第二拿撒勒人︰祂出现在各个地方，主人，但却很难找到祂。

第一拿撒勒人︰有人说祂现正在撒玛利亚(Samaria)。

犹太人︰很容易看出祂不是弥赛亚，如果祂是弥赛亚，弥赛亚是不该到撒玛利亚去的。撒玛利亚人全都受到诅咒。因为他们从不向教会捐献。

第二拿撒勒人︰几天后，祂离开了撒玛利亚。我想就在此刻，祂应该到了耶路撒冷附近。

第一拿撒勒人︰不；祂不在那儿。我刚从耶路撒冷来。两个月来，祂未曾在那儿引起风潮。

希律王︰无所谓！就派人去找祂，告诉祂我的话，我不允许祂让人复活！将水变成酒，医治痲疯病人与瞎子……如果祂真有这方面的能耐，却也无妨。我说不准违反这道命令。实际上我认为治愈痲疯病人是件好事。但我不允许任何死人复活。如果死人回来的话，那么这世界就太可怕了。

约翰的声音︰啊！淫妇！荡女！啊！巴比仑的女儿，金色的眼睛与华饰的眼皮！上帝如是说，让她与她的一群男人混在一起。让人们拾起石头掷向她……

希罗底︰命令他住口。

约翰的声音︰让百夫长用剑刺穿她的身躯，让他们用盾牌压挤她。

希罗底︰不，这太无耻了。

约翰的声音︰于是我将扫除大地上一切邪恶，所有的女子将因此学习到，不该仿效她的不义。

希罗底︰你听到他如何说我吗？你容许他辱骂你的妻子？

希律王︰他并未指名妳。

希罗底︰那有什么差别？你清楚地知道他侮辱的人就是我。而我是你的妻子，不是吗？

希律王︰没错，亲爱与高贵的希罗底呀，妳是我的妻子，而先前妳是我兄弟的妻。

希罗底︰是你将我从他的臂里拆散，而变为你的妻子。

希律王︰是的，我是强者……但我们不要谈论此事。我不想谈。这就是那先知所说的可怕事情。或许再提及这事，将会有另一件不幸发生。我们不要谈论此事。高贵的希罗底呀，我们怠慢了客人。斟满我的酒杯，我最钟爱的酒。将酒注满我的银色酒杯，那些高雅的玻璃杯。我向西泽致意。有罗马人在场，我们敬西泽。

一同︰敬西泽！敬西泽！

希律王︰妳看见妳的女儿了吗，她的脸色多么苍白？

希罗底︰她的脸色苍白与你何干？

希律王︰我从未见她如此苍白。

希罗底︰你不应再看着她。

约翰的声音︰当那天来临时，太阳会像是深黑的麻布丝，月亮会变成血红，而天上众星将像成熟的无花果掉落大地，地上的诸王将恐惧莫名。

希罗底︰啊！啊！我倒想瞧瞧他所说的那种景象，月亮变红，众星如无花果掉落大地。先知像醉汉一般疯言疯语……但我无法忍受他的声音。我讨厌他的声音。叫他住口。

希律王︰恕难遵从。我虽然不懂他所说的，但我觉得那或许是预兆。

希罗底︰我不相信预兆。他像醉汉一般疯言疯语。

希律王︰或许他饮了上帝的酒而醉了。

希罗底︰你在说什么，上帝的酒？哪个葡萄园产出的？那个酒厂可找到？

希律王︰〔从现在开始，他眼睛盯着莎乐美〕提格利奴斯，你最近一次在罗马时，皇帝是否曾对你说过……？

提格利奴斯︰提过什么呢，陛下？

希律王︰提过什么？啊！我问过你，不是吗？我忘了我问过你什么事。

希罗底︰你又再望着我的女儿了。你不能再看她。我对你说过了。

希律王︰妳没别的好说了吗？

希罗底︰我再说一次。

希律王︰他们一直在谈论修复神庙的事，难道还会有其它的问题吗？他们圣堂的帐幔消失了，真有此事吗？

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 Messias, if He is in Samaria. It is not to the Samaritans 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 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 nothing against these things. In truth I hold it a kindly deed to heal a leper. But no man shall raise the

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dead . . . . It would be terrible if the dead came back.

THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN

Ah! The wanton one! The harlot! Ah! the daughter of Babylon 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 all women 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.

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HERODIAS

What does that matter? You 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. Peradventure on account of it a misfortune will come. Let us not speak of 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 C?sar. There are Romans here, we must drink to C?sar.

ALL

C?sar! C?sar!

HEROD

Do you not see your daughter, how pale she is?

HERODIAS

What is it to you if she be pale or not?

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HEROD

Never have I seen her so pale.

HERODIAS

You must not look at her.

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 of the heaven shall fall upon the earth like unripe 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 become 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.

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HERODIAS

What wine is that, the wine of God? From what vineyards is it gathered? In what wine-press may one find it?

HEROD

[From this point he looks all 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 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 anything be done? They say that the veil of the Sanctuary has disappeared, do they not?