A TRAGI-COMEDY by XYSTUS BETULIUS AUGUSTANUS
SEDECHIAS. The sun grows bright and rises; the day puts to flight the cold night. I will go to my colleague Achab and will now take counsel with him. We will enter upon our course and a good case that she herself may feel what evil she has done, because she refused to obey us and comply with our wishes. But am I to delay knocking now at the door of my friend? Ah, he himself, my ally, is coming out through the door. I will go to him that all our evidence may fit correctly and the case may in every way be beautifully consistent. That will be necessary in the chief circumstance of the case. Hello there, friend.
ACHAB. Hello. Tell me what formula do you advise or think to put forward? Or shall we, I ask you, write out how I am to speak?
SEDECHIAS. First of all, we will look into the business at your house.
ACHAB. The place is very convenient for us.
SEDECHIAS. By heaven, I did not close my eyes all this past night so that I might work out our case.
ACHAB. But look at them.
SEDECHIAS. Who?
ACHAB. The father and the husband of the woman. The Furies, Megaera and Erynnis, are here. Let us go inside, lest anyone should say that it was done from wicked guile.
SEDECHIAS. Good advice. Let's be off rapidly.
JOACHIM. I pray that you will have a good day, my very dear father-in-law, revered by me as a father.
CHELKIAS. Most distinguished judge and fair arbiter of Israel, how goes it with you and your dear wife?
JOACHIM. We are well. And yet she is somewhat sad beyond her usual custom. I do not know why. She groans continually. And I have not dared to ask her what the trouble is. The whole house is sorrowing with her. Then my mind has a foreboding of some evil.
CHELKIAS. May God grant a better outcome and turn aside your foreboding, whatever it is, and favour you in all things.
JOACHIM. May the ruler himself, who rules destiny, do this. But look, a company of judges is now hastily approaching.
CHELKIAS. Achab and a second one are engaged in serious discussions.
JOACHIM. Yes, that very thing is shown by their hands and the nodding of the head and their very meaningful gesticulations.
CHELKIAS. I suppose they are bringing forward some difficult and serious cases.
JOACHIM. Oh, happy is he who passes his life away from all legal business and lives for himself and for God.
CHELKIAS. Quite so. I also think that.
JOACHIM. Father, let us keep away a little longer by walking around for a short time away from here, until the whole assembly is present.
HEDIOTH. What is your mind turning over, Histiob? What are you pondering?
HISTIOB. What? You ask? Is your heart free from cares? You, who hold the office of judge, you for whom it is not fitting to pass a whole night in peace, but in the depth of the night to break out of sleep to beguile yourself, that you can look after the public good worthily? You were not born for yourself.
HEDIOTH. For whom, then?
HISTIOB. You ask that? For every human being.
HEDIOTH. You say that? I did not know that, believe me, up to this time.
HISTIOB. Do you doubt it?
HEDIOTH. I do not indeed doubt it but no one of mortals has ever taught this and I do not remember that I ever read it.
HISTIOB. God teaches it.
HEDIOTH. Where?
HISTIOB. You ask that?
HEDIOTH. I do.
HISTIOB. It is agreed that you have read the law.
HEDIOTH. I beg and beseech you, explain this. You are skilled in the law and are easily more famous, more skilled, more prudent, more sagacious than all others. For indeed I have noticed this while adjudging your decisions. Please set forth for me the duties of a judge.
HISTIOB. I will tell you what I think about myself. I know the furniture is quite spartan at my home. I measure myself by my own foot-rule. I am far less eloquent than the others, but I should very gladly concede the place to them and turn my ears to their words here, if anyone could in a dignified way discuss the duty of a judge according to the written doctrines of our fathers, and also especially according to the law, which I think is our oracle. Nay, I declare that it is wicked to stay and live in a state and not hold to what the law lays down in that place. But look, the gathering of the judges is speeding here.
AGIRA. Has this been prepared for us by divine providence?
MALOLO. Dadan, are you listening?
DADAN. What am I to listen to?
MALOCO. Agira there is speaking.
AGIRA. I know it is the duty of a man and always the office of a good man to care for his own and then to assist his clients and all his good friends when they are put to the test about their own affairs or when their reputation is challenged.
MALOCO. That is the case. No one, I think, will deny it.
AGIRA. But I do not know how this is to be done; I shrink from the business of the court. For while I wish to stand by one man, you can see I shall provoke against me the other, one who loves equally the good and the just, who is also my best and intimate friend. The wolf must be held by the ears.
MALOCO. How well he knows the position of judges.
AGIRA. And in the meantime, while I am ready to bring joy to all and to gratify them, my friendliness perishes.
MALOCO. What a refined leader? How skilfully he uses words there in the court.
DADAN. It is in no way so.
MALOCO. Why, does he speak badly?
DADAN. Let me say this: He will not face this, whether he who stops lawsuits, is preparing friends for himself or not.
AGIRA. Who is over there?
DADAN. The emendation of the law is fitting.
AGIRA. It is my friend Dadan, I think, the best of men.
DADAN. In all fairness, as a rule he uses the Lesbian precepts. But he gives his judgements to please; his zeal is strong but he is influenced by money.
MALOCO. How important it is for the state, Dadan, to have good judges.
AGIRA. I am not listening to the words they have used; I am not offering any objection; it is of no concern to me. By its authority gold is very powerful; regard for gold has for a long time ruled my mind. Achab is a just man. I do not waste time on the others, for they are unjust men. I'm going. But look, the whole forum is buzzing with talk.
ABED. Let's hurry. Time marches on. Look, all the judges are there, even Joachim himself with his father-in-law, both men of the highest rank.
CLETER. Aeacus, Rhadamanthus or any of our judges in my opinion is not ahead of these two nor to be compared for integrity, clarifying sagacity and other good qualities.
ABED. He is wise, if anyone is wise.
CLETER. His good and wise counsel smacks of Solomon and he has the heart of David in a serious case. In his actions there is constancy, as in his mind. Then he is ambitious and dutiful: Ezechias in the latter, Joshua in the former.
ABED. If you were to proceed with equal zeal to reckon up his good qualities, the whole day would not be enough time.
CLETER. Let us go then. It is time. It is the duty of a good public officer to be present and always to attend on his presiding judge. We have carried out, O most accomplished sir, the things your honour ordered us to do.
DADAN. You have acted as you should. When the judges come, then let each one take up his place carefully.
ABED. It shall be our task. We will look after it.
SECOND CHORUS. From Proverbs 8, under the character of WISDOM.
Surely the very great cry which Heavenly Wisdom sends forth as she stands on high strikes the highest stars. She cries aloud in the paths, over the ridges of the mountains and at the open gates of the town.
O men, with my deep voice I call you, all of you and especially you the offspring of Adam who are very foolish, keep enclosed this my prudent counsel in your mind and this precept, foolish one, in your heart.
Listen, I will speak the truth clearly now with my lips, that I may teach good things. My throat strongly desires to set forth the words of truth. My mouth abhors quarrels.
I will speak forth just doctrines with my holy lyres. No deceit, no guile shall come forth from my mouth. To the wise who have a taste for what is healthy, my words are clear and sincere, and to the simple people they are wise.
The worth of my advice outweighs silver. Seize this knowledge, which is of greater value than the best gold. It is better than jewels and nothing is more pleasing.
To it I have a clear title, I who am called the Wisdom of the Lord; I possess the greatest good. For I certainly hold the treasures of knowledge and I shine out with the greatest power.
He is very wise, who fears the best Ruler, the Lord God of the star-bearing heaven. For he who fears God will hate the hellish artifices of death-bearing evil.
For I detest swelling pride and whatever it claims for overbearing minds, and the way of evil and faces perverted with poisoned baits. I avoid and curse them roundly.
And whatever I support with my counsels, the result teaches that this is well done; I cleverly temper justice with fairness. In our own hands I say there is the greatest power.
By our will kings hold their authority and our nobles set up the sacred laws which only a court acting rashly will violate. A judge gives fair judgements by my will.
Return to Susanna Act List | Go on to Act Three