DATE DUE 
 
 n&vi nan 
 
P rTc e Twenty-five Cents 
 
 r 
 
 ^ 
 
 S Ql 1 o m e 
 
 A Tragedy in One Act 
 
 ^r 
 
 L Translated from the French of 
 3SCAR WILDE 
 
 1R Great* Success of the MetroDoStan Opera Home 
 
CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 Joseph Whitmore Barry 
 dramatic library 
 
 THE GIFT OF 
 TWO FRIENDS 
 
 OF Cornell University 
 
 t934 
 
SALOME 
 
> 
 
SALOME 
 
 e/f PLAY 
 
 BY 
 
 OSCAR WILDE 
 
 New York 
 
 FOR THE TRADE 
 
 1907 
 
/\Ls3yy^ 
 
CHARACTERS. 
 
 Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Judaea. 
 
 loKANAAN, the Prophet. 
 
 The Young Syrian, Captain of the Guard. 
 
 TiGELLiNus, a Young Roman. 
 
 A Cappadocian. 
 
 A Nubian. 
 
 First Soldier. 
 
 Second Soldier. 
 
 The Page of Herodias. 
 
 Jews, Nazarenes, etc. 
 
 A Slave. 
 
 Naaman, the Executioner. 
 
 Herodias, Wife of the Tetrarch. 
 
 Salome, Daughter of Herodias. 
 
 The Slaves of Salome. 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013571579 
 
SALOME. 
 
 Scene — A great terrace in the Palace of 
 Herod, set above the banqueting-hall. Some sol- 
 diers are leaning over the balcony. To the right 
 there is a gigantic staircase, to the left, at the 
 back, an old cistern surrounded by a wall of 
 green bronze. The moon is shining very brightly. 
 
 The Young Syrian. How beautiful is the 
 Princess Salome to-night! 
 
 The Page of Herodias. Look at the moon. 
 How strange the moon seems ! She is like a 
 woman rising from a tomb. She is like a dead 
 woman. One might fancy she was looking for 
 dead things. 
 
 The Young Syrian. She has a strange look. I 
 She is like a little princess who wears a yellow l 
 veil, and whose feet are of silver. She is like I 
 a princess who has little white doves for feet. I 
 One might fancy she was dancing. ] 
 
 The Page of Herodias. She is like a woman 
 who is dead. She moves very slowly. (Noise 
 in the banqueting-hall.) 
 
 [7] 
 
8 SALOME 
 
 First Soldier. What an uproar! Who are 
 those wild beasts howling? 
 
 Second Soldier. The Jews. They are al- 
 ways like that. They are disputing about their 
 rehgion. ~'^~" - 
 
 First Soldier. Why do they dispute about 
 their religion? 
 
 Second Soldier. I cannot tell. They are al- 
 ways doing it. The Pharisees, for instance, say 
 that there are angels, and the Sadducees declare 
 that angels do not exist. 
 
 First Soldier. I think it is ridiculous to dis- 
 pute about such things. 
 
 The Young Syrian. How beautiful is the 
 Princess Salome to-night! 
 
 The Page of Herodias. You are always 
 looking at her. You look at her too much. It 
 is dangerous to look at people in such fashion. 
 Something terrible may happen. 
 
 The Young Syrian. She is very beautiful 
 to-night. 
 
 First Soldier. The Tetrarch has a sombre 
 aspect. 
 
 Second Soldier. Yes; he has a sombre as- 
 pect. 
 
 First Soldier. He is looking at something. 
 
 Second Soldier. Tfe is looking at some one. 
 
 First Soldier. At whom is he looking? 
 
SALOME 
 
 Second Soldier. I cannot tell. 
 
 The Young Syrian. How pale the Princess 
 is ! Never have I seen her so pale. She is like 
 the shadow of a white rose in a mirror of silver. 
 
 The Page of Herodias. You must not look 
 at her. You look too much at her. 
 
 First Soldier. Herodias has filled the cup 
 of the Tetrarch. 
 
 The Cappadocian. Is that the Queen Hero- 
 dias, she who wears a black mitre sewed with 
 pearls, and whose hair is powdered with blue 
 dust? 
 
 First Soldier. Yes; that is Herodias, the 
 Tetrarch's wife. 
 
 Second Soldier. The Tetrarch is very fond 
 of wine. He has wine of three sorts. One 
 which is brought from the Island of Samothrace, 
 and is purple like the cloak of Caesar. 
 
 The Cappadocian. I have never seen Caesar. 
 
 Second Soldier. Another that comes from a 
 town called Cyprus, and is as yellow as gold. 
 
 The Cappadocian. I love gold. 
 
 Second Soldier. And the third is a wine of 
 Sicily. That wine is as red as blood. 
 
 The Nubian. The gods of my country are 
 very fond of blood. Twice in the year we sacri- 
 fice to them young men and maidens ; fifty young 
 men and a hundred maidens. But I am afraid 
 
10 SALOME 
 
 that we never give them quite enough, for they 
 are very harsh to us. 
 
 The Cappadocian. In my country there are 
 
 00 gods left. The Romans have driven them 
 out. There are some who say that they have hid- 
 den themselves in the mountains, but I do not 
 believe it. Three nights I have been on the 
 mountains seeking them everywhere. I did not 
 find them, and at last I called them by their 
 names, and they did not come. I think they are 
 dead. 
 
 1 First Soldier. The Jews worship a God that 
 ,£ne^cannot seg. 
 
 I The Cappadocian. I cannot understand that. 
 ' First Soldier. In fact, they only believe in 
 things that one cannot see. 
 ~The"Cappadocian. That seems to me alto- 
 gether ridiculous. 
 
 I The Voice of Iokanaan. After me shall 
 come another mightier than I. I am not worthy 
 so much as to unloose the latchet of his shoes. 
 When he cometh the solitary places shall be glad. 
 They shall blossom like the rose. The eyes of 
 the blind shall see the day, and the ears of the 
 deaf shall be opened. The sucking child shall 
 put his hand upon the dragon's lair, he shall 
 lead the lions by their manes. 
 
SALOME II 
 
 Second Soldier. Make him be silent. He is 
 always saying ridiculous things. 
 
 First Soldier. No, no. He is a holy man. 
 He is very gentle, too. Every day when I give 
 him to eat he thanks me. 
 
 The Cappadocian. Who is he? 
 
 First Soldier. A prophet. 
 , The Cappadocian. What is his name? 
 
 First Soldier. lokanaan. 
 
 The Cappadocian. Whence comes he ? 
 ' First Soldier. From the desert, where he 
 fed on locusts and wild honey. He was clothed 
 in camel's hair, and round his loins he had a 
 leathern belt. He was very terrible to look 
 upon. A great multitude used to follow him. 
 He_^even had_disciples. 
 
 { The CAPPADOctor. What is he talking of? 
 ' First Soldier. We can never tell. Some- 
 times he says things that affright one, but it is 
 impossible to understand what he says. 
 
 The Cappadocian. May one see him? 
 
 First Soldier. No. The Tetrarch has for- 
 bidden it. 
 
 The Young Syrian. The Princess has hid- 
 den her face behind her fan I Her little white 
 hands are fluttering like doves that fly to their 
 dove-cots. They are like white butterflies. They 
 are Just like white butterflies. 
 
12 SALOME 
 
 The Page of Herodias. What is that to you ? 
 Why do you look at her ? You must not look at 
 her. Something terrible may happen. 
 
 The Capadocian (pointing to the cistern). 
 What a strange prison ! 
 
 Second Soldier. It is an old cistern. 
 
 The Cappadocian. An old cistern! That 
 must be a poisonous place in which to dwell ! 
 
 Second Soldier. Oh, no! For instance, the 
 Tetrarch's brother, his elder brother, the first 
 husband of Flerodias, the Queen, was impris- 
 oned there for twelve years. It did not kill him. 
 At the end of the twelve years he had to be 
 strangled. 
 
 The Cappadocian. Strangled? Who dared 
 to do that? 
 
 Second Soldier (pointing to the executioner, 
 a huge negro). That man yonder, Naaman. 
 
 The Cappadocian. He was not afraid? 
 
 Second Soldier. Oh, no ! The Tetrarch sent 
 him the ring. 
 
 The Cappadocian. What ring? 
 
 Second Soldier. The death ring. So he was 
 not afraid. 
 
 The Cappadocian. Yet it is a terrible thing 
 to strangle a king. 
 
 First Soldier. Why? Kings have but one 
 neck, like other folk.., 
 
SALOME 13 
 
 The Cappasocian. I think it terrible. 
 
 The Young Syrian. The Princess is getting 
 up! She is leaving the table! She looks very 
 troubled. Ah, she is coming this way. Yes, 
 she is coming towards us. How pale she is! 
 Never have I seen her so pale. 
 
 The Page of Herodias. Do not look at her. 
 I pray you not to look at her. 
 
 The Young Syrian. She is like a dove that 
 has strayed. She is like a narcissus trembling 
 in the wind. She is like a silver flower. (Enters 
 Salome.) 
 
 Salome. I will not stay. I cannot stay. 
 Why does the T etra rch look, at me all the while 
 with his mole's eyes under his shaking eyelids? 
 It is strange that the husband of my mother 
 looks at me like that. I know not what it means. 
 Of a truth, I know it too well. 
 
 The Young Syrian. You have left the feast. 
 Princess ? 
 
 Salome. How sweet is the air here! I can 
 breathe here ! Within there are Jews from Jeru- 
 salem who are tearing each other in pieces over 
 their foolish ceremonies, and barbarians who 
 drink and drink, and spill their wine on the pave- 
 ment, and Greeks from Smyrna with painted eyes 
 and painted cheeks, and frizzed hair curled in 
 columns, and Egyptians silent and subtle, with 
 
14 SALOME 
 
 long nails of jade and russet cloaks, and Romans 
 brutal and coarse, with their uncouth jargon. 
 Ah ! how I loathe the Romans ! They are rough 
 and common, and they give themselves the airs 
 of noble lords. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Will you be seated, 
 Princess ? 
 
 The Page of Herodias. Why do you speak 
 to her? Oh! something terrible will happen. 
 Why do you look at her ? 
 
 Salome. How good to see the moon ! She is 
 like a little piece of money, a little silver flower. 
 She is cold and chaste. I am sure she is a virgin. 
 She has the beauty of a virgin. Yes, she is a vir- 
 gin. She has never defiled herself. She has 
 never abandoned herself to men, like the other 
 goddesses. 
 
 The Voice of Iokanaan. Behold ! the Lord 
 hath come. The Son of Man is at hand. The 
 centaurs have hidden themselves in the rivers, 
 and the nymphs have left the rivers, and are 
 lying beneath the leaves in the forests. 
 
 Salome. Who was that who cried out ? 
 
 Second Soldier. The prophet. Princess. 
 
 Salome. Ah, the prophet! He of whom the 
 Tetrarch is afraid? 
 
 Second Soldier. We know nothing of that, 
 
SALOME ,15 
 
 Princess. It was the prophet lokanaan who 
 cried out. 
 
 The Young Soldier. Is it your pleasure that 
 I bid them bring your litter, Princess? The 
 night is fair in the garden. 
 
 Salome. He says terrible things about my 
 mother, does he not? 
 
 Second Soldier. We never understand what 
 he says. Princess. 
 
 Salome. Yes; he says terrible things about 
 her. (Enter a slave.) 
 
 The Slave. Princess, the Tetrarch prays you 
 to return to the feast. 
 
 Salome. I will not return. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Pardon me. Princess, 
 but if you return not some misfortune may hap- 
 
 Salome. Is he an old man, this prophet? 
 
 The Young Syrian. Princess, it were better 
 to return. Suffer me to lead you in. 
 
 Salome. This prophet, is he an old man? 
 
 First Soldier. No, Princess, he is quite 
 young. 
 
 Second Soldier. One cannot be sure. There 
 are those who say that he is Elias. 
 
 Salome. Who is Elias? 
 
 Second Soldier. A prophet of this country 
 in bygone days, Princess. ; 
 
l6 SALOME 
 
 The Slave. What answer may I give the 
 Tetrarch from the Princess ? 
 ' The Voice of Iokanaan. Rejoice not, O 
 land of Palestine, because the rod of him who 
 smote thee is broken. For from the seed of the 
 serpefit shall come a basilisk, and that which is 
 bom of it shall devour the birds. 
 
 Salome. What a strange voice! I would 
 speak with him. 
 
 First Soldier. I fear it may not be, Princess. 
 The Tetrarch does not suffer any one to speak 
 with him. He has even forbidden the high priest 
 to speak with him. 
 
 Salome. I desire to speak with him. 
 
 First Soldier. It is impossible, Princess. 
 
 Salome. I will speak with him. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Would it not be better 
 to return to the banquet? 
 
 Salome. Bring forth this prophet. (B^f the 
 slave.) 
 
 First Soldier. We. dare not. Princess. 
 
 Salome (approaching the cistern and looking 
 down into it). How black it is down there! It 
 must be terrible to be in so black a hole ! It is 
 like a tomb. (To the soldiers.) Did you not 
 hear me? Bring out the prophet. I would look 
 on him. 
 
SALOME 17 
 
 Second Soldier. Prmcess, I beg you, do not 
 require this of us. 
 Salome. You are making me wait upon your 
 
 First Soldier. Princess, our lives belong to 
 you, but we caimot do what you have asked of 
 us. And indeed, it is not of us that you should 
 ask this thing. 
 
 Salome {looking at the young Syrian). Ah! 
 
 The Page of Herodias. Oh, what is going 
 to happen? I am sure that something terrible 
 will happen. 
 
 Salome (going up to the young Syrian). 
 Thou wilt do this thing for me, wilt thou not, 
 «Narraboth?_ Thou wilt do this thing for me. 
 I have ever been kind towards thee. Thou wilt 
 do it for me. I would but look at him, this 
 strange prophet. Men have talked so much of 
 him. Often I have heard the Tetrarch talk of 
 him. I think he is afraid of him, the Tetrarch. 
 Art thou, even thou, also afraid of him, Narra- 
 both? 
 
 The Young Syrian. I fear him not. Prin- 
 cess ; there is no man I fear. But the Tetrarch 
 has formally forbidden that any man should 
 raise the cover of this well. 
 
 Salome. Thou wilt do this thing for me, Nar- 
 raboth, and to-morrow when I pass in my litter 
 
l8 SALOME 
 
 beneath the gateway of the idol-sellers I will let 
 fall for thee a little flower, a little green flower. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Princess, I cannot, I 
 cannot. 
 
 Salome (smiling). Thou wilt do this thing 
 for me, Narraboth. Thou knowest that thou wilt 
 do this thing for me. And on the morrow when 
 I shall pass in my litter by the bridge of the 
 idol-buyers, I will look at thee through the mus- 
 lin jgeils ;_X.jyil Llook a t thee, Narraboth; it may 
 be I will smile at thee, "took at me, Narraboth ; 
 look at me. Ah! thou knowest that thou wilt 
 do what I ask of thee. Thou knowest it. I 
 know that thou wilt do this thing. 
 
 The Young Syrian (signing to the third 
 soldier). Let the prophet come forth. The 
 Princess Salome desires to see him. 
 
 Salome. Ah ! 
 
 The Page of Herodias. Oh! How strange 
 the moon4GG4»-l~ Like the hand of a dead woman 
 who is seeking to cover herself with a shroud. , 
 
 The Young Syrian. She has a strange as- 
 pect! She is like a little Princess, whose eyes 
 are eyes of amber. Through the clouds of mus- 
 lin she is smiling like a little Princess. (The 
 prophet comes out of the cistern. Salome looks 
 at him and steps slowly back.) 
 
 loKANAAN. Where is he whose cup of abom- 
 
SALOME ig 
 
 inations is now full? Where is he, who in a robe 
 of silver shall one day die in the face of all the 
 people? Bid him come forth, that he may hear 
 the voice of him who hath cried in the waste 
 places and in the houses of kings. 
 
 Salome. Of whom is he speaking? 
 
 The Young Syrian. No one can tell. Prin- 
 cess. 
 
 loKANAAN. Where is she who saw the images 
 of men painted on the walls, even the Images 
 ot tne~Shald3eans painted with colors, and gave 
 herself up unto the )ust.^_her eyes, and sent 
 ambassadors into the land of the Chaldsea? 
 
 Salome. It is of my mother that he is speak- 
 ing. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Oh, no. Princess. 
 
 Salome. Yes; it is of my mother that he is 
 speaking. 
 
 loKANAAN. Where is she who gave herself 
 unto the Captains of Assyria, who have baldricks 
 on their loins, and crowns of many colors on 
 their heads ? Where is she who hath given her- 
 self to the young men of the Egyptians, who are 
 clothed in fine linen and hyacinth, whose shields 
 are of gold, whose helmets are of silver, whose 
 bodies are mighty? Go, bid her rise up from 
 the bed of her abominations, from the bed of 
 her incestuousness, that she may hear the words 
 
20 SALOME 
 
 of him who prepareth the way of the Lord, that 
 she may repent of her iniquities. Though she 
 will not repent, but will stick fast in her abom- 
 inations, go bid her come, for the fan of the 
 Lord is in His hand. 
 
 Salome. Ah, but he is terrible, he is ter- 
 rible! 
 
 The Young Syrian. Do not stay here, Prin- 
 cess, I beseech you. 
 
 Salome. It is his eyes above^U that are ter- 
 rible. They <^re^ filce black, holes burned"^ 
 torches in the tapestry of Tyre. They are like 
 the black cavern where the dragons live, the 
 black caverns of Egypt, in which the dragons 
 make their lairs. They are like black lakes 
 troubled by fantastic moons. Do you think he 
 will speak again ? 
 
 The Young Syrian. Do not stay here, Prin- 
 cess. I pray you do not stay here. 
 
 Salome. How wasted he is! He is like a 
 thin ivory statue. He is like an image of silver. 
 I am sure he is chaste, as the moon is. He is 
 like a moonbeam, like a shaft of silver. His 
 flesh must be very cold, cold as ivory. I would 
 look closer at him. 
 
 The Young Syrian. No, no, Princess! 
 
 Salome. I must look at him closer. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Princess! Princess! 
 
SALOME 21 
 
 loKANAAN. Who is this woman who is look- 
 ing at me? I will not have her look at me. 
 Wherefore doth she look at me wit h_her_golden.. 
 eyes^ _under_her__gjMed..jej^Jids ? I know not 
 who she is. I do not desire to know who she is. 
 Bid her begone. It is not to her that I would 
 speak. 
 
 Salome. I am Salome, daughter of Herodias, 
 Princess of Judaea. 
 
 loKANAAN. Back! daughter of Babylon! 
 Come not near the chosen of the Lord. Thy 
 mother hath filled the earth with the wine of her 
 iniquities, and the cry of her sinning hath come 
 up even to the ears of God. 
 
 Salome. Speak again, lokanaan. Thy voice 
 is as music to mine ear. 
 
 rHE~YouNG Syrian. Princess ! Princess ! 
 Princess ! 
 
 Salome. Speak again! Speak again, loka- 
 naan, and tell me what I must do. 
 
 loKANAAN. Daughter of ^Sodonv come not 
 near me! But cover thy face with a veil, and 
 scatter ashes upon thine head, and get thee to the 
 desert, and seek out the Son of Man. 
 
 Salome. Who is he, the Son of Man? Is he 
 as beautiful as thou art, lokanaan? 
 
 ToKANAAN. Get thee behind me! I hear in 
 
22 SALOME 
 
 the palace the beating of the wings of the angel 
 of death. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Princess, I beseech thee 
 to go within. 
 
 loKANAAN. Angel of the Lord God, what dost 
 thou here with thy sword? Whom seekest thou 
 in the palace ? The day of him who shall die in 
 a robe of silver has not yet come. 
 
 Salome. lokanaan ! 
 
 loKANAAN. Who speakcth ? 
 
 Salome. I am arnorous of thy body, loka- 
 naan! Thy body is white, like the lilies of the 
 field that the mower hath never mowed. Thy 
 body is white like the snows that lie on the 
 mountains of Judasa, and come down into the 
 valleys. The roses in the gardens of the Queen 
 of Arabia are not so white as thy body. Neither 
 the roses in the garden of the Queen of Arabia, 
 the garden of spices of the Queen of Arabia, nor 
 the feet of the dawn when they light on the 
 leaves, nor the breast of the moon when she lies 
 on the breast of the sea. There is nothing in 
 this world so white as thy body. Suffer me to 
 touch thy body. 
 
 loKANAAN. Back ! daughter of Babylon ! By 
 woman came evil into the world. Speak not to 
 me. I will not listen to thee. I listen but to the 
 voice of the Lord God. 
 
SALOME 23 
 
 Salome. Thy body is hideo us. It is like the 
 body of a leper. It is like a plastered wall, 
 where vipers have crawled ; like a plastered wall 
 where the scorpions have made their nest. It is 
 like a whited sepulchre, full of loathsome things. 
 It is horrible ; thy body is horrible. It is of thy 
 hair I arruenamoured, lokanaan. Thy hair is like 
 clusters of grapes, like the clusters of black 
 grapes that hang from the vine-trees of Edom 
 in the land of the Edomites. Thy hair is like the 
 cedars of Lebanon, like the great cedars of 
 LebaJion that give their shade to the lions and 
 to the robbers who would hide them by day. The 
 long black nights, when the moon hides her face, 
 when the stars are afraid, are not so black as t hy 
 hair. The silence that dwells in the forest is not 
 so black. There is nothing in the world that is 
 so black as thy hair. SuflFer me to touch thy 
 hair. 
 
 loKANAAN. Back, daughter of Sodom ! Touch 
 me not. Profane not the temple of the Lord 
 God. 
 
 Salome. Thy hair is horrible. It is covered 
 with mire and dust. It is like a crown of thorns 
 placed on thy head. It is like a knot of serpents 
 coiled round thy neck. I love not thy hair. It is 
 thy mouth that I desire, lokanaan. Thy mouth 
 is like a band of scarlet on a tower of ivoty. 
 
24 SALOME 
 
 It is like a pomegranate cut in twain with a knife 
 of ivory. The pomegranate flowers that blossom 
 in the gardens of Tyre, and are redder than 
 roses, are not so red. The red blasts of trum- 
 pets that herald the approach of kings, and make 
 afraid the enemy, are not so red. Thy mouth is 
 redder than the feet of those who tread the wine 
 in the wine-press. It is redder than the feet of 
 the doves who inhabit the temples and are fed 
 by the priests. It is redder than the feet of him 
 who Cometh from a forest where he hath slain a 
 lion, and seen gilded tigers. Thy mouth is like 
 a branch of coral that fishers have found in the 
 twilight of the sea, the coral that they keep for 
 the kings ! It is like the vermilion that the Mo- 
 abites find in the mines of Moab, the vermilion 
 that the kings take from them. It is like the bow 
 of the King of the Persians, that is tinted with 
 vermilion, and is tipped with coral. There is 
 nothing in the world so red as thy mouth. Suf- 
 fer me to kiss thy mouth. 
 
 loKANAAN. Never! daughter of Babylon! 
 Daughter of Sodom ! never ! 
 
 Salome. J_will kiss- -thy-mouth lokanaan. I 
 will kiss thy mouth. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Princess, Princess, thou 
 who art like a garden of myrrh, thou who art the 
 dove of all doves, look not at this man, look not 
 
SALOME 25 
 
 at him! Do not speak such words to him. I 
 cannot endure it. Princess, do not speak these 
 things. 
 
 Salome. I will kiss thy mouth, lokanaan. 
 
 The Young Syrian. Ah ! {He kills himself, 
 and falls between Salome and lokanaan.) 
 
 The Page of Herodias. The young Syrian 
 has slain himself! The young captain has slain 
 himself! He has slain himself who was my 
 friend ! _^jgye_hin3_aJittl£. texj)f_gerfumes and 
 ear-rings wrought in silver, and now he has killed 
 himself! Ah, did he not say that some misfor- 
 tune would happen? I, too, said it, and it has 
 come to pass. Well I knew that the moon was 
 seeking a dead thing, but I knew not that it was 
 he whom she sought. All! why did I not hide 
 him from the moon? If I had hidden him in a 
 cavern she would not have seen him. 
 
 First Soldier. Princess, the young captain 
 has just slain himself. 
 
 Salome. Suffer me to kiss thy mouth, loka- 
 naan. 
 
 Iokanaan. Art thou not afraid, daughter of 
 Plerodias ? Did I not tell thee that I heard in the 
 palace the beating of the wings of the angel of 
 death, and hath he not come, the angel of death ? 
 
 Salome. Suffer me to kiss thy mouth. 
 
 Iokanaan. Daughter of adultery, there is but 
 
26 SALOME 
 
 one who can save thee. It is He of whom I 
 spake. Go seek Him. He is in a boat on the 
 sea of Galilee, and He talketh with His disciples. 
 Kneel down on the shore of the sea, and call unto 
 Him by His name. When He cometh to thee, 
 and to all who call on Him He cometh, bow 
 thyself at His feet and ask of Him the remis- 
 sion of thy sins. 
 
 Salome. Suffer me to kiss thy mouth. 
 
 loKANAAN. Cursed be thou! Daughter of 
 an incestuous mother, be thou accursed ! 
 
 Salome. I will kiss thy mouth, lokanaan. 
 
 loKANAAN. I will not look at thee. Thou art 
 accursed, Salome ; thou art accursed. {He goes 
 down into the cistern.') 
 
 Salome. I will kiss thy mouth, lokanaan. I 
 will kiss thy mouth. 
 
 First Soldier. We must bear away the body 
 to another place. The Tetrarch doe s no txare-te 
 see dead bodies, save the Bodies of those whom 
 he himself has^lain. 
 
 The Page of Herodias. He was my brother, 
 and nearer to _me than a brother. I gate him a 
 little box of perfuniies, and a ring of agateHtet 
 he wore always on his hand. In the evening we 
 were wont to walk by the river, and among the 
 almond-trees, and he used to tell me of the 
 things of his country. He spake ever very low. 
 
SALOME 27 
 
 The sound of his voice was like the sound of the 
 flute, of one who playeth upon the flute. Also 
 he had miirh joy tn t raze. at himself in the river. 
 
 I used to reproach him for that. 
 
 Second Soldier. You are right; we must 
 hide the body. The Tetrarch must not see it. 
 
 First Soldier. The Tetrarch will not come 
 to this place. He never comes on the terrace. 
 He is too much afraid of the prophet. (Enter 
 Herod, Herodias, and all the Court.) 
 
 Herod. Where is Salome? Where is the 
 Princess? Why did she not return to the ban- 
 quet as I commanded her ? Ah ! there she is ! 
 
 Herodias. You jnust not look at her ! You 
 are always looking at her ! 
 
 Herod. The moon has a strange look to- 
 night. Has she not a strange look? She is like 
 a mad woman, and a mad woman who is seeking 
 everywhere for lovers. ■-She is naked, too. She 
 is quite naked. The clouds are seeking to clothe 
 her nakedness, but she will not let them. She 
 shows herself naked in the sky. She reels 
 through the clouds like a drunken woman. I 
 am sure she is looking for lovers. Does she not 
 reel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad 
 woman, is she not? 
 
 Herodias. No; the moon is like the moon. 
 
28 SALOME 
 
 that is all. Let us go within. We have nothing 
 to do here. 
 
 Herod. I will stay here ! Manasseh, lay car- 
 pets there. Light torches. Bring forth the ivory 
 tables, and the tables of jasper. The air here 
 is sweet. I will drink more wine with my guests. 
 We must show all honor to the ambassadors of 
 Csesar. 
 
 Herodias. It is not because of them that you 
 remain. 
 
 Herod. Yes; the air is very sweet. Come, 
 Herodias, our guests await us. Ah! I have 
 slipped! I haye^alipped in -blood! It is an ill 
 omen. It is a very ill omen. Wherefore is there 
 blood here? And this body, what does this 
 body here? Think you I am like the King of 
 Egypt, who gives no feast to his guests but that 
 he shows them a corpse? Whose is it? I will 
 not look on it. 
 
 First Soldier. It is our captain, sire. It is 
 the young Syrian whom you made captain of the 
 guard but three days gone. 
 
 Herod. I issued no order that he should be 
 slain. 
 
 Second Soldier. He slew himself, sire. 
 
 Herod. For what reason? I had made him 
 captain of my guard ! 
 
SALOME 2g 
 
 Second Soldier. We do not know, sire. But 
 with his own hand he slew himself. 
 
 Herod. That seems strange to me. I had 
 th ought It wa sbut the Roman phil os ophers who 
 slew themselves. Is it not true, Tigellinus, that 
 the philosophers at Rome slay themselves ? 
 
 Tigellinus. There be some who slay them- 
 selves, sire. They are the Stoics. The Stoics 
 are peogle^nLno cultivation. They arel^idiculous 
 people. I myself regard them as being perfectly 
 ridiculous. 
 
 Herod. I also. It is ridiculous to kill one's 
 self. 
 
 ■ Tigellinus. Everybody at Rome laughs at 
 them. The Emperor has written a satire against 
 them. It is recited everywhere. 
 
 Herod. Ah! he has written a satire against 
 them? Caesar is wonderful. He can do every- 
 thing. It is strange that the young Syrian has 
 slain himself. I am sorry he has slain himself. 
 I am very sorry. ;^grJie-Mas_fair to look upon. 
 He was even very fair. He hadvery languOTOus 
 eyes. I remember that I saw that he looked lan- 
 guorously . at Salome. Truly, I thought he 
 looked too much at her. 
 
 Herodias. There are others who look too 
 much at her. 
 
 Herod. His father was a king. I drove him 
 
30 SALOME 
 
 from his kingdom. And of his mother, who was 
 a queen, you made a slave, Herodias. So he was 
 here as my guest, as it were, and for that reason 
 I made him my captain. I am sorry he is dead. 
 Ho! why have you left the body here? It must 
 be taken to some other place. I will not look at 
 it, — away with it! (They take away the body.) 
 It is cold here. There is a wind blowing. Is 
 there not a wind blowing? 
 
 Herodias. No; there is no wind. 
 
 Herod. I tell you there is a wind that blows. 
 And I hear in the air something that is like the 
 beating of wings, like lhe-.beatiaguif-xasJLMdngs. 
 Do you not hear it? 
 
 Herodias. I hear nothing. 
 
 Herod. I hear it no longer. But I heard it. 
 It was the blowing of the wind. It has passed 
 away. But no, I hear it again. Do you not 
 hear it? It is just like a beating of wings. 
 
 Herodias. I tell you there is nothing. You 
 are ill. Let us go within. 
 
 Herod. I am not ill. It is your daughter who 
 is sick to death. Never have I seen her so pale. 
 
 Herodias. I have told you not to look at her. 
 
 Herod. Pour me forth wine. (Wine is 
 brought.) Salome, come drink a little wine with 
 me. I have here a wine that is exquisite. Caesar 
 
SALOME 31 
 
 himself sent it me. Dip into it thy little red lips, 
 ^hat I may drain the ciipl ~ 
 
 SALOisiE.^'l^airrnorthirsty, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herod. You hear how she answers me, this 
 daughter of yours? 
 
 Herodias. She does right. Why are you al- 
 ways gazing at her ? 
 
 Herod. Bring me ripe fruits. (Fruits are 
 
 brought.) Salome, come and eat fruits with me. 
 
 I love to see in a fruit the mark of thy little 
 
 teeth. Bite but a little of this fruit, that I may 
 
 ^feaLwhat is left. 
 
 Salome. I am not hungry, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herod (to Herodias). You see how you have 
 brought up this daughter of yours. 
 
 Herodias. My daughter and I come of a 
 royal race. As for thee, thy father was a camel 
 driver ! He was a thief and a robber to boot ! 
 
 Herod. Thou liest ! 
 
 Herodias. Thou knowest well that it is true. 
 
 Herod. Salome, come and sit next to me. I 
 will give thee the throne of thy mother. 
 
 Salome. I am not tired, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herodias. You see in what regard she holds 
 you. 
 
 Herod. Bring me What is it that I desire ? 
 
 I forget. Ah ! ah ! I remember. 
 
 The Voice of Iokanaan, Behold, the time 
 
^2 SALOME 
 
 is come! That which I foretold has come to 
 pass. The day that I spake of is at hand. 
 
 Herodias. Bid him be silent. I will not listen 
 to his voice. This man is forever hurling insults 
 against me. 
 
 Herod. He has said nothing against you. Be- 
 sides, he is a very great prophet. 
 
 Herodias. I do not believe in prophets. Can 
 a man tell what will come to pass? No man 
 knows it. Also, he is forever insulting me. But 
 I think you are afraid of him. I know well that 
 you are afraid of him. 
 
 Herod. I am not afraid of him. I am afraid 
 of no man. 
 
 Herodias. I tell you you are afraid of him. 
 If you are not afraid of him, why do you not de- 
 liver him to the Jews, who for these six months 
 past have been clamoring for him ? 
 
 A Jew. Truly, my lord, it were better to de- 
 liver him into our hands. 
 
 Herod. Enough on this subject. I have al- 
 ready given you my answer. I will not deliver 
 him into your hands. He is a holy man. He is 
 ajnmi_whoJias_seen God. 
 
 A Jew. That cannot be. There^is no_man 
 whohath^seen_God_since the prophet EHas. He 
 is the iaS^Tman who saw God face to face. In 
 these days God doth not show Himself. God 
 
SALOME 33 
 
 iiideth_Hirnself. Therefore great evils have come 
 upon the land. 
 
 Another Jew. Verily, no man knoweth if 
 Elias the prophet did indeed see Grod. Perad- 
 venture it was but the jhadow of God that he 
 saw. 
 
 A Third Jew. God is at no time hidden. He 
 showeth Himself at all times and in all places. 
 God is in what is evil even as He is in what is 
 good. 
 
 A Fourth Jew. Thou shouldst not say that. 
 It is a very dangerous doctrine. It is a doctrine 
 that Cometh from Alexandria, where men teach 
 the philosophy of the Greeks. And the Greeks 
 are Gentiles. They are not^evencijrcunisized.- 
 
 A Fifth JewT No'man can tell how God 
 worketh. His ways are very dark. It may be 
 that the things which we call evil are good, and. 
 that the things which we call good are evil. 
 There is no knowledge of anything. We can 
 but bow our heads to His will, for God is very 
 strong. He breaketh in pieces the strong to- 
 gether with tlie weak, for He regardeth not any 
 man. 
 
 First Jew. Thou speakest truly. Verily, God 
 is terrible. He breaketh in pieces the strong and 
 the weak as men break corn in a mortar. But 
 
24 ;alome 
 
 as for tliis man, he 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 loka- 
 naan is in very truth 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 Elias Ae prophet. 
 
 ^A^Nazasbse^ I am sure that he is Elias the 
 prophet. 
 
 The Jew. Nay, but he is not Elias the 
 prophet. 
 
 The Voice of Iokanaan. Behold the day is 
 at hand, 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 tha t/Caesa iLadopts. 
 
 Herod. But Csesar is not coming into JudaMi. 
 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? 
 
SALOME 35 
 
 TiGELLixus. Sire, I heard nothing concern- 
 ing the matter. I was but explaining the titk. 
 It is one of Caesar's titles. 
 
 Herod. But Caesar 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, Caesar is lord, he will come if 
 such be his pleasure. Nevertheless, I think he 
 will not come. 
 
 First Nazarene. It was not concerning 
 Caesar that the prophet spake these words, sire. 
 
 Herod. How ? — it was not concerning Caesar ? 
 
 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 every- 
 where He worketh miracles! 
 
 Herodias. Ho! ho! miracles! I do not be- 
 lieve in miraeles. 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 towti of some im- 
 portance. He changed water into wine. Certain 
 persons who were present related it to me. Also 
 
36 SALOME 
 
 He healed two lepers that were seated before the 
 Gate of Capernaum simply by touching them. 
 
 Second Nazarene. Nay; it was two__bliiid. 
 men that He healed at Capernaum. 
 
 PiRST^ Nazarene. Nay; they were lepers. 
 
 But He hath healed blin d peop le 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 be- 
 lieve 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 haye^a dreamer-VloQk. 
 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 
 Jook&d-tQQjaag._Qn the m oon. Command them 
 to be silent. 
 
 Herod. What is this miracle of the daughter 
 of Jairus? 
 
SALOME 37 
 
 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 for- 
 bid 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 Mes- 
 sias, if He is in Samaria. It is not to the Samar- 
 itans 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 
 
38 SALOME 
 
 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 noth- 
 ing 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 Baby- 
 lon 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_aU_wQmen_ 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 
 
SALOME 39 
 
 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. Per- 
 adventure on account of it a misfortune will 
 come.- Let us not spealf^f 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? 
 
 Herodlas. What is it to you if she be pale or 
 not? 
 
 Herod. Nexer^have I secii her so pale. 
 
 Herodias. You-mustjnotjookatjien 
 
 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 
 
40 
 
 SALOME 
 
 of the heaven shall fall upon the earth like un- 
 ripe 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 be- 
 come 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. 
 
 Herodias. What wine is that, the wine of 
 God? From what vineyards is it gathered? In 
 what-w4H€press may^ orie find it?^._ 
 
 Herod. (From this point he looks alt the while 
 at Salome.) Tigellinus, when you were at 
 Rome of late, did the Emperor speak with you 
 on the subject of ? 
 
 Tigellinus. On what subject, my lord? 
 
 Herod. On what subject? Ah! I asked you 
 a question, did I not? I have forgotten what I 
 would have asked you. 
 
 Herodias. You are looking again at my 
 
SALOME 41 
 
 daughter. You must not look at her. I have 
 already said so. 
 
 Herod. You say nothing else. 
 
 Herodias. I say it again. 
 
 Herod. And that restoration of the Temple 
 about which they have talked so much, will any- 
 thing be done ? They say that the ^^ of the 
 Sanctuary has disappeared, do they not? 
 
 Herodias. It was th3iself,didst steal it. Thou 
 speakest at random and without wit. I will not 
 stay here. Let us go within. 
 
 Herod. Dance for me, Salome. 
 
 Herodias. I will not have her dance. 
 
 Salome. I have no desire to dance, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herod< Salome, daughter of Herodias, dance 
 for me. 
 
 Herodias. Peace. Let her alone. 
 
 Herod. I command thee to dance, Salome. 
 
 Salome. I will not dance, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herodias (laughing). You see how she obeys 
 you. 
 
 Herod. What is it to me whether she dance 
 or not? It is nought to me. To-night I am 
 happy. I am exceeding happy. Never have I 
 been so happy. 
 
 First Soldier. The Tetrarch has a sombre 
 look. Has he not a sombre look ? 
 
 Second Soldier. Yes, he has a sombre look. 
 
42 
 
 SALOME 
 
 Herod. Wherefore should I not be happy? 
 Cfflsar, who is lord of the world, Csesar, who is 
 lord of all things, loves me well. He has just 
 sent me most precious gifts. Also, he has prom- 
 ised me to summon to Rome the King of Cappa- 
 docia, who is mine enemy. It may be that at 
 Rome he will crucify him, for he is able to do all 
 things that he has a mind to do. Verily, Caesar is 
 lord. Therefore I do well to be happy. I am 
 very happy ; never have I been so happy. There 
 is nothing in the world that can mar my happi- 
 ness. 
 
 The Voice of Iokanaan. He shall be seated 
 on his throne. He shall be clothed in scarlet and 
 purple. In his hand he shall bear a golden cup 
 full of his blasphemies. And the angel of the 
 Lord shall smite him. He shall be eaten of 
 worms. 
 
 Herodias. You hear what he says about you. 
 He says that you shall be eaten of worms. 
 
 Herod. It is not of me that he speaks. He 
 speaks never against me. It is of the King of 
 Cappadocia that he speaks; the King of Cappa- 
 docia, who is mine enemy. It is he who shall 
 be eaten of worms. It is not I. NeKer-4ias_he^ 
 spoken word against me, this prophet, save that 
 I sinned in taking to wife the wife of^y brother. 
 
SALOME 43 
 
 It may be he is right. For, of trutli, you are 
 sterile.. _ 
 
 ""Herodias. I am sterile, I? You say that, 
 you that are ever looking at my daughter, you 
 that would have her dance for your pleasure? 
 You speak as a fool. I have borne a child. You 
 have gotten no child, no, not on one of your 
 slaves. It is you who are sterile, not I. 
 
 Herod. Peace, woman! I say that you are 
 sterile. You have borne me no child, and the 
 prophet says that our marriage is not a true mar- 
 riage. He says that it is a marriage of incest, a 
 marriage that will bring evils. I fear he is 
 right; I am sure that he is right. But it is not 
 the hour to speak of these things. I would be 
 happy at this moment. Of a truth, I am happy. 
 There is nothing I lack. 
 
 Herodias. I am glad you are of so fair a 
 humor to-night. It is not your custom. But it 
 is late. Let us go within. Do not forget that 
 we hunt at sunrise. All honors must be shown 
 to Caesar's ambassadors, must they not? 
 
 Second Soldier. The Tetrarch has a sombre 
 look. 
 
 First Soldier. Yes, he has a sombre look. 
 
 Herod. Salome, Salome, dance for me. I 
 pray thee dance for me. I am sad to-night. 
 Yes, I am passing sad to-night. When I came 
 
44 SALOME 
 
 hither I sHpped in blood, which is an ill omen; 
 also I heard in the air a beating of wings, a beat- 
 ing of giant wings. I cannot tell what that may 
 mean. I am sad to-night. Therefore dance for 
 me. Dance for me, Salome, I beseech thee. If 
 thou dancest for me thou mayest ask of me what 
 thou wilt, and I will give it thee. Yes, dance for 
 me, Salome, and whatsoever thou shalt ask of 
 me I will give it thee, even unto the half of my 
 kingdom. 
 
 Salome (rising). Will you indeed give me 
 whatsoever I shall ask of you, Tetrarch ? 
 
 Herodias. Do not dance, my daughter. 
 
 Herod. Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, 
 even unto the half of my kingdom. 
 
 Salome. You swear it, Tetrarch ? 
 
 Herod. I swear it, Salome. 
 
 Herodias. Do not dance, my daughter. 
 
 Salome. By what will you swear this thing, 
 Tetrarch ? 
 
 Herod. By my life, by my crown, by my 
 gods. Whatsoever thou shalt desire I will give 
 it thee, even to the half of my kingdom, if thou 
 wilt but dance for me. O Salome, Salome, dance 
 for me ! 
 
 Salome. You have sworn an oath, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herod. I have sworn an oath. 
 
 Herodias. My daughter, do not dance. 
 
SALOME 45 
 
 35 
 
 »Herod. Even to the half of my kingdom. 
 Thou wilt be passing fair as a queen, Salome, if 
 it please thee to ask for the half of my kingdom. 
 Will she not be fair as a queen ? Ah ! it is cold 
 here ! There is an icy wind, and I hear — where- 
 fore do I hear in the air this beating of wings? 
 Ah! one might fancy a huge black bird that 
 hovers over the terrace. Why can I not see it, 
 this bird ? The beat of its wings is terrible. The 
 breath of the wind of its wings is terrible. It is 
 a chill wind. Nay, but it is not cold, it is hot. I 
 am choking. Pour water on my hands. Give 
 me snow to eat. Loosen my mantle. Quick! 
 quick! loosen my mantle. Nay, but leave it. It 
 is my garland that hurts me, my garland of 
 roses. The flowers are like fire. They have 
 burned my forehead. {He tears the wreath 
 from his head, and throws it on the table.) Ah! 
 I can breathe now. How red those petals are! 
 They are like stains of blood on the cloth. That 
 does not matter. It is not wise to find symbols 
 in everything that one sees. It makes life too 
 Tult of terrors. It were better to say that stains 
 of blood are as lovely as rose-petals. It were 
 
 better far to say that But we will not speak 
 
 of this. Now I am happy. I am passing happy. 
 Have I not the right to be happy ? Your daugh- 
 ter is going to dance for me. Wilt thou not 
 
46 SALOME 
 
 dance for me, Salome? Thou hast promised to 
 dance for me_J 
 
 Herodias. I will not have her dance. 
 
 Salome. I will dance for you, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herod. You hear what your daughter says. 
 She is going to dance for me. Thou doest well 
 to dance for me, Salome. And when thou hast 
 danced for me, forget not to ask of me whatso- 
 ever thou hast a mind to ask. Whatsoever thou 
 shalt desire I will give it thee, even to the half of 
 my kingdom. I have sworn it, have I not? 
 
 Salome. Thou hast sworn it, Tetrarch. 
 
 Herod. And I have never failed of my word. 
 I am not of those who break their oaths. I know 
 not how to lie. I am the slave of my word, and 
 my word is the word of a king. The King of 
 Cappadocia had ever a lying tongue, but he is 
 no true king. He is a coward. Also he owes me 
 money,.that_he- will, not repay. He has even m^ 
 suited my ambassadors. He has spoken words 
 that were wounding. But Caesar will crucify 
 him when he comes to Rome. I know that Cae- 
 sar will crucify him. And if he crucify him not, 
 yet will he die, being eaten of worms. The 
 prophet has prophesied it. Well! Wherefore 
 dost thou tarry, Salome ? 
 
 S.'^LOME. I am waiting until my slaves bring 
 perfumes to me and the seven veils, and take 
 
SALOME 47 
 
 from off my feet my sandals. (Slaves bring 
 perfumes and the seven veils, and take off the 
 sandals of Salome.) 
 
 Herod. Ah, thou art to dance with naked 
 feet ! 'Tis well ! 'Tis well ! Thy little feet will 
 be lik&.jvhite— doKes.. They will be little white 
 flowers that dance upon the trees. No, no, she 
 is going to dance on blood ! There is blood spilt 
 on the ground. She must not dance on blood. 
 It were an evil omen. 
 
 Herodias. What is it to thee if she dance on 
 blood? Thou h ast waded de ep.gnQugh-^in-It..,, 
 
 Herod. What is it to me? Ah! look at the 
 moon! She has becom e red. She has become 
 red as blood. Ah ! the prophet prophesied truly. 
 He prophesied that the moon would become as 
 blood. Did he not prophesy it? All of ye heard 
 him prophesying it. And now the moon has be- 
 come as blood. Do ye not see it? 
 
 Herodias. Oh, yes, I see it well, and the stars 
 are falljog: like . -Unripe %s,-are-they not ? And 
 the sun is becoming black like sackcloth of hair, 
 and the kings of the earth are afraid. That, at 
 least, one can see. The prophet is justified of 
 his words in that at least, for truly the kings of 
 the earth are afraid. Let us go within. You 
 are sick. They will say at Rome that you are 
 mad. Let us go within, I tell you. 
 
48 SALOME 
 
 The Voice of Iokanaan. Who is this who 
 Cometh from Edom, who is this who cometh 
 from Bozra, whose raiment is dyed with purple, 
 who shineth in the beauty of his garments, who 
 walketh mighty in his greatness? Wherefore 
 is thy raiment stained with scarlet? 
 
 •Herodias. Let us go within. The voice of 
 that man maddens me. I will not have my 
 daughter dance while he is continually crying 
 out. I will not have her dance whik youjook 
 at her in this fashion. In a word, I will not have 
 her dance. ~ ' 
 
 Herod. Do not rise, my wife, my queen; it 
 will avail thee nothing. I will not go within till 
 she hath danced. Dance, Salome, dance for me. 
 
 Herodias. Do not dance, my daughter. 
 
 G SALOME. I am ready, Tetrarch. (Salome\ 
 tees the dance of the seven veils.) J 
 
 y Herod. Ah ! wonderful ! wonderful ! You see 
 ■ Q '20 ^ ^ that she has danced for me, your daughter. 
 "T^^ ' Come near, Salome, come near, that I may give 
 
 thee thy fee. Ah! I pay a royal price to those 
 who dance for my pleasure. I will pay thee roy- 
 ally. I will give thee whatsover thy soul de- 
 sireth. What wouldst thou have? Speak. 
 
 Salome {kneeling). I would that they presr- 
 
 ently bring me in a silver charger 
 
 Herod (laughing).. In a silver charger? 
 
SALOME 49 
 
 Surely yes, in a silver charger. She is charming, 
 is she not ? What is it that thou wouldst have in 
 a silver charger, O sweet and fair Salome, thou 
 that are fairer than all the daughters of Judasa? 
 What wouldst thou have them bring thee in a 
 silver charger ? Tell me. Whatsoever it may be, 
 thou shalt receive it. My treasures belong to 
 thee. What is that thou wouldst have, Salome ? 
 
 Salome (rising). The head of lokanaan. 
 
 Herodias. Ah ! that is well said, my daughter. 
 
 Herod. No, no ! 
 
 Herodias. That is well said, my daughter. 
 
 Herod. No, no, Salome. It is not that thou 
 desirest. Do not listen to thy mother's voice. 
 She is ever giving thee evil counsel. Do not heed 
 her. 
 
 Salome. It is not my mother's voice that I 
 heed. It is for mine own pleasure that I ask 
 the head of lokanaan in a silver charger. You 
 have sworn an oath, Herod. Forget not that 
 you have sworn an oath. 
 
 Herod. I know it. I have sworn an oath by 
 my gods. I know it well. But I pray thee, Sa- 
 lome, ask of me something else. Ask of me the 
 half of my kingdom, and I will give it thee. 
 But ask not of me what thy lips have asked. 
 
 Salome. I ask of you the head of lokanaan. 
 
 Herod. No, no ; I will not give it thee. 
 
50 , SALOME 
 
 Salome. You have sworn an oath, Herod. 
 
 Herodias. Yes, you have sworn an oath. 
 Everybody heard you. You swore it before 
 everybody. 
 
 Herod. Peace, woman ! It is not to you I 
 speak, 
 
 Herodias. My daughter has done well to ask 
 the head of lokanaan. He has covered me with 
 insults. He has said unspeakable things against 
 me. One can see that she loves her mother well. 
 Do not yield, my daughter. He has sworn an 
 oath ; he has sworn an oath. 
 
 Herod. Peace! Speak not to me! Salome, 
 I pray thee be not stubborn. I have ever been 
 kind toward thee. I have ever loved thee. It 
 may be that I have loved thee too much. There- 
 fore ask not this thing of me. This is a terrible 
 thing, an awful thing to ask of me. Surely, I 
 think thou art jesting. The head of a man that 
 is cut form his body-4S-4ll-to Jook upon, is it not ? 
 It is not meet-thkt the eyes of a~virgm shouH" 
 look upon such a thing. What pleasure couldst 
 thou have in it ? There is no pleasure that thou 
 couldst have in it. No, no ; it is not that thou de- 
 sirest. Hearken to me. I have an emerald, a 
 great emerald and round, that the minion of 
 Caesar has sent unto me. When thou lookest 
 through this emerald thou canst see that which 
 
SALOME 51 
 
 passeth afar off. Caesar himself carries such an 
 emerald when he goes to the- circus. But my 
 emerald is the larger. I know well that it is the 
 larger. It is the largest emerald in the whole 
 world. Thou wilt take that, wilt thou not ? Ask 
 it of me and I will give it thee. 
 
 Salome. I demand the head of lokanaan. 
 
 Herod. Thou are not listening. Thou art not 
 listening. Suffer me to speak, Salome. 
 
 Salome. The head of lokanaan! 
 
 Herod. No, no, thou wouldst not have that. 
 Thou sayest that but to trouble me, because that 
 I ^have l o^ted_at4bee-aadx.eased not this night. 
 It is true, I have looked at thee and ceased not 
 this night. TI:iy_b£auty_has.Jtrcaibl§d_iiie,- Thy 
 beauty has grievously troubled me, and I have 
 looked at thee overmuch. Nay, but I will look 
 at thee no more. One-should not Jook at any- 
 thing. Neither at things, nor at people should 
 one look. Only in mirrors is it well to look, for 
 mirrors do but show us masks. Oh! oh! bring 
 wine! I thirst! Salome, Salome, let us be as 
 
 friends. Bethink thee Ah! what would I 
 
 say? What was't? Ah! I remember it! Sa- 
 lome, — ^nay, but come nearer to me; I fear thou 
 wilt not hear my words, — Salome, thou know- 
 est my white peacocks, my beautiful white pea- 
 cocks, that walk in the garden between the myr- 
 
52 SALOME 
 
 ties and the tall cypress-trees. Their beaks are 
 gilded with gold, and the grains that they eat 
 are smeared with gold, and their feet are stained 
 with purple. When they cry out the rain comes, 
 and the moon shows herself in the heavens when 
 they spread their tails. Two by two, they walk 
 between the cypress-trees and the black myrtles, 
 and each has a slave to tend it. Sometimes they 
 fly across the trees, and anon they couch in the 
 grass, and round the pools of the water. There 
 are not in all the world birds so wonderful. I 
 know that Caesar himself has no birds so fair as 
 my birds. I will give thee fifty of my peacocks. 
 They will follow thee whithersoever thou goest, 
 and in the midst of them thou wilt be like unto 
 the moon in the midst of a great white cloud. I 
 will give them to thee, all. I have but a hun- 
 dred, and in the whole world there is no king 
 who has peacocks like unto my peacocks. But I 
 will give them all to thee. Only thou must loose 
 me from my oath, and must not ask of me that 
 which thy lips have asked of me. (He em^es 
 the cup of wine.) 
 
 Salome. Give me the head of lokanaan. 
 
 Herodias. Well said, my daughter! As for 
 you, you are ridiculous with your peacocks. 
 
 Herod. Peace !_ you are always— GiyiQg_^out. 
 You cry out like a beast of prey. You must not~ 
 
SALOJ[E 53 
 
 cry in such fashion. Your voice wearies me. 
 Peace, I tell }-ou ! Salome, think on what thou 
 art doing. It may be that this man comes from 
 God. He is a holy man. The finger of God has 
 touched him. God has put terrible words into his 
 mouth. In the palace, as in the desert, God is 
 ever with him ! It may be that He is, at least. 
 One cannot tell, but it is possible that God is 
 with him and for him. If he die also, perad- 
 venture some evil may befall me. Verily, he 
 has said that evil will befall some one on the 
 day whereon he dies. On whom should it fall if 
 it fall not on me? Remember, I slipped in blood 
 when I came hither. Also did I not hear the 
 beating of wings in the air, a beating of vast 
 wings? These are ill omens. And there were 
 other things. I am sure there were other things, 
 though I saw them not. Thou wouldst not that 
 some evil should befall me, Salome? Listen to 
 me again. 
 
 Salome. Give me the head of lokanaan! 
 
 Herod. Ah! thou art not listening to me. 
 Be calm. As for me, am I not calm ? I am alto- 
 gether calm. Listen. I have jewels hidden in 
 this place — jewels that thy mother even has 
 never seen; jewels that are marvelous to look at. 
 I have a collar of pearls, set in four rows. They 
 are like unto moons chained with rays of silver. 
 
54 SALOME 
 
 They are even as half a hundred jnoons caught 
 in a golden net. On the ivory breast of a^queen 
 they have rested. Thou shalt be as fair as a 
 queen when thou wearest them. I have ame- 
 thysts of two kinds ; one that is black Ijkejwme, 
 and one that is red like wine that one has col- 
 ored with water. I have topazes yellow as are 
 the eyes of tigers, and topazes that are pink as 
 the eyes of a wood-pigeon, and green topazes 
 that are as the eyes of cats. I have opals that 
 burn always, with a flame that is cold as ice, 
 opals that make sad men's minds, and are afraid 
 of the shadows. I have onyxes like the eyeballs 
 of a dead woman. I have moonstones that 
 change when the moon changes, and are wan 
 when they see the sun. I have sapphires big like 
 eggs, and as blue as blue flowers. The sea wan- 
 ders within them, and the moon comes never to 
 trouble the blue of their waves. I have chryso- 
 lites and beryls, and chrysoprases and rubies; I 
 have sardonyx and hyacinth stones, and stones of 
 chalcedony, and I will give them all unto thee, 
 all, and other things will I add to them. The 
 Kijig_of_Jlie-Iadies-4]as but even now sent me 
 four fans fashioned from the feathers of par- 
 rots, and the King of Numidia a garment of os- 
 trich feathers. I have a cxystaJ,--ittto-j»ihidiJt_is 
 not lawful for a wornan to_look, nor may young 
 
SALOME 55 
 
 ind 
 the/ 
 
 men behold it until they have been beaten with 
 rods. In a coffer of nacre I have three won- 
 drous turquoises. He who wears them on his 
 forehead can imagine things which are not, and 
 he who carries them in his hand can turn the 
 fruitful woman into a wo man, that_ is J)arren. 
 These are great treasures. They are treasures' 
 above all price. But this is not all. In an ebony 
 coffer I have two cups of amber that are like 
 apples of pure gold. If an enemy pour poison 
 into these cups they become like apples of silver. 
 In a coffer incrusted with amber I have sandals 
 incrusted with glass. I have mantles that have 
 been brought from the land of the Seres, and 
 bracelets decked about with carbuncles and with 
 jade that come from the city of Euphrates. 
 What desirest thou more than this, Salome? 
 Tell me the thing that thou desirest, and I will 
 give it thee. All that thou askest I will give thee, 
 save one thing only. I will give thee all that 
 is mine, save only the life of one man. I will 
 give thee the mantle of the high priest. I will 
 give thee the veil of the sanctuary. 
 
 The Jews. Oh ! oh ! 
 
 Salome. Give me the head of lokanaan ! 
 
 Herod {sinking back in his seat). Let her be 
 given what she asks! Of a truth she is her 
 mother's child! (The first soldier approaches. 
 
56 SALOME 
 
 Herodias draws from the hand of the Tetrarch 
 the ring of death, and gives it to the soldier, 
 who straightway bears it to the executioner. 
 The executioner looks scared.) Who has taken 
 my ring? There was a ring on my right hand. 
 Who has drunk my wine? There was wine in 
 my cup. It was full of wine. Some one has 
 drunk it ! Oh ! surely some evil will befall some 
 one. {The executioner goes down into the cis- 
 tern.) Ah! wherefore did I give my oath? 
 Hereafter let no king swear an oath. If he 
 keep it not, it is terrible, and if he keep it, it is 
 terrible also. 
 
 Herodias. My daughter has done well. 
 
 Herod. I am sure that some misfortune will 
 happen. 
 
 Salome {she leans over the cistern and lis- 
 tens). There is no sound. I hear nothing. 
 Why does he not cry out, this man ? Ah ! if any 
 man sought to kill me, I would cry out, I would 
 struggle, I would not suffer. Strike, strike, Naa- 
 man, strike, I tell you! No, I hear nothing. 
 There is a silence, a terrible silence. Ah! some- 
 thing has fallen upon the ground. I heard some- 
 thing fall. It was the sword of the executioner. 
 He is afraid, this slave. He has dropped his 
 sword. He dares not kill him. He is a coward, 
 this slave! Let soldiers be sent. {She sees 
 
SALOME 57 
 
 the page of Herodias and addresses him.) Come 
 hither. Thou wert the friend of him who is 
 dead, wert thou not? Well, I t^Lthee, there are , 
 Qftt-jdead- men -eaou^. Go to the soldiers and 
 bid them go down and bring me the thing I ask, 
 the thing the Tetrarch has promised me, the 
 thing that is mine. {The page recoils. She 
 turns to the soldiers.) Hither, ye soldiers. Get 
 ye down into this cistern and bring me the head 
 of this man. Tetrarch, Tetrarch, command your 
 soldiers that they bring me the head of loka- 
 naan. {4,huge^jaci~-iM'm, the arm of the exe- 
 cutioner, comes forth from the cistern, bearing 
 on a silver shield the head of lokanaan. Salome 
 seizes it. Herod hides his face with his cloak. 
 Herodias smiles and fans herself. The Nasa- 
 renes fall on their knees and begin to pray.) 
 Ah! thou wouldst not suffer me to kiss thy 
 mouth, lokanaan. Well! I will kissjt now. I 
 will bite it with my teeth as one bites a ripe 
 fruit. Yes, I will kiss thy mouth, lokanaan. I 
 said it ; did I not say it ? I said it. Ah ! I will 
 kiss it now. But wherefore dost thou not look_ 
 at me, lokanaan? Thine eyes that were so ter- 
 rible, so full of rage and scorn, are shut now. 
 Wherefore are they shut ? Open thine eyes ! 
 Lift up thine eyelids, lokanaan! Wherefore 
 dost thou not look at me? Art thou afraid of 
 
58 SALOME 
 
 me, lokanaan, that thou wilt not look at me? 
 And thy tongue, that was like a red snake dart- 
 ing poison, it moves no more, it speaks no 
 words, lokanaan, that scarlet viper that spat its 
 venom upon me. It is strange, is it not? How 
 is it that the red viper stirs no longer? Thou 
 wouldst have none of me, lokanaan. Thou re- 
 jectedest me. Thou didst speak evil words 
 against me. Thou didst bear thyself toward me 
 as to a harlot, as to a woman that is a wanton, 
 to me, Salome, daughter of Herodias, Princess 
 of Judaea! Well, I still live, but thou art dead, 
 and thy head belongs to me. I can do with it 
 what I will. I can throw it to the dogs and to 
 the birds of the air. That which the dogs leave, 
 the birds of the air shall devour. Ah, lokanaan, 
 lokanaan, thou wert the man that I loved alone 
 among men ! All other men were hateful to me. 
 /But thou were beautiful! Thy body was a col- 
 1 umn of ivory set upon feet of silver. It was a 
 Vgarden full of doves and lilies of silver. It was 
 a tower of silver decked witli shields of ivory. 
 There was nothing in the world so white as thy 
 body. There was nothing in the world so black 
 as thy hair. In the wholfijatorld there was noth- 
 ing so red as thy mouth. | Th^LyoicejKas..a censer 
 that scattered strang^perfumes, and when^I 
 looted on thee I heard a strange music. Ah! 
 
SALOME 59 
 
 wherefore didst thou not look at me, lokanaan? 
 With the cloak of thine hands, and with the 
 cloak of thy blasphemies thou didst hide thy face. 
 Thou didst put upon thine eyes the covering of 
 him who would see God. Well, thou hast seen 
 thy God, lokanaan, but me, me, thou didst never 
 s££,__If thou hadst seen me thou hadst loved mc. 
 I saw thee, and I loved thee. Oh, how I loved 
 thee 1 I love thee yet, lokanaan. I love onl}' 
 thee. I am athirst for thy beauty; I am hungry 
 for thy body; and neitherjwine_jiar-_apples can 
 appease my desire. What shall I do now, loka- 
 naan? Neither the floods nor the great waters 
 can quench my passion. I was a princess, and 
 thou didst scorn me. I was a virgin, and thou 
 didst take my virginity from me. I wa^ chaste, 
 and thou didst fill my veins with fire. Ah! ah! 
 wherefore didst thou not look at me? If thou 
 hadst looked at me thou hadst loved me. Well 
 I know that thou wouldst have loved me, and 
 the mystery of Love is greater than the mystery 
 of Death./ 
 
 Herod. She is monstrous, thy daughter; I 
 tell thee she is monstrous. In truth, what she 
 has done is a great crime. I am sure that it is a 
 crime against some unknown God. 
 
 Herodias. I am well pleased with my daugh- 
 
6o SALOME 
 
 ter. She has done well. And I would stay 
 here now. 
 
 Herod (rising). Ah! There speaks my. 
 brother's wife ! Come ! I will not stay in this 
 place. Come, I tell thee. Surely some terrible 
 thing will befall. Manasseh, Issachar, Ozias, put 
 out the torches. I will not look at tlungs,-I-will 
 
 not suffer things__to_lQQk_-ai-xae^ Put out the 
 tofclTgSl Hidethe moon ! Hide the stars ! Let 
 us hide ourselves in our palace, Herodias. I be- 
 gin to be afraid. ( The slaves put out the torches. 
 The stars disappear. A great cloud crosses the 
 moon and conceals it completely. The stage be- 
 comes quite dark. The Tetrarch begins to climb 
 the staircase.) 
 
 The Voice of Salome. Ah! I have kissed 
 thy mouth, lokanaan, I have kissed thy mouth. 
 There was a bitter taste on thy lips. Was it 
 the taste of blood? Nay; but perchance it was 
 the taste of love. They say that love hath a 
 bitter taste. But what matter? what matter? I 
 have kissed thy mouth, lokanaan, I have kissed 
 thy mouth. {A ray of moonlight falls on Sa- 
 lome and illumines her.) 
 
 Herod {turning round and seeing Salome). 
 Kill that woman! {The soldiers rush forward 
 and crush beneath their shields Salome, daughter 
 of Herodias, Princess of Judaea.) 
 Curtain. 
 
in Sc ^am 
 
 Art T^rnmB 
 
 Theae instrumenta contain the many valuabt* 
 Invantlona and Improvamanta of Paul O. Mahlln. 
 *>*• ''•ooRnlzed expert plano-makar and aceuatlelan. 
 
 Thia r*markable lnatrum«nt eentalna all the val- 
 uable «»ature8 of our INVEPtTED ORAND PIANO, 
 Ineludlncthe moat advanced Player MeohanlamaMw 
 
 Umi!!!!. °" **"" """• *">' "^* "•" p'-y »»>* •«* 
 
 ««toult*»nr.poaltlona with all the phreainc •nd ahatf- 
 In, ua»««ly accompll.h,j| after yee,. of prjotloe. J 
 
 ART CATALOGUE SENT UPON REQUEST 
 
Cornell University Library 
 PR 5820.S2 1907 
 
 Salome; a play. 
 
 3 1924 013 571 579