SCENE II.

       Table of Contents

      herod, salome, mazael, Guards.

      mazael.

       He comes,

       And seems disturbed: what horror in his aspect!

      salome.

       Say, Herod, hast thou taken ample vengeance?

      mazael.

       I hope my royal master will forgive

       His faithful servant, who thus dares to speak

       Touching the queen: but Varus is her safeguard;

       Prevent his dark designs, and save thyself:

       The haughty prætor, resolute and bold,

       Will make a merit of destroying thee.

      herod.

       Alas! my sister, how have I been treated!

       Deceived, betrayed! help me to rail, to curse

       This dear ungrateful woman: now my heart

       Rests all its hopes on thy assisting friendship:

       Thou, Salome, wert made a sacrifice

       To my unhappy love for Mariamne;

       I numbered thee amongst my worst of foes;

       For her unkindness did I punish thee;

       But thou hast seen my tenderness betrayed,

       And, ere this day is past, we’ll be revenged:

       Yes, she shall suffer for her fatal power

       O’er Herod’s heart, that sighed for her alone.

       O how have I adored, and how detested,

       The faithless Mariamne! and thou, Varus,

       Shalt feel my wrath; thou art a Roman, therefore

       Thy life is safe; but I can punish thee

       In blood more precious, and a dearer self:

       Thou shalt behold the object of thy love,

       Who has preferred thee to her hated lord,

       Thou shalt behold her soon expire in torment

       Before thy eyes: dost thou not think Augustus

       Will praise my just severity?

      salome.

       No doubt

       He will, my lord, and would himself advise it.

       On the same altar where his friends adore him,

       He sheds the blood of foes: he teaches kings

       To rule and to be feared; let Herod mark

       And follow his example; thus alone

       Thy life can be secure: the queen must stand

       Condemned by all, and thou be justified.

      mazael.

       But make good use of this important moment,

       Whilst Varus is yet absent, and his forces

       Far from our walls; now seize her, and complete

       Thy easy vengeance.

      salome.

       Above all conceal

       From Israel’s sons thy purpose and thy grief,

       And spare thyself the horror of a sight

       So dreadful; fly from this unhappy place,

       The witness of thy shame, that must recall

       A thousand mournful images; O hide

       From every eye thy sorrows and thy tears.

      herod.

       No: I must see her; face to face confound her;

       Force her to answer; hear her poor excuses:

       I’ll make her tremble at the approach of death,

       And ask that pardon she shall never obtain.

      salome.

       My lord, you will not see her?

      herod.

       Fear me not;

       Her doom is fixed: vainly she hopes that love

       Will plead her cause; my heart is shut against her:

       Those eyes, which once were dangerous to my peace,

       Are harmless now; her presence will but raise

       My anger, not my love. Guards, bring her hither;

       I’ll only see, and hear, and punish her.

       Sister, I would be private for a moment:

       [To the attendants.

       Send Mariamne here: you may retire.

       [To the guards.