Mankind will wait through many a weary year:
No prophet sent of God will bid it rise
And burst the chains of ages. All is over—
Hope's at an end!

Thomas.
Hope's sweetness died with him.
You'll turn again to fishing?

Peter.
In hard toil
Will be my solace—solace of a sort;
Though nought can change the sadness of a dream
Rudely demolished thus.

Mary the Mother.
Let's hasten on.
Have you the myrrh, the spices?

Mary Cleophas.
All are here.
This one rite ended, we will seek the North,
Leaving the Master of our dreams to sleep,
Unroused, the dreamless slumber.

(Enter Mary Magdalene, coming from the direction of the Sepulchre).
Mary Magdalene.
Ye are dreaming!
Behold, the Master lives.

All in Unison.
The Master lives?

Mary Magdalene.
I to the tomb this morn with spices came,
Thinking to embalm the dead. What deem ye then
I saw? I saw two angels clothed in white
Where Jesus' body had lain—I turned away,
Stricken with sudden terror. But one said,
“Mary, be not afraid: thy Lord is risen,
And we are sent from God with tidings glad
To thee the first of mortals. Jesus now
Past starriest heights has risen to God's right hand,
And death bewails its death-wound. Could the grave
Retain the Son of God? Go, tell thou this
To his disciples; tell them that the Lord
Will go before them into Galilee—
There shall they see him.” Then the voice became
Silent; I looked again—the forms were gone,
Quite empty was the tomb.

Thomas.
I'll hasten on,
Enter the tomb, and if the tomb be empty—

(Exit Thomas).
Peter.
The Lord has risen.

John.
I now recall his words.

Mary the Mother.
Risen from the dead!

Mary Cleophas.
We might have guessed as much.

(Exeunt Peter, John, Mary the Mother, and Mary Cleophas).
Mary Magdalene
(coming to the front of the Stage).
Safe—and the world will never know the truth!