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 matter. I do not desire to talk of it. It is the cause of the terrible words that the prophet has spoken. Peradventure on account of it a misfortune will come. Let us not speak of this matter. Noble Herodias, we are not mindful of our guests. Fill thou my cup, my well-beloved. Ho! fill with wine the great goblets of silver, and the great goblets of glass. I will drink to Caesar. There are Romans here, we must drink to Caesar.

ALL
Caesar! Caesar!

HEROD
Do you not see your daughter, how pale she is?

HERODIAS
What is it to you if she be pale or not?

HEROD
Never have I seen her so pale.

HERODIAS
You must not look at her.

THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN
In that day the sun shall become black like sackcloth of hair, and the moon shall become like blood, and the stars of the heaven shall fall upon the earth like unripe figs that fall from the fig-tree, and the kings of the earth shall be afraid.

HERODIAS
Ah! ah! I should like to see that day of which he speaks, when the moon shall become like blood, and when the stars shall fall upon the earth like unripe figs. This prophet talks like a drunken man, . . . but I cannot suffer the sound of his voice. I hate his voice. Command him to be silent.

HEROD
I will not. I cannot understand what it is that he saith, but it may be an omen.

HERODIAS
I do not believe in omens. He speaks like a drunken man.

HEROD
It may be he is drunk with the wine of God.