Judith, a play in three acts

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Judith, a play in three acts

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Judith, by Arnold Bennett This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Judith
Author: Arnold Bennett
Release Date: July 1, 2004 [EBook #12794]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JUDITH ***

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WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR
NOVELS
A MAN FROM THE NORTH ANNA OF THE FIVE TOWNS LEONORA A GREAT MAN SACRED AND PROFANE LOVE WHOM GOD HATH JOINED BURIED ALIVE THE OLD WIVES' TALE THE GLIMPSE THE ROLL CALL HELEN WITH THE HIGH HAND CLAYHANGER HILDA LESSWAYS THE CARD THE REGENT THE PRICE OF LOVE THESE TWAIN THE LION'S SHARE THE PRETTY LADY
FANTASIES
THE GRAND BABYLON HOTEL THE GATES OF WRATH THERESA OF WATLING STREET THE LOOT OF CITIES HUGO THE GHOST THE CITY OF PLEASURE
SHORT STORIES
TALES OF THE FIVE TOWNS THE GRIM SMILE OF THE FIVE TOWNS THE MATADOR OF THE FIVE TOWNS
_BELLES-LETTRES_
JOURNALISM FOR WOMEN FAME AND FICTION HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHOR THE TRUTH ABOUT AN AUTHOR MENTAL EFFICIENCY HOW TO LIVE ON TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY THE HUMAN MACHINE LITERARY TASTE FRIENDSHIP AND HAPPINESS THOSE UNITED STATES PARIS NIGHTS MARRIED LIFE LIBERTY OVER THERE: WAR SCENES THE AUTHORS CRAFT BOOKS AND PERSONS SELF AND SELF-MANAGEMENT
DRAMA
POLITE FARCES CUPID AND COMMONSENSE WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS THE HONEYMOON THE TITLE THE GREAT ADVENTURE MILESTONES (In Collaboration with Edward Knoblock)
In Collaboration with Eden Phillpotts THE SINEWS OF WAR: A ROMANCE THE STATUE: A ROMANCE

*JUDITH*
A PLAY IN THREE ACTS
_Founded on the apocryphal book of "Judith"_
BY
ARNOLD BENNETT

LONDON
1919
_First published April 30, 1919_

NOTE
This play was presented for the first time at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, on Monday, April 7th, 1919, with the following cast:
Judith LILLAH MCCARTHY Haggith ESM�� HUBBARD Rahel MADGE MURRAY Ozias CAMPBELL GULLAN Holofernes CLAUDE KING Bagoas ERNEST THESIGER Achior GEOFFREY DOUGLAS Chabris E.H. PATERSON Charmis FEWLASS LLEWELLYN Ingur FREDERICK VOLPE Messenger FELIX AYLMER Soldier CLIFFORD MOLLISON Attendant EDWIN OXLEE
The play was produced by WILFRED EATON

CHARACTERS
Hebrews JUDITH HAGGITH, her waiting-woman RAHEL OZIAS, Governor of Bethulia CHABRIS, an elder CHARMIS, an elder A SOLDIER A MESSENGER
Assyrians HOLOFERNES, General of the Assyrian armies BAGOAS, his chief eunuch ACHIOR, a captain INGUR, a soldier AN ATTENDANT ON BAGOAS

ACT I
A street in the city of Bethulia.
ACT II
SCENE I. _The valley near the Assyrian camp. Time, morning; two days later_.
SCENE II. _The tent of Holofernes. Time, later, the same morning_.
SCENE III. _The same. Time, the same night_.
ACT III
SCENE I. _Same as Act I. Time, later, the same night._
SCENE II. _The same. Time, the next day_.

ACT I
_A street in the city of Bethulia in Judea. Bethulia is in the hill country, overlooking the great plain of Jezreel to the south-west. Back, the gates of the city, hiding the view of the plain. Right, Judith's house, with a tent on the roof. Left, houses. The street turns abruptly, back left, along the wall of the city. Left centre, a built-up vantage-point, from which the plain can be seen over the gates_.
TIME: _Fifth century B.C.
Towards evening_.
Ozias _is standing alone in the street, drinking from a leathern bottle. Enter_ Chabris, back left.
OZIAS _(quickly, but with perfect calmness, hiding the bottle in his garments_). Old man! It is years since I saw you. How came you past the guard, old man?
CHABRIS. Old? Old? I am not yet a hundred. Who are you?
OZIAS. Ozias.
CHABRIS. Ah! So this is Ozias, the son of Ezbon. Before your father could walk I have nursed him on my knee; and he was filled like the full moon--with naughtiness.
OZIAS. What has brought you at last out of your house? Are you come to prophesy once more?
CHABRIS. I have given up prophesying.
OZIAS. A profession full of risks.
CHABRIS. I pass my endless days in meditation and solitude.
OZIAS. That sounds much safer. How comely is the wisdom of old men!
CHABRIS. And what do you do, sprig?
OZIAS. Has none told you?
CHABRIS. I see nobody but my daughter's granddaughter, and her I forbid to speak to me, because being a woman she has the tongue of a woman, and a woman's tongue is unfavourable to meditation. How should I be told?
OZIAS. I am the governor of this great city of Bethulia.
CHABRIS. You are responsible for this city?
OZIAS. I am.
CHABRIS. Now I understand my misfortune. And the truth was in me when I said to your mother as she lay dying: Better it is to die without children than to have them that are ungodly.
OZIAS. Oh! How comely a thing is the judgment of grey hairs!
CHABRIS. You ask me what has brought me at last out of my house. I will tell