The Complete Plays of Jean Racine: Volume 4: Athaliah

Athaliah (1691)

Athaliah 1691 38 S Athaliah cast of characters joash, King of Judah, son of Ahaziah athaliah, widow of Jehoram, grandmother of Joash jehoiada, high priest josabeth, aunt of Joash, wife of the high priest zachariah, son of Jehoiada and Josabeth salomith, sister of Zachariah abner, one of the chief officers of the King of Judah azariah, ishmael, and the three other chiefs of the priests and Levites mathan, an apostate priest, high priest of Baal nabal, confidential friend of Mathan hagar, attendant of Athaliah Troop of priests and Levites Athaliah’s guard Nurse of Joash Chorus of young girls of the tribe of Levi The scene is in the Temple of Jerusalem, in an antechamber of the high priest’s apartments. act i, scene i S 39 act i Scene i [jehoiada, abner] abner Yes, to His temple I come, to adore the Lord, As, solemnly, from old, He’s been adored, And celebrate that glorious day that saw Our God, on Sinai’s height, bestow His Law.1 How times have changed! Once, at the trumpet’s sound, 5 Announcing this great day had come around, This hall, magnificently decorated, With floods of pious folk was inundated; They passed before the altar solemnly, Bearing the first fruits of their husbandry, 10 To consecrate them to our Heavenly King. We’d too few priests to accept their offering! No longer: since one woman’s brazen spite2 Has changed to dismal days days once so bright. Of such devoted souls but few remain 15 Who dare to trace those pious paths again. The rest, alas! forget the Lord Most High, Or, what is worse, to Baal’s altars fly, Where they, in shameful rites initiated, Blaspheme the Name their fathers venerated. 20 I fear lest Athaliah (to speak plain), By driving you, the high priest, from this fane, Wreak her malign revenge on you at last, Spurning the forced respect shown in the past. jehoiada What prompts today this baleful augury?3 25 40 S Athaliah abner Can you be pious with impunity? The righteousness that crowns your priestly state Has long provoked her unforgiving hate. Long has your ardent faith, your sacred mission, Been treated as rebellion and sedition. 30 She hates, above all, Josabeth, your wife, For her resplendent worth and blameless life; For if you are the high priest Aaron’s heir, Your wife’s our late king’s sister.4 And beware: Mathan incites the Queen incessantly, 35 That sacrilegious priest, more fell than she, Who, shameless, fled our altars and, today, Persecutes virtue when and where he may.5 Enough this Levite wears a heathen crown And lends his ministry to Baal’s renown; 40 This temple affronts him: his impiety Would crush the God he’s fled so faithlessly. To ruin you, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do: Sometimes he pities — nay, oft praises you; He affects a fond regard he does not feel, 45 His venomous sting the better to conceal; Now, he informs the Queen you’ve grown too bold; Now, playing on her boundless lust for gold,6 He slyly hints you’ve hoarded, secretly, The untold wealth of David’s treasury. 50 Besides, for two days now this haughty queen Has wallowed in a mood of blackest spleen. Yesterday, in her glances I could trace The furious hate she bears this holy place, As if God hid within this vasty fane 55 An armed avenger who would prove her bane. Trust me: the more I think, the less I doubt That o’er your head her wrath will soon break out, And that this ruthless child of Jezebel’s7 Will dare attack the Lord e’en where He dwells.8 60 act i, scene i S 41 jehoiada He who can curb the fury of the seas Can frustrate evildoers’ conspiracies. I humbly let His sacred will be done;9 I fear the Lord: of other fears I’ve none. I’m grateful, though, for your kind zeal, my friend, 65 In warning me of perils that impend; I see injustice galls you secretly; You have a Hebrew heart, that’s clear to me. Thank heav’n for that! But are you satisfied With secret wrath and virtue still untried? 70 Does faith that never acts deserve the name?10 Eight years ago an impious stranger came11 And, seizing David’s scepter, rights, and lands, In our kings...