CHRISTUS to PETER and ANDREW.
Follow me!
PETER.
Master, I will leave all and follow thee.
VII
THE DEMONIAC OF GADARA
A GADARENE.
He hath escaped, hath plucked his chains asunder, And broken his fetters; always night and day Is in the mountains here, and in the tombs, Crying aloud, and cutting himself with stones, Exceeding fierce, so that no man can tame him!
THE DEMONIAC from above, unseen.
O Aschmedai! O Aschmedai, have pity!
A GADARENE.
Listen! It is his voice! Go warn the people Just landing from the lake!
THE DEMONIAC.
O Aschmedai!
Thou angel of the bottomless pit, have pity!
It was enough to hurl King Solomon, On whom be peace! two hundred leagues away Into the country, and to make him scullion In the kitchen of the King of Maschkemen!
Why dost thou hurl me here among these rocks, And cut me with these stones?
A GADARENE.
He raves and mutters He knows not what.
THE DEMONIAC, appearing from a tomb among the rocks.
The wild cock Tarnegal Singeth to me, and bids me to the banquet, Where all the Jews shall come; for they have slain Behemoth the great ox, who daily cropped A thousand hills for food, and at a draught Drank up the river Jordan, and have slain The huge Leviathan, and stretched his skin Upon the high walls of Jerusalem, And made them shine from one end of the world Unto the other; and the fowl Barjuchne, Whose outspread wings eclipse the sun, and make Midnight at noon o'er all the continents!
And we shall drink the wine of Paradise From Adam's cellars.
A GADARENE.
O thou unclean spirit!
THE DEMONIAC, hurling down a stone.
This is the wonderful Barjuchne's egg, That fell out of her nest, and broke to pieces And swept away three hundred cedar-trees, And threescore villages!--Rabbi Eliezer, How thou didst sin there in that seaport town When thou hadst carried safe thy chest of silver Over the seven rivers for her sake!
I too have sinned beyond the reach of pardon.
Ye hills and mountains, pray for mercy on me!
Ye stars and planets, pray for mercy on me!
Ye sun and moon, oh pray for mercy on me!
CHRISTUS and his disciples pass.
A GADARENE.
There is a man here of Decapolis, Who hath an unclean spirit; so that none Can pass this way.He lives among the tombs Up there upon the cliffs, and hurls down stones On those who pass beneath.
CHRISTUS.
Come out of him, Thou unclean spirit!
THE DEMONIAC.
What have I to do With thee, thou Son of God? Do not torment us.
CHRISTUS.
What is thy name?
THE DEMONIAC.
Legion; for we are many.
Cain, the first murderer; and the King Belshazzar, And Evil Merodach of Babylon, And Admatha, the death-cloud, prince of Persia And Aschmedai the angel of the pit, And many other devils.We are Legion.
Send us not forth beyond Decapolis;
Command us not to go into the deep!
There is a herd of swine here in the pastures, Let us go into them.
CHRISTUS.
Come out of him, Thou unclean spirit!
A GADARENE.
See how stupefied, How motionless he stands! He cries no more;He seems bewildered and in silence stares As one who, walking in his sleep, awakes And knows not where he is, and looks about him, And at his nakedness, and is ashamed.
THE DEMONIAC.
Why am I here alone among the tombs?
What have they done to me, that I am naked?
Ah, woe is me!
CHRISTUS.
Go home unto thy friends And tell them how great things the Lord hath done For thee, and how He had compassion on thee!
A SWINEHERD, running.
The herds! the herd! O most unlucky day!
They were all feeding quiet in the sun, When suddenly they started, and grew savage As the wild boars of Tabor, and together Rushed down a precipice into the sea!
They are all drowned!
PETER.
Thus righteously are punished The apostate Jews, that eat the flesh of swine, And broth of such abominable things!
GREEKS OF GADARA.
We sacrifice a sow unto Demeter At the beginning of harvest and another To Dionysus at the vintage-time.
Therefore we prize our herds of swine, and count them Not as unclean, but as things consecrate To the immortal gods.O great magician, Depart out of our coasts; let us alone, We are afraid of thee.
PETER.
Let us depart;
For they that sanctify and purify Themselves in gardens, eating flesh of swine.
And the abomination, and the mouse, Shall be consumed together, saith the Lord!
VIII
TALITHA CUMI
JAIRUS at the feet of CHRISTUS.
O Master! I entreat thee! I implore thee!
My daughter lieth at the point of death;
I pray thee come and lay thy hands upon her, And she shall live!
CHRISTUS.
Who was it touched my garments?
SIMON PETER.
Thou seest the multitude that throng and press thee, And sayest thou: Who touched me? 'T was not I.
CHRISTUS.
Some one hath touched my garments; I perceive That virtue is gone out of me.
A WOMAN.
O Master!
Forgive me! For I said within myself, If I so much as touch his garment's hem, I shall be whole.
CHRISTUS.
Be of good comfort, daughter!
Thy faith hath made thee whole.Depart in peace.
A MESSENGER from the house.
Why troublest thou the Master? Hearest thou not The flute players, and the voices of the women Singing their lamentation? She is dead!
THE MINSTRELS AND MOURNERS.
We have girded ourselves with sackcloth!
We have covered our heads with ashes!
For our young men die, and our maidens Swoon in the streets of the city;And into their mother's bosom They pour out their souls like water!
CHRISTUS, going in.
Give place.Why make ye this ado, and weep?
She is not dead, but sleepeth.
THE MOTHER, from within.
Cruel Death!
To take away front me this tender blossom!
To take away my dove, my lamb, my darling!
THE MINSTRELS AND MOURNERS.
He hath led me and brought into darkness, Like the dead of old in dark places!
He hath bent his bow, and hath set me Apart as a mark for his arrow!
He hath covered himself with a cloud, That our prayer should not pass through and reach him!
THE CROWD.
He stands beside her bed! He takes her hand!
Listen, he speaks to her!
CHRISTUS, within.
Maiden, arise!
THE CROWD.
See, she obeys his voice! She stirs! She lives!
Her mother holds her folded in her arms!
O miracle of miracles! O marvel!
IX
THE TOWER OF MAGDALA
MARY MAGDALENE.