University of Virginia Library

ACT I.

SCENE I.

The Clouds of Heaven. Angels descend upon the earth on a broad green plain of Judæa. Time, night.
Chorus of Angels.
A new Star of the Night is born—
The Night of human grief and gloom—
A Star to shine
With beams divine
Upon man's cradle, course, and tomb.

Semi-Chorus the First.
He shall baptize with dews of Morn,
And streams from rocks and flowering meads;
And fill the land with golden corn
Where grew gigantic thorns and weeds!

A Voice.
When old Idolatries become man's scorn,
With Vengeful Wrath of early creeds!

Semi-Chorus the Second.
But soon shall rise another Star,
Half-brother of the same rare growth—
Each, Leader of the Soul's first war—
The Holy Ghost begat them both.

A Voice.
The Peace and Love
For which they strove,
Mankind shall find in ages far.

Chorus.
Now sing of John,
The earliest one,
Wakening the earth
To a new birth,
For many a hard fight, lost and won!
Though his bleeding head
For a girl's dance paid;—
Sing we a high triumphal song
To the Valiant Soul as pure as strong!
The bearer of the mighty rod!
The first-begotten Son of God!

SCENE II.

The Wilderness, between Bethany and Jericho.
A Voice
(crying in the Wilderness).
“Prepare ye the way of the Lord!
Make His paths straight!
Every valley shall be filled,
And every mountain and hill
Shall be brought low;
And the crooked made straight,
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see
The salvation of God!”

Enter John, clothed in ragged skins.
John.
The dry dust, bare boughs, and the fruitless thorn—
The scorching sun, sharp rains and howling winds—
Companion this my body; as the wolf,
The stork, the pelican, the lonely owl,
And silent fox, are cherished savagely.
From the same pool or gushing rock we drink,
But differing in our food; they eat whate'er
Of life they can subdue—oft-times each other—
While I in bitter roots find nourishment,
And berries, sweet or bitter. But my soul
Hath other nutriment in noblest dreams,
Visions, and hopes, and inward prophecies,
For I walk here companion'd by my God!
(John seateth himself upon a ledge of rock.)
My father, Zacharias, said of me—
“Thou child—the child of my old age, and hers,
Thy mother, yea my wife Elizabeth—
To whom the Angel Gabriel was sent
To make her know and instantly believe
The Holy Ghost would fructify her womb,
And also glorify her coming child;
Thou,” said my father, “art that holy son.
Thou shalt be fillèd with the Holy Ghost!
Thou shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest;
For thou shalt go before the face of God,
His ways preparing! Knowledge shalt thou give
Unto His people of their sure salvation,
By sins remitted through God's tender mercy,
Whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited
Us in our tears and yearnings—to give light
To them that sit in darkness and the shadow
Of Death, and guide to ways of peace our feet.”
Thus spake my aged father unto me,
Yea, thus spake Zacharias. I am ready.
(John riseth, and taketh his staff.)
The day is come—
After severe probation and seclusion
Of my whole life—when I to Israel
Must show myself—the herald of these things!

[Exit.

SCENE III.

Portico of the Palace of Herod, Tetrarch of Galilee. Herod and his queen, Herodias— (richly and immodestly attired)—are now seated at chess.
Herodias.
And in three moves I win!

Herod.
If I play ill.

Herodias.
Play how thou mayest, Lord Tetrarch, I must win.

Herod.
I do not see it.

Herodias.
Therefore art thou lost.

(The Queen moves.)
Herod.
Not so! (Herodias laugheth.)
Not yet!
Ho, slaves! bring wine!
(Voice of John the Baptist without.)
“Bring judgment!”

Enter John.
Herodias.
This is the wild man from the wilderness!

Herod.
I have heard much of thee. There have been men
Who in thy savage haunts have thronged to hear
Thy raving prophecies; but get thee hence,
And to thy woods return.

Herodias.
While yet you may.

Herod.
Why comest thou here?

John.
To warn thee of the doom,
That, like a beetling cliff, hangs o'er thy head!

Herod.
What doom? And wherefore?

Herodias.
Give the wolf some meat;
For this he comes; or have him beaten hence.

John.
One of the Tetrad art thou.

Herod.
Hence a King.

John.
Of Galilee: thy brother Philip also—
Tetrarch of—

Herodias
(half rising).
Let him speak no more!

John.
I will
Speak more. Thy brother Philip's wife—

Herodias.
Away!

John.
Sits at thy side—thy sister and thy wife!—
Herodias, thy stone-eyed concubine,
Who now would look me dead! But I am sent
Thee to admonish of thy sinful life—
Thy ruthlessness to the poor—thy lack of justice—
Thy many evil deeds!

Herod.
Thou sent!—Who sent thee?

John
(pointing upwards).
The Most High! He, to whom Tiberius Cæsar
Is but a nodding tree-top, and his armies
The motley autumn leaves which fall around!

[Exit John.
Herodias.
Thou heard'st!—he did blaspheme Tiberius Cæsar!
Bid thy guards follow him!—pluck out his heart—
Or slay him with the back ridge of their swords,
So shall he have more time to call his God!

Herod.
Thy passion prompts, and reasonably prompts
In thee; but I were best restrain my hand,
For many people gather tow'rds this man,
Calling him “holy,” one possessed of gifts
From preternatural sources. This may be.

Herodias
(darkly).
So. To our game!

Herod
(pointing to the chess-board).
Let all stand still awhile!
(Aside.)
A Prophet risen from the dead, some say;
While others think he never died at all,
But was borne upward in a fiery chariot!
I'm very ill at ease touching that man.

[Exit Herod, followed by guards, slaves, etc.
Herodias
(rising slowly).
The beast-clad savage called me “concubine!”
“Stoney-eyed wife and sister!”—he shall find
Such stones have secret fires, and secret sight.
Go thy ways, “Prophet of the Wilderness!”
I will watch over thee with sleepless eyes!