Act II: Scene II. — The Mother; Antiochus; Sirion

THE MOTHER.Are they all dead?

ANTIOCHUS.Of all thy Seven SonsOne only lives. Behold them where they lieHow dost thou like this picture?

THE MOTHER.God in heaven!Can a man do such deeds, and yet not dieBy the recoil of his own wickedness?Ye murdered, bleeding, mutilated bodiesThat were my children once, and still are mine,I cannot watch o'er you as Rispah watchedIn sackcloth o'er the seven sons of Saul,Till water drop upon you out of heavenAnd wash this blood away! I cannot mournAs she, the daughter of Aiah, mourned the dead,From the beginning of the barley-harvestUntil the autumn rains, and suffered notThe birds of air to rest on them by day,Nor the wild beasts by night. For ye have diedA better death, a death so full of lifeThat I ought rather to rejoice than mourn.--Wherefore art thou not dead, O Sirion?Wherefore art thou the only living thingAmong thy brothers dead? Art thou afraid?

ANTIOCHUS.O woman, I have spared him for thy sake,For he is fair to look upon and comely;And I have sworn to him by all the godsThat I would crown his life with joy and honor,Heap treasures on him, luxuries, delights,Make him my friend and keeper of my secrets,If he would turn from your Mosaic LawAnd be as we are; but he will not listen.

THE MOTHER.My noble Sirion!

ANTIOCHUS.Therefore I beseech thee,Who art his mother, thou wouldst speak with him,And wouldst persuade him. I am sick of blood.

THE MOTHER.Yea, I will speak with him and will persuade him.O Sirion, my son! have pity on me,On me that bare thee, and that gave thee suck,And fed and nourished thee, and brought thee upWith the dear trouble of a mother's careUnto this age. Look on the heavens above thee,And on the earth and all that is therein;Consider that God made them out of thingsThat were not; and that likewise in this mannerMankind was made. Then fear not this tormentorBut, being worthy of thy brethren, takeThy death as they did, that I may receive theeAgain in mercy with them.

ANTIOCHUS.I am mocked,Yea, I am laughed to scorn.

SIRION.Whom wait ye for?Never will I obey the King's commandment,But the commandment of the ancient Law,That was by Moses given unto our fathers.And thou, O godless man, that of all othersArt the most wicked, be not lifted up,Nor puffed up with uncertain hopes, upliftingThy hand against the servants of the Lord,For thou hast not escaped the righteous judgmentOf the Almighty God, who seeth all things!

ANTIOCHUS.He is no God of mine; I fear him not.

SIRION.My brothers, who have suffered a brief pain,Are dead; but thou, Antiochus, shalt sufferThe punishment of pride. I offer upMy body and my life, beseeching GodThat he would speedily be mercifulUnto our nation, and that thou by plaguesMysterious and by torments mayest confessThat he alone is God.

ANTIOCHUS.Ye both shall perishBy torments worse than any that your God,Here or hereafter, hath in store for me.

THE MOTHER.My Sirion, I am proud of thee!

ANTIOCHUS.Be silent!Go to thy bed of torture in yon chamber,Where lie so many sleepers, heartless mother!Thy footsteps will not wake them, nor thy voice,Nor wilt thou hear, amid thy troubled dreams,Thy children crying for thee in the night!

THE MOTHER.O Death, that stretchest thy white hands to me,I fear them not, but press them to my lips,That are as white as thine; for I am Death,Nay, am the Mother of Death, seeing these sonsAll lying lifeless.--Kiss me, Sirion.