University of Virginia Library

Scene II.

Street in Jerusalem.
(Enter Judas).
Judas.
Here is the place appointed. Never lose
A chance of winning friends, when friendship means
The power to achieve your purpose. Man alone
Is helpless, but two friends can sway the world
And—if one friend's a woman—heaven as well,
With yawning hell beneath it.
(To the Rabbi Ben-Aaron, who now enters).
Greeting, Sir.

(Mary enters on the opposite side of the stage, unseen by Judas and Ben-Aaron, and listens).
Ben-Aaron.
Hail, friend—you guess my purpose? When one hates
The mind is quick, and keen to apprehend
Hate in another, hatred of the same
One person. You and I with equal hate
Hate—

Judas.
Jesus?

Ben-Aaron.
Just so. And we both desire—

Judas.
The death of Jesus.

Ben-Aaron.
Not so fast, my friend!
You're over-hasty, and you choose your words
With brutal rashness. “Death's” a gloomy word:
I never use it—never think on death
Indeed—I think of love and maidens' lips,
But not of death and darkness. Choose your words,
I pray you, with more niceness; you offend me.

Judas.
Nay! life's not long enough for mincing words
With your damned learned caution. I'm a man
Accustomed to steer straight towards certain ends.

Ben-Aaron.
Yes, Judas; but when steering straight implies
The passage of your ship o'er dangerous shoals,
Why then steer crooked—you will sooner reach
Your lawful end in that way.

Judas.
Lawful end!
We two have nought to do with lawful ends;
We hate and plot, that's all.

Ben-Aaron.
Nay! plotting means
A thousand different things. I plot to found
God's empire upon earth; I plot to bring
To man God's own Messiah.

Judas.
Cease from lies.
You plot—I also plot—to murder Jesus,
The man whom Mary loves.

Ben-Aaron.
I said before
Your rough words make me shiver. Pray be gentle!

Judas.
Wolf that you are—the light within your eyes
Means murder.

Ben-Aaron.
Nay, my very hasty friend,
I mean not murder—but the Jews mean murder.
This man, this Jesus, hated by the priests,
Will surely perish—at their hands, not mine
(The Romans being the executioners)—
If—if this one thing—if he can be brought
To avow himself Messiah.

Judas.
Now I see.
Your lamblike gentleness will charge itself
With this most saintly task: you'll draw the man
To his destruction, prating all the while
Of God and heaven and goodness.

Ben-Aaron.
Is not that
Better than shouting murder in the streets?

Judas.
Far better, doubtless—so the end be reached.

Ben-Aaron.
Faint heart, how soon you tremble! If the end
Be not reached—if my plan at last should fail
Through cowardice of Jesus—then your plan
Comes to the front.

Judas.
I have not any plan.

Ben-Aaron.
There, friend, your lying begins, in your eyes
Lurks murder likewise, ready forth to spring
Red-handed, at its moment.

Judas.
If I said
I had a plan, what then?

Ben-Aaron.
Merely to say
That I will treble what the high priest offers
(You see, I've probed the matter), if your plan
Succeeds where mine has failed.

Judas.
Most generous master,
Too gentle even to utter murder's name,
I take you at your word, and, more than this,
Your plan will not succeed—I know the man—
He is not wrought for greatness—heroes wade
Through blood to empire, but this man will shed
No man's blood save his own.

Ben-Aaron.
Still violent words!
Step this way—we will ratify our bargain
Half in advance (I'll be more generous still!)
But, if you love me, no more murderous words;
They make all life look dismal.

Judas.
Not a word!

(Exeunt Ben-Aaron and Judas).