 | Judas Iscariot |  |
SCENE I.
A Public Walk in Jerusalem.A Pharisee is on his knees praying aloud at the corner of a street. A crowd gathered round.
Phar.
Not that the hand of man can be raised up,
Except as pre-ordained; not that one pulse
Can beat beyond the circle of its law,
One thought be called our own; but that our souls
Must struggle virtuously for virtue's sake,
Setting down all we gain as merely given,
Since God ordains free-will as part of fate.
Holy! thrice holy Law of Ancient Days!
Immortal life in ever-changing shapes
To some of us is promised—such as keep
The old traditions like a mirror bright,
Wherein we see the doctrines, rules, and forms,
And mystic truths, the which, if read aright,
Crown with pure sanctity the prostrate mind.
[Falls on his face.
[Exeunt crowd with murmurs of applause.
Scribe.
Our teaching—all!—opposing all our teaching!
2nd Phar.
And our high doctrine.
1st Phar.
(Rising.)
Speak ye not of Jesus?
2nd Phar.
Of him, beyond all men who yet have raised
Schisms, and false doctrines, and by arts misled
The ignorant people—the ungrateful blind ones,
Fond of wild parables flattering to their hopes
And laxity of life.
Scribe.
Reproved by us
In schools, and synagogues, and lecture halls,
Whene'er we teach; also reproved and warned
In all our books and writings—but in vain;
Him they still follow.
1st Phar.
I will pray against him
In all the public places, and denounce
His blasphemies against the ancient laws,
And our interpretation.
Scribe.
Lo! where comes
One of his followers!
2nd Phar.
A man whose face
Is full of pride—lacking all reverence. (Aside.)
I fain would tread him down.
Enter Judas.
Scribe.
He is well known.
1st Phar.
(To Judas.)
How cometh it to pass that thou
walkest abroad among holy men, and virtuous
people who obey the law and its expounders,—
thou thyself being a follower of false prophets, and
a believer of heresies and lies?
Scribe.
Dost thou also presume to teach, being thyself
untaught in all things but devilishness and the
hopes of fools!
2nd Phar.
Thou bearest the face of one who hath some
blasphemer.
Judas.
Rabbi, this is not so. I follow no heretic, but
one who hath a divine faith, and who teacheth it;
who hath no devils, but is a caster out of devils
from others; neither is he a fool, but rather a
teacher of heavenly wisdom. Wherefore he is no
blasphemer, neither have I cause for shame in the
face that I follow him. Pride rather, in the hope
of things which are to come.
[The Scribe and Pharisees confer apart.
Scribe.
He saith what he must say, being a servant of
this impostor.
1st Phar.
The pomegranate seed telleth what tree it fell
from; for it is like unto none other seed; so doth
this man betray his master's preaching.
2nd Phar.
(Loudly.)
He hath likewise an evil spirit and
a proud, of his own nature; else would he show
reverence in high places, and in due season.
Judas.
Masters, this do I constantly, though not here.
2nd Phar.
Where dost thou show reverence; before
whom, and in what places?
Judas.
In the presence of my Lord and Master Jesus,
who is Christ, and in the Temple of the True
Spirit.
Scribe.
Which temple callest thou the Temple of the
True Spirit?—is not the great Temple of Jerusalem
the temple of the True Spirit?
1st Phar.
Is it not?
Scribe.
(Aside to Pharisees.)
Let be—let be—now will
he utter blasphemy and so become amenable to
death by the law.
Judas.
All temples are of the True Spirit wherein the
truth is taught; and wheresoever Christ teacheth,
there will ye find the temple of the True Spirit.
Scribe.
He answereth cunningly, and by his lesson.
Judas.
(Aside.)
And it shall have dominion over all the
earth!
1st Phar.
Tell us now, and speak no longer with a double
tongue, wherefore followest thou this man Jesus?
The motives of his preaching, what are they but
perhaps to the highest place, even to that of the
High Priest of Jerusalem.
Scribe.
Or being mad, perchance he would be a High
Priest over all other High Priests.
2nd Phar.
Aspiring, moreover, in the summit of that
madness, to the throne of Judea.
1st Phar.
Thereto he leadeth an ungodly and a vicious
life, consorting with publicans and sinners, profaning
the sabbath with work, and declaring to
women of vicious courses that their sins are forgiven
them.
Scribe.
In secret he doeth many evil things. He is followed
by divers women, and by two or three in
especial.
Judas.
Openly; and in secret doth he nothing. This ye
know very well.
1st Phar.
We know it not as ye say. We believe otherwise
than ye say.
Scribe.
Behold the story this carpenter's son telleth of
his miraculous birth, whereby he seeketh to hide
the wickedness of her that bare him. Of his carpenter
father never maketh he mention, as though
he knew not the man, but exalteth himself into
the Son of God in a diviner sense than any of us
are sons of God!
1st Phar.
What manner of man is he who uttereth blasphemies
like these, and yet prevaileth over a multitude,
so that they kneel down and bless his feet,
and follow him whithersoever he listeth?
Judas.
They follow him because they believe in him; and
desert the teaching of the Scribes, and the austere
hypocrisy of the Pharisees, because they know
there is no truth in your hearts. Wherefore do
his followers multiply daily, while yours decrease.
1st Phar.
This folly runs too fast. It must be stopped.
Judas.
(Aside.)
Too fast!—oh far too patiently and slow,
else would none dare utter these things.
1st Phar.
The blossoms of the fig are secret and hidden
from the light, and evil thoughts ripen in darkness.
2nd Phar.
Thou hast speedily answered all our accusations
when we tell thee him thou followest goeth too fast,
and must come to his end, then speakest thou
nought.
Scribe.
His miracles, also, and the cures that he hath
wrought, what are they?
1st Phar.
Are they not the work of an unclean spirit?
—of devils, which defile us even in the hearing of
their deeds?
2nd Phar.
Let us to the baths—let us wash ourselves
and purify ourselves from all this wickedness.
[Exeunt Pharisees.
Judas.
(Aside.)
I would that Jesus could feel these taunts
even as I feel them, then would he command Beelzebub
with a legion of devils to seek abode in these
men's breasts, and with the struggle for more space
wherein to curse and to destroy, thereby torment
them terribly, and urge them to and fro as with a
fiery wind pent up. I would he did this at once,
and so enforced their belief in his power, and in his
mission upon earth.
Scribe.
Thou reasonest Judas upon our words, and taking
counsel with thyself, peradventure dost repent thee.
Wilt thou have wisdom, and wilt thou do a righteous
act?
Judas.
What act?
Scribe.
It were a virtuous thing to give this impostor into
the hands of the law. Verily, the reward would
be forthcoming.
Judas.
Go thy ways. I took thee for a buyer and seller
of lies, and am not deceived.
Scribe.
Art thou not that Judas who beareth the bag of
coin for Jesus and his followers; the treasurer of
the son of a Nazarene carpenter, yea and of his
fishermen? Art thou not he who putteth his private
hand into the common purse whensoever the vice of
thy blood calleth for food?—and now dost thou
seek to look virtuous, and take pride in an honest
palm? Verily thou art a weak knave who followeth
the footsteps of one who is mad with his own folly.
[Exit Scribe.
Would I were Christ!—or that the power he holds
So placidly, were given to my hand
For one short hour! Why moveth not his work
More rapidly and widely, since the time
Crieth aloud for it, and Misery sits
Wringing her hands at poor men's doors? The people
Oppressed by priests, and pharisees, and scribes,
Grievously hate them, and desert their teaching
To follow Jesus; yet he slowly walks
In dangerous places where we may be stoned,
Scourged, crucified, imprisoned, slain by the sword,
While meekly he pursueth still his way,
Secure, by reason of the Spirit of God
Which ever dwelleth in him. Martyrdom
Walks always by our side, sits by our bed,
And smileth on our hunger and scant robes.
But, if escaping, are we to grow old
In houseless journeys, toil, and penury;
Jeer'd, scoff'd at, and reviled from manhood's prime
Till our white beards touch close upon the grave,
And we drop in unhonoured? All the signs
And tokens of a season ripe for change,
Greater than man e'er dreamed of, fill the sky,
And the earth mutters underneath my feet
‘'Tis time! 'tis time!’ The overthrow and scattering
Of the old thrones, temples, and synagogues,
Halls of injustice, schools of ignorant scribes,
And palaces of pharisaic pride,
Whose owners preach humility—all hang
Upon the breath of Jesus. He passeth on
Teaching and healing, nor can I discern
One smile of secret consciousness that soon
All this shall end—and his true kingdom, come.
Somewhat he lacketh. He is great of soul,
For turbulent earth and its gross exigencies;
Strong in design, and magnanimity,
Forbearance, fortitude, and lovingness,
He lacketh still the vehement kingly will—
Will, bred of earth and all that it inherits—
To seize the mountain by its forest hair
And whirl it into dust. On that soft plain,
The Temple of his Father—the true Spirit—
Straightway might we erect, and not lie hid
In secret places, like forlorn wild beasts
Who dread the hunter's spear. Why doth he wait?
Would he were seized!—condemned to instant death—
Set on a brink, and all his hopes for man
Endangered by his fall—till these extremes
Drew violent lightning from him!—
How, if this
Were brought about?—The means, like portals wide
Are open. But the vacant passage teems!
And as I look on it—slowly there rise
Pale Forms, that gaze around!
They do not see me,
But only see the deed that's in my thought.
I will pass through ye, Ghosts!
They fade away.
(He pauses.)
Were't good with Jesus' followers I took counsel?
A strong deed prospereth best in company,
If all agree;—securest done alone.
[Exit.
| Judas Iscariot | |