University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

The Eastern Gate. A stretch of the ancient city-wall. In the centre of the masonry is a wide gateway before which stand several soldiers. Two spearmen, Lamech and Elika, with levelled lances are keeping back, right and left, a surging mob of men, women, and children. Here and there is a woman carrying an inverted water-jar. Nathan and two or three other respectably dressed citizens are seen in the throng. Murmurs and gesticulations. Voices in the crowd cry: “Drink! give us drink!” The rabble momently increases. Time: forenoon.
LAMECH
Fall back, good folk! Last night the enemy
Poisoned the spring outside the city wall.
It is forbidden to draw water now.
No soul may pass here. Back, poor creatures, back!

VOICES
Drink! give us drink! we die of thirst—of thirst!

AN OLD MAN,
leaning on a staff
Oh, are we not Thy children who of old,
Trod the Chaldean idols in the dust,
And built our altars only unto Thee?

VOICES
Bread! we are starving. Bread, or we must die!

A WOMAN
Just one poor wheaten loaf since yesterday—
For three of us! In mercy's name, a crust!
My little Ruth is dying!

LAMECH
Woman, peace!
'T is better so. I saw our Rachel die,
Our last born ewe lamb, and I shed no tear,
Knowing that hunger could not grieve her more.
So weep not thou.

ELIKA
My bosom aches for thee,
Beneath this breastplate.

VOICES
Water! water! bread!

NATHAN,
apart
With fire and sword and famine, evil days
Have fallen upon us!—What is happening?

A perceptible new commotion in the crowd, then a sudden hush as Joachim enters in haste.
JOACHIM,
excitedly
Two minutes since, as I was pondering
The famished folk that haunt the market-place,
Where one had fallen, smitten with the pest,
A woman swept me by—if 't was indeed
A woman, not an angel—in a blaze
Of gems and snowy raiment. Such a shape
Comes to men's dreams. Along the crowded streets
Thin, pleading hands reached out to touch her hem,
Rude archers doffed their head-gear as she passed,
And all the people stood amazed, as though
'T was some seraphic creature sent of God
To save us in our misery. Behold,
The shining apparition moves this way!

The crowd silently huddle together on one side of the stage and gaze wonderingly in the direction indicated by Joachim.
VOICES
A miracle! a miracle!

NATHAN,
shading his eyes and looking off
Not so!
And yet a wonder!—dead Manasseh's wife,
Not in her mournful widow's-weeds, but decked
As for a banquet! I remember her
In those same bridal garments as she stood
Before the High Priest in the synagogue
One happier day than this! What may it mean?
Surely she would not mock us with her state.

JOACHIM
I knew her not in that unwonted guise.

Enter Judith partly veiled, a crowd following. She is richly dressed, with jewels in her hair and at the throat. A mantle falling from one shoulder exposes the splendor of her attire. Close behind follows Marah, the handmaid, carrying an osier basket. A woman holds up a child to Judith, who bends down and caresses it.
JUDITH
My heart bleeds for thee, thou most sorrowful!
From brow and bosom I would tear these jewels
Couldst thou but eat them, or were food to buy.
I give thee silver, though 't is mockery;
A dozen grains of barley were more worth.
Judith hurriedly hands the woman several pieces of silver from a pouch. As she falls back into the crowd, a woman clutches Judith by the skirt.
Unloose thy fingers and delay me not!
I go to Holofernes, and perchance
By prayer and supplication I shall win
His princely mercy for this stricken town
And all the wretched folk within its walls.
Nay, loose thy hold, each moment hath its price!

Judith wrests herself from the woman's grasp, arranges the veil over her face, and approaches the two spearmen at the gate, who stop her with their crossed lances held breast-high.
LAMECH
None may pass forth without the captain's seal.

JUDITH,
drawing a parchment from her girdle
That have I here. Already thou hast word
To speed me and my handmaid. I am she
The parchment tells of.
(Looking closely at one of the spearmen while the other examines the scroll)
Thou—I knew thee once,
Elika, son of Jorim, aforetime
My husband's herdsman—a brave soldier now.
Thy gentle sister and thy mother, friend,
How fares it with them?

ELIKA
She that clutched thy gown,
That was my mother. Reason fled from her
When Leah died.

JUDITH,
wringing her hands
And that was Naomi,
And I repulsed her! Whither has she gone?
Judith turns passionately to the crowd, which opens and shows Naomi standing in the background with a blank expression on her countenance. Judith takes her tenderly by the hand and leads her forward.
Dost thou not know me? It was in thine arms
I lay and slept the hour that I was born.
Dear nurse, look on me. It is even I,
“Judith the wilful”—thou didst call me so.

NAOMI
Ay, it is Judith, a grown maiden now,
The pearl of maidens. 'T is thy wedding day,
And my sweet Leah has gone, I know not where—
Somewhere hard by—to gather snow-white flowers
To deck thee.

JUDITH
Oh, she stabs me to the heart
With her unreason!

ELIKA
Ever thus she talks,
Unmindful, wandering from place to place
In search of Leah. She seems to know thee now,
But presently her mind will be a blur.
See how she stares at thee!

NAOMI,
gazing vaguely at Judith
And who art thou
To stay me in the street here? Dost thou bring
Tidings of Leah? Has she told thee all—
How we two lay at midnight parched with thirst,
And would not touch the water in the jar
(Scarcely a gill there was!), but each to each
Smiled, and said: “Drink thou!” Then I fell asleep,
And just at dawn, I being in a drowse,
She brought the jar and set it to my lip,
And I, unwitting, drained the precious drops
That might have saved her! When the morning came
She spoke no more, but lay there white and cold.
Was that the tale she told thee? Oh, 't was true!

JUDITH
If this be not a dream, her heart is broken!

NAOMI
Listen—behind the wainscot I have hid
A cup of sweet rain-water. I would die
A thousand deaths ere I would taste of it!
Let her come back to me, my best beloved!

JUDITH
This is too piteous! Some one take her hence.
(Discovering Nathan in the crowd)
Ah—thou, good Nathan; lead her to my house
And bid my people there to care for her
Till I—God willing—shall come back again.
Go with him, Naomi.—Such balm as heals
A wounded spirit send Thou to this one!

Judith places the hand of Naomi in that of Nathan, who leads her away.
LAMECH,
returning the scroll to Judith
Manasseh's widow—may God guard thee—pass!

Attendant soldiers throw open the heavy gates. Lamech and Elika range themselves on either side and salute Judith impressively as she passes out.
JUDITH,
over her shoulder
Quick, Marah, follow me!

Dark stage and change of scene