SCENE 5

THE SAME. AARON. THE FIVE JUDGES. ALEXANDRA. SALOME. _Afterwards_, MARIAMNE.

ALEX.

My King and Lord, I give you lowly greeting.

HEROD.

My thanks to you.

[_He seats himself on the throne._ TITUS _places himself at his side. Then_ THE JUDGES _seat themselves at a signal in a semicircle round the tribunal_.

ALEX. (_while this is being done_).

The fate of Mariamne I sunder from my own, and save myself, Like to a torch, to break in future blaze.

[_She sits next to_ SALOME.

HEROD (_to_ THE JUDGES).

You know why I have had you summoned here.

AARON.

In deepest pain do we appear before you.

HEROD.

I do not doubt it. With my house and me You’re closely bonded all as friend and kin; What hurts me must hurt you. You will rejoice, Touching the Queen, if you--(_stops short_) forgive me that! You will rejoice if you should not condemn her, If you may send her, cleared before her spouse, Again unto my house, not Golgotha, Yet will you not, faced with the uttermost, Quake marrowless at its necessity. Since luck and evil luck with me you share You share my shame and honour alike with me. Then to your duty!

[_He gives_ JOAB _a sign_. JOAB _goes out and appears again with_ MARIAMNE. _A long pause._

HEROD.

Aaron!

AARON.

Queen, we have A heavy task. You stand before your judges.

MAR.

Before my judges, yes. Before you too.

AARON.

Do you repudiate this court?

MAR.

I see A higher here. If that allow your questions The answering word from me, then I shall speak, And hold my peace if such the same forbid. I scarcely see you clear, for there behind you Stand ghosts that gaze augustly, dumb, and earnest; They are the great Forefathers of my stem. Three nights I saw them ere this hour in dream, Now too they come by day to me, and well I know what it must mean when thus assembled The Dead already ope for me their ranks And when what lives and breathes for me is pale. See there behind yon throne on which a king In seeming sits, stands Judas Maccabaeus-- Hero of Heroes, look thou not so darkly Upon me from on high! Thou shalt be glad of me!

ALEX.

Curb your defiance, Mariamne!

MAR.

Mother! Farewell! (_To_ AARON.) Say wherefore I am here accused.

AARON.

The accusation’s this--your King and Lord You have deceived. (_To_ HEROD.) ’Tis so?

MAR.

Deceived? Ah, folly! Did he not find me in the way he thought That he would find me, at the dance and play? And did I don, when I had heard the death-news, My mourning-raiment? Did I shed my tears? And did I tear dishevelled locks? Then had I Deceived him; but these things I have not done, And can bring solid proof. Salome, speak!

HEROD.

I found her as she says. She does not need To look about for other witnesses. But I had never, never had such thought.

MAR.

Ne’er had such thought? Yet feigned and had the headsman Set close upon my back? That cannot be. As I at parting stood before his spirit E’en so at our reunion he has found me. Therefore I must deny that I deceived.

HEROD (_breaking into wild laughter_).

Nay, she has not deceived because there’s naught She did but what foreshadowing Sentience, All praise to her, dusked warning Deity, Caused me to feel. (_To_ MARIAMNE.) Woman, this fits you well! But build not overfast on this, that I With peace and happiness have lost my strength; Perchance some jot has still survived for vengeance And--e’en as boy I ever sent a bird A chasing dart if it outflew my range.

MAR.

Speak not of sentience foreshadowing, speak Of fear alone. You trembled at the thing That you deserved. It is the way of man. You can no longer trust the sister, since you Have done to death the brother; all that’s grossest Your sullying mind imputes and thinks that I Must give response, yea, and out-Herod you. Speak truth, or did you always, when you marched In honourable open war to death, Set headsmen close behind my back? You’re silent. Good then! Since you’re so deeply sensitive On what in me is seemly; since your fear Schoolmasters me on duty, then will I Now at long last fulfil this holy duty. Therefore I sunder me from you for aye.

HEROD.

Answer! Do you confess or not confess?

[MARIAMNE _is silent_.

(_To the_ JUDGES.) You see that all confession fails. Also I’ve not the proofs as such that you will need. But on a murderer once I saw you pass The doom of death because the slain man’s jewel Was found on him. It was no help that he Had pointed to his cleanly-washen hands, And none too that he swore the dead man gave it As gift. You had the sentence executed. Good then! It stands thus here. She has the jewel That proves to me more undeniably Than ever any tongue of man could do it She shamed me with the abhorred of all abhorred. A miracle must not alone have happened. It must in other case have been repeated, And miracles were ne’er repeated yet.[18]

[MARIAMNE _makes a gesture_.

’Tis true she’ll speak just as the murderer spoke-- “’Twas given her for a gift!” And she may dare it Because a chamber, like a wood, is dumb. But were you tempted thus to give her credit Then I will set in scale my inmost feeling And probing of each possibility As counterbalance, and demand her death,-- Her death, I say! no more this nauseous goblet I’ll empty which her proud defiance fills, Nor day on day be gadflied with the riddle If such a pride’s the most repellent face Of Innocence, or the most brazen mask Of Sin. I’ll rescue me from out this whirlpool Boiling with hate and love ere I be choked, And be the cost as high as e’er it may. Therefore away with her! You dally still? It’s settled! What? I missed the telling point? Then speak! I know that silence is my part, But speak! speak! Sit not there like Solomon Between the mothers with the pair of children. Her case is clear; you need no more for sentence Than what you see! A woman that stands there As she does, earns her death though she were clean Of every guilt. And still you never speak? Will you perchance first have the proof how fast Is my conviction that she has deceived? Such I will give you through Soemus’ head And that at once.

[_He goes up to_ JOAB.

TITUS (_rising_).

I say this is not trial. Your pardon!

[_Is about to go._

MAR.

Roman, stay! I recognise it, Who can repudiate it if not I?

[TITUS _seats himself again_. ALEXANDRA _rises_.

MAR. (_approaching her, and in a subdued voice_).

You’ve wrought on me much harm and never has Your meed of happiness by mine been measured. If I’m to pardon that, be silent now. You alter naught; my will is firm and fixed.

[ALEXANDRA _seats herself again_.

And now, my Judges?

AARON (_to the other_ JUDGES).

Let that man rise up Who deems the sentence of the King unjust!

[_All remain seated._

You therefore all resolve yourselves for death? (_Rising._) Queen, you are here condemned to suffer death. Have you aught still to answer?

MAR.

If the headsman Is not bespoke already and by now Awaits me with his axe, then I would crave A final word with Titus ere my death. (_To_ HEROD.) It is not wont to give the last request Of dying men refusal. Can you grant it, Then let my life be added unto yours.

HEROD.

The Headsman is not yet bespoke. I can. And since you promise me eternity As my reward, I must, and more, I will. (_To_ TITUS.) This woman is an awesome thing!

TITUS.

She stands Before a man as never woman should; Make then an end.

SALOME (_advancing_).

Oh do it! For your mother Is sick unto the death. She will be whole If spared to see it.

HEROD (_to_ ALEXANDRA).

Did you not say aught?

ALEX.

No.

[HEROD _gazes long at_ MARIAMNE. MARIAMNE _remains dumb_.

HEROD.

Die! (_To_ JOAB.) I lay it in your hands.

[_Goes off quickly._ SALOME _follows him_.

ALEX. (_looking after_ HEROD).

I have An arrow still for you. (_To_ MARIAMNE.) You wished it so!

MAR.

I thank you.

[_Exit_ ALEXANDRA.

AARON (_to the other_ JUDGES).

Can we not even now attempt To soften him? This fills me o’er with horror. She is the last of Maccabean daughters. If we could only gain the briefest respite! Now ’twere not feasible that we withstood him. Soon will he be his former self again And then it’s possible he’ll punish us Because to-day we made him no resistance. Follow him!

[_Exit._

JOAB (_approaching_ MARIAMNE).

You forgive? I must obey.

MAR.

Do what your Lord commands and do it swift. I shall be ready soon as you yourself, And queens, you know, are never wont to wait.

[_Exit_ JOAB.