SCENE III
The same. John, behind him a number of men and women, among them Amarja.
JOHN
Whose wretchedness is so great that he wails aloud, and forgets that grief should be silent?
MANASSA
[Kneeling before him.] Rabbi, mighty Rabbi. If thou art he of whom men are talking in the streets of Jerusalem, help me, save me!
JOHN
Stand up and speak.
MANASSA
I am Manassa, the son of Jeruel, and my father was sick and blind; and I lived with him on the road to Gibeon, close by the well which is never dry. And men came unto me who said, "It is the will of the Lord our God that ye refuse to pay tribute to the Romans," and I refused to pay the Romans tribute. Then have the soldiers fallen on me and burned my house, and my young wife hath perished in the flames, and my father, who was blind. And I am now left alone and desolate. Help me, Rabbi! Help!
JOHN
Am I lord over Life and Death that I can make thy father, wife, and child alive again? Can I build up thy house once more out of its ashes? What dost thou ask of me?
MANASSA
Then cursed be those who----
JOHN
Stop! Cursings enough hang over us. Israel is loaded with them, like the autumn boughs with ripe grapes. Wherefore dost thou lament? Look before, instead of behind. If thou canst not withhold thy lamentations, put a gag between thy teeth; for prayer should be silent, and longing and patience without sound.
MANASSA
How shall that help me, Rabbi, in my loneliness and desolation?
JOHN
Thou speakest sinfully. Is He not with thee?
MANASSA
Rabbi! Who?
AMARJA
Hearken! He hath not heard the news of Him Who cometh!
JOHN
Know'st thou not that soon there will be rejoicing in Israel? Bridal garments and music of cymbals! Know'st thou not that there will be no more sorrow in Israel? Therefore wipe the foam from thy lips and sanctify thyself.
ALL
Sanctify thyself!
MANASSA
No more sorrow. No more suffering! Rabbi, say that I may stay with thee?
JOHN
Mix with thy fellows over there and learn silence.
MANASSA
[Stammering.] Rabbi! [He withdraws.]
JOHN
I see not Josaphat among ye. Neither is Matthias here. Who hath tidings of them?
AMARJA
Rabbi, none hath seen them.
JOHN
Who is that lying on the ground groaning?
THE PARALYTIC
Master, I am a poor man, sick of a palsy and in great agony. If Thou canst not cure me, I must die!
JOHN
Die now! Now, when One is at hand Who bringeth relief for thy tumours and balm for thy sores? I say unto Thee thou wilt thank the Lord thy God with shouts of joy for every hour of thy pain, for every inch of the road thou hast crawled along on inflamed knees, when thou beholdest Him for Whom our soul longeth and hopeth, for Whose coming we wait and watch by the roadside, looking towards the East. Therefore endure sevenfold suffering and groan no more.
THE PARALYTIC
Rabbi, thou hast done wonders for me. I feel no longer--I----[He makes an effort to rise, but sinks back. His companions lead him away. He breathes more easily, laughing as he goes.]
MURMUR OF PEOPLE
See! a miracle. He works miracles!
ONE OF THE PEOPLE
Truly the word is fulfilled--Elias is risen. The Great Prophet is risen from the dead!
ANOTHER
No, not Elias, not the Prophet! See ye not, ye blind? It is He Himself! He is the promised One. Worship Him! worship Him!
ALL
[Falling on their knees.] Worship Him!
JOHN
A man sick of a fever crawled along the road looking for the physician, and when a beggar or a slave came by, carrying water, he fell on his knees before him and cried, "Hail to thee, great physician! Thank God, thou art come!" And so he went on till evening, and the children mocked him. [The people rise slowly.] What have I, the beggar, to give you? The water I carry is to baptize you in; it is the pure water of repentance. But He Who cometh after me will baptize with fire and the Spirit, and I am not worthy to unlatch His shoes, ... so little am I compared with Him.
SEVERAL
Rabbi, tell us, when will He come of Whom thou speakest?
OTHERS
Who is it, Rabbi? Be merciful and strengthen our souls. Speak to us of Him.
JOHN
Then sit ye down in a circle and hear the oft-told tidings, ye insatiable ones. [The people crouch on the ground.]
MIRIAM
Hadidja, what is he going to tell us?
HADIDJA
Be silent.
MIRIAM
Let me take thy hand, Hadidja.
JOHN
It was on the banks of Jordan that I baptized all, according to the command of the Lord. Many people were gathered round me and hearkened to what I preached, but my soul was consumed with doubt and misgiving. Then, lo, a youth came down from the cliffs above, and he was alone, and all the people drew back. And as I raised my eyes to his face, I knew that this was He, for the glory of eternity shone round about Him. And when He spake with me, and prayed me to baptize Him as if He were a sinner, I trembled and refused, saying, "I would be baptized by Thee, but Thou comest to me?" And He made answer, "So be it, for thus shall the law be fulfilled." Then I yielded, and let it be as He desired. And when He had received Baptism from my trembling hand, He rose from the water, and behold, the Heavens opened above Him and I saw the Holy Ghost descending like a white dove, and He was bathed in the Heavenly light. And a voice out of Heaven spake, "Behold, this is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." Then I fell on my face and prayed. And I was no longer afraid.
ONE OF THE CROWD
[After a pause.] And whence came He, He Who was thus illumined by the radiance of the Lord?
ALL
Yes, whence came He, and whither did He go? Didst thou not hold Him?
JOHN
Plague me not with questions. He cometh and goeth, and no man holdeth Him. At this very hour He may be sitting in our midst.
ALL
[Turn on each other a scared and inquiring gaze.]
AMARJA
Rabbi, we are all poor workpeople from Jerusalem, and every one knoweth his fellow.
ONE OF THE CROWD
[Pointing to Miriam.] Yes, we men! But here is a woman whom I never saw before.
HADIDJA
Her name is Miriam, and she serves as maid in the Palace, as I do.
JOHN
Leave her in peace.
ANOTHER
But if He of Whom thou speakest dwells among the living, He must bear a name, and His Father's name.
ALL
Yea; tell us His name. His name?
JOHN
Ye would hear his name? Listen to the wind whispering among the rocks, mark well what it saith ere it vanisheth. So His name, heard first here and then there, passed by my ear. I am waiting with prayer and anxiety to hear it again. Therefore I say unto you, Question me not further, lest it melt away like a dream when the cock croweth.
AMARJA
Yet give us withal some guidance. Whence came He to thee--He----
JOHN
The wind which wafted Him to me blew from Galilee.
ALL
From Galilee!
ONE
Is then the Messiah the Galileans', the fisheaters'?
ANOTHER
He shall come to us Judæans! Up, and let us seek Him!
ALL
Aye, let us seek Him!
JOHN
Think ye that He will permit Himself to be found by you? Ye miserable creatures full of mutiny and revolt! Who are ye that ye should alter the course of the world's history by a hair's breadth? When the time for His harvest is ripe, then He shall appear to you of His own free will in glory as the Lord of Hosts. The four cherubim shall ride before Him on caparisoned horses, with flaming sickles in their hands.... Whatsoever hath been planted in sin and hath grown up rankly, that shall be mown down, root and branch; whatsoever hath reared itself against Him shall be trampled upon. Therefore, ye men of Israel, root up the weeds that flourish and encumber your bodies, so that ye do not rot, and in your corruption are not swept away with your polluters when He draweth near with the seven-coloured rainbow about His head. He Who shall come must come [reflectively], must come!
ONE OF THE CROWD
Rabbi, we have repented of our sins. We pray day and night, and our bodies are emaciated from fasting. Say, what more can we do?