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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, | 5 |
| 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, | 10 |
| 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 armèd band | |
| The little children slay; | 15 |
| 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. | |
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RACHEL. O wicked king! O cruel speed! | |
| To do this most unrighteous deed! | 20 |
| My children all are slain! | |
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HEROD. Ho seneschal! another cup! | |
| With wine of Sorek fill it up! | |
| I would a bumper drain! | |
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RAHAB. May maledictions fall and blast | 25 |
| Thyself and lineage, to the last | |
| Of all thy kith and kin! | |
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HEROD. Another goblet! quick! and stir | |
| Pomegranate juice and drops of myrrh | |
| And calamus therein! | 30 |
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SOLDIERS, in the street. Give up thy child into our hands! | |
| It is King Herod who commands | |
| That he should thus be slain! | |
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THE NURSE MEDUSA. O monstrous men! What have ye done! | |
| It is King Herod’s only son | 35 |
| That ye have cleft in twain! | |
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HEROD. Ah, luckless day! What words of fear | |
| Are these that smite upon my ear | |
| With such a doleful sound! | |
| What torments rack my heart and head! | 40 |
| Would I were dead! would I were dead, | |
| And buried in the ground! He falls down and writhes as though eaten by worms. Hell opens, and SATAN and ASTAROTH come forth, and drag him down. | |
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