THE RIVALS OF MADONNA, THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD A DRAMA, [in four acts] By a. STEWART WALSH. Copyright, 1903 bv Alex. Stewart Walsh. Published by S. F. McLean & Co., New York. 1903. THE « RIVALS OF MADONNA, THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD. A DRAMA, 4 [in four acts] By a. STEWART WALSH. Copyright, 1903 by Albx. Stewart Walsh. Published by S. F. McLean & Co., New York. 1903. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, ' T>vo Copies Received JAN 9 1903 i^^'ignt Entry LASS /<• XXfc. No. ^ oopV b. PERSONS OF THE DRAMA. 1. Sir St. George D'Heartmyths, Crusader-Knight.. 2. Sir Henri De Betterman, Crusader-Knight. 3. RoKHAMA, Moslem Pasha. 4. DooBERDAB, Confidant of Rokhama. 5. Captio, Serving Brother of the Knights. 6. Beatulus, Serving Brother of the Knights. 7. Shumentu, a Pagan Priest and a Renegade. 8. Peter the Rouser, a Fanatic. 9. Maimokides, a Leader of the " Golden Empire League," 10. Chaplain Foren, of the Knights. 11. Sir LeRoy D'Heartmyths, Brother of Sir St. George. ■1 Kafadar, \ 12. \ y Turkish Harem Agents. Charmagly, ) 13. Astarte, Egyptian Princess, Necromancer and "Queen of the Pleasure Empire." 14. Aureola, Daughter of Maimonides and "Queen of the Golden Empire." 15. Edena, Daughter of Dooberdab. 16. Judith, Maid of Aureola. Eimelia, -'■] V Harem Prizes. Edilulu, ) 28 Ardenta, a Georgian Syren. Children, Knights, Mamelukes, Harem Beauties, etc. TMP92-007560 THE RIVALS OF MADONNA, THE Queen of the World. Time about 1230 A. D. ACT I. Scene i. — Overlooking Acre, a coast city, Palestine. (Christians, Crusaders, etc., passing in a route toward city. In the distance. Captio and Beatulus, Serving Brothers, running in.) Beatulus. Oh, we dodged the Moslem, but we had a run for it, my Captio, ha, ha ! Captio. Heroes tor once ! We made more than two score ol them fly. Aye, and they would be running yet had they not massed our tracks. [Puffing] Oh, I am empty now of both wind and provinder, Beatulus. Ah, my Captio, thou shalt not be empty while we have ass-meat. Ha, ha ! Wilt thou have some ? {Offers meat) Captio. (Siezing meat) And thou darst offer such unholy provinder without crossing thyself. {Eats voraciously) To think that I, a Christian epicure, should come down to thistle-fed don- key ! ' Oh. turning cannibal. One ass eating another. Beatulus. It might be worse. What if the other ass were eating thee? Ha, ha! But why dost thou everlastingly carp? Captio. I carp to keep up my courage. Dost thou not know that few grumblers commit suicide ? Beai ulus. Oh, it were better thou teach thy diaphragm to pump up laughter as a courage breeder. That is the way I do. Ha. ha. . 1 1. .1 t Captio. I have heard of the laughing jackass, but until 1 knew thee, I believed the creature a myth. Breed laughter? Pump up courage ? Waagh ! Come and look at our crumpled — 4— up rear guard in its crawl-trot, trying to get into yonder ci'y. {Drew Beatulus to a hedge beyond which the refugees are passing) Why did we ever leave dear England to come heroing in this Kill-All-Land as Serving Brothers (if the Knights? As pat of such an army of Briton^, Franks, Duichmen, Dagoes, a' d Nobo lies from nowhtres? Do anv of these half-starved and altogether -ragged rabies know why they came hitlier ? Beatulus. Monk Peter, the Rouser, says that we came here to the Holy Land to crown at Bethlehem a new Eve and so to end all the troubles brought on us poor humans by the old Eve and her snake. Then comes the golden age. Ha, ha ! Captio. Golden fiddlesticks ! Peter promises like some of our modern politicians. In his Pinchbeck age there will be plenty to eat and nothing to pay? (Bkatulus nods and laughs) No clothes needed, none to wear out, and everybody in fashion all the time? (Beatulus nods) No flirting and no divorces. Every man marry his own rib when lonely and be his own moiher-inlaw ! {'^'EATuiajs laughs hilariously) Lawyers never to take the wrong side of any ca-e? Preacliers all to agree as to the right way to save a soul? Public servants coming to believe that it is as short a way to Hades to steal wholesale as by high- way robbery? Waagh ! There will be no Golden Age until men are generally made over. Beatulus. But Peter says all will come right when the world is rid of tyrannical man-rule and given over to the care of the women, since all human troubles begin as soon as the kids get away from their cribs. Captio. So? Peter seeks to have us he's all go back to the blessed days when feeding followed spanking ? Women's rule and women's rights ! Do they not ever rule? Does not the hand that kneads the dough {imitates kneading) mould all creation? Ask the love-lorn youths, or the ever ir creasing crops of bald- heads whose bare pates prove their full subjection. Waigh. Beatulus. Oh, ho. Hither comes our iiood chaplain, Foren, with young De Roy D'Heartmyihs the brother of our noble com- mander. Sir St. George. Ah, this Le Roy is the bravest of all the thirty thousand child crusaders who enlisted to aid the knights conquer Syria. Ha, ha. Captio. That is easy to say now, for none of the others will contradict thee. All of them not in Barbary slavery are at the bottom of the Adriatic Sea. Waagh ! (Le Roy entering supported by Chaplain Foren) Let me go back to my brother on the fighting line, good Chaplain. Chaplain Foren. But thy brother commands that thou get into Acre to the Nuns of St. Magdaline that they may cure thy wound. Rest here a little, then we go on to the city. Captio. Poor kid, he needs his mother. Waagh ! Hither moves thy Rouser, my Beatulus. That Peter which made half Europe mad to come upon this fateful crusade. His donkey is —5— well loaded with provinder. My tunic against thine, Chaplain, that whatever happens the Monk, he will keep near his donkey. Petkr the Rcuser {Enters leading donkey) Turn back, turn back all. Panic the infidels. One shall chase a thousand; two put ten thousand to flight. {E it) Captio. Wilt thou charije them with thy long-eared ass, Peter? Gone so soon? And towards the place of safety? Waagh. Peter the Rouser. (Re-entering) I go to call down from heaven winged chariots in which the faithful may ride in triumph to the coronation of the true Madonna at Bethlehem. {Exit toward Arre) Beatulus. Oh, but we will startle the Moslem when we go flying over their heads in gold-n chariots. Le Roy. And Peter says I am to go back to France to raise another army of youths to help the knights chase the Moslem ofiE the earth ? Captio. Glory to St. Vitus and his dance. Every one about seems now to be raving. It is the fashion here. This is a cracked and crooked world. Only the cracked can understand it. Only the crooks bend to its ways. The straight sane people soon fall off of it into heaven — or the poor house. Waagh. Chaplain Foren. It is well we all be moving. I hear horse- men ill a large body moving this way. Moslem, most likely. Captio. No golden chariots for us yet? One shall chase a thousand, some other day ! A thousand chase one to-day. Waagh, {Exeunt) Dooberdab. {Entering with Pasha RokhAmA and Guard) We cannot longer continue the pursuit of the Christians, as the nfght comes on. Rokhama. {Pointing to risifig moon) An omen. The cres- cent is blood red, but it rises. Victory, but a costly one for us, my Dooberdab, is predicted. {Observing the path) Some of the invaders passed here but recenly. Dooberdab. Yet we shall have them all soon. Two hundred thousand fighting men out of every Mohammedan quarter move against yonder doomed city, great Pasha. Rokhama. Allah be praised ! My faithful, now withdraw my guard to a distance. That Egyptian, Shumentu, comes hither, desiring to meet me, alone. Dooberdab. Great Rokhama, thy pardon, but I must warn thee. That hooded priest is a cobra. Beware ! Rokhama. Loyal Dooberdab, fear naught for me on his score. I know how to charm, or kill any viper which either crawls or flies. {Exit Dooberdab — enter Shumentu.) Shumen'i u. I haste to ha-l the rising sun of Moslemism, the glorious Rokhama. How doth Allah bless thee this hour? Rokhama. Allah grants me to make the end of centuries of fighting between the followers of the cross and those of the cres- — 6— cent. I have the Crusaders trapped in their last refuge yonder. Shumentu. But thou leavest a dangerous enemy behind thee. At Bethlehem are the New Edenites, devoted to the glorification of Mary the mother of Christ. They claim that mysterious woman as the eternal example of what God thinks of her sex; they prate of the one wife home, deny to man the rights of his super- iority to have as many of the inferior sex as he wills to minister to him, and even go so far as to teach the dangerous heresy that women have souls. All these things utterly oppose the crescent's supremacy. ROKHAMA. Oh, if the preachers were all compelled to fight for the things concerning which they rant there would be far more fighting or much less preaching. Quacking about woman's rights has excited many in this life but revelutionized nothing. Let the New Edenites quack There are no fighters there. They have with them for the mfst par' onlv women and children. Shumentu. Only women and children ? Next to a fighter as the most dangerous enemy is the breeder or inspirer of a fighter. Hast thou not seen how the knights of this last crusade have gone desperately to the death inspired by devotion to their Madonna ? Remember also that women make up half the world, and they rule the children. He that hath the women and chil- dren on his side will have the world at his will, sooner or later. RoKHAMA. This debate is useless. I can do nothing as to New Eden. Our Sultan moved by the influence of that Baroness D'Heartmvths, of France, ha'h commanded that the Moslem leave the New Edem'tes undisturbed. Shumentu. And they intend, as I have learned, to have a great coronation ceremony presently at which it is proposed to proclaim Mary of Bethlehem queen of women. At that corona- tion it is predicted that a miracle from heaven will appear to con- firm the claim. Our faith cannot stand the appearing of such a miracle here in Syria. RoKHAMA. Then let us hasten the proclamation of thy cun- ning invention, the Moslem Madonna. That Hone, I swear to Allah, from point to hilt of this (upliftiti^ scinietar) to go about making New Eden desolate as soon as I have captured Acre. I will explain to the SuUan afterward. Shumentu. Bravely spoken. Thy plan is worthy of a true son of the faith. Now go I into yonder Acre to plot for thy gain. RoKHAMA. But I need thy counsel here, until Acre is taken, Shumentu. Shementu. Thou work without and I within, and they opposing us will need pity. Let me tell thee something. A secret league with world-wide branches has one of its councils in yonder city. Among other things that league proposes to set up a counterfeit of the Madonna of the Christians. By cunning devices I have promoted myself to power in that combination. I —7— must meet with its leaders at once, RoKHAMA. To promote the candidate of the League ? To abandon our Mo lem candidate ? Shementu. It is cheaper to leap to the head of an excitement already made than to manufacture a new craze. That is the science of politics. Leave thy Shementu to work in his way and look for a good report from him, after Acre has fallen. {Exeunt) Scene II. — In Room of Tower of Out-Wall of Acre. (Captio and BeATULUS arranging place as Knights' Head- quarters^ Beatulus. This will make a prime headquarters for our com- mander. {Goes up stairway to a casement) Our knights will have a fine lookout in^o the city here. Captio. {Pointing to gate through outer wall) And a fine run out that way which they will need soon, or the Lord hath not spoken bv me. Waagh. {Exeunt) Sir Sr. George. {Enteting with Sir Henri and Le Roy) This will be the last move of our headqmrters. When driven from here we will be beyond the need of any other. Sir Hevri. Thy companion knights take much courage from thy app )intment by King Henry, of Jerusalem, to be sole com- mander of the Christian forces. Sir St. George. Small thanks to that self-appointed kin^ who now hath his throne wherever his shifty heels happen to stand. He should be here to share and shape the issue of this dred hour, but he is not. Likely he is courting safety at Cyprus Island. I would trample his commission under my foot but that I feel it my du*y to try to help my companions out of their present plight. Beatulus. {Entering^ A company of odd fish seek audience with th e. Ha, ha. Some of them look like brigands, some are dressed up very daringly with showy second-hand king-clothes, and — Sir St. George. Brief thy tale. Who art they? Beatulus. They told me not, except to say they are a dele- gation of Acr^" citizens. But I overheard one called most "honor- able Maim 'nide-," and another "respected Shapiro." They all kept up such gabbles, I had no let to receive any introduction. Ha, ha. Sir St. George. Shapiro? Oh, ho! My spies have placed him. He is none other than one Shementu, a Pagan priest of Egypt. What devilment is he np to, posing here as a citizen o f Acre ? Sir Henri, escort this party hither. {Delegation enters) Shapiro. Respected commander, we come as worthy re — 8- derfs of this unhappy city, concerning matters of which our honored Nlaimonides, here, shall speak to thee. Maimonides. Will the commander of tlie knights be pleased to hear us? Sir St. George. Proceed to unfold thy matter. Matmonides. We are in perilous times, commander. The Moslem bombardinsr with basalt fire from without, have destroyed many dwellings within our Eastern walls. Outlaws are engayjed in stealing for sale to the slave markets the women and children thus made homeless. Sir St. George. What demons war breeds. Maimonides. The nunnery of St. Magdaline has been raided by Acre rufifians. More than a score of its inmates have been smu^aled through our lines for sale to Mohammedan harems. Sir St. George. Those holy women who ministered like angels for months past, to all suffering in this unhappy city. Great God, why sleep thy revenges ! Maimonides. Famine is everywhere in Acre and dred plague is ravaging many pans of the city. Riotous mobs go about rob- bing whom they will. Beautiful Acre is become a hell upon earth. {IVeeps.) vSiR St. George. Respected Maimonides, I heard of all these things before thy coming. Would to God I had the power to bring such acts to an end. Maimonides. Thou hast not such power, knight, and there- fore we come to propose a remedy. Acre had peace and happi- ness before thy followers made it the place of their last stand. Let them now go forth and our city will renew its former quiet. Sir St. George. The Moslem will object to the knights leaving the city now in any way except as prisoners. We are not ready lo throw ourselves upon their mercy. We too well foresee what that would mean. Maimonides. Then we would request that thy following sur- render the rule of Acre to the League of the Golden Empire. A most potent and re>pectable body. It is ready to assume the government here, and to guarantee pacification. Sir St. George. But, Maimonides, thy League is committed to setting up some modern woman as a world queen, under the claim that she is the true madonna. This pretender is to try to supplant the one to whom for so many centuries millions have given their heart devotion. Would our acknowledgement of the rule of the Golden League here imply any submission to such a new would-be queen ? Maimonides. Most likely. Sir St. George. Then this parley might as well end. Our knights would die gladly, if need be, but will never consent to any disloyalty to Mary of Bethlehem. Shumento. But, commander, it is not disloyalty to submit to the inevitable. The Golden Leagus is a mighty combine with —9— branches in many nations. No thing can resist its masterful diplomacy. It has but recently taken root here, and already the masses are ripe to rise and hail it as the saviour of all in desolate Acre. Sir St. George. (Turning- Ah i>ack upon Shumkntv) Re- spected Maiinoaides, be pleased to see me to-m >rrow, alone. Then we miy together devise some measures of relief for Acre. Shuvienfu. But our great leader, Maimonides, hath com- mands (rom the highest councils of this Leigue, who now issue their orders from Europe to take possession of authority here at once. Surely we must all pray that he be able to do so wi.hout bloodshe i. Sir St. George. I have nought to say to thee, thou mas- qu'^rader, beyond this ; my sword is as cunning and as keen of edge as it was at Nazareth. Bv heavens, I will prove that to thee just now, if thou dost not betake thyself whence th'^u earnest, Shapiro, or whoever thou art. (To Maimonides) The stand- dards of the knights will not be lowered before those of the pre- tenders of the League while one of my companions can fif(ht. ShUiMENto. Thy heroism wins our admiration, Sir St. George. The Golden League would make princely concessions to win thy services. Sir St. George. I am now nigh to serving it well without reward, by killing thee, thou marplot. Maimonides. Commander, it were well that thou reconsider our proposals. Sir .St. George. The message of thy delegation is surrender, or insurrection. We will not surrender while we have a sword left. Maimonides. Then we may as well depart. (Delegation rehiring) We give thee until sunset to reconsider. Here is an emblem which thou mayst place on thy tower if thou wouldst call for me. (Delivers a small vellow streamer) Sir St. George. That yellow rag? Symbol of the rule of gold and heresy. The knights will hate it more than they d > the crescent. (Tears it in two and flings the parts at Maimonides and Shumentu) Shumentu. That means an uprising in Acre at once. (Exit) Maimonidks. We give thee until sunset to reconsider. (Exeunt dele-cation) Sir St. George. And the knights will take until eternity. Sir Henri. Thou didst give that Shapiro a dose of bitter herbs. Sir St. George. He understood me. He is not a Jew, and his name is not Shapiro. He is one Shumentu. I crossed swords to his harm with him at the battle of Nazareth where he was fighting with the Moslem. He is a Pagan in religion, a Mohammedian when it pays him to be such, and just now with the Golden Leaguers for some deep reason of personal gain. It is 10- a pity that Maimonides haih fallen under the influence of sucls as he. Peter the Rouser. {Entering) I am moved by the spirit to que-lion thee, Commander. Dost thou know, Sir St. George, that the Golden Leaguers propose to seize and put into a great comb re all the conrjmerce of the world? To buy law-makers, judges, and such, so to come to universal dominion ? Sir St. George. I have so heard. Peter. Dost know that in that new government that there will be no aristocracy but ihflt of money, and under it the poor will becr-me the slaves «)f plutocrats. Sir St. George. I have heard certain ranters so declare Petf.r. Thou thyself hath said that the Golden League pro- po-es to set up a pretender who they wruld have filch the honors of that hdly woman lo whom twelve Christian centuries have given the supreme place as the triumphant Eve. Dost thou know that Aureola, the daughter of Maimonides is the queen elect of the conspirators ? Sir St. George. Yes. what of it ? Peter. Much ! Thou hast been a frequent visitor at the palace of Mmmonides of late. It is reported that thou dost love, more than alitle, that Jewe s. Sir St. George. The report is true, although the fact is not the business of any who give themselves to gossip concerning it. Petfr. I am divinely in piied to denounce thee for all this that thou doth confess. Sir St. Gforge. Since coming to Syiia thou ha^t denounced more than thou hast encouraged the defenders of the cross, Peter. Peter. T am divinely inspired to command thee to arrest both Maimonides and his daughter. Sir St. George. Arrest ? Art thou mad, Peter ? Why arrest ? Peter. Why ? To nip the rising revolution in the bud. To strike t-^rror into the hearts of all opposing thee. Arrest the Jezibel and her father at once. Sir St. George. I doubt thy inspiration; but after the arrest —what? Peter. Send both to Rome to be dealt with there, or that b injf impossible, execute them here as traitors. Swear that thou wilt, upon this. {Extends medalli-'n of the Virgin Mary) Sir St. George. Now listen, all here as well as this priest. One ye^r a^o I lay desperately wounded upon the battlefield of Nazareth. At night an angel in human flesh accompanied by a serving woman, went about over that field, moved only by sweet mercy to help the suffering, without regard to their creed or race. Thev found rre, carr ed me to a place of safety, treated me as a brother, nursed me back to life and hope. That Angel in the flesh was none other than Aureola, the daughter of Maimoni. — II- des. Since com'ng here, I have gone to the Jew and his daughter to say that the swords of my knights would defend them in the name of public safety if any peril came nigh either. To say that much was knightly; to have proposed less would have been dastardly. My promise to them shall be kept. Peter. I absolve thee from thy rash promise. Swear that thou wilt arrest and strrnly deal with the pretender and con- spirator. {Extends medallion) Sir St. George. I so swear? And upon the medallion of the Mother of Mercies? Out of my presence, Monk, until this monstt-r mood hath left thee. _ Peter. {Retiring) 1 go, but I will denounce thee to Chris- tian Europe and to thy followers as an ally of the Golden Em- pire L-ague of Mammonites. Oh, it is so pitiful ! Our corri- mander dawdling about a Jezibel pretender to the betrayal of his greu CTUse. Sir St. George. One warning, Peter. The hour I hear of thee inciting any insubordination or stirring up any anarchy in this city, I will have thee hanged. It is a good thing in such times as these to hang a fanatic now and again. {Exit Peter, •with grwnb lings) Sir Henri. So, by the the twin pillars of Hercules, there are to be two rivals of our blessed Mary. The Moslem have a candidate for her place as well as the Golden Leaguers. Yet mehinks the followers of these two new aspirants will soon beat each other to pieces. Sir St. George. But that will not come about in time to prevent the impending insurrection of the Leaguers in Acre. Would to God we might hear soon of some success by my mother in winning from the Sultan permission for the Christians here to return in peace to Europe. Sir Henri Thy glorious mother! Whatever her success, Christendom will ever praise her holy devotion in braving possible Egyptian slavery to carry her plea to the throne. Sir St. Georqe. There seems nothing left for us but to try to escaoe from Acre to some mountain fastnes*:, there to wait for favorable report from my mother — or for swift doom. All retire except Sir Henry. {Signals to others. They retire) Sir Henri. Alas, no other way. The sooner we retreat the better. Sir St. George. Oh, my God, why am I in this great straight between love and duty. Aureola, wolves are all about thee, and I cannot help thee ! I cannot help thee ! Sir Henri. Commander, nay companion, dost so love the maid who saved thy life? Sir St. Gforgs. Yes ; and with a devotion worthy of a knight of St. Mary, sworn to be faithless to none on earth. Nor wouldst thou wonder at my love, Sir Henri, couldst thou but know that masterpiece of nature. My Aureola is tenderness and power incarnate. She hath ready tears for the suffering and hef laughter is a music always nigh, no matter how gloomy the hour. She sits a horse like a desert Arab, is master of the rapier, daring to recklessness by time>, but never at heart other than nobly womanl ke. Small wonder if she wins multitudes to clamor for her crowning, for she is every i^ch a queen Sir Henri. Enough, unless thou wouldst madden me to be thy rival. Clearly the maiden is gloriously dangerous to thee. Sir St. George. And now dread perils threaten her and I no power to save her. Her deluded father is maHe the tool of conspirators who fill him with hope that his daughter is to be proclaimed the long looked for Madonna and his race to be brought again to world dominion through his family. That Sha- piro-Shumentu and others of the Golden Leaguers are in a con- spiracy to abduct Maimonides and his daucrhter the very day of the latter's coronation. In this certain M)slem without are to aid the conspirators. They hope by the wrack or otherwise to come to the vast wealth of the Golden League Empire in this abduction. Sir Henri. But canst thou not show these perils to Maimon- ides and his daughter? Sir. St. Gkorge. Maimonides would give me no ear. He is mad with his dream of power, and besides he would su«pect any such warning from me as merely a cunning bid for the favor of his dausrhter. He suspects and abhors my love for her. Oh, if I could but see her now to tell her all. I cannot. The Lea- guers these days keep her under constant watch. Was ever man so hedged about ? How can I be loyal to my knightly duty as Commander here, and yet true to a love as dear to me as life? Sir Henri. Now by all the loves of Adam, Jacob, Solomon and Joseph of Judea, I am an unworthy companion knight, if I make not a tryst for thee and thy lover ere thou art much older. Sir St. George. But — Sir Henri, Ask me no questions ; give me no commands. {Exeunt) Scene 3, Act I — Knights' Headquarters. Le Roy. {Entering) Our knight, Sir Henri is coming this way with two prisoners. One is a nun and the other is a handsome you'h. Such a handsome youth. He has a sword and armor and all that. Captio. Oh, now I will stake my tunic against a ripe pome- granite that it is an elopement, nipped in the bud. A knight and a nun eloping. A milk and water madness just fit to cap the climax of Acre follies. Waagh. Le Roy. Let's away to tell my brother, Sir St. George. {Exeunt) —13— Sir Henri. {Entering with prisoners) Ye twain will do well to yirepare to meet the awful wrath of S'r St. George. {To Sir St. George, enteTing) Commander, to aid me in the difficult task of keeping a certain knightly vow I made to ihee but recently, I have arrested these two whom thou seest before thee. Judith. {Throtving off' nun's gard) Oh, I beg pardon of that pious rig. Thy knight here advised its use to prevent curious scrutiny on the way hither. I, a nun ? I with a history of three husbands and willingness for a foutth? Ha, ha ! Sir St. George. By n.y device, Judith ? Oh, now thou wilt t«rll me how fares thy mistress, the beauteous Aureola ? Judith. Never happier, 1 do believe, than she is just now. But tiiat fine young person in a corselet yonder can report of her better than I. (/'(??«/j- /"^ AuREOi a) Sir Sr. Geokgk. Why, now, may all angels bless everybody, this is my Aureola. {To Sir Henri) About face, ha, ha. {Em- bracing Aureola) All this is unconventional. {Kisses) And this, and this, and this. But I, as supreme in command here, decree such salute a war necessity. Aureola. This is confiscation, methinks, Sir St. George. Sir St. George. But with promise of remuneration. Re- cord, Aureola, thy claims and I will approve them. Even increase them, if desired by ihee to do so. Aureola. My claim, Commander, is that thou pardon my garb. I was dressed for a state meeting of the ancients of the Golden League Council when thy knight arrested me. He would not let me wait to change my tire. Sir St. George. That tire ! It is to me an angel's. It is the same thou didst wear the night thou and Judith yonder picked me up on the bloody field of Nazareth. Dost remember, how while ye twain were lugging me along, my arms hung about thy girdle somewhat thus ? Aureola. Oh, impossible. Hid thine arms shown as much life then as now I would have dropped thee as one dangerously lively. Judith. {To Sir Henri) Thy Commander is as ardent as my first and as tender as my third. I knew not that the knights could be so. Sir Henri. Oh, yes ; all good fighters come naturally by ardency witii ye palpitating angels in the flesh. Judith. I could bless the pretty pair for bringing me sweet memories — if thy commander were only a Jew. He being an alien, I must not countenance their doving. Be pleased, knight, to take me to some seclusion. Sir Henri. Methinks they do not just now desire the counte- nance of either of us. {Exeunt Sir Heury and ]vt)1th) Sir St. George. Oh, beloved, this meeting brings joy, but joy pursued by engulfing clouds. The Golden Leaguers are Mammon-mad and care naught for thee except through thee to use —14— the great wealth and the titles of thy ancient family, my beloved. Aureola. But what can I do against the will of my father and that mighty League ? Sir St. George. Flee Acre at once ! Aureola. Absence from here, thou being left in all this sea of troubles, would be to me but added torture, my knight. My heart yearns for freedom to live just naturally in undisturbed love with its idol, but cruel fate rules otherwise ; therefore I shut my eyes and get what pleasure I may listeni.ig to the applause of the multitudes as I am pushed alonj: the Hangerous heights to a posi- tion promising to be loftier than that occupied by any other woman now living. Sir St. George. And I must stand powerless to help thee as thou art pushed among dred perils, or see thee soar forever beyond my reach. Aureola. Nay, say not so When I am a queen I may command, and I will. What use of being a queen if I must be as prudish as an uncrowned wonan. Oh, this way will I rule Ye ancients, stand back; far back. Handsome youth, draw near. Now speak all the ardent nonsense which is in thy heart. No^v embrace thy queen. Oh, kni.rht, I fear that thou wilt prove thyself a rebellious — or a stupid subject. Sir St. George. Why? Oh, I was stupid, but I promise that I never will be with thee again, my qu'^'en. {^Embrace) Aureola. And when the rabbles forsake me, as thou sayst they will, I shall be sure of thy fealty ever ? Remember there are three rival queens in the field. Sir St. George. True religion and true love never rival each other, Aureola. They can flourish together however diff- erent the creeds which lead the souls of lovers. I take thee to my heart as its qu^en and know still of no rival to the Madonna whom my soul adores, Aureola, Aureola. I might have foreseen this. Thou art a Teutonic knight of St. Mary. Had I accepted any of the many courtiers of the League as my lover, such one would have no other queen in heart or soul except Aureola. Sir St. George, Thy mood seeraeth over hilarious for the gravity of this debate, my beloved. Aureola. No>v thou art cruel, and I am wounded. Cheer- fulness, at least in heart, I have not known for months. I laugh to force back the ever present tears aid jest to keep fr )m groan- ing. It is woman's way in trouble. What is there before me ? I see only confusion, separation from the one I love as my life, rivalries and likely scenes of bloodshed. Oh, it is all so horrible ! Sir St. George Now answer I thee as to thy challenge of my loyalty. Listen ; there is a conspiracy between certain treacherous Golden Leaguers ani some of the Mohammedians without, to abduct both thee and thy father the day set for thy coronation. The abductors hope to come by the wealth of the I Golden Empire League through that abduction. Aureola. Methinks that thou hast been misled, Sir St. George by some petty gossip, and yet this tale is very romantic. Very like some old fairy story. I know not whether to laugh or cry about it. Sir St. George. Hear the proof. I was offered a bribe, a large one, only to facilitate the abduction by not opposing it with any force. This parchment sets forth what I have said {holding up parchment) Aureola. Oh, now I am curious. How much did the con- spirators ttimk this inconsequential Jewess worth ? Did any one haggle about the price ? Oh, yes ; and more important, how near to the price that thou wouldst take did the bargainers come? Now, thou must confess, Sir St. George. Sir St. George. They offered me my safe escape to Europe, or a Pashaship in the Moslem army, if I so willed, and such sum as I might name. The space for the number of the gold shekels is here left blank for me to fill as I will. But there was no hag- gling, Aureola. Instantly the bribers knew from me that for this whole world piled upon all the other worlds bestudding yon sky, I would not sell mine honor, or make merchandise of thee, beloved. Dost thou now believe me all loyal to thee, my heart's queen. {Embrace) Sir HENfRi. {Reentering with Judith) Your pardon, but father Maimonides approaches in a rage. I heard his voice without just now wrangling with our Captio, who prevents his coming into this place. Judith. Oh, now, this is dreadful. If Maimonides finds us here, he will kill us two poor women. Oh, these men, young and old, are ever destroying us poor creatures in this life with their hatings or their lovings. What shall we two do ? Sir Henri Commander, having arrested the daughter, may I not arrest also the father ? Sir St. George. That would delay matters, but cure nothing. Sir Henri. Beatulus. {Entering) Commander, thy pardon, but Captio and I have a rope ladder we have used at the casement when de- sirous of a night's excursion without exposure, ha, ha ! Here the ladder. {Opens a box) Ha, ha 1 Sir Henri. Beatulus, hurry to Captio. Tell him on some pretense to keep the Jew at the door for five minutes longer. {Exit Beatulus) Now, Lady Aureola, the stair this side, the ladder on the other — Beatulus. {Re-entering) Captio is bellowing like a bull of Bashan at the Jew. Ha! ha! hal Sir St, George. Thou, Beatulus, shalt go as a guard to these fair prisoners in their escape hence. Beatulus. Canst thou not send along, also, some man of war ? I am not a fighter, but a cooker. Ha, ha ! — 16— Sir Henri. Commander, having brought hither the pretty knight and the nun. I am in duty bound to escort them to their abode. AUKEOLA. {^Drawinjj; her rapier^ And we two men will pro- tect these two women. (Pointing to Judith and Beaiulus) La^iies, forward. Sir Henri next. I will be the rear guard. (Sir H.. B. and J. exeunt. Aureola, on the siairs) When next we meet, St. George, I will be queen of all the world, at least by the voice of the Ancients of the Golden League. Put whatever comes, thou shalt be my knight, lover and sovereign unto death. Sir St. George. Aureola, light of my soul, farewell. {Exit Aureola) Ah, so sets for me forever that sun. Thick, indeed, the darkness which now gathers about me. Maimoxides. [Entering, pushing Captio aside) Com- mander, thou wilt excuse my abruptness, but my concern is very great. My daughter and her maid were put under arrest, for what I know not, bv one of thy knights. Are they here ? Sir St. George. Thy dangliter is not here. Her arrest was without any authorization from me. If on return to thy palace thou dosf not find her, report the fact to me, and whosoever is found guilty of keeping her away from thee will be dealt with severely by my direction. Maimonides. My gratitude, Commander. (Going) Sir St George. Since thou art here, be pleased, respected Maimonides, to tairy a little. I would w arn thee of great dangers which threaten both thyself and thy daughter. Thy proposed revolution certainly will end in disaster. I entreat thee to take thy daughter and flee at once out of this pandemonium. A friend of mine sails hence to-night. I can procure for thee and Aureola a passage on his ship, bound for Europe. Maimonides. I have no time to consider any such remarkable propo-al as thon dost maWe to-day. To-morrow I shall see thee and then we may consider all matters relating to Acre. Sir St George. To-morrow may be too late. Already the quays are covered with multitudes clamoring to escape the star- vation and plague and impending massacre. Ere to-morrow, those clamoring for escape homeward, will become uncontrollable mobs. Then some of the strongest may get away, but the weak will be lefi to death or the slave pens. (Seven bugle blasts sounded.^ Maimonides. Didst hear the seven bugle blasts? That's Israel's covenant number. God brings my people to the coven- anted promises of ages The chosen people come to their own at last, even to the dominion of the world. Sir St. George. Maimonides, thy daughter once saved my life ; I now w^ould repay the debt by saving hers. 1 realize the peril she is in, thou dost not. Let her go hence by ship to-night. In days less full of peril, in some more fitting place, thou canst —17— have her proclaimetl, if thou wilt. Maimonides. a very cunning knight art thou. Thou wouldst get her in thy power,mike iier think thee her saviour and so more completely win her heart. For what ? To rob her of a throne and make her most likely thy paramour. Sir St. George. I am yet Commander here, and thy taunts may make me fororet thy years. Mine honor shall not be im- peiched even by the father of the woman I love as I do my life. Maimonides. Love? Oh, what madness ! Love her not. Love of her, if it dare to come to wedlock, would be the death of ye both, even though these hands needed to make the bridal bed a bed of double murder. I swear it. Nay, thou dost seek to detjrade, not to exalt my child, St. George. Sir St. George. Listen. My knights carry one of their companions to burial. (^Passing procession without sing) The Grail Knights' Farewell. Thy wards, all earth's needing, Oh, Grail knight. Those smitten by life's darkest storms, Uncea-^ini^ly thou for the weakest. All bravely uplifting thy arms. Chorus. Farewell, farewell, thou knight so true, Farewell thou prince of men : Because thy heart so pure, so brave, Thy strength the strength of ten. To triumph arising, Oh, pure knight. With angels of wide sweeping wings, Exultingly finding thy life's quest. Where morning eternally springs. — Chorus. Sir St. George. They voice in the presence of death the inmost thought of every true knight. Maimonides Words ! words ! But thy knights rule by swords. Swords now rule inside and outside of Acre. Such pro- cessions as this pass hourly. An omen, knight. So passes thy power to help any. My daughter hath the Golden League and her father for her defence and needs none of thy puny help. [^A^oises without. Masses shouting The Golden League ! Queen Aureola !) Listen thou now. That means help ! vic- tory ! triumph ! I must go. I will see thee once more to-mor- row. But there will be great changes in Acre by to-morrow. Very great changes, St. George. {Exit) Sir Henri. {Entering) I heard that Jew's ragings. By the sword of the Lion Hearted Richard, I had a mind to drag him back hither to chain him. ~i8— Sir St. George. Didst safely deliver at her father's palare thy charge ? Sir Henri. Nay, n^^r could I. The Mohammf dians having broken through the northern vealls, move this vi^ay, robbing all before thf-m. As our party went upon its wav the leaders of the Golden Leatjue took from u^ Aureola to proclaim her queenship at once in the public square. The fools believed that as soon as she was proclaimed the Moslem would retire respectfully to await her royal orders. (Aloises of rabble •without) Sir St. George. Now is my Aureola among treacherous wolves. The fitful p 'pnlace will abandon her at the first show of danger. Call, my faithful comrade, any who will join a forlorn hope. We must go to try to baulk the plotters and save her life when the certain emergency comes. {Exetint) Cap no. {Entering) Everyb^>dy gone to see a fight. So will I, but in a safe place {Goes vp outlook stairs) Beatulus. {Running; in) Oh, my <_'aptio, there is more topsy-turvy afo' t. The pretty Jewess hath been proclaimed queen of evt-rything and everywhere. Mobs are fighting all about her. Some to pull her down ; some to set her up. Our Com- mander is in the thick of the fight, trying to keep them from kiliinu the prettv lady. Captio. Our Commander? Alas, every Caesar hath his Cleopatra. That is the danger of being a Caesar. But why didst thou not help a maiden in distress, brave Beatulus? Waayh. Bfai ULUS. I was enlisted as a Serving Brother to cook for and nurse fighters not to fight. I have nothing against any one concerning which I wish to get myself killed. Ha, ha ! Capfio. Then call the uproar a show, and come up with me to the ou'look, to see it. {Ascends stairway) Beatulus. 1 want not to see a show, nor be a show that is bloodv. Not I. {A huge stone flies over wall and falls near Beatulus,) Beatulus. Now moderate thy curiosity, or catch upon thine now head the missels intended for it. Thou art dangerous com- panv. Flee down or I flee out of this place. Captio. {Frr^m the outlook) Oh, but this is a fine fracas. All the factions belt each other choicely. Oh, Beatulus. thou art missing a comedy. Ha ! ha ! Bring up thy cackle, Beaiulus. An old woman is on the back of some kind of a dandy. One arm she ha> about his neck and with the other she swings a ladle against his side. Waagh ! Had we a regiment of such cavalry we might chase the Sultan's men into the sea. Now twam are dragging Aureola from her dromedary. They take all her royal trappings. Now one is dragging at the beast's head, the other at its tail. If the tail holds the hump will be flattened. Waagh. Now Aureola spits them that rob her with her rapier. Lord, how our Commander mows the mob-gang. Oh, my Beatulus, the Moslem rush into the fray. Two to one — ten to one against our —19— s\t\e. Be a hero. Run to help our Commander. Beatulus {Gyrating. Offers a pot of watfr) Nay, but go thou. Take this pot of scald. It is a most dangerous weapon. Capfio It is all like a pot of li>bsters, this religious warring. Fanatics stir the fire and the human lobsters grapple each other for G »d'< sake till all are done for. Waagh. ( Tumult near door of headquarters) Sir St. Georgp:. {Entering with Sir Henri) Help me to bind ui) this, (pointing to wound on /tis /i:ad) Sir Henri. {Flinging asid^ h's hrokrn sword) Beatulus, j^et me another blaJe. Beatulu-;. There is none true here, except this jewelled gift to thee from King Henry. {Rummaging in arms chest) Sir St. George. It is time to polish its jewels. What better way than by carving dastards in defense of woman's honor. Sir Henri. I cannot stop the tiow of blood. It were better thou re t here for a time. Sir St. George. Rest? There is no rest for me but in the grave. Out again to the fray. {Exeunt Sir George and Sir Henri. Conflict near exit) Le Roy. {Entering with Maimonides) They were hot after thee, father Maimmides. Bu^ hive no fear, our Commander will keep the robber rabbles out of this pi ice. Sir Sr. George. {Entering supporting AuKEo'Lk who is faint and wounded) Sir Henry; help ! Oh, Aureola, I did my best to rescue thee. God, God, God, let not this maiden die ! Where is th^ Chaplain ? Hi hath skill in surgery. CHAPLAm. Here. {Business iii recovering AukeolA.) Sir St, George. Sir Henri, never mind my wound. Signal all our companions to rally at this center. We must at once cut our way out of Acre into some mountain fastness, there to await for favorable news from my mother's Egyptian mission — or find an early do im. Sir Henri. I gave the signal to rally here as we were coming along. S )me of our knight-; escaped by sea. The few we have left are at hand, {points to those present) Ckaplain. The maiden revives. All is well. Sir St. George. Thank G )d ! (7\? Aureola) Now thou knowsi thou can>t not trust the fickle rabbles. Thy fate is fixed anew. Canst thou trust this ? (pointing to his sword) and this {pointing to his heart) to go with our knights, to what, God only knows ? Aureola. I trust thee, Sir George, and Him who sees the sparrows fall. Sir Sr. George. Companion^;, now give ye before going forth th-- symbols of fait ifulnes^ unto death. {Knights form in two lines which cross. S-^vords outstretched horizontally. Blades overlapping. Feet crossed as were those of Christ upon the cross. Lines then breik. Knights kiuel m a circle. Cross on sword hilts up lifted. Rise) — 20 — Chaplain Foren. Before leaving Acre forever let there be sung as requiem for the unburied comrades we leave behind "The Grail Knight's Farewell " Sir St. George. So be it, Chaplain Foren. {Second stanza sung, See words in loco) Maimonides. Daughter, we have fallen into a strange straignt, but thou art still a Queen, every inch ! Thou dost not give up that claim. Hast told Sir St. George this? Aureola. Drop thy staff of oftce, my beloved father, and let me dress ihee for the hour. {Puts upon her father a helmet. Gives him a sword and shield^ Maimonides. Prre hath any gond citizen a riglit to expect ? RoKHAMA.. Rut my f >il >wers demand that Golden Empire Encanipinent over there by Eschol river be raided. SHUvfENTU. Thy men are right. RoKHAMA Put the Sultan hath expressly forbidden that. Shumentu, He desires t'lat the raiding be deferred until he in per^^on can supervise it. He doth not trust thee to make the division of the spo 1. Canst thou trust him? RoKHAMA. By Karnac, thy words smell of treason, Shu- men'o ! Shem"NTU. Treason, if successful, is called patriotism. Didst ever hear, great Rokhama, th «t all the Pagan gods were at the beginning d viN ? Success brought them worship. Bur the un- successful one"? remaine'i poor devils to the last. {Music of tun- brels, pipes, etc approar/itn^) It is thy Astarte's band. It comes to serenade thee, nio^t likely. RoKHwiA. Ah, thit is music, indeed. A Lotus-Land Love Song. I know it well It was the music at our wedding- It tells me my Princess Astarte comes herself to lead in the sere- nading. Astarte's Gitaud (Entefing) Most powerful Pasha, thy noble co'sort, the sister of our sublime Sultan comes this way. {Exeunt obscqueoush') AsTARiE. {Entering with great pomp) Hail, invincible Roh- kama ! R'tHKAMA. With all the ardent words the love-gods have coined for mortals, I welcome thee, my beautiful princesb-wife. {Embrace) Astarte The instant news reached Egyot that thy scimeier had made a fin sh of the Chris inn invaders, I sped hither to join in acclaiming thee th*^ ereates' defender of the Cresccint that our Isl.im n tion hath. ( Waves away atttndants) Rokhama. Miy Allah grant that my victories do much to promote t*iee, my piinces*, to become the Mohammedian Ma- donna Whrn I enter Egvpt to be hailed as conqueror, I shall asmyrewvrd a^k th it tnou be proclaimed as such. And thy priest, Shunnentu, shdl help us. But thou hast not greeted liim as y'='t, Princess. (Astarte effects not to see Shumentu lohen the latter hows) Shumentu. We all rejoice at thy great husband's conquests, and at 'hy condescension in visiting us here. Princess. RoKH.wiA. {Adde to Astarte) Thou wilt gravely offend Shume'>'u by cutting him thus. Astarte. {Asid--) A cut is better than a kiss, when surgery is neeted. I know not whether to fear or hate most that priest. Come. (Leads Rohkama to one side) Shumentu. Thankmg ye both for your hospitality, I will —24— retire. {Aside) A year's absence from each other leaves no room for pious exhortations from me just now. But they will both need my exhor'ation very much, some day. (Exit) RoKHAMA. By Karnac, thv snub of the priest was daring, but. mathinks impolitic, beloved. AsTARiE, Shum-ntu left me to fight alone in Egvpt against my adverse fates just when I needed him. That after I had given him prmcely sums of gold, When I besought him to tell roe if my pleasure Empire was to stand against the rising splen- dors of that Madonna of the Christians, he was silent. Alas, all our orai les are dumb when that question is nsked. RoKHAMA. And thy cause prospers not in thine own country? AsTARTE. Alas, our Egypt is fickle. Not long ago my name there was upon every tongue for promotion, but of late thf popu- lace forgets me. A certain baroness of France, on some kind of mission of world peace, hath won all clas^es at our capitol. RoKHAMA, But does she aspire to be the Moslem Ma^^onna ? AsTARTE. Niy ; quite otherwise. She is devoted to Mary of the Christians and hath won from the Sultan not only a decree of perpetual defence for her New Eden at Bethlehem, but permis- sion for the Christian knights to establish a garrison at Jeiusalem for the protection of all non-combatant sojourners of their faith in that region. What all this may lead to I cannot foresee, be- yond that it murders my ambitions. It is now time to light my altar fires to Osirus. I will go to my tents now. Thou wilt come to my encampment soon, beloved Rokhama ? There I will tell thee all. Rokhama. Surely, light of my life. Look for me ere moon-set {Some Christian captives lead past ^ AsTARTE. Some of thy prizes ? Now, thou shouldst give me one as a present. This is my birthdiav. Hast forgotten that? Rokhama. Shame covers my countenance that I did not pro- pose the gift first. Dooberdab, bring to the Princess that cack- ling Kangaroo. Beatulus. He 1 give thee, Astarte, is glib in the Syriac of this country and will mightily amuse thee. {Beatulus dragged in roughly.) Beatulus. What a way to escort a cook gentleman to a princess ? AsTARTE {to Dooberdab). Is this odd creature vicious? Beatulus. Excuse me, most Beautiful-Lofty, let me tell thee all. I h?ive no politics, no religion and never was in love ; so I am docile. I came to this country merely to get a situation as a cook. I had heard that all the troubles of the Holy Land came to it because of its bad cookers. Ha ha ! If thou wilst to try me, I can produce good recommendations. Ha ha ! A ST ARTE {to Rokhama). Adieu. Remember, before moon-set. ( To Beatulus.) Come, I will introduce thee to my imps, none of whom more unhandsome than thyself. —25— BeatuLUS. Introduce me to thy imps ? Imps ? I ? Imps ? Ha ha ! Imps? O-o-o-o I — {Exeunt A starters (oinpany. Business ad li^. Pro- cessional music y (Sr'f.) Shumentu. {Re-entering.) Neighbors who exchange servants quicklv end friendships. But thou art radiant, glorious Pasha. Has heard good tidings ? RoKHAMA. All Etfvpt is in a fever to give me a triunnphal reception ou rivaling those given by ancient Rome to her conquer- ing ^ener;ils. Shumentu. Thy fame spreads from the Christian capitols to St-^ppes of Asia; but priests of mine lately arriving here fr im Cairo report to me that thou hast many enemies in Egypt. Made such by their jealousy? RoKHAMA. I have been accustomed to facing enemies all my life. Shumentu. Facing enemies is one thing ; having them behind thy back and disarming thee with pretense of friendship is quite another Great Caesar ( culd not cope with such. Oh, Roklama, thou walkst in a fool's paradise. What will thy triumphal entrance to Egypt mean ? Thou, a great show for seven days. Given thunderous applause for a brief time, then the dismal in- difference of a foreetful populace. Given by the nation glitter- ing baubles, ponderous titles, a pension, and then — dignified oblivion. Ah, when a great soldier outshines his home govern- ment, he must needs rxp- c praise well seasoned with humiliation. Mamelukes. {Without. Singing ^* Samsony Great Giant Samson ! ") Rokhama. By Set of the Infernalles, I cannot endure this lampooning. Shumentu. Then dare to seize thine opportunity. Under- stand that medals cannot shout nor titles fight when legions rush to battle Arrest thy march to Egypt. Decline the meaningless triumph — show, posses-; thyself at once of all there is in the GoUen Empire encampment. By its spoil win back tie hearts of thy veterans. Then wipe from the face of the earth every vestige of that New Eden community, Rokhama. And then ? Shume tu. Proclaim, then, a world queen of thy naming and defv anv who would opp'ise thee anywhere. Rokhama. It shall be done. Now dawn Astarte's Pleasure Empire with my princess as the new Madonna. Shumkntu. Thy magician wife is a pagan by origin and a Mohammedian by trainintj. Changeless Jewery and Christian spiritualism will never accept as their ideal one from polygamous Mohammedism or worn-out Paganism. Rokhama. What is this thou sayst ? Thou that hast re- ceived all of Astarte's vast inheritance on pretense that thou wert devoted to her promotion to this Madonnaship ? Dost thou con- — 26— fene getting it might feel called upon to cut off the heads of my friends, Astarte and Rokhama, as his rivals ! Rokhama.. I understand thy covert threat. What is the price of that wonder word by which I may mount that splendid throne ? Shumentu. Wise R'^khama. {Extending palm.') The earnest now ; two hundred gol 1 shecklcs. Next moon, four hundred ; the moon after, eight hundted. Rokhama. Yes ; certainly. A prophet for revenue only. Here, the two hundred first arguments. The rest will come as nanned. But let my words burn into thy soul. Upon the first S'gn of any treachery in this from thee I will stop thy black hea^t^^ beatings. Shumentu. {Counting.^ Good. Now hearken to the secret of dominion. Thy heroism for the Crescent assures thee Mo- hammed Ian devotion. Wm Aureola. Like a courtier, if possible ; like a brigand, if thou must. {Counting.) Then with her gold buy rabbles and all purchable oracles to proclaim that in the person of thy Jewess the Madonna of the Christians reappears. (Counting.) No one could disprove that claim ! It will dazzle m Hi ms of the unthinking and gain to thy support Chri-itians and Jews in all parts of the world. (Counting.) Making reincarna- tion thy slogan, thou can riie the whirlwind thou dost invoke to glory limitless. {Exit, cotuiting.) RoKH\MA. {Soliloque) That pagm makes all women and all religions but pawns in ambition's great game. But I must mount hi- whirlwind and ride as my fate points. Win Aureola, that Golden Jewess? Claim that Mary has returned to earth in Aureola ? Reincarnation. That the master key to everything ? The world is mine. Mine ! Mine ! DooBERDAB. (Entering.) Thou art well rid of that chame- leon priest. He is a pagan and paganism now being outlawed in Egvpt, thy loyalty will be brought under suspicion through his frequent visits to thee. —27— RoKHAMA. He has the cnnning of an hundred generations of pagan intrigue and is useful to me. DooBERDAB. Useful ? Dangefous. Taking money to pro- mote thy Princes wife, he is the Eastern head of the League of the Golden Empire, secretly. I saw Shumentu praying one evenini^ with Ma'iommedians and the next morning selling pagan god images by the pound and span. A joiner of everything he is loyal to nothing. RoKHAMA. He has his price. I have paid it, and he is mine. DooBEKDAB. Because of what I have done for thee, my glorious master, 1 dare now to warn thee. That Shumentu hath infla'ned ihy brain until thy tongue tells me under the moon while thou sleepst, things I dread to think of under the sun. RoKHAMA. One having such a fool tongue should never sleep. But tell me, my faithful, do its mumblings much move thee ? DooBKRDAB. Move me ? They by times chill me to the very core. {Looking anxiously about.) Thou dost seem often to dream of rising to the throne of the Sultan. {Goes to look for eaves- droppers. ) Treason. {Falls upon his knees) and murder (Falls almost to the ground and covers his face) are in thy sleeping thoughts ! RoKHAMA {placing his hand upon Dooberdab's head.) Wouldst thou flee such a dreamer ? , DooBERDAB. Flee? Flee? Thenceforth to be a masterless dromedary in a waterless desert? Years ago I pawned my mother's mummy to buy thee fine robings with which to pay court to the Princess Astarte. And not being able to redeem that pawn, every hour since I have feared my mother's shade would come to rage at me for the profanation. Yet, had I an hundred mothers dead, the mummies of them all I would pledge to lift thee up, my glorious one. RoKHAMA. Divine constancy. Thou shall soar with an eagle towards the eye of the sun. Know that I do aspire to the throne of the Sultan, but only that it may be a stepping stone to one vaster far than any now held by mortal. DooBKRDAB. But is Astarte with thee in thy plans? RoKHAMA. Her wings are too puny to fly with eagles. Aureola is the woman of destiny, for she has gold, and gold, like death, is a last argument in all world debates. Yet, I must keep Astarte my daring, useful darling for a time. Her caravan is not far awav. Go to my magician wife often. Cajole her with pretty inventions. DooBERDAB. Nay, my Glorious One ; but thou go. That beautiful necromancer is a woman of the world. Such can be cajoled finely only by their husbands. But remember she is politic, cunning and dangerously daring. {Exeunt.) —28— Scene ii (Act ii) — Rokbama's Camp. {Slave sale going on heyond a. nearby hedge.) ROKHAMA. How goes thy revolution -whirlwind to-day, Shumentu ? Shumentu. I have sent to Maimonides a message as from thee, commanding a visit at once to thy camp. Before the Jew arrives let us have thy prisoner, Sir. St. George, before us. We must bribe him in some way to become our ally. RoKHAMA. Dost thou forget how miserably we failed with Jiim at Acre in all attempts at bribery? Shumentu. I do not forget that misery modifies many a moral code, nor that everything that mortals have is for sale for something its owner thinks of mere worth. Conscience itself is the auctioneer. If thou dost not ofTend it by too gross bluntness thou canst buy what thou wilt. RoKHAMA — That is, if thou hast the sufficient price. What price i-hall we name to trap the knight ? Shumentu. Try the oldest and newest trap of earth ; tl e sweetest and yet the bitterst. A pretty woman. That first. The Luna Feast slave sale is on to-day. Plunge Sir. St. George into the midst of it. Hospitably give him somehow a little tf this Egyptian decoction. {Holas tip bottle.) Balm of lotus and poppy ! Then we shall see what we see. {Dooberdab er.ters.y KoKHAMA. Doth hear, my faithful Doobeidab. Take tie captive St. George to our Ladies' Fair, where the sale of the pri2es goes on. Tell my Ardenia the luxurious Georgian her prized kcks and coraline ears will be shorn close to her head if she fail to allure him into tender glances. (Jijcit Dooberdab. Procession of captives pass toward mart, Shumentu. That group swells the display to at least ten score. The charm of fools ; the pawn of ambition ! For such some have sold the world, and some bought perdition. {Exit.y {Ho k ham a stands by Rose of S hat on Hedge and gazes out on mart, I oices op those bartering for captives tvithotit.) Vendor. Who would take this waif from Paradiie? {Bartering voices ) Vendor. Now have we a prize fit for a Sultan. Supple in the dance is she. Her voice makes the birds envious. {Bartering voices.) Vendor, Behold the prize of the day! Color rivaling the sky and the gardens of the palace. Angels left heaven of old lor such as this Georgian Aphrodite. ( Voices bargaining.) Kafadar. {A Tnrkish Trader passing back from sale.) One ■would nted to offtr a province to buy that Georgian. Me thinks she was put up merely to get bids of which her owner could after oast. —29— Charmagly. (A trader.) I wanted the pretty little Persian, but she was dead when taken out of the river. Likely she has had a hard master, who drove her to suicide. EiMELA. {A little Greek slave girl dragged from mart by her new ozvner.) Oh, do not part me from Zoe ; she is my twin •sister. We were never separated. {Exit, weeping.) Edilulu. {Passing out from mart. Breaks away from buyers-p runs back into matt.) Oh, do not let that dreadful black man take me ! [Sounds of lashing and cics in mart.) KafADAR. This is very bad work. Very. Charmagly. I never lash any .: th.-i women I buy, I treat them quite as kindly as I do my horses. Then they v^ear well. ■{Exeunt traders.) RoKHAMA {standing by hedge,) By the gods of the frozen North, that Knight moves like one in some stupor. Neither the sinuous Armenian dancers nor those pretty Greek girls, sporting in Eshcol's waters Naid-like as nature made them, gain a glance from him. My patient Dooberdab, weary of his task of tempter, brings the chaste knight this way. {Dooberdab enters with Sir St. George. Shumentu slinks along' behind. Dooberdab. Great Pasha, thy servant and thy prisoner. {Bozuing humbly.) RoKHAMA. Nigh two hundred years costing thy people count- less gold and millions of men end with the Crescent above the Cross, Knight. Sir St. George. Our cause seems here and now a lost one. I am a last fragment. Art thou the executioner ? ROKHAMA. Thy thick neck and ruddy cheek prove that life is sweet to thee. I admire thy valor, and my mercifulness prompts me to offer thee triumphant Mohammedianism. Thou mayst command conquering soldiers and learn of a life that is here constant rounds of delight ; hereafter perpetual youth ; an hundred senses instead of five ; with pleasure ever growing as the moons crescent from the silvery ribbon to the glorious full. {Ardenta the Georgian ssars by. Sir St. George. Rhapsody builds many air castles. ROKHAMA. By all that is ardent {pointing to Ardenta) thou hast won already that waif from Paradise. Dooberdab {aside). He has eyes only for the face upon his medallion. RoKHAMA [aside). Whose is it ? Dooberdab {aside). The Madonna's. RoKHAMA {aside to Dooberdab). Contrive to steal that me- dallion. His talisman gone his courage may ebb. {To the JCnight.) With heaped up gold and vast flocks for princess, our Ardenta was sought to-day. Vainly ! Her sweet spirit and beautiful form goes only where her heart goes. That heart goes —30— to the brave Frank, so freely I give her to thee. Proof of my good will. {Ardent a reclines upon a mat near Knight ) Sir St. George. {Gazing npon his medallion.) He who buys a woman's body bonds himself to pay tax to all eternity for her lost soul. {Ardenta startled^ moves away.) ROKHAMA. Bah ! Women have no souls. Sir St. George. To emancipate women the knights came to Syria. In the name of my adored queen of purity, I set free thy gift to me. {Kisses medallion.) Go, and sin no more, Ardenta ! {Exit, Ardenta, weeping.) RoKHAMA. {Aside to Shumentu.) Thy traps fail. Now see him fall into one of my inventions. {To Sir St. George.) I would join thee to make thy Madonna the acknowledged queen of women the world over. Sir St. Geoege. I am only thy prisoner ; it is not worth while to mock me. ROKHAMA. I do not mock thee, Knight. Listen ! Join me in declaring that thy Mary of Bethlehem has come to earth again in the for n of a modern woman ! The brave surviving knights of Syria claiming that she appeared to them in a vision announc- ing such reincarnation would be believed by millions of their faith. I know how to win the Moslems in multitudes to the novel and brilliant claim. If we put forth the Jewess Aureola, who already has many adherents, as the one in whom the Ma- donna appears, we insure the support of all Jewery. As goes the Jews, Mohammedians and Christians so goes the worl 1. Sir St. Grorge. Pro-ligious dreamer ! Shumentu. True, Knight, but mortals usually believe prodi- ous dreams, if they be frequently affirmed and daringly fought for. Sir St. George. The Pasha never works except for some profit to himself. What is thy gain in all this, Rokhama? RoKHAMA. Wise knight. Bluntly, this my reward ! We set up the Jewess as world-queen, I marry her and become world-king. Now for thv share — half of the wealth of the rich Jewess, half the vast revenues of oar new empire, and above all the joy of having been the instrument of making thv Mary queen of all human hearts to the end of time. Thou surely wilt ru-i to seize the grandest offer ever made to any man who ever lived ! Sir St. George. Upon these Syrian mountains long ag>, the devil offered the Christ a world he di-i not own, but he had not the audacity to offer also a noble woman without consulting her. Rokhama. Thou speakst in riddle. Knight. Sir St. George. Then speak I plainlv. To all thy proposi- tions, no. Eternally no. As for the daughter of Maimonides she would scout any proposal of marriage with thee as hotly as I now fling from me any suggestion of disloyalty on my part to the mother of the Christ. —31— RoKHAMA. Thy heroics are most laughable, Knight. Aureola will have the choice within a few days of entering my haiem as tenth in rank, or of undertaking the queenship I offer. Sir St. George. A merciful God leaves even to slaves the emancipation of friendly death. Neither Aureola nor I fear to die, therefore we may both defy thee, Pasha. Shumkntu. {Aside.) Crush this purity Knight, now as I told thee how ! RoKHAMA. {Aside to Shumentu.) Now play T eloquent pre- varicator. {To Sir St. George.) So by the beard of the Prophet, thou dost merrily refuse half the world ! Dooberdab, let this fool's wracking be done near where we have his mother im- prisoned. When she hearing his bellowing and his cracking bones asks the fellow's offense, tell her he is a heartless son who let his mother be sold to the embraces of a negro rather than per- form a trifling service to save her ! Sir St. George. Rokhama, my mother? What mean thy words? Rokhama. Thy mother is a prisoner in my camp. The Sultan sent her to me as a token of his regard for me as his most loyal Pasha and as a proof to all that for the future I am to be absolute dictator in this Syria as to all matters between Christians and Moslenti, {Aside, to Shumentu.) Load thy memory with my lying. Sir St. George. My mother here ? And T knew it not ? No. no, no! Thou doth mock me. Say that thou doth, Great Pasha. Thou doth affirm her here ? Then in mercy let me for one brief moment embrace her. O, Rokhama, send my saintly mother to her people and then thou mayst wrack me, send me a slave to the galleys, or do with me what thou wilt. My mother ! Oh, my mother ! {Falls weeting to the ground.) Shumentu. He has brawn and his mother yet charms enough to please the black Moroccos. Keep mother and son apart and they will bring a good price in any mart. Rokhama. Away with the pair to-morrow. Sir St. George {rising slowly.) Hold, Rokhama, by inter- pretation vulture ! For myself I care nothing, ask nothing. When I have done what I shall do, it were better I were dead. Write out the damnable lie about the reincarnation. I will attest it ! (Gazing upon his medallion.^ Oh, all who love thee, thou peerless mother of our Lord, will scout the vile invention. Ah, Rokhama, thou couldst not bribe me by offer of the crown of all the world, but though it were my own damnation written by devils I would certify thy fable to save my mother. To save my mother ! {In frenzv of grief. ^ Shumentu. {Aside to Rokhama.) Oar lie about his mother being thy prisoner here was a masterly stroke. He will sign the reincarnation myth. —32— KOKHAMA {aside,) But, by Karnak, he will defeat us after all if he commit suicide and lead the Jewess to follow him in that! Shumentu {aside,) Oh, but we must lie about him to her until she comes to hate him, then will she side with thee, if only for revenge sake. A scorned woman is the devil's pitchfork, DooBERDAB {aside to Rokhama and Shumeniu,) A wonder- ful thing happened at the sale. Sir St. George's brother was Ijought, as it seems, by one from the camp of Maimonides. Shumentu {aside.) Ha, ha. The rivals are arming, woman- lil {hmbracing.) Dost think that any mortfil could withstand such a whirlwind as I, when once aroused. {^Embracing a long time.) Rokhama. Think? [Embrace?) A man enamored as I am nov , doe.«- not want to think. Cannot think ! AsTARTE. Now dost thou begin to understand. Oh, when the millions of the world come to know that our Pleasure Empire means the revival of great mother Mature, the enthronement of impulse, the liberation of all 1 earts to mate by love's royal law, those millions will flock with pul.'-ing raptures to our standards. {Embrace.) Kiss me again. Ah, thy lips are moist and trembling.^ {^Kisntig ) 1 h< u now hast the kiss which dost not satisfy, but makes another needful, and another, and another. {Exeunt.) BeatuLUS. {Entering from behind a curtain.) Now that is what I call scorching, but .''ome peoj le se« m to like it. Ah, ha, and that wh, Rckhama. Shumentu. [Entering^) I come thou most honored Princess, and sister of the Sultan, with my cortege upon an important mission. Astarte. Thy priestship will please be direct and brief as well. Shumentu. Thy commands are law here, but Princess, it is the will of our great Pasha, thy spouse, that thou return at once to Egypt. I go thither also, and ask the honor of having my company go with thine. Astarte. Thou canting hypocrite, why not bluntly tell me all the truth ? "VN hy not say that thcu ard my husband plot to get me out of the way so that he may wed the affluent Aureola? But this my answer. I will stay here as long as I choose, and go when I go, without thy company. More, I will yet thwart both thee and Rokhama. That will I, although to so do I must needs kill that woman Aureola with these hands. — 40— Shumentu. Beware of any rashness, Princess! Do not forget that thy royal brother, the Sultan, hath commanded every pro- tection to the family and following of Maimonides. AsTARTE, Whit I do will be done to defend the honor of the royal blood and for what I do ia that line the Sultan will praise me. When I go to Egypt, I shall not fail to tell him that thou art in Egypt secretly the head of outlawed paganism. That makes thee a traitor. Shumentu. Have a care Princess, the gods suffer not their priests to be afTronted. AsTARTE. If thy gods give oracles for money as thou hast claimed, and when the shekels cease to flow go about to reverse their predictions they and their priests are beneath contcnpt. Say to those that thou art the nearer of heaven or of hades that Astarte despises and defies all such gods and such priests ! Shumentu. ( Waving his arms.) Holy men, come. {Priests and scribes run in.) The Princess blasphemes. Write out her impious words. If they be not at once repented, I will call down vengence from on high ! Astarte. Now that thy pompous play is ended, listen to me. I shall call for vengence, but from thy duped followers. I shall soon rage from end to end of Egypt telling the-n thou do5t not believe thine own teachings, that thou dost tremble before the rising splendors of the Christian Madonna, that thou dost sell thy religion as a commodity. Then they will raize thy temples, smash their dumb g »ds, hunt thee from Nile land and know that utter infidelity is better far than any pious fraud. Shumentu. Declare war upon me and thy last hope of being the Mohammedian Madonna dies. Astarte. A puny threat. My dream of a Pleasure Empire is «nded. I henceforth espouse Mary of Bethlehem, the fairest star of all the galaxy. Her mother heirt will never repel one so miserable and tricked as I have been. {Weeps.) Craven impDS- Aors, all, begone. {Pursues with a lance. Priests flee out.) Beatulus. {Entering. Trying to suppress laughter.) Ha ha, %ve he. O he he. O he he queen. Ah ha ha, may I laugh. Ha ha. O, he he. It is ha ha awful to ha ha, to laugh he he, among ith>' he he imps. Thy he he men all, he he, dressed as ha ha, red AS he he, red devils, are all ha ha after that ha ha caravan. And the he he night ha ha coming on. He he. O he he. Forgive me my he he. My beautiful he he. My he he queen. Thy ha ha laughing. Thy he he jack. Thy laughing jackass is he he, loose. Ha, ha. Didst ever ha ha ? Didst ever feel he he, like one he he ? Like one such as ha ha ? As he he I ! Oh, he he. Ah, ha ha. That he he carvan, will ho ho ho. Will run for their he he lives. Oh, ho ho. That he he knight will ha ha ha. —41— "Will soon, soon be he he,' be he he here. Ah, ha ha {breathlessly, \ Oh, he be, Ah, ha ha. {sinks exhausted,^ AsTARTE. No w silence. Go to my tent yonder. Some one comes. Beatulus. O, most beautiful Moon-Queen, do not send mo among thy goblins and the night coming on. I would die in there, with iright ! Thou wouldst miss me did I so. Thou needst me as thy dog, AsTARTE. Then climb yon cedar ! Keep thine eyes alert while there. Beatulus. {Climbing tree.) I creep ! I crawl! I climb for thee, Gracious, Beautiful. {Climbs tree.) Aureola. {Entering partly disguised.) Princess, I come needing help, my misery my sole plea. AsTARTE. I, the Priestess of Osirus, can penetrate all dis- guised, but still deem it an affront for any one to approach my august shrine, nameless and under masks. Begone. Aureola. {Throwing aside disguise.) I am Aureola the daughter of Maimonides. Astarte. My rival ? Aureola. Oh, I rival thee in nothing, unless thou art mosi miserable of women. My father's encampment hath been assailed, and I was seized therefiom by those asi-ailirg it. Pasha Role— hama, thy husband, was my captor. He demands that I be his wife. By asl