THE SCORPION
SCENE u. A few days later. Afluhlic‘olace injerusalem. In
the midst a stahe withfaggots.
Seatsfor the dignitaries,
some thirty orforty of whom are present, most with their
ladies.
There ispresent moreover a motley crowd of all
classesofsociety, Christian andSaracen.
Note esfiecially
ISAAC, afat good-temferedjew, and an URCHIN of some
twelve years old.
Infront arejugg/ers, tumolers, singers
and dancers, huchsters, etc., all of whom ply their trade
merrily.
The Oficial Procession now enters, the guard
clearing away thesefolh.
All take their seats, chatting.
The Bishop is enthronea’, in full canonicals.
He is
sugfiported by three acolytes, bearing bel/, book and candle.
LAYLAH brought in and [Sound to stake.
The Bishop rises
at a signalfrom the King, andoegins a long declamation
in Latin.
The general confusiongradually subsides.
URCHIN. Uncle Isaac, take me on thy stout shoulders
I
want to see the witch burnt.
ISAAC. All in good time.
The holy Bishop is still cursing,
I think.
BISHOP [concluding raises his voice to drown the general
conversation].
In Saecula Saeculorum.
Amen!
ALL. Amen!
K. OF J. [enthronea’ near the Bishop].
Let the sentence
be executed.
[The Executioner firings forward his torch, which he
lights at the BISHOP’S candle.
BISHOP [blessing]. Absolvo te.
[The Executioner thrusts his torch into the fiyre.
The
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