Our trail we lost. His star is dark. CASPAR Nay, shineth yonder! CAPTAIN (Staring) Where shineth? BELSHASAR He is old and daft. MELCHIOR Hail, Captain of our lord his host! Welcome you are in Herod’s name.— CLAUS (Rising painfully) Nay, curst is he in Herod’s name.— Give back my babe! CAPTAIN (Strikes him with his staff.) Take hence thy life! (CLAUS falls back motionless. DEATH draws near and bends over him.) DEATH Come, Claus: Awake! Thy babe is here. CLAUS Friend Death, now raise me up.—Methought Thou hadst been deaf and dumb, but now We speak together. DEATH Here I hold Thy little babe. CLAUS (Taking the muffled child) O little babe, Now are we both in Death his arms Safe held from Herod’s wrath. Be glad Thy father was not Herod’s slave. (In his great cloak DEATH leads him away. RUTH stares after them.) RUTH Claus! Claus!—Now Death hath taken him. CASPAR Poor woman, do not weep for Claus. Friend Death is kind. RUTH Now are we left Alone, and none to shield us. CASPAR Yea, A king shall shield ye. CAPTAIN King! What king Would shield these Herod’s outcasts? CASPAR One That’s old and merry and cracked, and wears This crown of Caspar, king of babes Made fatherless. MELCHIOR (To the CAPTAIN, shrewdly) You hear? BELSHASAR He’s mad! CAPTAIN Nay, give me sign what manner wise men And kings you are. Make sign, ye three, Now to this staff; for, by its power! All lesser kings who bow them not To Herod’s staff shall lose their crowns. Bow! Bow ye low to Herod, lord of the world! MELCHIOR (Bows low to the staff.) Herod, most High! CAPTAIN Thy crown keep safe. BELSHASAR (Bows low to the staff.) Herod, the Mighty! CAPTAIN Keep thy crown. CASPAR (Remains standing, and smiles.) Herod, the Poor! CAPTAIN What now! How name ye Herod—the poor? CASPAR Is he not poor To lose him both my brothers’ crowns, And needs ask alms of me, old Caspar?— Ho, take him this my crown, poor Herod! And this, my sceptre, yea, and this My cloak also, and bid him keep His staff for kings of sadder heart To bow them to. Mine is too merry.— Now, kiddies, come: where be your cakes And frosting?