 | The poems of Thomas Bailey Aldrich |  |
440
SCENE II.
The Camp of Asshur. An open space surrounded by cedar and olive trees. In the distant background are tents arranged in a semicircle under arching boughs. Part way down the stage on the left is a marquee with green hangings covering the entrance. Under a fringed canopy in the middle foreground Holofernes is discovered lying upon a leopard skin, his head propped up on one hand. On each side of him are groups of Assyrian lords and captains. Spearmen and men-of-all-arms observed lounging at the wings. Bagoas stands a little distance from his master. The soldiers in miscellaneous costumes, Holofernes' army being composed of conscripts from a dozen different conquered nations. Time: noon.HOLOFERNES
O lords and captains, we are put to shame.
How does it happen that a little town,
Stuck like a hornet's nest against a rock,
Checks and defies such mighty hosts as ours?
Till now we swept in triumph through the land.
As the pent whirlwind, breaking from its leash,
Seizes upon the yellow desert sands
And hurls them in dark masses right and left,
So have we scattered the great armies sent
To stop our progress. All the nations saw
Our might, and cowered. One by one they came
And swore allegiance, grovelling at our feet—
The sons of Esau and the Moabites,
The tribes that dwelt beside the salt-sea dunes,
And those that builded on the mountain-tops.
All, save these dogs of Hebrews, bent the knee.
(An archer enters suddenly)
What would that man? His coming vexes me.
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kneeling
O lord and prince, that should know all, know this:
An hour ago a watchman on the height
That overlooks the city saw two shapes
From out the eastern gateway issue forth—
In quest of water, it was thought at first.
But no, they paused not at the ruined well
Piled up three-deep with those we slew last night.
Straight on they pressed, and plunged into the wood
That hides a hundred footpaths through the hills,
And there, as if by magic, disappeared.
Swift runners were despatched to seek these two,
But all in vain.
HOLOFERNES
Begone! It matters not.
I would two thousand issued from that gate
And gave us chance to feed them with our swords.
Fool of the gods, to fetch me such a tale!
[The archer salaams and goes out crestfallen
Let no one else break in on our discourse.
Give me your wisdom, ye who lead my hosts.
For a moon's length have we been held at bay
By a mere handful in a crumbling town
That blocks our passage through the narrow pass.
This is the key unlocks a world beyond.
Jerusalem should have fallen long ago
And all the riches of Judea been ours.
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Must work behind them. Speak; what shall be done?
(Waves his hand toward one of the lords)
Say on, brave Captain of the Elymeans.
What voice is thine?
1ST CAPTAIN
My voice is for assault.
Better lie dead, each man upon his shield,
Than waste here with no grass to feed the mares
And scant meat left. Rust gathers on our swords.
HOLOFERNES,
turning to another chief
And thou?
2D CAPTAIN
My lord, a soberer counsel mine.
Wide is the moat and many are the spears,
And stout the gates. Have we not flung our men
Against the well-set edges of their swords?
Note how the ravens wheel in hungry files
Above the trenches; watch them as they rise
Red-beaked and surfeited. Has it availed?
The city still defies us; but within
There's that shall gnaw its heart out, if we wait;
For white-cheeked famine and red-spotted pest
Are our allies.
3D CAPTAIN
A judgment! Let us wait.
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turning fiercely on the last two speakers
Ye should have tarried on the river's bank
At home, and decked your hair with butterflies
Like the King's harlots. Little use are ye!
5TH CAPTAIN
Nay, valiant Dara, they did well to come;
They have their uses. When our meat is gone
We'll even feed upon the tender flesh
Of these tame girls, who, though they dress in steel,
Like more the tinkle of a dulcimer
Than the sharp whisper of an arrowhead.
Tumult and angry mutterings among the captains; several of them lay hand on their sword-hilts, and threaten one another. The bowmen and spearmen at the wings make ready with their weapons. Holofernes springs to his feet and glares menacingly at the chiefs.
HOLOFERNES
Hold!—Keep thy falchions for the enemy.
Who draws a blade shall sheathe it in his breast!—
The conclave ends. Later I speak my will.
Judith, followed by Marah, enters from the rear of the stage, halts in terror halfway down, and then swiftly advances, looking about her to ascertain whom she shall address. Murmurs of surprise and admiration are heard on every side. Marah remains in the background, holding the osier basket in her arms.
444
starting
Who breaks upon our councils? Silence, all!
Whence comest thou—thy mission and thy name?
JUDITH
Judith of Bethulîa I am called.
HOLOFERNES,
partly aside
Methought the phantom of some murdered queen
Had risen from the ground beneath my feet!—
If these Samarian women are thus shaped,
O my brave captains, let not one be slain!
What seekest thou within the hostile tents
Of Asshur?
JUDITH
Holofernes.
HOLOFERNES
This is he.
JUDITH,
throwing herself at his feet
Most mighty prince and master, if indeed
Thou art that Holofernes whom I seek,
And dread, in truth, to find, see at thy feet
A hapless woman who in fear has flown
From a doomed people.
HOLOFERNES
If thy words are true,
Thou shalt have shelter of our tents, and food,
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Touching thy people, they with tears of blood,
And ashes on their heads, shall rue the hour
They paid not tribute to our sovereign lord,
The King at Nineveh. But thou shalt live.
JUDITH,
rising
O gracious prince, I do beseech thee now
Let those that listen stand awhile aloof,
For I have that for thine especial ear
Of import to thee.
At a gesture from Holofernes the captains and men-at-arms retire, making different exits. Bagoas lingers. Judith with a quick look calls the attention of Holofernes to the circumstance. He motions to Bagoas to withdraw.
My lord, if yet thou holdest in thy thought
The words which Achior the Ammonite
Once spoke to thee concerning Israel,
Oh, treasure them, for in them was no guile.
True is it, master, that our people kneel
To an unseen but not an unknown God,
And while we worship Him we cannot fall,
Our tabernacles shall be unprofaned,
Our spears invincible; but if we sin,
If we transgress the law by which we live,
Our sanctuaries shall be desecrate,
Our tribes thrust forth into the wilderness,
Scourged and accursed. Therefore, O my lord,
446
Taught of the Prophets, I have fled dismayed.
HOLOFERNES,
partly to himself
In this wise, I remember, Achior spoke,
And warned me not to meddle with the Jews.
I banished him, and straight he refuge sought
Among the Israelites, who gave him place
And honor in their councils. Now his sword
Is turned against us. Hebrew, weigh thy words!
JUDITH
Heed, Holofernes, what I speak this day,
And if the thing I tell thee prove not so,
Let not thy falchion tarry in its sheath,
But seek my heart. Why should thy handmaid live,
Having deceived thee, flower and crown of men!
HOLOFERNES,
aside
This woman's voice falls sweeter on my ear
Than the soft laughter of the Assyrian girls
In the bazaars, or when in the cool night,
After the sultry heat of the long day,
They sit beside the fountain with their lutes.
JUDITH
Oh, listen, Holofernes, my sweet lord,
And thou shalt rule not only Bethulîa,
447
But Cadés-Barné and Jerusalem,
And all the vast hill-land to the blue sea.
I bring to thee the keys of Israel.
HOLOFERNES
Speak, for I needs must hearken to thy words.
JUDITH
Know then, O prince, it is our yearly use
To lay aside the first fruits of the grain,
And so much oil, so many skins of wine,
Which, being sanctified, are held intact
For the High Priests who serve before the Lord
In the great temple at Jerusalem.
This holy food—which even to touch is death—
The people would lay hands on, being starved;
And they have sent a runner to the Priests
(The Jew Abijah, who, at dead of night,
Sped like a javelin between thy guards),
Begging permit to eat the sacred corn.
'T will not be granted them, as time will prove,
Yet will they eat it. Then shalt thou behold
The archers tumbling headlong from the walls,
Their strength gone from them; thou shalt see the spears
Splitting like reeds within the spearmen's hands,
And the strong captains tottering like old men
Stricken with palsy. Then, O mighty prince,
448
And thy proud banners waving in the wind,
With squares of men and eager clouds of horse
Thou shalt sweep down on them, and strike then dead!
HOLOFERNES
The picture, sorceress, lives before my eyes!
JUDITH
But now, my lord, ere this shall come to pass
Five days must wane, for they touch not the food
Until the Jew Abijah shall return
With the Priests' message. Here beneath thy tents,
O Holofernes, would I dwell the while,
Asking but this, that I and my handmaid
Each night, at the sixth hour, may egress have
Into the valley, undisturbed to pray.
I would not be thy prisoner, but thy guest.
HOLOFERNES
Thou shalt be free to come and go, and none
Shall stay thee, nor molest thee, these five days.
And if, O rose of women, the event
Prove not a dwarf beside the prophecy,
Then has the sun not looked upon thy like.
Thy name shall be as honey on men's lips;
Thou shalt have chests of costly sandal-wood,
And robes in texture like the ring-dove's neck,
And milk-white mares, and chariots, and slaves;
449
In Nineveh, the City of the Gods!
JUDITH,
making a half imperceptible clutch at her bosom
Oh, who am I that should gainsay my lord?
HOLOFERNES
Bagoas shall wait on thee; command the slave.
Bid him fetch fruit and meat for thy repast.
JUDITH
It is not lawful we should eat of them.
My maid has brought a pouch of parchèd corn,
And bread and figs and wine of our own land,
Which shall not fail us.
HOLOFERNES
Even as thou wilt,
O fair Samarian! My slave shall come
To do thy bidding.
[Holofernes goes out
JUDITH
O Marah, is it night, and do I dream?
Is this the dread Assyrian rumor paints,
He who upon the plains of Ragau smote
The hosts of King Arphaxad, and despoiled
Sidon and Tyrus, and left none unslain?
Gentle he seems we thought so terrible,
Whose name we stilled unruly children with
450
And all the little ones would straight to bed.
MARAH,
slowly
Mistress, he looks not what we pictured him.
JUDITH
Is he not statured as should be a king?
Beside our tallest captain this grave prince
Towers like the palm above the olive tree.
A gentle prince, with gracious words and ways.
How sayest thou?
MARAH
A gentle prince he is—
To look on. I misdoubt his ways and words.
JUDITH
And I, O Marah, I would trust him not!
Beneath his smoothness all is cruelty.
A tiger's talons thus are shod with down.
(Enter Bagoas; Judith perceives him, and says quickly)
Marah, he waits to show thee to the tent.
(Aside)
The prince's slave—his shadow, so it seems.
I would not have the ill-will of this man.
Bagoas relieves Marah of the basket and enters the green pavilion with her. He immediately reappears, crossing the stage behind Judith. She observes him attentively.
Thy lord, Bagoas, is a powerful prince.
451
coming forward
Men fear him greatly.
JUDITH
And thou fearest him?
BAGOAS
I serve him, lady, since I am his slave.
JUDITH
Now thou art mine, I buy thee of thyself
With coin of kindness—rarer 't is than gold.
Thy speech and manner seem beyond thy state.
BAGOAS
In my own land I was less humbly placed.
A merchant was I, but a scholar's son,
And had some strain of learning in my blood.
I travelled in far lands with merchandise,
Lord of rich caravans. Then came a war.
From Koordistán he brought me with his spoils,
This conqueror of cities, slayer of men.
I pine in my captivity, and dream
Of where the swift Nerbudda laves its banks
And one sad woman waits for me in vain.
The gold he throws me in his lavish moods
I hoard to pay my ransom.
JUDITH,
taking a ring from her finger
Is it so?
Here 's that shall aid thee; add it to thy store.
452
My prayers shall go with thee both day and night.
[He presses the ring to his lips as he goes out
JUDITH
At least he will not be an enemy.
(Muses)
'T was not so evil as I feared, and yet
My heart is cold with terror. What step next?
The end appalls me. A black precipice
Yawns at my feet whichever way I turn.
I am like one that a magician's wand
Hath laid a spell upon; I neither speak
Nor move but as some unseen power directs.
I seem to wander in a land of dream
And walk with spectres. As a skein of flax,
Dropt by a weaver working at his loom,
Lies in a tangle, and but snarls the more,
And slips the fingers searching for the clue,
So all my plan lies tangled in my brain.
How stands the matter? I have gained five days
In which to act, and in the interval
May come and go unchallenged by the guard.
Thus far God lights me. All the rest is dark.
Achior abruptly appears at the remote rear of the stage— same entrance as Judith. He halts irresolutely, glancing back over his shoulder, as if he were pursued. Judith turns and discovers him. She rushes to Achior and seizes him by the arm.
Fly from this place, O Achior, here is death!
453
I would not were it possible. Unseen
I reached the inner lines, but there I fell
Upon two Tartar sentinels asleep;
I broke their slumber and they gave alarm.
I think they follow closely on my heels.
JUDITH
What brings thee to the tents of Asshur?
ACHIOR
Thou!
It was my hope to be thy sword and shield.
JUDITH
I was not in thy keeping, reckless man!
Thy rashness will be like to ruin me.
ACHIOR
Deny me when they question. I will swear
I never knew or saw thee till this hour.
Torture shall wring no other word from me.
JUDITH
Too late. This very hour I spoke of thee
To Holofernes.
ACHIOR
Say, then, I am one
Thy scorn hath withered, that my wits are gone,
And that I vex thee with my vain pursuit;
Then bid him end me.
454
Thou indeed art mad.
Less wise than daring, see how thou hast rushed
Headlong on failure!
Sounds of voices and clanking arms off the stage. Several Tartar soldiers rush in and secure Achior. Holofernes enters from the opposite side attended by Bagoas bearing flowers and palm leaves in his arms. Holofernes on seeing Achior starts back in surprise, and then advances with a cynical smile on his lips.
HOLOFERNES
Who thus honors us?
Unless my vision tricks me, it is he,
My valorous Captain of the Ammonites,
My poet-soldier, breaker of maids' hearts,
Harp-player—that shall play upon a rack!
JUDITH,
aside
There spoke the Holofernes of my thought.
Holofernes remains silent a few seconds, glancing from Judith to Achior alternately, and finally lets his gaze rest upon Judith.
HOLOFERNES,
suspiciously
Thou know'st this man?
JUDITH,
indifferently
By sight, but more by name.
A stranger's face is his among the Jews.
I've seen him on the streets in Bethulîa.
How came he here?
455
Perhaps he followed thee.
JUDITH,
playing with her necklace
I want him not.
HOLOFERNES
Nor I! This Ammonite
Has little earthly value, it appears—
A kind of carrion that finds no bids
Among the buyers in the market-place.
How then dispose of him? Thou dost not beg
His life of me?
JUDITH
Why should I, lord of all?
I would not beg of thee my own poor life
Were that at issue.
HOLOFERNES
'T were an empty plea
Hadst thou the cause to make it!
JUDITH,
to herself
We are lost!
HOLOFERNES
Though thou wert folded in my very heart,
I'd tear thee out, didst thou play false with me!
I'll think on it. Meanwhile what shall be done?
JUDITH
Do what thou wilt, O sovereign lord.
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Well said!
Thou hast a cunning fashion in thy speech.
(To the guard)
Take him away, and as thou lovest light,
See he escape not.
(To Achior with a mock air of deference)
In some leisure hour
I'll crave thy company.—Out of my sight!
(To Judith tenderly)
Lady, I bring thee flowers!
The soldiers prepare to drag Achior off, one of them unclasping a belt with which to bind him. Judith stands rigid and cold in the centre of the stage. As Holofernes offers the flowers to her, he looks over his shoulder suspiciously at Achior. Marah, who has partly drawn back the curtain of the pavilion, peers out timidly between the draperies.
CURTAIN
| The poems of Thomas Bailey Aldrich | |