Stefan Zweig

SCENE FOUR

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: … When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman, … if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, and the sword come, and take any person from among them, … his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. EzekielXXXIII, 1–6.

SCENE FOUR

On the ramparts of Jerusalem. The walls, of hewn stone, surround the town. In the background is the starry sky, and faint in the distance the valley with hazy outlines and lights twinkling here and there. The masonry shines in the moonlight. On the wall two sentries march up and down. Their faces are shadowed by their helmets; their spears gleam as they move. Though the hour is late and midnight approaches, a few civilians have ventured on to the wall and are looking out into the distance.

A Woman

It is bedtime. You will see the wretches soon enough in the morning. Do come home; this may be our last quiet night.

A Man

How can one sleep when the enemy is arrayed against us? My heart has been heavier than lead since I have been standing here; and yet I cannot leave. It seems as if I were forced to remain in the flood which is rising to overwhelm us. Last night and to-day the horsemen have been streaming across the plain. Again and again we thought that all must have come, but still there came more and yet more, as if whole countries had been emptied like sacks of grain; while the spears were as the stalks of the corn in number.

Another

Already have they pitched their tents, so that a white forest now stands in the valley.

A Third

Alas, they are settling down for the siege.

A Fourth

They must have come with the speed of the wind. Yesterday they were still at Bethel, and to-day they have already encircled Zion.

The First Man

Terrible is the might of Ashur. God help us all.

The Woman

Look at the glow in the north, like a pillar rising heavenward.

Second Man

That is where Samaria lies.

Third Man

’Tis a pillar of fire that rises heavenward. Samaria has fallen.

Voices

Alas!—It is not possible.—Samaria is a strong fortress, within a triple wall.—Nay, it is certainly Samaria.

A Voice

Look there to the east, another pillar of fire. That must be Gilgal.

Another Voice

They are ravaging the countryside like a hurricane. Fierce is the wrath of Ashur.

Another Voice

Never should we have entered into a struggle with such as they.

Voices

Who began it?—Not we.—Not I.—It was the king.—It was the priests.—We wanted to live at peace with them.

A Voice

Egypt lured us on, and then betrayed us.

Voices

Yes, it was Egypt.—It was Pharaoh.—A curse upon Pharaoh.—The Egyptians have sold us to the enemy, have abandoned us to our misery.—Where are the fifty thousand bowmen they promised? We are alone.—All is lost.

Another Voice

Woe, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Thou art given over to thine enemies, and those who hate thee are showing their teeth.

First Sentry

[Fiercely interrupting] Away with you! Why are you loitering on the walls? Home to your wives, and to bed. We stand guard for you.

A Man

We want to see…

First Sentry

There is nothing to see. You have been clamoring for Ashur, and now Ashur has come. Leave it to us men-at-arms to chase them home again. For yourselves, go sleep, or pray if you cannot sleep.

A Man

But tell us…

First Sentry

Naught to tell. There has been too much talking already; the time has come for blows. Away, away!

[The two sentries roughly clear the loiterers from the wall. The crowd disappears in the darkness down the steps leading from the wall into the shadow. When all have gone, quiet reigns. In the white moonlight the sentries stand like figures of brass]

First Sentry

They give way to despair at the first gleam of an enemy’s spear. They must not be allowed to talk like that.

Second Sentry

One who is afraid and cannot master his fear must perforce speak. It is of no use, and yet it gives relief.

First Sentry

Let them sleep, not chatter.

Second Sentry

Sleep is not man’s servant. Vainly do we summon sleep to a couch of sorrow. To-night many hold vigil and look forth into the moonlight.

First Sentry

In any case, those alone should speak who wear a sword. We stand guard for all.

[The two sentries are silent for a while, marching to and fro]

Second Sentry

[Stands and listens] Do you hear?

First Sentry

What?

Second Sentry

The sound is very faint, but the breeze bears it to us. When I was in Joppa, for the first time I heard in the night the distant murmur of the waves. Such a sound rises now from the plain. They are there in their thousands, moving quietly, but the air is stirred by the rolling wheels and the clashing arms. A whole nation must be afoot, falling upon Israel. The noise echoes from our walls like the noise of the sea.

First Sentry

[Obdurately] I refuse to hear anything but my orders. I care not what wheels roll, or noises stir.

Second Sentry

Why does God hurl the nations against one another? There is room for all beneath the skies. There is still plenty of land unploughed; many forests still await the axe. Yet men turn their ploughshares into swords, and hew living flesh with their axes. I cannot understand, I cannot understand.

First Sentry

It has always been so.

Second Sentry

But must it always be so? Why does God wish the nations to fight?

First Sentry

The nations want war for its own sake.

Second Sentry

What are nations? Are not you one of our nation, am not I another? Are not our wives, your wife and mine, part of this same people? Did any of us want war? I stand here armed with a spear, not knowing against whom it is to be turned. Down there in the darkness, unwitting, waits the man for whom it is destined. I know him not, have never seen his face, or the breast I must pierce with death. In the enemy’s camp another perchance warms his hands at the camp fire, the man who is to kill the father of my children. He has never seen me, and I have never done him harm. We are strangers, like trees in the forest. They grow quietly and bear their blossoms. But we rage furiously one against the other with axe and with spear, until our blood runs like resin, and therewith the life oozes forth. What puts death between the nations? What is it which sows hatred when there is room and to spare for life, and when there is abundant scope for love? I cannot understand, I cannot understand!

First Sentry

These things must be God’s will, for they have always happened. I question no further.

Second Sentry

This crime cannot be God’s will. He has given us our lives that we may live them. Everything that men do not understand they describe as God’s will. War does not come from God. Whence comes it then?

First Sentry

How can I tell whence it comes? I know that there is war, and that it is useless to chatter about it. I do my duty; sharpen my spear, not my tongue.[For a time they are silent once more, gazing out into the white stillness. From a great distance come the words of the challenge “Samson guard us,” scarcely audible at first. Then the sound grows louder, still coming from unseen sentries. At length the words “Samson guard us,” loud and clear from the next post. Our two sentries take up the challenge, and it is heard with diminishing loudness as it passes on round the wall. Again all is still. The two sentries stand silent in the moonlight, their faces shadowed by their helmets]

Second Sentry

Know you aught of the Chaldeans?

First Sentry

I know that they are our enemies, that they are attacking our homes.

Second Sentry

I am not thinking about that. Have you ever seen any of them close at hand; do you know their customs and their country?

First Sentry

I have been told that they are cruel as wild cats and venomous as serpents. It is said that they sacrifice their children to idols of copper and lead. But I have never set eyes on a Chaldean.

Second Sentry

Nor I. Too many mountains tower skyward between Jerusalem and Babylon; there are rivers to cross, and more country than a man can march over in many weeks. The very stars in the sky are different, and yet the men of Ashur are arrayed against us and we against them. What do they covet from us? If I were to question one of them, all he could tell me would doubtless be that in his house as in mine are wife and children lying upon straw. I believe if I could talk things over with such a man we should understand one another well enough. Often I feel that I should like to summon one of them, to hold out a friendly hand, so that we could have a heart to heart talk.

First Sentry

You must not do that.

Second Sentry

Wherefore not?

First Sentry

They are our enemies and it is our duty to hate them.

Second Sentry

Why should I hate them if my heart knows no reason for hatred?

First Sentry

They began the war; they were the aggressors.

Second Sentry

Yes, that is what we say in Jerusalem. In Babylon, perchance, they tell another story. If we could talk things over with them, we might get some light on the question.

First Sentry

You must not talk with them. Our duty is to strike them down. Such are our orders, and we must obey.

Second Sentry

My reason tells me that I must not converse with them, but in my soul I feel that I must. Whom do we serve by compassing their death?

First Sentry

What a question, simpleton! We serve God, and the king our master.

Second Sentry

But God said, and it is written: “Thou shalt not kill”. Mayhap, if I were to take my sword and cast it from me, I should serve God better than by slaying an enemy.

First Sentry

But it is likewise written: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth”.

Second Sentry

[Sighs] Many things are written. Who can understand them all?

First Sentry

This is idle dreaming. The Chaldeans have invested our town; they wish to burn our houses; I stand here with sword and spear, and will do my utmost to prevent them. Too much knowledge is unwholesome. I know all I want to know.

Second Sentry

Yet I cannot but ask myself…

First Sentry

[Stubbornly] You should not ask so many questions. A soldier’s business is to fight, not to reason why. You ponder overmuch, instead of doing your duty unquestioningly.

Second Sentry

How can a man help questioning himself? How can he be other than uneasy, at such an hour? Do I know where I am, or how long I have still to stand on guard? This darkness beneath the wall, where the masonry is crumbling, will perhaps be my grave to-morrow. Maybe the wind which now caresses my cheek will not find me here in the morning. But can I fail, while I live, to ask the meaning of life? The flame flickers until the torch goes out. How can life do other than question until it is quenched by death? Maybe death is already within me; perchance the questioner is no longer life, but death.

First Sentry

You brood and brood. You are only tormenting yourself to no purpose.

Second Sentry

God has given us a heart precisely that it may torment us.

First Sentry

What is the use of talking about it? We are on guard here. That’s enough for me.

Second Sentry

Talking helps to keep us awake, and only the stars hear our words.

[Both are again silent for a time]

Second Sentry

Who goes there? Someone is moving in the darkness.

First Sentry

More busybodies. Why cannot they stay in bed? Send them home.

Second Sentry

No! Let them talk while we stay in the shadow.

First Sentry

You are a strange fellow. I shall continue my round.

[The two sentries pass into the shadow of the tower on the wall, their figures disappearing in the darkness. The gleam of their spears is still seen from time to time.—Jeremiah and Baruch ascend out of the darkness of the stairway and advance to the battlements, Jeremiah hastening on in front, while Baruch, who does not share the prophet’s excitement, lags in the rear. The second sentry stands unnoticed in the shadow of the tower]

Baruch

Whither are you leading me, master?

Jeremiah

On, on! I must look Terror in the face. [He gazes down into the valley, standing motionless and silent]

Baruch

What are you staring at?

Jeremiah

[Still gazing] The king has come, the king from the north. [He seizes Baruch’s sleeve] Come closer, Baruch! Touch my hand that I may know whether I wake or sleep. Are my eyes open? Is this wall builded of stones or of tears? Does Jerusalem lie behind us unheeding in the darkness? Are the forces of Ashur couched in the plain beneath? Tell me, Baruch, convince me that I am dreaming. Shake me till I awake, to laugh at my mad fancy that Zion is encircled by the Chaldeans.

Baruch

What do you mean, master? I don’t understand. How can you doubt?

Jeremiah

Alas, it is true, then. I am not dreaming now. The horses are there and the chariots; Ashur is arrayed against Zion; the vision is fulfilled. All these miseries spring from my dreams, for they existed in me before they were in the world of reality. I alone knew, before ever God’s words became deeds. In me they arose; through me they came. Yet naught can I do to hinder their flow; nor by sword nor by shield can I stay their progress.

Baruch

Master, you talk at random. Speak in words that I can believe and understand.

Jeremiah

Words that you can believe? But Baruch will you believe the words that I have to say to you at this hour beneath the stars? I fear you will deny me, will laugh at me, for what I would fain say will sound like nonsense in your ears.

Baruch

Faith in you is my very life.

Jeremiah

Hearken, then. [He speaks low and impressively] All that is now happening, I have beheld in my dreams for months past. Not a star shines in heaven which I have not seen above this wall and above God’s temple. I have looked down upon the multitude of the foe, upon their myriad tents. Baruch, do you hear me?

Baruch

[Shuddering] I hear, I hear.

Jeremiah

Why was all this made plain to me before the day? It cannot be against God’s will that he should disclose his plans to me, should vouchsafe me visions of the future. Nor can I rebel; nor can I be silent; though in truth for long I refused the summons, and stopped my ears to the call. But now, when I see in the real world what has again and again been revealed to me in dreams, for the first time do I feel assured that God speaks through me. I say to you, Baruch, that I am the chosen of the Lord. Woe unto me should I conceal my forebodings from the people and from the king. For this is no more than the beginning, and I know the end.

Baruch

Reveal it, chosen one. Cry your words aloud.

Jeremiah

Baruch, do you see the camp and the tents; do you see this sleeping ocean surging down from the north?

Baruch

[Shuddering] I see the enemy; I see the tents.

Jeremiah

You see the night, sleep, and the false quiet of repose. But in my ears the trumpets blare and the arms clash as the Chaldeans arise and storm the city. The walls whereon our feet are now planted, crumble at their onslaught; the cries of the fugitives ring in my ears. The brazen flood foams over us. I hear the beating of Death’s wings o’er city and walls; I see the destruction of Zion. Baruch, waking I see it, for God hath opened an eye within the darkness of my body; my heart maketh a noise in me; my soul hath heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Why sleep they still? Time is it they should wake, ere their sleep pass into death. Verily the hour is come to awaken Jerusalem!

Baruch

[Stirred by his words] Yea, yea, Jeremiah, awaken Jerusalem!

Jeremiah

[More and more carried away]

Baruch

[Ecstatically] You, master. Cry aloud. Awaken them. Save them from the jaws of death.

Jeremiah

Second Sentry

[Coming forward from the shadows] Who shouts here? You will waken the sleepers.

Jeremiah

Oh that I could awaken them. Up, Jerusalem, awake! City of God, save thyself.

Second Sentry

You are drunk. Go home to sleep.

Baruch

[Stepping between] Touch him not.

Jeremiah

I must not sleep. No one must sleep. I am the watchman. Woe to him who hinders me.

Second Sentry

[Taking him by the shoulder] You must be moonstruck to think yourself watchman. I am the watchman. Away with you.

Baruch

Touch him not, the chosen of the Lord, the prophet.

Second Sentry

[Loosing Jeremiah] Are you Hananiah, the prophet of God?

Baruch

It is Jeremiah the prophet.

Second Sentry

Jeremiah, who leads the people astray? Jeremiah, who cried through the street that Ashur would prevail? Have you come hither to gloat over the fulfilment of your vision? Too soon, faint-heart, too soon; and yet in an apt moment, prophet of evil, to feel the weight of my anger. I will reveal you something.

Baruch

[Struggling with the sentry] Hands off, touch him not.

First Sentry

[Entering hurriedly] The king is coming. Zedekiah goes the rounds. Clear away the people.

Jeremiah

The king! God be praised! His meaning is plain. The Lord sends him to my hand.

First Sentry

Away chatterer, away.

Second Sentry

Down with you. Away. Creep down there and keep quiet, or you shall rue it.

First Sentry

Here comes the king.

[Jeremiah and Baruch are hustled from the wall and disappear into the dark. The two sentries stand at the extreme edge of the ramparts to leave room for the king and his train to pass. When Zedekiah enters they clash spears on shields in salute and then stand to attention. Zedekiah is making the rounds, accompanied by Abimelech and others. He is unarmed and bareheaded; his face looks pale and thoughtful in the moonlight. He halts, and gazes for a time over the plain]

Zedekiah

See how the camp fires burn athwart the plain. It looks as if the black heavens had fallen upon earth, whence star after star now shines forth. A people countless in numbers is encamped round Israel. Spears are leveled; hands are raised; even in sleep, their dreams turn against us. To-morrow they will all arise as the herbage rises after rain; stillness will be replaced by the screams of death. This is perchance the last night of peaceful slumber.

Abimelech

Be not despondent, O king. Upon this very wall where now thou standest sorely troubled, stood aforetime King Hezekiah. His mind, likewise, was full of care, for in the plain beneath, wave upon wave, countless like these, lay the hosts of Senaccherib. Then, as now, the flood of Ashur threatened the holy city. But the Lord stretched forth his hand and smote the enemy with a pestilence. These walls shall never be broken. Jerusalem endureth for ever.

The Others

Jerusalem endureth for ever.

The Voice of Jeremiah

[From the darkness] Awaken, doomed city, that thou mayest save thyself. Awaken from your heavy slumbers, heedless ones, lest you be slain in sleep; awaken, for the walls are crumbling, and will crush you; awaken, for Ashur’s sword is brandished over your heads.

Zedekiah

[On the alert] Who speaks? Who speaks?

Voices

Who speaks?

The Voice of Jeremiah

The anger of the Lord hath fallen upon the disturbers of the peace. God hath sent the king of the north against Israel, to break her towers, and her pride. Awaken that ye may flee; awaken that ye may save yourselves; for he has come, the slayer of your sons, the ravisher of your daughters, he who will lay your fields waste. Awaken, awaken!

Zedekiah

[Shrinking with alarm, and then recovering himself] Who speaks?

First Sentry

A madman, Lord; he is moonstruck.

Voices

Close his mouth.—Away with him.—He is mad.

Zedekiah

Nay, bring him hither. I wish to see him. I wish to see that he who spoke was a living man. Terrible was the sound of his voice. It seemed to me as if the stones of Jerusalem were uttering lamentations, as if the words issued from the very walls.

[The two sentries hasten away into the darkness]

Abimelech

Suffer not thyself to be misled, Lord. Many in the city have been bought with Chaldean gold.

Others

Heed him not.—Hurl him from the wall.—Hold no converse with a coward.

[Jeremiah and Baruch are brought into the light by the sentries, and Jeremiah is thrust forward to the king]

Second Sentry

This is he who spoke the words of shame. He was railing in like fashion, Lord, just before thou camest.

Zedekiah

There has been talk of one going up and down the city and foretelling disaster to the people. Is this the man?

Voices

It is he.—Jeremiah.—Curses light on him.—He foretells disaster.—Poisons men’s hearts.—Bears false witness.

Baruch

Nay, he is God’s messenger and utters words of truth. I testify for him.

Voices

Who are you to testify?—You are no more than a boy.—Heed him not.—Such vipers should be crushed.

Zedekiah

Silence. Take the young man away, for I need no testimony.[Baruch is pushed back into the shadows]

Draw nearer, Jeremiah. Art thou he who leadest Israel astray?

Jeremiah

Israel is verily astray, but not by my leadership.

Zedekiah

I know thy voice. My heart tells me that I have heard thee speak, but never before have I seen thy face. Was it thou who criedst aloud for peace at the portal of the palace?

Jeremiah

Yea, Lord, it was I.

Zedekiah

Many voices assailed my ears in that hour, but when I had returned home at nightfall and lay sleepless on my couch, it was thy call which dinned in my ears.

Jeremiah

God’s will was that thou shouldst hearken. Woe unto thee that thou heardest not. Had it been otherwise there would be sleep on thy lids and peace in Israel.

Abimelech

[To Jeremiah] What make you here on the wall at night? Would you go over to the Chaldeans? [To the king] Have him seized, for his behavior is suspicious.

A Voice

His mother is on her deathbed, for his words have broken her heart. But he shuns the house, comes here by night, and would parley with the enemy.

Jeremiah

[In alarm] My mother is dying?

Voices

He is a traitor.—Heed him not.—Cast him into prison.

Zedekiah

Be silent, all. My soul is not so weak that I can be swayed by the words of chatterers. Fear not, Jeremiah, I heard thy voice on the day when we decided upon war. It resounded in my heart, for a word of peace is the word of God. But the past is past. War now rages between Ashur and Israel. Words no longer avail. I cannot stop the war at will.

Jeremiah

Nay, Lord, but thou canst.

Zedekiah

[Wrathfully] How, tell me how? Dost thou not see the foe encompassing the walls? Dost thou not hear the spears clashing? What can I do to stop the war?

Jeremiah

The issue is in thy hands, for thou art the king.

Zedekiah

It is too late to talk of peace.

Jeremiah

It is never too late to talk of peace.

Zedekiah

[Still more angrily] Thy words are the words of folly.

Jeremiah

The shedding of blood digs a trench between the nations. The more deeply we dig it, the harder to stop the bloodshed. Therefore let words go before the sword. Seek audience of Nebuchadnezzar; send him an envoy.

Zedekiah

I seek Nebuchadnezzar, my foe?

Jeremiah

Send envoys, while there is yet time to save Jerusalem.

Zedekiah

Why should I be the one to propose a parley?

Jeremiah

Blessed is he who first holds out his hand for peace. Blessed is the king who spares the blood of his people.

Zedekiah

What if I were to offer my hand, only to find the offer rejected?

Jeremiah

Blessed are they who are rejected for justice’ sake, for they are men after God’s heart.

Zedekiah

I tell thee that the very children would mock me, and the women would laugh at me in my shame.

Jeremiah

Better to be followed by the laughter of fools than by the tears of widows. Think not of thyself; but of the people, which God hath appointed thee to lead. Do God’s will, though fools laugh. Thou hast raised thy head against Ashur. Humble thyself now before him.

Zedekiah

Humble myself?

Jeremiah

Humble thyself, anointed of the Lord, for the sake of Jerusalem. Open the gates, open thy heart, thus only canst thou save the city.

Zedekiah

With the sword will I save Jerusalem, at the hazard of my life, but not of my honor. Thou knowest not what thou askest.

Jeremiah

Of thee I demand the hardest of duties, as is befitting for the Lord’s anointed. Offer up thy pride, the treasure of thy heart, for the sake of Jerusalem. Kneel before Nebuchadnezzar, even as I kneel before thee. Open the gates, and open thy heart. Abase thyself, King Zedekiah, for it is better thou shouldst be abased than that Israel should be laid low.

Zedekiah

Away with thee, away! I will humble myself before no man on earth.

Jeremiah

[Springing impetuously to his feet] Accurst, then, be the oil with which thou wast anointed. Zion has been entrusted to thy hands, and by thy hands is Zion destroyed. Mayst thou be forgotten by God’s mercy, even as thou hast forgotten Jerusalem. A curse be upon thee, murderer of Zion.

Abimelech

Throw him from the wall!

Voices

He has slandered the king.—Throw him from the wall.[The members of the king’s train close in on Jeremiah]

Zedekiah

[Who has yielded ground as if attacked by an unseen enemy, recovering himself] Desist! Harm him not. Think ye that the curse of a fool can affright me, or an impudent word unman me? [A pause] Nevertheless, the rumor is true, and this man’s speech is full of danger. Like a ram do his words batter at men’s hearts. No longer must such a liar speak freely to the people, endeavoring to spread dismay among our warriors.

Abimelech

He should be put to death. Unworthy to live is the man who has lost faith in God.

Voices

Stone the hireling.—He would sell the town to the Chaldeans.—He prays for our defeat.—Slay him.

Zedekiah

Shall I kill the man who slandered me, that it may be said he filled me with fear? Jeremiah, I value thy words lightly as air; but once more, for thine own sake, I ask thee the question. Does thy heart faithfully assure thee that death hangs over Zion and over all within her walls? Speak freely.

Jeremiah

Death is over Jerusalem. Death’s hand is upon us all. Naught but surrender can save us.

Zedekiah

Away then, and surrender. Save thine own life.

[Jeremiah stares at him in bewilderment]

No man shall sap our powers while he eats our bread. If thou fearest for Zion, flee from Zion. I give thee thy life. Climb down the wall; seek out Nebuchadnezzar; take shelter in his camp. If thy word be fulfilled, puff out thy cheeks and laugh at thy brethren who died for Jerusalem.

Abimelech

Too gentle, O king, in thy dealings with this slanderer.

[Jeremiah struggles for speech]

Zedekiah

Away, renegade, away! Seek out Nebuchadnezzar, whose victory thou foretellest. Kiss his feet. I stay in the midst of my people and in the home of my fathers, for my faith shall remain steadfast till my last breath. False are this man’s words! Jerusalem endureth for ever!

The Others

[Shouting] Jerusalem endureth for ever.—God’s house shall never pass away.

Zedekiah

Haste, haste to Ashur. I give thee free permission. Leave us to our deaths; and for thy part, crawl to safety.

Jeremiah

[Controlling himself] I will not forsake Jerusalem.

Zedekiah

Didst thou not even now assure us that death was hanging over Zion? Flee, that thou at least save thyself alive.

Jeremiah

Not for my own life am I filled with sorrow. It is for the life of thousands upon thousands that my heart is heavy. I will not flee. If Zion’s walls fall, I will fall with them.

Zedekiah

I have warned thee, Jeremiah, as thou warnedst me. Henceforth thy life is in thine own charge. [To the others] Let none molest him while he keeps due measure. But should he again seek to spread terror, seize and bind him, and he shall pay for it with his life. [To Jeremiah] Guard thyself, place a seal on thy lips, lest thy life atone for speech. May God spare us, as I have spared thee to-day.

Jeremiah

[Motionless, his voice unsteady] Not myself would I guard, but Jerusalem.

Zedekiah

[Returning to the outer edge of the wall] Still they come! Still they come! The noise of their chariot wheels and the trampling of their chargers are like the growling of a storm. Terrible indeed is the king of the north. Dreadful will it be to encounter him. God save Jerusalem! [Breathes deeply] God save Jerusalem.

[Zedekiah turns away, and slowly resumes the round, plunged in thought. He is followed by Abimelech and the other members of the train. The two sentries move after them out of sight]

Baruch

[Rushing forward from the shadow] Quick, quick! Hasten after him. The spirit of God is upon you. Hasten that you may compel him.

Jeremiah

[Awakening as from a trance] Compel whom?

Baruch

The king. Let your words be like flame. Save Jerusalem.

Jeremiah

The king? [He looks round horror-stricken upon the deserted wall] Lost, lost the sacred hour. My hasty tongue has ruined all.

Baruch

Try once again and you will overcome him. Already he was yielding.

Jeremiah

Too late, too late. Why did God choose a weakling? Why did he put words of gall into my mouth?

Baruch

Do not torment yourself, master. Your sufferings confuse your mind.

Jeremiah

Think you so? But I have failed. To whom have I brought joy? I am a horror to the upright and a grievous affliction to my mother. No wife bears my child in her womb, nor does any one living believe in my words.

Baruch

I believe you. I will not forsake you. You are great. I cleave to you for your very sorrow.

Jeremiah

Praise me not. My soul burns with shame. What have I done that shall profit Jerusalem? Have I softened the king’s heart; have I led the erring people into the right path; have I found an envoy of peace? How, when I myself have faltered, shall I show the way for an envoy?

Baruch

You seek an envoy from Nebuchadnezzar to our king?

Jeremiah

Will Nebuchadnezzar be readier to parley than Zedekiah? Kings are like boys, each waiting for the other to begin.

Baruch

[Ardently] Jeremiah, your words bear fruit in my soul.

Jeremiah

What mean you?

Baruch

This deed is for me. Well know I that the road leads through the valley of the shadow, even as yours. But I will walk it for the sake of Jerusalem. Master, farewell.

Jeremiah

Whither will you go?

Baruch

Farewell, master. Your blessing should I succeed. Spare me your curse should I fail. For Jerusalem! [He begins to climb down the wall]

Jeremiah

But Baruch, whither are you going?

Baruch

By your road. Farewell. [He disappears over the parapet]

Jeremiah

[Leaning forward] Whither, Baruch, whither? Stay, they will seize you. Already the spies of Chaldea block every road. Baruch, stand by me in this hour. Baruch, Baruch!

First Sentry

[Running in] Who calls there in the night? What is afoot?

Jeremiah

[Standing up] I call, I call; but no one heeds me.

First Sentry

Still you, is it? What are you doing here? I thought I saw a shadow pass down the wall. Are you alone?

Jeremiah

I am alone! I am alone!

[Slowly, with heavy steps, Jeremiah passes towards the town. The sentry stares after him until he is swallowed up in the gloom. Then the soldier resumes his march to and fro in the moonlight. Nothing is heard save his footsteps on the flagstones, until from a distance the challenge: “Samson guard us”, “Samson guard us”, begins to pass once more round the walls]