FIRST JEW Thou speaketh truly. God is terrible; He breaketh the strong and the weak as a man brays corn in a mortar. But this man hath never seen God. No man hath seen God since the prophet Elias. HERODIAS Make them be silent. They weary me. HEROD But I have heard it said that Jokanaan himself is your prophet Elias. THE JEW That cannot be. It is more than three hundred years since the days of the prophet Elias. HEROD There be some who say that this man is the prophet Elias.. A NAZARENE I am sure that he is the prophet Elias. THE JEW Nay, but he is not the prophet Elias. THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN So the day is come, the day of the Lord, and I hear upon the mountains the feet of Him who shall be the Saviour of the world. HEROD What does that mean? The Saviour of the world. TIGELLINUS It is a title that Cæsar takes. HEROD But Cæsar is not coming into Judæa. Only yesterday I received letters from Rome. They contained nothing concerning this matter. And you, Tigellinus, who were at Rome during the winter, you heard nothing concerning this matter, did you? TIGELLINUS Sire, I heard nothing concerning the matter. I was explaining the title. It is one of Cæsar's titles. HEROD But Cæsar cannot come. He is too gouty. They say that his feet are like the feet of an elephant. Also there are reasons of State. He who leaves Rome loses Rome. He will not come. Howbeit, Cæsar is lord, he will come if he wishes. Nevertheless, I do not think he will come. FIRST NAZARENE It was not concerning Cæsar that the prophet spake these words, sire. HEROD Not of Cæsar? FIRST NAZARENE No, sire. HEROD Concerning whom then did he speak? FIRST NAZARENE Concerning Messias who has come. A JEW Messiah 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 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. A SADDUCEE Not with angels. HERODIAS How these men weary me! They are 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