NINTH ACTION(Outcasts)

STAGE B AND AISLE I

From the right of HEROD’S Gate sounds the tolling of bells—from the left, the clangor of swords.

During this, HEROD comes forth and stands on his dais. There, in shifting light and darkness,Helmeted Menwith swords hurry to him, confer in pantomime and depart.

Then, as HEROD stands looking down from his height, there passes below him aProcession of Outcasts, which—moving from Aisle II to Aisle I—passes on along Aisle I toward the Place of the Tree. When the last of this dirgeful Pageant has gone by him, HEROD returns in darkness within the gate.

The Procession of Outcasts is accompanied by FOUR MASKED FIGURES in symbolic garb, and consists of theFollowersof these, walking before and after a stretcher, borne at the middle of the Pageant. First of the Four is a Female Figure, SONG, who leads the Procession, looking upward; last, is a Male Figure, POVERTY, bowed in stature. The other two Male Figures walk at the headand foot of the stretcher, the first being SORROW, staring before him, the second one—DEATH, who bears a muffled babe in his arms, lulling it, with a calm smile.

Outcasts

On the stretcher a Poor Man lies wounded—a PEDLAR, with his pack for a head-rest. He wears a red jerkin and great boots and a workman’s cap. His beard is brown. His face is pale, his side bandaged. In one hand he holds a broken sword. The Man is CLAUS, whose Wife, RUTH, walks beside him, in peasant garb. At his other side walk two small tattered Figures—a BOY and a GIRL, their children.

As all pass slowly onward, theOutcastschant their song-dirge, out of which rises momentarily, first, the Voice of RUTH, then of CLAUS, while at times Full Chorus gives deeper volume to the singing. Rhythms of tolled bells and of clanging swords accompany the two Semi-Choruses.

Ninth Chorus: A,7. Dirge of the Outcasts.THE OUTCASTS(Semi-Chorus of Women)Bells, bells of the dark!Tongues of iron and terror!Toll no more, no more,Bells of my breaking heart!RUTHBeautiful I bore him,Babe of my life and milk:Wonderful I wore him,Yea, as a scarf of silk:Terrible—terrible—They tore him!THE OUTCASTS(Semi-Chorus of Women)Bells of my breaking heart,Toll no more, no more,Tongues of iron and terror,Bells, bells of the dark!FULL CHORUS(Men and Women)God!—God of the broken heart!Lord of the tolling bell!God, our God, if thou art, if thou art,Tell us, our Father, tell:How darkly longShall the reign of the strongEndure, to make of Thine earth our hell,Ere thou, O Lord of the bleeding dart,Rise in Thy light, to quell?THE OUTCASTS(Semi-Chorus of Men)Swords, swords in my soul!Tongues of fire and horror!Clang aloud, aloud,Swords of my burning heart!CLAUSNewly born I named himBabe of my joy and ruth:Kin of heart I claimed him,Yea, as my star of youth:Murderous—murderous—They maimed him!THE OUTCASTS(Semi-Chorus of Men)Swords of my burning heart!Clang aloud, aloud,Tongues of fire and horror,Swords, swords in my soul!FULL CHORUS(Men and Women)God!—God of the burning soul!Lord of the clanging sword!God, our God, from Thy kindling goal,Answer us, answer, Lord!How far and blindShall the kings of our kindBeguile our hearts on their paths abhorred,Ere thou, O Christ of a race made whole,Come in Thy world-accord?

Ninth Chorus: A,7. Dirge of the Outcasts.

THE OUTCASTS

(Semi-Chorus of Women)

Bells, bells of the dark!Tongues of iron and terror!Toll no more, no more,Bells of my breaking heart!

Bells, bells of the dark!

Tongues of iron and terror!

Toll no more, no more,

Bells of my breaking heart!

RUTH

Beautiful I bore him,Babe of my life and milk:Wonderful I wore him,Yea, as a scarf of silk:Terrible—terrible—They tore him!

Beautiful I bore him,

Babe of my life and milk:

Wonderful I wore him,

Yea, as a scarf of silk:

Terrible—terrible—

They tore him!

THE OUTCASTS

(Semi-Chorus of Women)

Bells of my breaking heart,Toll no more, no more,Tongues of iron and terror,Bells, bells of the dark!

Bells of my breaking heart,

Toll no more, no more,

Tongues of iron and terror,

Bells, bells of the dark!

FULL CHORUS

(Men and Women)

God!—God of the broken heart!Lord of the tolling bell!God, our God, if thou art, if thou art,Tell us, our Father, tell:How darkly longShall the reign of the strongEndure, to make of Thine earth our hell,Ere thou, O Lord of the bleeding dart,Rise in Thy light, to quell?

God!—God of the broken heart!

Lord of the tolling bell!

God, our God, if thou art, if thou art,

Tell us, our Father, tell:

How darkly long

Shall the reign of the strong

Endure, to make of Thine earth our hell,

Ere thou, O Lord of the bleeding dart,

Rise in Thy light, to quell?

THE OUTCASTS

(Semi-Chorus of Men)

Swords, swords in my soul!Tongues of fire and horror!Clang aloud, aloud,Swords of my burning heart!

Swords, swords in my soul!

Tongues of fire and horror!

Clang aloud, aloud,

Swords of my burning heart!

CLAUS

Newly born I named himBabe of my joy and ruth:Kin of heart I claimed him,Yea, as my star of youth:Murderous—murderous—They maimed him!

Newly born I named him

Babe of my joy and ruth:

Kin of heart I claimed him,

Yea, as my star of youth:

Murderous—murderous—

They maimed him!

THE OUTCASTS

(Semi-Chorus of Men)

Swords of my burning heart!Clang aloud, aloud,Tongues of fire and horror,Swords, swords in my soul!

Swords of my burning heart!

Clang aloud, aloud,

Tongues of fire and horror,

Swords, swords in my soul!

FULL CHORUS

(Men and Women)

God!—God of the burning soul!Lord of the clanging sword!God, our God, from Thy kindling goal,Answer us, answer, Lord!How far and blindShall the kings of our kindBeguile our hearts on their paths abhorred,Ere thou, O Christ of a race made whole,Come in Thy world-accord?

God!—God of the burning soul!

Lord of the clanging sword!

God, our God, from Thy kindling goal,

Answer us, answer, Lord!

How far and blind

Shall the kings of our kind

Beguile our hearts on their paths abhorred,

Ere thou, O Christ of a race made whole,

Come in Thy world-accord?

Back to Index Next