Iokanaan Cursed be thou! daughter of an incestuous mother, be thou accursed!

Salome I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.

Iokanaan I will not look at thee. Thou art accursed, Salome, thou art accursed.

He goes down into the cistern.

Salome I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan; I will kiss thy mouth.

First Soldier We must bear away the body to another place. The Tetrarch does not care to see dead bodies, save the bodies of those whom he himself has slain.

The Page of Herodias He was my brother, and nearer to me than a brother. I gave him a little box full of perfumes, and a ring of agate that he wore always on his hand. In the evening we were wont to walk by the river, and among the almond-trees, and he used to tell me of the things of his country. He spake ever very low.° The sound of his voice was like the sound of the flute, of one who playeth upon the flute. Also he had much joy to gaze at himself in the river. I used to reproach him for that.

Second Soldier You are right; we must hide the body. The Tetrarch must not see it.

First Soldier The Tetrarch will not come to this place. He never comes on the terrace. He is too much afraid of the prophet.

Enter Herod, Herodias, and all the Court° [: Tigellinus (Caesar’s ambassador) and one other Roman, five Jews, two Nazarenes, three Slaves (Manasseh, Issachar, Ozias), and Salome’s Slaves]

Herod Where is Salome? Where is the Princess? Why did she not return to the banquet as I commanded her? Ah! there she is!

Herodias You must not look at her! You are always looking at her!

Herod The moon has a strange look tonight. Has she not a strange look? She is like a mad woman, a mad woman who is seeking everywhere for lovers. She is naked too. She is quite naked. The clouds are seeking to clothe her nakedness, but she will not let them. She shows herself naked in the sky. She reels through the clouds like a drunken woman.…I am sure she is looking for lovers. Does she not reel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad woman, is she not?

Herodias No; the moon is like the moon, that is all. Let us go within.…We have nothing to do here.

Herod I will stay here! Manasseh, lay carpets there.° Light torches. Bring forth the ivory tables, and the tables of jasper. The air here is sweet. I will drink more wine with my guests. We must show all honours to the ambassadors of Caesar.

Herodias It is not because of them that you remain.

Herod Yes; the air is very sweet. Come, Herodias, our guests await us. Ah! I have slipped! I have slipped in blood! It is an ill omen. It is a very ill omen. Wherefore is there blood here?…and this body, what does this body here? Think you I am like the King of Egypt, who gives no feast to his guests but that he shows them a corpse? Whose is it? I will not look on it.

First Soldier It is our captain, sire. It is the young Syrian whom you made captain of the guard but three days gone.

Herod I issued no order that he should be slain.