The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: 150+ Titles in One Edition. Oscar Wilde

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">       How? — it was not concerning Cæsar?

      FIRST NAZARENE

       No, my lord.

      HEROD

       Concerning whom then did he speak?

      FIRST NAZARENE

       Concerning Messias, who hath come.

      A JEW

       Messias hath not come.

      FIRST NAZARENE

       He hath come, and everywhere He worketh miracles!

      HERODIAS

       Ho! ho! miracles! I do not believe in miracles. I have seen too many. (To the Page.)

       My fan.

      FIRST NAZARENE

       This Man worketh true miracles. Thus, at a marriage which took place in a little town of Galilee, a town of some importance, He changed water into wine. Certain persons who were present related it to me. Also He healed two lepers that were seated before the Gate of Capernaum simply by touching them.

      SECOND NAZARENE

       Nay; it was two blind men that He healed at Capernaum.

      FIRST NAZARENE

       Nay; they were lepers. But He hath healed blind people also, and He was seen on a mountain talking with angels.

      A SADDUCEE

       Angels do not exist.

      A PHARISEE

       Angels exist, but I do not believe that this Man has talked with them.

      FIRST NAZARENE

       He was seen by a great multitude of people talking with angels.

      HERODIAS

       How these men weary me! They are ridiculous! They are altogether ridiculous! (To the Page.)

       Well! my fan? (The Page gives her the fan.)

       You have a dreamer’s look. You must not dream. It is only sick people who dream. (She strikes the Page with her fan.)

      SECOND NAZARENE

       There is also the miracle of the daughter of Jairus.

      FIRST NAZARENE

       Yea, that is sure. No man can gainsay it.

      HERODIAS

       Those men are mad. They have looked too long on the moon. Command them to be silent.

      HEROD

       What is this miracle of the daughter of Jairus?

      FIRST NAZARENE

       The daughter of Jairus was dead. This Man raised her from the dead.

      HEROD

       How! He raises people from the dead?

      FIRST NAZARENE

       Yea, sire; He raiseth the dead.

      HEROD

       I do not wish Him to do that. I forbid Him to do that. I suffer no man to raise the dead. This Man must be found and told that I forbid Him to raise the dead. Where is this Man at present?

      SECOND NAZARENE

       He is in every place, my lord, but it is hard to find Him.

      FIRST NAZARENE

       It is said that He is now in Samaria.

      A JEW

       It is easy to see that this is not Messias, if He is in Samaria. It is not to the Samaritans that Messias shall come. The Samaritans are accursed. They bring no offerings to the Temple.

      SECOND NAZARENE

       He left Samaria a few days since. I think that at the present moment He is in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem.

      FIRST NAZARENE

       No; He is not there. I have just come from Jerusalem. For two months they have had no tidings of Him.

      HEROD

       No matter! But let them find Him, and tell Him, thus saith Herod the King, “I will not suffer Thee to raise the dead.” To change water into wine, to heal the lepers and the blind … . He may do these things if He will. I say nothing against these things. In truth I hold it a kindly deed to heal a leper. But no man shall raise the dead … . It would be terrible if the dead came back.

      THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN

       Ah! The wanton one! The harlot! Ah! the daughter of Babylon with her golden eyes and her gilded eyelids! Thus saith the Lord God, Let there come up against her a multitude of men. Let the people take stones and stone her … .

      HERODIAS

       Command him to be silent!

      THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN

       Let the captains of the hosts pierce her with their swords, let them crush her beneath their shields.

      HERODIAS

       Nay, but it is infamous.

      THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN

       It is thus that I will wipe out all wickedness from the earth, and that all women shall learn not to imitate her abominations.

      HERODIAS

       You hear what he says against me? You suffer him to revile her who is your wife!

      HEROD

       He did not speak your name.

      HERODIAS

       What does that matter? You know well that it is I whom he seeks to revile. And I am your wife, am I not?

      HEROD

       Of a truth, dear and noble Herodias, you are my wife, and before that you were the wife of my brother.

      HERODIAS

       It was thou didst snatch me from his arms.

      HEROD

       Of a truth I was stronger than he was … . But let us not talk of that СКАЧАТЬ