[_He tries to compose himself to sleep._]
Princedoms, and palaces, and silver mines, Pomps, glories, splendours, princedoms, palaces-- Vashti the Queen, and enemies, and princedoms-- A long, long life, and heavy hours of time!
[_He sleeps. A clink of metal to mark passage of time._]
It was not I, It was the slave Harbonah poisoned him, Not I. I was not there. I never knew. Horrible white face with the blotch of death; Harbonah gave it in the honey cake-- The honey cake, I never gave it you. I was not at the feast, it is well known I was most sick that night.
Merach! Merach! begone! It was not Merach, But someone at the footing of the bed. Someone, a Jew, with bones instead of face And blood that dripped.
O blessed night, so full of peace, so calm, After that horror. Ah! I know it now, What the Chaldean told me long ago, That I should know no quiet rest at night, Being a King, unless I ate of bread Baked in a house where sorrow never came. O blessed bread, would I could eat of thee!
God save the King! The King’s gates are made sure, and the gates’ keys Here, under guard. May the King live for ever!
The sentries on the walls; do they report All quiet in the city?
No armed men moving, no suspicious thing?
Nothing, O Son of Heaven, but silent darkness, And here and there a priest of the great sun Praying long life and blessing on our Monarch.
Long life, long misery! It is within this room the horror is-- That thing, that Jew, that thing out of the grave. No, nothing, nothing! I can see there’s nothing. So--I will sleep. I will repeat that song Made long ago by one who could not sleep, To help his fellow-sufferers.
_Along the beach a wave comes slowly in, And breaks, and dies away, and dies away_; The moon is dimmed and all the ropes are taut.
_Along the beach a wave comes slowly in, And breaks and dies away, and dies away_, It is no season, sailor, to quit port.
[_He sleeps._] [_Enter_ GHOST OF THARES. _The_ GHOST _comes behind_ AHASUERUS _and across stage. It stands still and hinnies like a snipe._]
O no! Spare me! Spare me! Loose me my hands. O they have tied my feet! I cannot get from bed, and now they come. Merciful Gods! my thigh-bones are both broken. I cannot stir. Who is it gibbering there? Who are you? Who?