Seize her and throw her down
ASHOBAL _and_ PHARMA (_together._)
Down with you, Mistress
(_Throw her down._)
JEHU.
Get up, you horses. Would you shrink from flesh?
Tread her; come up, you; over her; once more.
Tread her again. I’ll teach you who is master.
Ride over her, you fellows, every one.
Ride over her and trample on her body;
Let the beasts kick her. That’s the way. Again.
You tread the harlot who has wrecked this land.
Come here and hold my horses, one of you.
Give me a hand, you men, and let me in.
_Enter_ JEHU (_by the window_).
That’s made an end of her, the filthy witch!
PHARMAS.
I stabbed her with a knife before I threw her.
JEHU.
You, did you? Well, then fetch me wine to drink,
In the King’s cup, by God. So. Give it here.
(_Drinks._)
I needed drink after this day of fighting.
A hot day’s work, but, by the living God,
To-morrow shall be hotter. Ahab’s sons,
And Ahab’s friends, and Ahab’s ministers
Shall have their heads in baskets by to-morrow.
Where is this man who says he killed the Queen?
PHARMAS.
Here, mighty King.
JEHU.
Go, find the cursed hag
And bury up her carrion in the earth,
For after all she was a King’s daughter.
[_Exit_ PHARMAS.
JEHU (_sings_).
_Oh, out in the desert my bow and my spear
Shall win me whatever I need,
Another man’s tent, and another man’s gear,
And another man’s...._
Fill me more wine. Go to the window yonder.
Halt. As you were. I’ll go myself. You, fellow.
You fellow, there. Is the Queen’s body there?
What does he say?
ASHOBAL.
He says that the wild dogs have torn the body.
JEHU.
Good enough end and fitting burial for her.
Now I have sacrifice to do to Baal.
By God, a lusty sacrifice! By God,
These damned idolaters shall learn the truth!
None of your knives on me. [_Goes out._
[_The_ SERVANTS _and_ MEN _go out_.
_Enter_ MICAIAH (_from in front_).
MICAIAH.
She was too good a woman to be Queen
In such a land as this, at such a time.
Would she had gone! Her women have escaped.
And I am freed from prison by the rabble.
Wisdom is gone from the city,
The killer alone is obeyed,
A man without law, without pity,
Who was fed by the King he betrayed.
The debt that was owing is paid,
By a new deed of murder that cries
To the gods who are Kings in the skies.
Though the ways of the gods are most wise,
They are dark, they make me afraid.
CURTAIN.
Transcriber’s Notes
Simple typographical errors were corrected.
Page 52: Transcriber added “are” to “But there are other laws which do
persist”, as its omission seems to be a typographical error, and it was
found in other books containing this play.
Page 71: “And of both the men who had me neither knew me” ended with an
em dash in a different copy of this play.
Page 99: “Agammemnon” was printed that way in this edition.
Page 112: “I am not terrified.” ended with a question mark in the
source book, but should end with a period, as it does in this eBook.