Behold the handmaid of the Lord!
According to thy holy word, So be it unto me!
Here the Devils shall again make a great noise, under the stage.
III.THE ANGELS OF THE SEVEN PLANETS, BEARING THE STAR OFBETHLEHEM
THE ANGELS.
The Angels of the Planets Seven, Across the shining fields of heaven The natal star we bring!
Dropping our sevenfold virtues down As priceless jewels in the crown Of Christ, our new-born King.
RAPHAEL.
I am the Angel of the Sun, Whose flaming wheels began to run When God Almighty's breath Said to the darkness and the Night, Let there he light! and there was light!
I bring the gift of Faith.
ONAFIEL.
I am the Angel of the Moon, Darkened to be rekindled soon Beneath the azure cope!
Nearest to earth, it is my ray That best illumes the midnight way;I bring the gift of Hope!
ANAEL.
The Angel of the Star of Love, The Evening Star, that shines above The place where lovers be, Above all happy hearths and homes, On roofs of thatch, or golden domes, I give him Charity!
ZOBIACHEL.
The Planet Jupiter is mine!
The mightiest star of all that shine, Except the sun alone!
He is the High Priest of the Dove, And sends, from his great throne above, Justice, that shall atone!
MICHAEL.
The Planet Mercury, whose place Is nearest to the sun in space, Is my allotted sphere!
And with celestial ardor swift I hear upon my hands the gift Of heavenly Prudence here!
URIEL.
I am the Minister of Mars, The strongest star among the stars!
My songs of power prelude The march and battle of man's life, And for the suffering and the strife, I give him Fortitude!
ORIFEL.
The Angel of the uttermost Of all the shining, heavenly host, From the far-off expanse Of the Saturnian, endless space I bring the last, the crowning grace, The gift of Temperance!
A sudden light shines from the windows of the stable in the village below.
IV.THE WISE MEN OF THE EAST
The stable of the Inn.The VIRGIN and CHILD.Three Gypsy Kings, GASPAR, MELCHIOR, and BELSHAZZAR, shall come in.
GASPAR.
Hail to thee, Jesus of Nazareth!
Though in a manger thou draw breath, Thou art greater than Life and Death, Greater than Joy or Woe!
This cross upon the line of life Portendeth struggle, toil, and strife, And through a region with peril rife In darkness shalt thou go!
MELCHIOR.
Hail to thee, King of Jerusalem!
Though humbly born in Bethlehem, A sceptre and a diadem Await thy brow and hand!
The sceptre is a simple reed, The crown will make thy temples bleed, And in thine hour of greatest need, Abashed thy subjects stand!
BELSHAZZAR.
Hail to thee, Christ of Christendom!
O'er all the earth thy kingdom come!
From distant Trebizond to Rome Thy name shall men adore!
Peace and good-will among all men, The Virgin has returned again, Returned the old Saturnian reign And Golden Age once more.
THE CHILD CHRIST.
Jesus, the Son of God, am I, Born here to suffer and to die According to the prophecy, That other men may live!
THE VIRGIN.
And now these clothes, that wrapped Him, take And keep them precious, for his sake;Our benediction thus we make, Naught else have we to give.
She gives them swaddling-clothes and they depart.
V.THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
Here JOSEPH shall come in, leading an ass, on which are seated MARY and the CHILD.
MARY.
Here will we rest us, under these O'erhanging branches of the trees, Where robins chant their Litanies And canticles of joy.
JOSEPH.
My saddle-girths have given way With trudging through the heat to-day;To you I think it is but play To ride and hold the boy.
MARY.
Hark! how the robins shout and sing, As if to hail their infant King!
I will alight at yonder spring To wash his little coat.
JOSEPH.
And I will hobble well the ass, Lest, being loose upon the grass, He should escape; for, by the mass, He's nimble as a goat.
Here MARY shall alight and go to the spring.
MARY.
O Joseph! I am much afraid, For men are sleeping in the shade;I fear that we shall be waylaid, And robbed and beaten sore!
Here a band of robbers shall be seen sleeping, two of whom shall rise and come forward.
DUMACHUS.
Cock's soul! deliver up your gold!
JOSEPH.
I pray you, sirs, let go your hold!
You see that I am weak and old, Of wealth I have no store.
DUMACHUS.
Give up your money!
TITUS.
Prithee cease.
Let these people go in peace.
DUMACHUS.
First let them pay for their release, And then go on their way.
TITUS.
These forty groats I give in fee, If thou wilt only silent be.
MARY.
May God he merciful to thee Upon the Judgment Day!
JESUS.
When thirty years shall have gone by, I at Jerusalem shall die, By Jewish hands exalted high On the accursed tree, Then on my right and my left side, These thieves shall both be crucified, And Titus thenceforth shall abide In paradise with me.
Here a great rumor of trumpets and horses, like the noise of a king with his army, and the robbers shall take flight.
VI.THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS
KING HEROD.
Potz-tausend! Himmel-sacrament!
Filled am I with great wonderment At this unwelcome news!
Am I not Herod? Who shall dare My crown to take, my sceptre bear, As king among the Jews?
Here he shall stride up and down and flourish his sword.
What ho! I fain would drink a can Of the strong wine of Canaan!
The wine of Helbon bring I purchased at the Fair of Tyre, As red as blood, as hot as fire, And fit for any king!
He quaffs great goblets of wine.
Now at the window will I stand, While in the street the armed band The little children slay;The babe just born in Bethlehem Will surely slaughtered be with them, Nor live another day!
Here a voice of lamentation shall be heard in the street.
RACHEL.
O wicked king! O cruel speed!
To do this most unrighteous deed!
My children all are slain!
HEROD.
Ho, seneschal! another cup!
With wine of Sorek fill it up!
I would a bumper drain!
RAHAB.
May maledictions fall and blast Thyself and lineage to the last Of all thy kith and kin!
HEROD.
Another goblet! quick! and stir Pomegranate juice and drops of myrrh And calamus therein!
SOLDIERS, in the street.
Give up thy child into our hands!
It is King Herod who commands That he should thus be slain!
THE NURSE MEDUSA.
O monstrous men! What have ye done!