University of Virginia Library

Scene I

Jericho: a court of palm-trees in the royal pleasure-house
Cleopatra, dressed as the goddess Isis, Herod and Seleucus
Herod.
Since you have now returned back from Euphrates,
Leaving the Emperor to his wars, in duty
I have collected all my rents
From your Arabia, about Jericho,
And from the Eleutherian cities—all
The districts that I farm of you.
Seleucus!
Here are the papers.
Queen, the sums are here:
Twelve hundred talents; six from Araby,
Four from these cities, two from Jericho.

Cleopatra.
No more from Jericho, with that rare drug
Of native balsam, and such palms as gender
Huge, sable cones of fruit?

Herod.
The sum! I beg
For no deduction, though the locusts nipped
Our odorous gardens close, and scarcity
Has been upon the palm-yards from the greed
Of former and of latter flights in cloud
On every smooth wind of the sun-rising.

Cleopatra.
Your husbandry is sad for me. Seleucus,
Take these small payments to our purse.
Fie, Herod,
Fie! You are niggard in our revenues.

[Exit Seleucus with the bags of gold and papers.
Herod.
I bring you all the farms can yield.

Cleopatra.
O Herod!
I saw you but this morning exercise
With spear and darts, as Greek Apollo chose
An Edomite to mask in. . . .

Herod.
Queen of Egypt,
I am a Jew of Babylonian race.

Cleopatra.
Are you, bold, arrowing archer? You so quick
Of motion, and quick-sighted at your game
Are now but blind. . . .
(Close to his ear.)
We love you, king of Jewry.
As yonder female clusters of the palm
Are bound with sprays of blossom for achievement,
We would be yoked. So monarchs
Make open treaty.

Herod.
Tangling politician!
Ha, ha! A snare! Would you not win Judæa
Out of such wickedness, if I complied
With your own sort of pleasures? I have lost
These plains and cities that were mine: no further
Will I renounce possession, nor will do
Despite to Mark Antonius, nor commit
Idolatry of Isis.

[Wreathing the veil of the goddess round her right arm, Cleopatra throws both her arms back and laughs in Herod's face. Enter Alexas.
Cleopatra.
Ho, Alexas!
And with an onyx tablet—a love-letter
From over crowned Euphrates.
[Exit Alexas.
Antony
Is liberal and kingly; what he lays
Before my eyes is legible on crystal,
A sheet of snowy crystal or bright onyx.
[Lifting the tablet.
This is Arabian stone . . .
We will reply across the crowned Euphrates.
(To Herod.)
Good-bye some little while.

[She puts her arms round his neck and kisses him, then moves across the court, rattling her scarabs, to the sound of laughter so low it ends in a moan.
Herod.
A locust! . . . Would my hands could beat her down!