Herodias Nay, but it is infamous.

The Voice of Iokanaan It is thus that I will wipe out all wickedness from the earth, and that all women shall learn not to imitate her abominations.

Herodias You hear what he says against me? You suffer him to revile her who is your wife!

Herod He did not speak your name.

Herodias What does that matter? You know well that it is I whom he seeks to revile. And I am your wife, am I not?

Herod Of a truth, dear and noble Herodias, you are my wife, and before that you were the wife of my brother.

Herodias It was thou didst snatch me from his arms.

Herod Of a truth I was stronger than he was.… But let us not talk of that matter. I do not desire to talk of it. It is the cause of the terrible words that the prophet has spoken. Peradventure on account of it a misfortune will come. Let us not speak of this matter. Noble Herodias, we are not mindful of our guests. Fill thou my cup, my well-beloved. Ho! fill with wine the great goblets of silver, and the great goblets of glass. I will drink to Caesar. There are Romans here, we must drink to Caesar.

All Caesar! Caesar!

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

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

Herod Never have I seen her so pale.

Herodias You must not look at her.

The Voice of Iokanaan In that day the sun shall become black like sackcloth of hair, and the moon shall become like blood, and the stars of the heaven shall fall upon the earth like unripe figs° that fall from the fig-tree, and the kings of the earth shall be afraid.

Herodias Ah! ah! I should like to see that day of which he speaks, when the moon shall become like blood, and when the stars shall fall upon the earth like unripe figs. This prophet talks like a drunken man,… but I cannot suffer the sound of his voice. I hate his voice. Command him to be silent.

Herod I will not. I cannot understand what it is that he saith, but it may be an omen.

Herodias I do not believe in omens. He speaks like a drunken man.

Herod It may be he is drunk with the wine of God.

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

Herod (from this point he looks all the while at Salome) Tigellinus, when you were at Rome of late, did the Emperor speak with you on the subject of …?

Tigellinus On what subject, my lord?

Herod On what subject? Ah! I asked you a question, did I not? I have forgotten what I would have asked you.