Latest / The Brothers Karamazov / Androcles and the Lion (Version 2) - George Bernard Shaw

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Androcles and the Lion (Version 2) - George Bernard Shaw · The Brothers Karamazov

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Section zero of Androcles and the Lion. This is a
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Read by Phil Surrett. Androcles and the Lion by George
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Bernard Shaw prolog overture, Forest Sounds, Roaring of lions Christian
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: hymn faintly a jungle path. A lion's roar, A melancholy,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: suffering roar comes from the jungle. It is repeated nearer.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: The lion limps from the jungle on three legs, holding
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: up his right forepaw, in which a huge thorn sticks.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: He sits down and contemplates it. He licks it, he
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: shakes it. He tries to extract it by scraping it
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: along the ground and hurts himself worse. He roars piteously.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: He looks it again, tears drop from his eyes. He
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: limps painfully off the path and lies down under the trees,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: exhausted with pain, heaving a long sigh like wind in
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: a trombone. He goes to sleep. Androcles and his wife
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: mc Gera come along the path. He is a small, thin,
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: ridiculous little man who might be any age from thirty
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: to fifty five. He has sandy hair, watery, compassionate blue eyes,
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: sensitive nostrils, and a very presentable forehead. But as good
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: points go no further. His arms and legs and back,
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: though wiry of their kind, look shriveled and starved. He
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: carries a big bundle, is very poorly clad, and seems
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: tired and hungry. His wife is a rather handsome, pampered slattern,
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: well fed and in the prime of life. She has
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: nothing to carry and has a stout stick to help
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: her along. Meaguera suddenly throwing down her stick. I won't
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: go another step, Androcles, pleading wearily, Oh not again, dear.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: What's the good of stopping every two miles and saying
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: you won't go another step? We must get on to
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: the next village before night. There are wild beasts in
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: this wood, lions, they say, Meghera, I don't believe a
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: word of it. You are always threatening me with wild
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: beast to make me walk the very soul out of
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: my body, when I can hardly drag one foot before another.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: We haven't seen a single lion yet, Andrew lese, Well, dear,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: do you want to see one? Meghera, tearing the bundle
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: from his back. You cruel beast. You don't care how
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: tired I am or what becomes of me. She throws
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: the bundle on the ground. Always thinking of yourself, self, self, self,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: always yourself. She sits down on the bundle androw lese
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: sitting down sadly on the ground, with his elbows on
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: his knees and his head in his hands. We all
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: have to think of ourselves occasionally, Dear. Again, a man
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: ought to think of his wife sometimes, Androcles. He can't
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: always help it. Dear, you make me think of you
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: a good deal. Not that I blame you, Meghera, blame me,
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: I should think not. Indeed, is it my fault that
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: I'm married to you? Andrew Clese? No, Dear, that is
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: my fault, Megherra. That's a nice thing to say to me.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: Aren't you happy with me? Androw Clese? I don't complain
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: my love, Meghera. You ought to be ashamed of yourself,
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: Andrew Clese. I am my dear Meghera. You're not you
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: glory in it, Androcles, in what, darling Meghera, in everything?
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: In making me a slave and making yourself a laughing stock,
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: it's not fair. You get me the name of being
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: a shrew with your meek ways, always talking as if
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: butter wouldn't melt in your mouth, and just because I
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: look a big, strong woman, and because I'm good hearted
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: and a bit hasty, and because you're always driving me
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: to do things i'm sorry for. Afterwards, people say, poor man,
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: what a life? His wife leads him. Oh, if they
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: only knew, And you think I don't know, But I do,
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: I do, screaming I do, Androcles, Yes, my dear, I
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: know you do, Meghera. Then why don't you treat me
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: properly and be a good husband to me? Androcles? What
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: can I do, my dear Meghera, what can you do?
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: You can return to your duty and come back to
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: your home and your friends and sacrifice to the gods
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: as all respectable people do, instead of having us hunted
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: out of house and home for being dirty, disreputable, blaspheming atheists. Androcles,
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: I'm not an atheist, dear, I am a Christian, Meghera. Well,
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: isn't that the same thing only ten times worse? Everybody
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: knows that the Christians are the very lowest of the low, Androcles,
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: just like us, dear Meghera, speak for yourself. Don't you
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: dare to compare me to common people. My father owned
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: his own public house, and sorrowful was the day for
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: me when you first came drinking in our bar, Androcles.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: I confess I was addicted to it, dear, but I
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: gave it up when I became a Christian, Meghera, you'd
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: much better have remained a drunkard. I can forgive a
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: man being addicted to drink. It's only natural, and I
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: don't deny. I like to drop myself sometimes. What I
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: can't stand is you're being addicted to Christianity. And what's
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: worse again, you are being addicted to animals. How is
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: any woman to keep her house clean when you bring
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: in every stray cat and lost kerr and lame duck
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: in the whole countryside. You took the bread out of
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: my mouth to feed them, you know you did. Don't
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: attempt to deny it, Androcles, only when they were hungry
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: and you were getting too stout, dearie Meghera, Yes, insult me,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: do rising Oh, I won't bear it another moment. You
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: used to sit and talk to those dumb brute beasts
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: for when you han't a word for me, androw clees.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: They never answered back, darling, He rises and again shoulders
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: the bundle. MEAGHERA, well, if you're fonder of animals than
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: of your own wife, you can live with them here
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: in the jungle. I've had enough of them and enough
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: of you. I'm going back. I'm going home androw clese
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: barring the way back. No, dearie, don't take on like that.
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: We can't go back. We've sold everything. We should starve,
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: and I should be sent to Rome and thrown to
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: the lions. MEAGHERA, serve you right. I wish the lion's
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: joy of you screaming. Are you going to get out
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: of my way and let me go home androw clese? No,
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: dear MEAGHERA. Then I'll make my way through the forest,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: and when I'm eaten by the wild beasts, you'll know
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: what a wife you've lost. She dashes into the jungle
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: and nearly falls over the sleeping lion. Oh oh, andy, Andy.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: She totters back and collapses into the arms of an Androcles, who,
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: crushed by her weight, falls on his bundle. Androcles extracting
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: himself from beneath her and slapping her hands in great anxiety.
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: What is it, my precious, my pet, what's the matter.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: He raises her head, speechless with terror. She points in
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: the direction of the sleeping lion. He steals cautiously towards
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: the spot indicated by Maghera. She rises with an effort
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: and totters after him. Meghera, no, Andy, you'll be killed.
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: Come back. The lion utters a long, snoring sigh. Androcles
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: sees the lion and recoils, fainting into the arms of Maghera,
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: who falls back on the bundle. They roll apart and
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: lie staring in terror at one another. The lion is
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: heard groaning heavily in the jungle, Androcles whispering, did you
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: see a lion? Meghera, despairing The gods have sent him
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: to punish us because you're a Christian. Take me away, Andy,
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: save me, Androcles. Maggie, there's one chance for you. It'll
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: take him pretty nigh twenty minutes to eat me. I'm
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: rather stringy and tough, and you can escape in less
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: time than that. Megera, Oh, don't talk about eating. The
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: lion rises with a great groan and limps towards them. Oh.
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: She faints. Androcles, quaking but keeping between the lion and Mgera,
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: don't you come near my wife? Do you hear? The
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: lion groans, androcles can hardly stand for trembling, Maggie, run,
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: run for your life. If I take my eye off him,
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: it's all up. The lion holds up his wounded paw
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: and flaps it piteously before Androcles. Oh he's lame, poor
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: old chap. He's got a thorn in his paw, a
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: frightfully big thorn full of sympathy. Oh, poor old man
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: didn't get an awful thorn in ums Tutum's Wootsums? Has
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: it made him too sick to eat a nice little
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: Christian man for ALM's breakfast. Oh, a nice little Christian
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: man will get UM's thorn out for him, and then
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: Ums shall eat the nice Christian man and a nice
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: Christian man's nice, big tender wifey pify. The lion responds
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: by moans of self pity. Yes, yes, yes, yes yes.
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: Now now, taking the paw in his hand, arm is
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: not to bite and not to scratch, not even if
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: it hurts a very very little Now make velvet paws.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: That's right. He pulls gingerly at the thorn. The lion,
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: with an angry yell of pain, jerks back his paw
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: so abruptly that Androcles is thrown on his back. Steady,
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: Oh did the nasty cool little Christian man hurt the
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: sore paw? The lion moans assentingly but apologetically. Well, one
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: more little pull and it will be all over. Just
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: one little little little pull and then I'm will live happily.
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: Ever after he gives the thorn another pull, the lion
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: roars and snaps his jaws with a terrifying clash. Oh
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: mustn't frighten UM's good kind doctor UM's affectionate nursey. That
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: didn't hurt it all? Not a bit jest. One more,
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: just to show how the brave big lion can bear pain,
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: not like the little cry baby Cristian man. Oopsh the
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: thorn comes out. The lion yells with pain and shakes
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: his paw wildly. That's it, holding up the thorn. Now
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: it's out. Now lickums paw to take away the nasty inflammation.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: See he licks his own hand. The lion nods intelligently
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: and looks his paw industriously. Clever, little liony Piony understands
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: UM's dear old friend, Andy Wandy. The lion licks his face, Yes,
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: kiss them's Andy Wandy. The lion, wagging his tail, violently,
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: rises on his hind legs and embraces Adrocles, who makes
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: a wry face and cries, velvet paws, velvet paws. The
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: lion draws in his claws. That's right. He embraces the lion,
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: who finally takes the end of his tail in one paw,
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: places that tight around Andercle's waist, resting it on his hip.
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: Adrocles takes the other paw in his hand, stretches out
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: his arm, and the two waltz rapturously, round and round,
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: and finally away through the jungle. Meguera, who has revived
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: during the waltz. Oh, you coward, You haven't danced with
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: me for years, and now you go off dancing with
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: a great brute beast that you haven't known for ten
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: minutes and that wants to eat your own wife. Coward, coward, coward.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: She rushes off after them into the jungle. End of
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: section zero, Section one of Androcles and the Lion by
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: George Bernard Shaw. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Act one evening the end of three converging roads to Rome.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: Three triumphal arches span them, where they debouch on a
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: square at the gate of the city. Looking north through
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: the arches, one can see the campaigna threaded by three long,
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: dusty tracks. On the east and west sides of the
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: square are long stone benches. An old beggar sits on
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: the east side of the square, his bowl at his feet.
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: Through the eastern arch, a squad of Roman soldiers tramps along,
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: escorting a batch of Christian prisoners of both sexes and
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: all ages. Among them one Lavinia, a good looking, resolute
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: young woman apparently of higher social standing than her fellow prisoners.
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: A centurion carrying his vine wood cudgel, trudges alongside the
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: squad on its right in command of it. All are
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: tired and dusty, but the soldiers are dogged and indifferent,
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: the Christians light hearted and determined to treat their hardships
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: as a joke and encourage one another. A bugle is
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: heard far behind on the road where the rest of
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: the cohort is following centurion stopping halt. Orders from the captain.
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: They halt and wait now then, you Christians, none of
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: your lacks. The captain's coming. Mind you behave yourselves no singing,
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: Look respectful, look serious, if you're capable of it. See
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: that big building over there, that's the Colosseum. That's where
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: you'll be thrown to the lions or set to fight
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: the gladiators. Presently, think of that, and it'll help you
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: to behave properly before the captain. The captain arrives, attentionIn salute.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: The soldiers salute a Christian, cheerfully, God bless you. Captain,
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: centurion scandalized silence. The captain, a patrician, handsome about thirty five,
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: very cold and distinguished, very superior and authoritative, steps up
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: on a stone seat at the west side of the square,
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: behind the centurion, so as to dominate the others more effectually.
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: Captain Centurion, Centurion standing at attention and saluting. Sir, Captain,
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: speaking stiffly and officially, you will remind your men, Centurion,
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: that we are now entering Rome. You will instruct them
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: that once inside the gates of Rome, they are in
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: the presence of the Emperor. You will make them understand
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: that the lax discipline of the march cannot be permitted here.
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: You will instruct them to shave every day, not every week.
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: You will impress on them particularly that there must be
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: an end to the profanity and blasphemy of singing Christian
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: hymns on the march. I have to reprimand you, Centurion,
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: for not only allowing this, but actually doing it yourself. Centurion,
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: the men much better, Captain, Captain, no doubt. For that reason.
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: An exception is made in the case of the march
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: called onward Christian soldiers. This may be some except when
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: marching through the form or within hearing of the Emperor's palace,
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: but the words must be altered to throw them to
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: the lions. The Christians burst into shrieks of uncontrollable laughter,
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: to the great scandal of the centurion. Centurion, silence, Sis,
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: where's your behavior? Is that the way to listen to
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: an officer, to the captain. That's what we have to
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: put up with from these Christians every day, Sir. They're
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: always laughing and joking something scandalous. They've no religion. That's
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: how it is, Lavinia. But I think the captain meant
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: us to laugh. Centurion, it was so funny, Centurion. You'll
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: find out how funny it is when you're thrown to
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: the lions tomorrow. To the captain, who looks displeased, beg pardon, sir.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: To the Christians, silence. Captain, you are to instruct your
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: men that all intimacy with Christian prisoners must now cease.
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: The men have fallen into habits of dependence upon the prisoners,
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: especially the female prisoners, for cooking, repairs to uniforms, writing letters,
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: and advice in their private affairs. In a Roman soldier,
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: such dependence is inadmissible. Let me see no more of
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: it whilst we are in the city. Further, your orders
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: are that in addressing Christian prisoners, the manners and tone
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: of your men must express abhorrence and contempt. Any shortcoming
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: in this respect will be regarded as a breach of discipline.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: He turns to the prisoners. Prisoners, Centurion fiercely, prisoners tention, silence. Captain.
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: I call your attention, prisoners, to the fact that you
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: may be called on to appear in the Imperial circus
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: at any time from tomorrow onwards, according to the requirements
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: of the managers. I may inform you that, as there
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: is a shortage of Christians just now, you may expect
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: to be called on very soon, Lavinia, what will they
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: do to us? Captain? Silence, Captain, The women will be
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: conducted into the arena with the wild beasts of the
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: imperial menagerie, and will suffer the consequences. The men, if
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: of an age to bear arms, will be given weapons
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: to defend themselves if they choose against the imperial gladiators. Lavinia, Captain,
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: is there no hope that this cruel persecution? Centurion? Shocked, silence,
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: hold your tongue there. Persecution, indeed, Captain, unmoved and somewhat sardonic,
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: Persecution is not a term applicable to the acts of
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: the Emperor. The Emperor is the defender of the faith.
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: In throwing you to the lions, he will be upholding
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: the interests of religion in Rome. If you were to
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: throw him to the lions, that would no doubt be persecution.
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: The Christians again laugh heartily, Centurion, horrified, Silence, I tell you,
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: keep silence. There, did anyone ever hear the like of this, Lavinia, Captain,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: there will be nobody to appreciate your jokes when we
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: are gone, Captain unshaken, in his official delivery, I call
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: the attention of the female prisoner Lavinia to the fact that,
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: as the Emperor is a divine personage, her imputation of
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: cruelty is not only treason but sacrilege. I point out
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: to her further that there is no foundation for the charge,
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: as the Emperor does not desire that any prisoner should suffer,
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: nor can any Christian be harmed, save through his or
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: her own obstinacy. All that is necessary is to sacrifice
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: to the Gods, as simple and convenient ceremony, affected by
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: dropping a pinch of incense on the altar, after which
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: the prisoner is at once set free. Under such circumstances,
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: you have only your own perverse folly to blame if
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: you suffer. I suggest to you that if you cannot
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: burn a morsel of incense as a matter of conviction,
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: you might at least do so as a matter of
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: good taste, to avoid shocking the religious convictions of your
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: fellow citizens. I am aware that these considerations do not
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: weigh with Christians, but it is my duty to call
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: your attention to them, in order that you may have
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: no ground for complaining of your treatment or of accusing
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: the Emperor of cruelty when he is showing you the
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: most signal clemency. Looked at from this point of view,
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: every Christian who has perished in the arena has really
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: committed suicide. Lavinia, Captain, your jokes are too grim. Do
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: not think it is easy for us to die. Our
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: faith makes life far stronger and more wonderful in us
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: than when we walked in darkness and had nothing to
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: live for. Death is harder for us than for you.
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: The martyr's agony is as bitter as his triumph is glorious, Captain,
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: rather troubled addressing her personally and gravely. A martyr, LAVINYA
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: is a fool. Your death will prove nothing, Lavinia. Then
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: why kill me? Captain? I mean that truth, if there
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: be any truth, needs no martyrs, Lavinia. No. But my faith,
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: like your sword, needs testing. Can you test your sword
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: except by staking your life on it? Captain, suddenly resuming
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: his official tone, I call the attention of the female
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: prisoner to the fact that Christians are not allowed to
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: draw the emperor's officers into arguments and put questions to
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: them for which the military regulations provide no answer. The
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: Christians titter, Lavinia, Captain, how can you, Captain? I call
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: the female prisoner's attention, specially to the fact that four
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: comfortable homes have been offered her by officers of this regiment,
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: of which she can have her choice the moment she
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: chooses to sacrifice, as all well bred Roman ladies do.
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: I have no more to say to the prisoners, Centurion dismiss,
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: but stay where you are, Captain. Centurion. You will remain
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: here with your men in charge of the prisoners until
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: the arrival of three Christian prisoners and the custody of
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: a cohort of the tenth Legion. Among these prisoners you
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: will particularly identify an armorer named Ferrovius, of dangerous character
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: and great personal strength, and a Greek tailor reputed to
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: be a sorcerer by name Andracles. You will add the
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: three to your charge here and march them all to
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: the Colosseum, where you will deliver them into the custody
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: of the Master of the glad Eaters, and take his
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: receipt countersigned by the Keeper of the Beasts and the
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: acting Manager. You understand your instructions, Centurion, Yes, sir, Captain dismiss.
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: He throws off his air of parade and descends down
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: from the perch the centurion seats on it and prepares
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: for a nap. Whilst his men stand at ease. The
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Christians sit down on the west side of the square,
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: glad to rest. Lavinia alone remains standing to speak to
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: the captain. Lavinia, Captain, is this man who is to
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: join us, the famous Frovius who has made such wonderful
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: conversions in the northern cities? Captain. Yes, we are warned
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: that he has the strength of an elephant and the
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: temper of a mad bull. Also that he is stark mad,
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: not a model Christian, it would seem, Lavinia, you need
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: not fear him if he is a Christian. Captain, Captain, coldly,
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: I shall not fear him in any case. Lavinia, Lavinia,
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: her eyes dancing, How brave of you, Captain. Oh, you
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: are right. It was a silly thing to say in
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: a lower tone, humane and urgent Lavinia. Do Christians know
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: how to love? Lavinia? Composedly? Yes, Captain, They love even
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: their enemies. Captain. Is that easy, Lavinia? Very easy, Captain,
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: when their enemies are as handsome as you, Captain, Lavinia,
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: you are laughing at me, Lavinia, that's you, Captain. Impossible Captain,
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: Then you are flirting with me, which is worse. Don't
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: be foolish, Lavinia, but such a very handsome captain, Captain incorrigible.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: Urgently listen to me. The men in that audience tomorrow
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: will be the vilest of voluptuaries, men in whom the
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: only passion excited by a beautiful woman is a lust
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: to see her tortured and torn, shrieking limb from limb.
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: It is a crime to dignify that passion. It is
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: offering yourself for violation by the whole rabble of the
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: streets and a riff raff of the court at the
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: same time. Why will you not choose rather a kindly
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: love and an honorable alliance, Lavinia, They cannot violate my soul.
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: I alone can do that by sacrificing to false gods. Captain,
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: sacrifice then to the true God. What does his name matter?
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: We call him Jupiter, the Greeks call him Zeus. Call
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: him what you will. As you drop the incense on
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: the altar flame, he will understand, Lavinia, No I couldn't.
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: That is the strange thing, Captain, that a little pinch
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: of incense should make all that difference. Religion is such
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: a great thing that when I meet really religious people,
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: we are friends at once, no matter what name we
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: give to the divine will that makes us and moves us. Oh,
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: do you think that I, a woman, would quarrel with
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: you for sacrificing to a woman god like Diana. If
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: Diana meant to you what Christ means to me. No,
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: we should kneel side by side before her altar like
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: two children. But when men who believe neither in My
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: God nor in their own, men who do not know
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: the meaning of the word religion, When these men dragged
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: me to the foot of an iron statue that has
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: become the symbol of the terror and darkness through which
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: they walk, of their cruelty and greed, of their hatred
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: of God and their oppression of man. When they asked
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: me to pledge my soul before the people that this
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: hideous idol is God, and that all this wickedness and
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: falsehood is divine truth. I cannot do it. Not if
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: they could put a thousand cruel deaths on me, I
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: tell you it is physically impossible. Listen, Captain, did you
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: ever try to catch a mouse in your hand? Once?
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: There was a dear little mouse that used to come
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: and play on my table as I was reading. I
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: wanted to take him in my hand and caress him.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: And sometimes he got among my books so that he
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: could not escape me when I stretched out my hand.
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: And I did stretch out my hand, but it always
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: came back in spite of me. I was not afraid
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: of him in my heart, but my hand refused. It
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: is not in the nature of my hand to touch
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: a mouse. Well, Captain, if I took a pinch of
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: incense in my hand and stretched it out over the
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: altar fire, my hand would come back. My body would
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: be true to my faith, even if you could corrupt
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: my mind. And all the time I should believe more
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: in Diana than my persecutors have ever believed in anything.
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: Can you understand that, Captain? Simply yes, I understand that.
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: But my hand would not come back. The hand that
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: holds the sword has been trained not to come back
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: from anything but victory Lavinia, not even from death, Captain,
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: least of all from death Lavinia. Then I must not
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: come back either. A woman has to be braver than
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: a soldier. Captain. Prouder you mean Lavinia, startled prouder you
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: call our courage pride Captain, there is no such thing
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: as courage. There is only pride. You Christians are the
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: proudest devils on earth, Lavinia. Hurt, Pray God, then my
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: pride may never become a false pride. She turns away
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: as if she did not wish to continue the conversation,
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: but softens and to him with a smile. Thank you
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: for trying to save me from death. Captain. I knew
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: it was no use, but one tries in spite of
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: one's knowledge, Lavinia. Something stirs even in the iron breast
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: of a Roman soldier. Captain, it will soon be iron again.
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: I have seen many women die and forgotten them. In
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: a week, Lavinya, remember me for a fortnight, handsome Captain.
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: I shall be watching you, perhaps, Captain, from the skies.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: Do not deceive yourself, Lavinya. There is no future for
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: you beyond the grave, Lavinia, What does that matter? Do
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: you think I am only running away from the terrors
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: of life into the comfort of heaven. If there were
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: no future, or if the future were one of torment,
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: I should have to go just the same. The hand
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: of God is upon me, Captain. Yes, when all is said,
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: we are both patricians. Lavina. And must die for our beliefs. Farewell.
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: He offers her his hand, She takes it and presses it.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: He walks away, trim and calm. She looks after him
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: for a moment and cries a little. As he disappears
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: through the eastern arch. A trumpet call is heard from
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: the road through the western arch. Centurion waking up and rising,
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: Cohort of the tenth with prisoners too, file out with
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: me to receive them. He goes out through the western arch,
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: followed by four soldiers in two files. Lentilus and Metalus
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: come into the square from the west side, with a
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: little retinue of servants. Both are young courtiers dressed in
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: the extremity of fashion. Lentilss is slender, fair haired Episscene.
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: Metalus is manly, compactly built, olive skinned, not a talker.
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: Lentulus Christians, by jove, let's chaff them, Metellus awful brutes.
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: If you knew as much about them as I do,
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: you wouldn't want to chaff them. Leave them to the lions. Lentulus,
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: indicating Lavinia, who is still looking towards the arches after
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: the captain. That woman's got a figure. He walks past her,
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: staring at her invitingly, but she is preoccupied and is
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: not conscious of him. Do you turn the other cheek
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: when they kiss you, Lavinia starting, What Lentulus, do you
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: turn the other cheek when they kiss you? Fascinating Christian, Lavinia,
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: don't be foolish to Metellus, who has remained on her
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: right so that she is between them. Please, don't let
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: your friend behave like a cad before the soldiers. How
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: are they to respect and obey patricians if they see
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: them behaving like street boys? Sharply to Lentulus, pull yourself together, man,
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: hold your head up, keep the corners of your mouth firm,
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: and treat me respectfully. What do you take me for, Lentulus, irresolutely?
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: Look here, you know I you I Lavinia stuff, go
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: about your business. She turns decisively away and sits down
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: with her comrades, leaving him disconcerted. Metellus, you didn't get
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: much out of that. I told you they were brutes, Lentulus,
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: plucky little Philly, I suppose she thinks I care. With
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: an air of indifference, he strolls with metalists to the
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: east side of the square, where they stand watching the
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: return of the centurion through the western arch with his
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: men escorting three prisoners, Ferovius, Androcles, and Spinto. Ferovius is
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: a powerful, choleric man in the prime of life, with
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: large nostrils, staring eyes, and a thick neck, a man
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: whose sensibilities are keen and violent to the verge of madness.
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: Spinto is a debauche, the wreck of a good looking
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: man gone hopelessly to the bad. Androcles is overwhelmed with
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: grief and is restraining his tears with great difficulty. Centurion
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: to Lavinia, Here are some pals for you. This little
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: bit is Ferrovius that you talk so much about. Ferovius
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: turns on him threateningly. The Centurion holds up his left
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: forefinger in admonition. Now remember that you're a Christian and
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: that you've got to return good for evil. Ferovi controls
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: himself convulsively, moves away from temptation to the east side,
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: near leniless, clasps his hand in silent prayer, and throws
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: himself on his knees. That's the way to enter to me.
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: This fine fellow, indicating Androcles, who comes to his left
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: and makes Lavina a heartbroken salutation, is a sorcerer. A
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: Greek tailor. He is a real sorcerer too, no mistake
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: about it. The tenth march is with a leopard at
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: the head of the column. He made a pet of
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: the leopard, and now he's crying at being parted from it.
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: Androcles sniffs lamentably, ain't you old chap Well? Cheer up?
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: We march with a billy goat. Andrew Cles brightens up.
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: That's killed two leopards and ate a turkey cock. You
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: can have him for a pet if you like. Androw
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: Cle is quite consoled, goes past the centurion to Lavina
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: and sits down contentedly on the ground on her left.
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: This dirty dog collaring Spinto is a real Christian. He
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: mobs temples. He does at each accusation. He gives the
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: neck of Spento's tunic a twist. He goes smashing things, mad,
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: drunk he does. He steals the gold vessels, he does.
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: He assaults the priestesses. He does. Bah. He flings Spento
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: into the middle of the group of prisoners. You're the
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: sort that makes duty a pleasure, you are, Spino, gasping.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: That's it. Strangle me, kick me, beat me, revile me.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: Our lord was beaten in reviled. That's my way to heaven.
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: Every martyr goes to heaven, no matter what he's done.
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: That is though, isn't it, brother Centurion. Well, if you're
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: going to heaven, I don't want to go there. I
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: wouldn't be seen with you. Lentulus. Huh good, indicating the
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: kneeling Ferrovius. Is this one of the turn the other cheek, gentleman,
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: Centurion Centurion, Yes, sir, lucky for you too, sir, if
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: you want to take any liberties with him, Lentulus too, Ferovius,
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: you turn the other cheek when you're struck, I'm told
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: Fus slowly turning his great eyes on him. Yes, by
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: the grace of God, I do now, Lentilus. Not that
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: you're a coward, of course, but out of pure pietys
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: I fear God more than man. At least I try
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: to Lentulus. Let's see. He strikes him on the cheek.
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: Androcles makes a wild movement to rise and interfere, but
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: Lavinia holds him down, watching Ferovius intently. Ferovius, without flinching,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: turns the other cheek. Lentiless rather out of countenance, titters
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: foolishly and strikes him again feebly. You know I should
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: feel ashamed if I let myself be struck like that
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: and took it lying down. But I'm not a Christian.
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: I'm a man. Ferovius rises impressively and towers over him.
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: Lentilus becomes white with terror, and a shade of green
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: flickers in his chest. For a moment, Ferovius, with the
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: calm of a steam hammer, I have not all. He
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: has been faithful. The first man who struck me as
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: you have just struck me was a stronger man than you.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: He hit me harder than I expected. I was tempted
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: and fell, and it was then that I first tasted
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: bitter shame. I never had a happy moment after that
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: until I had knelt and asked his forgiveness by his
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: bedside in the hospital, putting his hands on Lentilss's shoulders
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: with paternal weight. But now I have learnt to resist
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: with a strength that is not my own. I am
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: not ashamed now, nor angry, lentiless, uneasily er a good evening.
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: He tries to move away, gripping his shoulders. Oh do
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: not harden your heart, young man. Come try for yourself
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: whether our way is not better than yours. I will
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: now strike you on one cheek, and you will turn
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: the other and learn how much better you will feel
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: than if you gave way to the promptings of anger.
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: He holds him with one hand and clenches the other fist. Lentulus, Centurion,
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: I call on you to protect me. Centurion, you asked
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: for it, Sir, It's no business of ours. You've had
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: two waxed him. Better pay him a trifle and square
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: it that way, Lentulus. Yes, of course too, Ferovius, it
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: was only a bit of fun. I assure you I
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: meant no harm here. He proffers a gold coins, taking
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: it and throwing it to the old beggar, who snatches
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: it up eagerly and hobbles off to spend it. Give
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: all thou hast to the poor. Come, friend, courage. I
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: may hurt your body for a moment, but your soul
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: will rejoice in the victory of the spirit over the flesh.
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: He prepares to strike Androcles. Easy, Ferovius, Easy, you broke
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: the last min's jaw. Lentilss, with a moan of terror,
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: attempts to fly, but Fovius holds him ruthlessly. Yes, but
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: I saved his soul. What matters a broken jaw? Thulus?
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: Don't touch me? Do you hear the law? The law
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: will throw me to the lions tomorrow. What worse could
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: it do? Were I to slay you? Pray for strength
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: and it shall be given to Youlentulus, let me go.
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: Your religion forbids you to strike me. On the contrary,
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: it commands me to strike you. How can you turn
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: the other cheek if you are not first struck on
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: the one cheek Thanulus? Almost in tears, but I'm convinced
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: already that what you said is quite right. I apologize
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: for striking you. Greatly pleased, my son. Have I softened
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: your heart? Has the good seed fallen in a fruitful place?
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: Are your feet turning towards a better path Thanulus? Abjectly yes, yes,
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: there's a great deal in what you says, Radiant, join us,
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: come to the lions, come to suffering and death. Lentulus
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: falling on his knees and bursting into tears. Oh help me, mother, mother.
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: These tears will water your soul and make it bring
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: forth good fruit. My son, God has greatly blessed my
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: efforts at conversion. Shall I tell you a miracle, yes,
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: a miracle wrought by me. In Cappadocia, a young man,
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: just such a one as you, with golden hair like yours,
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: scoffed at and struck me as you scoffed at and
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: struck me. I sat up all night with that youth,
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: wrestling for his soul, And in the morning not only
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: was he a Christian, but his hair was as white
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: as snow. Lentiless falls in a dead faint there there.
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: Take him away. The spirit has overwrought him. Poor lad.
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: Carry him gently to his house and leave the rest
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: to heaven. Centurion take him home. The servants, intimidated, hastily
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: carry him out. Metalus is about to follow when Farovius
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: lays his hand on his shoulder. You are his friend,
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: young man. You will see that he is taken safely home.
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: Metellus with awe struck civility. Certainly, sir, I shall do
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: whatever you think best. Most happy to have made your acquaintance,
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: I'm sure you may depend on me. Good evening, Sir Ferovius,
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: with unction the blessing of Heaven upon you and him.
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: Metalus follows. Lentilus. The centurion returns to his seat to
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: resume his interrupted nap. The deepest awe has settled on
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: the spectators. Ferovius, with a long sigh of happiness, goes
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: to Livina and offers her his hand, Lavinya taking it.
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: So that is how you convert people, Ferovius. Yes, there
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: has been a blessing on my work in spite of
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: my unworthiness and my backslidings, all through my wicked, devilish temper.
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: This man and hastily, don't slap me on the back. Brother,
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: She knows you mean me. How I wish I were
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: weak like our brother here, for then I should perhaps
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: be meek and gentle like him. And yet there seems
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: to be a special providence that makes my trials less
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: than his. I hear tales of the crowd scoffing and
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: casting stones and reviling the brethren. But when I come,
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: all this stops. My influence, calms the passions of the mob.
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: They listen to me in silence, and infidels are often
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: converted by a straight heart to heart talk with me.
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: Every day I feel happier, more confident. Every day lightens
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: the load of their great terror, Lavinia, the great terror?
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: What is that? Pherobias shakes his head and does not answer.
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: He sits down beside her on her left, and buries
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: his face in his hands in gloomy meditation. Androcles, well,
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: you see, sister, he's never quite sure of himself. Suppose
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: at the last moment in the arena, what the gladiators
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: there to fight him, one of them was to say
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: anything to annoy him, he might forget himself and lay
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: that gladiator out, Lavinia. That's would be splendid, Ferobius springing
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: up in horror. What androcles, Oh, sister, Ferobius splendid to
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: betray my master like Peter, splendid to act like any
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: common blackguard in the day of my proving woman, you
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: are no Christian. He moves away from her to the
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: middle of the square, as if her neighborhood contaminated him.
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: Lavinia laughing. You know, for Rovius, I am not always
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: a Christian. I don't think anybody is. There are moments
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: when I forget all about it and something comes out
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: quite naturally as it did. Then spinto what does it
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: matter if you die in the arena, You'll be a martyr,
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: and all martyrs go to heaven no matter what they
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: have done. That's so isn't it, Forerovias, Yes, that is so,
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: if we are faithful to the end. Lavinia, I'm not
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: so sure, Spinto. Don't say that. That's blasphemy. Don't say that.
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: I tell you we will be saved no matter what
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: we do, Lavinia. Perhaps you men will all go into
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: heaven bravely and in triumph, with your heads erect and
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: golden trumpets sounding for you. But I am sure I
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: shall only be allowed to squeeze myself in through a
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: little crack in the gate, after a great deal of begging.
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: I am not good always. I have moments only, Spinto,
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: you're talking nonsense. Women. I tell you martyrdom pays all
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: scores andkle well. Let us hope. So, brother, for your sake,
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: you've had a gay time, haven't you, with your raids
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: on the temples. I can't help thinking that heaven will
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: be very dull for a man of your temperament. Spento snarls.
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: Don't be angry. I say it only to console you
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: in case you should die in bed to night. In
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: the natural way, there's a lot of plague about Spento
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: rising and running about in abject terror. I never thought
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: of that, Oh Lord, spare me to be martyred. Oh,
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: what a thought to put into the mind of a brother. Oh,
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: let me be martyred to day. Now I shall die
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: in the night and go to hell. You're a sorcerer.
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: You've put death into my mind. Oh, curse you, curse you.
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: He tries to seize Androcles by the throat, Ferobius, holding
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: him in a grip of iron. What's this, brother, anger? Violence?
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: Raising your hand to a brother Christian Spinto. It's easy
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: for you. You're strong, your nerves are all right. But
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: I'm full of devied. Forerovius takes his hand from him
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: with instinctive disgust. I've drunk on my nerves the way
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: I shall have the horrors all night and sympathetic. Oh,
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: don't take on so brother, we're all sinners. Spinto, sniveling
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: trying to feel consoled. Yes, I dare say, if the
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: truth were known, you're all as bad as I am.
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: Lavinia contemptuously. Does that comfort you? Forerovius sternly pray, man, pray, Spinto.
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: What's the good of praying? If we're martyd we shall
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: go to heaven? Shan't we whether we pray or not?
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: What's that not? Pray, seizing him again, pray this instant,
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: you dog, you rotten hound, you slimy snake, you beastly
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: got Spinto. Yes, kick me, I forgive you mind that, Ferovius,
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: spurning him with loathing. Yeah, Spento reels away and falls
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: in front of Ferovius, Androcles, reaching out and catching the
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: skirt of Ferovius's tunic. Dear brother, if you wouldn't mind,
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: just for my sake, Ferovius, Well, Androcles, don't call him
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: by the names of the animals. We've no right to.
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: I've had such friends and dogs. A pet snake is
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: the best of company. I was nursed on goat's milk.
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: Is it fair to them to call the like of
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: him a dog or a snake or a goat? Perovius,
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: I only meant that they have no souls, Androcles, anxiously protesting. Oh,
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: believe me, they have, just the same as you and me.
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: I really don't think I could consent to go to
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: heaven if I thought there were to be no animals there.
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: Think of what they suffer hereus. That's true, Yes, that
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: is just. They will have their share in heaven. Spinto,
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: who has picked himself up and is sneaking past Farovius
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: on his left sneers Derivevelyvius turning on him fiercely. What's
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: that you say? Spinto, cornering nothings, clenching his fist. Do
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: animals go to heaven or not? Spinto? I never said
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: they didn't, implacable, do they? Or do they not? Spinto?
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: They do they do? Scrambling out of Farovius's reach, Oh,
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: curse you for frightening me. A bugle call is heard, Centurion,
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: waking up tension form as before. Now then prisoners up
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: with you and trust along Spry. The soldiers fall in,
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: the Christians rise. A man with an ox goade comes
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: running through the central arch. Ox driver, Yeah, you soldiers,
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: clear out of the way for the Emperor. Centurion, Emperor,
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: where's the Emperor? You ain't the Emperor, are you? Ox Driver?
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: It's the Menagerie Service. My team of oxen is drawing
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: the new lion to the Colosseum. You clear the road, Centurion,
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: What going after your dust? With half the town at
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: the heels of you and your lion? Not likely? We
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: go first, ox Driver. The Menagerie Service is the Emperor's
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: personal retinue. You clear out I tell you, Centurion, you
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: tell me, do you well? I'll tell you something. If
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: the lion is menagerie service, the lion's dinner is menagerie
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: service too. This pointing to the Christians is the lion's dinner.
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: So back with you to your bullocks, double quick and
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: learn your place. March the soldiers start now, then Youchristians
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: step out there Lavinia marching. Come along the rest of
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: the dinner. I shall be the olives and the anchovies.
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: Another Christian laughing, I shall be the soup. Another Christian,
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: I shall be the fish. Another Christians shall be the
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: roast bore heavily. I see the joke. Yes, yes, I
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: shall be the roast boar. Ha ha. He laughs conscientiously
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: and marches out with them. Andrews, I shall be the
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: mince pie. Each announcement is received with a louder laugh
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: by all the rest, as the joke catches on Centurion
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: scandalized silence. Have some sense of your situation? Is this
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: the way for martyrs to behave to spinto who is
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: quaking and loitering? I know what you'll be at that dinner.
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: You'll be the emetic. He shoves him rudely along spinto
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: it's too dreadful. I'm not fit to die, Centurion, fitter
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: than you are to live, you swine. They pass from
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: the square westward. The oxen drawing a wagon with a
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: great wooden cage and the lion in it arrive through
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: the central arch end of section one Section two of
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: Androcles and the Lion by George Bernard Shaw. This LibriVox
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Act two. Behind the
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: Emperor's Box at the Colisseum, where the performers assemble before
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: entering the arena in the middle, a wide passage leading
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: to the arena descends from the floor level under the
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: Imperial Box. On both sides of this passage, steps ascend
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: to a landing at the back entrance to the box.
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: The landing forms a bridge across the passage. At the
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: entrance to the passage are two bronze mirrors, one on
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: each side. On the west side of this passage. On
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: the right hand of any one coming from the box
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: and standing on the bridge, the marchers are sitting on
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: the steps. Lavinia is seated half way up, thoughtful, trying
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: to look death in the face. On her left. Androcles
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: consoles himself by nursing a cat. Ferrobius stands behind them,
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: his eyes blazing, his figure stiff with intense resolution. At
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: the foot of the steps crouches Spinto with his head
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: clutched in his hands, full of horror at the approach
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: of martyrdom. On the east side of the passage, the
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: gladiators are standing and sitting at ease, waiting like the
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: Christians for their turn in the arena. One Rttiarias is
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: a nearly naked man with a net and a trident.
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: Another Secutur is in armor with a sword. He carries
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: a helmet with a barred visor. The editor of the
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: gladiators sits on a chair a little apart from them.
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: The callboy enters from the passage Callboy number six, Rettiarius
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: versus Secutour. The gladiator with the net picks it up,
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: the gladiator with the helmet puts it on, and the
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: two go into the arena, the net thrower taking out
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: a little brush and arranging his hair as he goes,
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: the other tightening his straps and shaking his shoulders loose.
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: Both look at themselves in the mirrors before they enter
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: the passage Lavinia. Will they really kill one another? Spinto yes,
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: if the people turn down their thumbs, editor, you know
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: nothing about it the people. Indeed, do you suppose we
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: would kill a man worth perhaps fifty towers to please
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: the riff raff? I should like to catch any of
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: my men at it, Spinto, I thought, editor, contemptuously, you thought,
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: who cares what? You think? You'll be killed? All right? Enough?
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: Spinto groans and again hides his face. Then he is
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: nobody ever killed except us, poor Lavinia Christians. Editor. If
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: the Vestal Virgins turn down their thumbs, that's another matter there,
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: ladies of rank Lavinia. Does the emperor ever interfere? Editor? Oh? Yes,
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: he turns his thumbs up fast enough if the Vestal
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: Virgins were to have one of his pet fighting men killed, Androcles.
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: But don't they ever just only pretend to kill one another?
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: Why shouldn't you pretend to die and get dragged out
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: as if you were dead, and then get up and
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: go home like an actor? Editor? See here, you want
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: to know too much. There will be no pretending about
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: the new lion. Let that be enough for you. He's hungry,
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: Spino groaning with horror. Oh lord, can't you stop talking
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: about it? Isn't it bad enough for us without that. Androcles.
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: I'm glad he's hungry, not that I want him to suffer,
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: poor Chap, but then he'll enjoy eating me so much more.
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: There's a cheerful side to everything. Editor, rising and striding
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: over to Androcles. Here, don't you be obstinate. Come with
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: me and drop the pinch of incense on the altar.
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: That's all you need do to be let off. Androcles. No,
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: thank you very much, indeed, but I really mustn't. Editor,
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: what not to save your life? Androcles, I'd rather not.
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: I couldn't sacrifice to Diana. She's a huntress, you know,
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: and kill things. Editor, That don't matter. You can choose
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: your own alter. Sacrifice to Jupiter. He likes animals. He
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: turns himself into an animal when he goes off duty. Androcles. No,
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: it's very kind of you, but I feel I can't
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: save myself that way. Editor, But I don't ask you
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: to do it to save yourself. I ask you to
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: do it to oblige me personally. Androcles, scrambling up in
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: the greatest agitation. Oh please don't say that that is dreadful.
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: You mean so kindly by me that it seems quite
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: horrible to disoblige you. If you could arrange for me
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: to sacrifice when there's nobody looking, I shouldn't mind. But
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: I must go into the arena with the rest my honor,
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: you know, Editor, honor, the honor of a tailor. Androcles apologetically. Well,
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: perhaps honor is too strong an expression. Still, you know
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: I couldn't allow the tailors to get a bad name
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: through me. Editor, how much will you remember of all that?
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: When you smell the beast's breath and see his jaws
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: opening to tear out your throat. Spino rising with a
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: yell of terror. I can't bear it. Where's the altar?
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: I'll sackrifaith ferobous dog of an apostate is scaryot Spento.
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: I'll repent afterwards. I fully mean to die in the arena.
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: I'll die a marcher and go to heaven. But not
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: this time, not now, not until my nerves are better. Besides,
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: I'm too young. I want to have just one more
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: good time. The gladiators laugh at him. Oh, will no
• 53:05
  Speaker 1: one tell me where the altar is? He dashes into
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: the passage and vanishes, and to the editor, pointing after Spintho, brother,
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: I can't do that. Not even to oblige. You don't
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: ask me. Editor, Well, if you're determined to die, I
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: can't help you. But I wouldn't be put off by
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: a swine like that. Ferous peace, peace tempt him, not
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: get thee behind him, satan editor, flushing with rage. For
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: two pins, I'd take a turn in the arena myself
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: today and pay you out for daring to talk to
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: me like that. Ferovias springs forward, Lavinia, rising quickly and interposing, brother, Brother,
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: you forget curbing himself by a mighty effort. Oh my,
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: my wicked temper to the editor, as Lavinia sits down again, reassured,
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: forgive me, brother, My heart was full of wrath. I
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: should have been thinking of your dear precious soul. Editor. Yeah,
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: He turns his back on Ferovius contemptuously and goes back
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: to his seat, continuing, and I forgot it all. I
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: thought of nothing but offering to fight you with one
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: hand tied behind me, Editor, turning pugnaciously. What on the
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: border between zeal and ferocity? Oh, don't give way to
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: pride and wrath, brother, I could do it so easily,
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: I could. They are separated by the menagerie keeper who
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: rushes in from the passage. Furious Keeper, here's a nice business.
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: Who let that Christian out of here? Down to the
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: dens when we were changing the line into the cage
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: to the arena? Editor, nobody let him? He let himself well.
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: The irons ate him consternation. The Christian's rise greatly agitated.
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: The gladiators sit carelessly, but are highly amused. I'll speak
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: or cry out or laugh at once. Tumult lavinia, Oh,
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: poor wretch, the apostate has perished. Praise be to God's justice, Androcles.
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: The poor beast was starving. It couldn't help itself. Christians,
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: what eat him? How frightful? How terrible? Without a moment
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: to repent? God be merciful to him? A sinner, Oh,
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: I can't bear to think of it in the midst
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: of his sin, horrible, horrible Editor, serve the rotter right.
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: Gladiators just walked into it. He did, He's martyred, all
• 55:55
  Speaker 1: right enough, good old lion, old jock doesn't like that.
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: Look at his face. Devil a better. The Emperor will
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: laugh when he hears of it. I can't help smiling.
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: A keeper, now his appetite's taken off. He won't as
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: much as look at another Christian for a week. Androw Cles,
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: couldn't you have saved him, brother, Keeper saved him, saved
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: him from a lion that I just got mad with hunger,
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: a wild one that came out of the forest not
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: four weeks ago. He bolted him before you could say,
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: balbus Lavinia. Sitting down again, poor Spinto. And it won't
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: even count as martyrdom. Keeper, serve him right? What call
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: had he to walk down the throat of one of
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: my lions before he was asked? Androw Cles, perhaps the
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: lion won't eat me now, Keeper, Yes, that's just like
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: a Christian. Think only of yourself. What am I to do?
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: What am I to say to the Emperor when he
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: sees one of my lions coming into the arena half asleep?
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: Editor say nothing, Give you old lion some bitters and
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: a morsel of fried fish to wake up his appetite. Laughter, Keeper, Yes,
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: it's easy for you to talk. But Editor, scrambling to
• 57:13
  Speaker 1: his feet, Attention there the Emperor. The Keeper bolts precipitately
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: into the passage. The gladiators rise smartly and form into line.
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: The Emperor enters on the Christian side, conversing with Mattellas,
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: and followed by his suite gladiators. Caesar, good Morrow friends Attellas,
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: shakes hands with the editor, who accepts his condescension with
• 57:43
  Speaker 1: bluff respect Lavinia, blessing Caesar and forgiveness, Caesar, turning in
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: some surprise at the salutation, there is no forgiveness for Christianity. Lavina.
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: I did not mean that, Caesar. I mean that we
• 57:58
  Speaker 1: forgive you, and it's inconceivable liberty. Do you not know, woman,
• 58:02
  Speaker 1: that the emperor can do no wrong and therefore cannot
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: be forgiven? Lavinia? I expect the Emperor knows better. Anyhow,
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: we forgive him Christians, All men, men, Caesar Mettellus. You
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: see now the disadvantage of too much severity. These people
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: have no hope. Therefore they have nothing to restrain them
• 58:22
  Speaker 1: from saying what they like to me. They're almost as
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: impertinent as the gladiators, which is the Greek sorcerer Androcles,
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: humbly touching his forelock me your worship, Caesar, my worship
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: good a new title. Well, what miracles can you perform? Androcles?
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: I can cure warts by rubbing them with my tailor's chalk,
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: And I can live with my wife without beating her. Caesar,
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: Is that all androcles? You don't know her, Caesar, or
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: you wouldn't say that, Caesar. Ah, well, my friend, we
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: shall no doubt contrive a happy release for you, which
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: is ferrovious, Caesar. They tell me you can fight. It
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: is easy to fight. I can die, Caesar. Caesar, that
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: is still easier? Is it not not to me? Caesar?
• 59:15
  Speaker 1: Death comes hard to my flesh, and fighting comes very
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: easily to my spirit. Beating his breast and lamenting, Oh,
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: thinner that I am, he throws himself down on the steps,
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: deeply discouraged, Caesar mettell Us. I should like to have
• 59:32
  Speaker 1: this man in the Praetorian guard. I should not, Caesar.
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: He looks a spoil sport. There are men in whose
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: presence it is impossible to have any fun, men who
• 59:42
  Speaker 1: are sort of walking conscience. He would make us all uncomfortable, Caesar.
• 59:47
  Speaker 1: For that reason, perhaps it might be well to have him.
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: An emperor can hardly have too many consciences to Ferovious. Listen, Ferous.
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: Ferovius shakes his head and will not look up. You
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: and your friends shall not be outnumbered today in the arena.
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: You shall have arms, and there will be no more
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: than one gladiator to each Christian. If you come out
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: of the arena alive, I will consider favorably any request
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: of yours and give you a place in the Pratorian Guard.
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: Even if the request be that no questions be asked
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: about your faith, I shall perhaps not refuse it. I
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: will not fight. I will die. Better stand with the
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: archangels than with the Pretorian Guard. Caesar, I cannot believe
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: that the archangels, whoever they may be, would not prefer
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: to be recruited from the Pretorian Guard. However, as you
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: please come, let us see the show. As the court
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: ascends the steps, Secutor and the Retiarius return from the
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 1: arena through the passage. Secutor covered with dust and very angry.
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: Rettiarius grinning. Secutor, ha the Emperor. Now we shall see. Caesar,
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: I ask you whether it is fair for the Retiarius
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 1: instead of making a fair throve has me to switch
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: it along the ground and throw the dust in my
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: eyes and then catch me when I'm blinded. If the
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: vestals had not turned up their thumbs, I should have
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: been a dead man. Caesar, halting on the stair, There
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 1: is nothing in the rules against it, Secutor, indignantly, Caesar,
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 1: is it a dirty trick? Or is it not? Caesar?
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: It is a dusty one, my friend, obsequious laughter, be
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: on your guard next time, Secutor. Let him be on
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: his guard. Next time. I'll throw my sword at his
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 1: heels and strangle him with his own net before he
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: can hop off to Retiarius. You see if I don't,
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: He goes out past the gladiators, sulky and furious Caesar
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: to the chuckling Retiarius. These tricks are not wise, my friend.
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: The audience likes to see a dead man in all
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: his beauty and splendor. If you smudge his face and
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: spoil his armor, they will show their displeasure by not
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: letting you kill him, and when your turn comes, they
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: will remember it against you and turn their thumbs down. Rettiarius.
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: Perhaps that is why I did it, Caesar. He bet
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: me ten Sistercees that he would vanquish me if I
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: had had to kill him. I should not have had
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: the money. Caesar, indulgent, laughing, you rogues, there is no
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: end to your tricks. I'll dismiss you all and have
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: elephants to fight. They fight fairly. He goes up to
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: his box and knocks at it. It is opened from
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: within by the captain, who stands as on parade to
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: let him pass. The cowboy comes from the passage, followed
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: by three attendants, carrying respectively, a bundle of swords, some helmets,
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: and some breastplates and pieces of armor, which they throw
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: down in a heap. Callboy, by your leave, Caesar. Number
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: eleven gladiators and Christians. Ferovius springs up, ready for martyrdom.
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 1: The other Christians take the summons as best they can,
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: some joyful and brave, some patient and dignified, some tearful
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: and helpless, some embracing one another. With a moment. The
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: collboy goes back into the passage. Caesar, turning at the
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: door of the box, the hour has come, Ferovius. I
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: shall go into my box and see you killed, since
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: you scorned the Praetorian guard. He goes into the box.
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: The captain shuts the door, remaining inside. With the Emperor
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: tell Us and the rest of the suite dispersed to
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 1: their seats. The Christians, led by Farovius, moved towards the
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: passage Lavinia to Ferovius. Farewell, editor, steady Air you Christians
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: have got to fight here, arm yourselves. Picking up a sword.
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 1: I'll die sword in hand, to show people that I
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 1: could fight if it were my master's will, and that
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: I could kill the man who kills me if I chose. Editor.
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: Put on that armor. No armor, Editor, bullying him, do
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: what you're told, put on that armor, gripping the sword
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: and looking dangerous, I said, no armor, Editor, And what
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: am I to say when I'm accused of sending a
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: naked man in to fight my men in armor? Say
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: your prayers, brother, and have no fear of the princes
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: of this world. Editor, Sure you obstinate fool. He bites
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: his lips, irresolutely, not knowing exactly what to do. Androcles too, ferovious,
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: farewell brother, till we meet in the suite. Bye and bye.
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: Editor to Androcles, you are going to take a sword
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: there and put on any armor you can find to
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: fit you. Androcles. No, really, I can't fight. I never could.
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: I can't bring myself to dislike anyone enough. I'm to
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: be thrown to the lions with the lady. Editor, then
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: get out of the way. Hold your noise. Anderkleve steps
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: aside with cheerful docility. Now then, are you already there?
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 1: A trumpet is heard from the arena, starting convulsively. Heaven
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: give me strength. Editor Ahah. That frightens you, does it? Man?
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: There is no terror like the terror of that sound.
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 1: To me. When I hear a trumpet or a drum,
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: or the clash of steel, or the hum of the catapult.
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: As the great stone flies, fire runs through my veins,
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 1: I feel my blood surge up hot behind my eyes.
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: I must charge, I must strike, I must conquer. Caesar
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: himself will not be safe in his imperial seat if
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: once that spirit gets loose in me. Oh, brothers, pray
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: exhort me. Remind me that if I raise my sword,
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: my honor falls and my master is crucified. Afresh, Androcles,
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: Just keep thinking how cruel you might hurt the poor gladiators.
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: It does not hurt a man to kill him, Lavinia.
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: Nothing but faith can save you. Faith which faith? There
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 1: are two faiths. There is our faith and there is
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: the warrior's faith, the faith in fighting, the faith that
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: sees God in the sword. How if that faith should
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 1: overwhelm me, Lavinia, you will find your real faith in
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: the hour of trial. That is what I fear I
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: know that I am a fighter. How can I feel
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: sure that I am a Christian and throw away the sword? Brother,
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: I cannot it cleaves to my hand. I could as
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: easily throw a woman I loved from my arms. Starting
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 1: who spoke that blasphemy? Not I, Lavinia. I can't help you, friend,
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: I can't tell you not to save your own life.
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: Something wilful in me wants to see you fight your
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: way into heaven. Ha androcles. But if you are going
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: to give up our faith, brother, why not do it
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: without hurting anybody? Don't fight them. Burn the incense, fobus,
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 1: burn the incense, never, Lavinia. That is only pride, foroviuss
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: only pride. What is nobler than pride? Conscience? Stricken? Oh,
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: I'm steeped in sin. I'm proud of my pride, Lavinya.
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: They say we Christians are the proudest devils on earth,
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: that only the weak are meek. Oh, I am worse
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: than you. I ought to send you to death, and
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: I am tempting you. And brother, brother, let them rage
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: and kill, let us be brave and suffer. You must
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 1: go as a lamb to the slaughter. I I that
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: is right, not as a lamb, is slain by the butcher,
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 1: but as a butcher might let himself be slain by
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: a looking at the editor, by a silly ram whose
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: head he could fetch you off in one twist. Before
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 1: the editor can retort, the callboy rushes up through the passage,
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: and the captain comes from the Emperor's box and descends
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: the steps. Callboy in with you into the arena. The
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: stage is waiting, captain. The Emperor is waiting to the editor.
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: What are you dreaming of? Man? Send your men in
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: at once, Editor, Yes, sir, it's these Christians hanging back
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: in a voice of thunder liar, editor not heeding him.
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: March the gladiators told off to fight with the Christians.
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: March down the passage. Follow up there, you Christian men
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 1: and women as they part, Be steadfast, brother, farewell, hold
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: up the faith, brother, farewell, Go to glory. Dearest, farewell.
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: Remember we are praying for you. Farewell. Be strong, brother, farewell.
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: Don't forget that the divine love and our love surround you. Farewell.
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 1: Nothing can hurt you. Remember that, brother, Farewell. They're no glory, dearest, farewell. Editor,
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: out of patience, shove them in there. The remaining gladiators,
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 1: and the cowboy make a movement towards them, Ferbus interposing,
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: touch them dogs, and we die here and cheaty heathen
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: of their spectacle. To his fellow Christians, brothers, the great
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: moment has come. That passage is your hill to Calvary.
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: Mount it bravely, but meekly, and remember not a word
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 1: of reproach, not a blow nor a strug. Go They
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: go out through the passage. He turns to Lavinia. Farewell, Lavinia,
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: you forget I must follow before you are cold. It
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: is true. Do not envy me because I pass before
• 1:10:15
  Speaker 1: you to glory. He goes through the passage. Editor to
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: the callboy, sickening work this. Why can't they all be
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: thrown to the lions. It's not a man's job. He
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 1: throws himself moodily into his chair. The remaining gladiators go
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: back to their former places indifferently. The callboy shrugs his
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: shoulders and squats down at the entrance to the passage
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 1: near the editor. Lavinia and the Christian women sit down again,
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: rung with grief, some weeping silently, some praying, some calm
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: and steadfast. Androcles sits down at Lavinia's feet. The captain
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 1: stands on the stairs, watching her curiously. Androcles, I'm glad
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: I haven't to fight. That would really be an awful
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: martyrred him. I am lucky, Lavinia, looking at him with
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: a pang of remorse. Andrew Cles burn the incense. You'll
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 1: be forgiven. Let my death atone for both. I feel
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 1: as if I were killing you, Andrew clease. Don't think
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: of me, sister, Think of yourself. That will keep your
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 1: heart up, Captain. The captain laughs sardonically. Eh Lavinia startled.
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: She had forgotten his presence. Are you there, handsome captain?
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: Have you come to see me die? Captain coming to
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: her side. I am on duty with the Emperor, Lavinia. Lavinia.
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: Is it part of your duty to laugh at us? Captain? No,
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: that is part of my private pleasure. Your friend here
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: is a humorist. I laughed at his telling you to
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: think of yourself to keep up your heart. I say,
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: think of yourself and burn the incense, Lavinia. He is
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: not a humorist. He was right. You ought to know that, Captain.
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: You have been face to face with death, Captain, not
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: with searcha, LAVINYA only death in battle which spares more
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: men than death in bed. What you are facing is
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: certain death. You have nothing left now but your faith
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: in this craze of yours, this Christianity. Are your Christian
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: fairy stories any truer than our stories about Jupiter and Diana,
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: in which I may tell you I believe no more
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: than the Emperor does, or any educated man in Rome, Lavinya, Captain,
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: all that seems nothing to me. Now. I'll not say
• 1:12:25
  Speaker 1: that death is a terrible thing, but I will say
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: that it is so real a thing that, when it
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: comes close, all the imaginary things, all the stories as
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: you call them, fade into mered dreams. Beside that inexorable reality.
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 1: I know now that I am not dying for stories
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: or dreams. Did you hear of the dreadful thing that
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: happened here while we were waiting? Captain? I heard that
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: one of your fellows bolted and ran right into the
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 1: jaws of the lion. I laughed. I still laugh, Lavinya.
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: Then you don't understand what that meant, Captain. It meant
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 1: that the lion had a cur for his breakfast. Lavinya.
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: It's meant more than that, Captain. It meant that a
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: man cannot die for a story, and a dream. None
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: of us believe the story is in the dreams, more
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: devoutly than poor Spinto, but he could not face the
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: great reality what he would have called my faith has
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 1: been oozing away minute by minute whilst I've been sitting here,
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: with death coming nearer and nearer, with reality becoming realer
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: and realer, with stories and dreams fading away into nothing. Captain,
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 1: Are you then going to die for nothing? Lavinia? Yes,
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: that is the wonderful thing. It is since all the
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 1: stories and dreams have gone, that I have now no
• 1:13:31
  Speaker 1: doubt at all that I must die for something greater
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: than dreams or stories. Captain. But for what, Lavinia, I
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: don't know. If it were for anything small enough to know,
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: it would be too small to die for. I think
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: I'm going to die for God. Nothing else is real
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 1: enough to die for. Captain. What is God, Lavinia? When
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: we know that, Captain, we shall be gods ourselves. Captain Lavinia,
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 1: come down to earth, burn the incense and marry me. Lavinia,
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: handsome Captain, would you marry me if I hauled down
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: the flag in the day of battle and birth the
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 1: incense Sun's sake after their mothers? You know, do you
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: want your son to be a coward. Captain, strongly moved
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: by Great Diana, I think I would strangle you if
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: you gave in now Lavinia, putting her hand on the
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 1: head of Anderkles. The hand of God is on us three, Captain, Captain,
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: what nonsense it all is? And what a monstrous thing
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: that you should die for such nonsense, and that I
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: should look on helplessly when my whole soul cries out
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: against it. Die then if you must. But at least
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 1: I can cut the Emperor's throat and then my own
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 1: when I see your blood. The Emperor throws open the
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: door of his box angrily and appears in wrath on
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: the threshold. The editor, the callboy, and the gladiators bring
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: to their feet. Caesar, the Christians will not fight, and
• 1:14:51
  Speaker 1: your curs cannot get their blood up to attack them.
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: It's all that, fellow with the blazing eyes, send for
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 1: the whip. The callboy rushes out on the e side
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: for the whip. If that's will that move them, Bring
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: the hot irons. The man is like a mountain. He
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: returns angrily into the box and slams the door. The
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: cowboy returns with a man in a hideous etruscan mask
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: carrying a whip. They both rushed down the passage into
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: the arena, Lavinia rising, Oh, that is unworthy. Can they
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: not kill him without dishonoring him? Andrew les, scrambling to
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: his feet and running into the middle of the space
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 1: between the staircases. It's dreadful now I want to fight.
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: I can't bear the sight of a whip. The only
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: time I ever hit a man was when he lashed
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 1: an old horse with a whip. It was terrible. I
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 1: danced on his face when he was on the ground.
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: He mustn't strike Ferrovius. I'll go into the arena and
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 1: kill him first. He makes a wild dash into the passage.
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: As he does so, a great clamor is heard from
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: the arena, ending in wild applause. The gladiators listen and
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: look inquiringly at one another. Editor what's up now, Lavinya
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: to the captain. What has happened? Do you think, captain?
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: What can happen? They are killing them. I suppose Androcles
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: running in through the passage, screaming with horror and hiding
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: his eyes. No, Lavinya, Androcles, Androcles, what's the matter? Androcles? Oh,
• 1:16:21
  Speaker 1: don't ask me, don't ask me something too dreadful. Oh.
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 1: He crouches by her and hides his face in her robe.
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: Sobbing callboy rushing through from the passage as before. Ropes
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 1: and hooks. There, ropes and hooks. Editor, Well, need you
• 1:16:39
  Speaker 1: excite yourself about it? Another burst of applause. Two slaves
• 1:16:45
  Speaker 1: in etruscan masks with ropes and drag hooks hurry in.
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: One of the slaves, how many did call boy six?
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: The slave blows a whistle twice, and four more masked
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 1: slaves rush through into the arena with the same apparatus
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 1: and the basket. Bring the baskets. The slave whistles three
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: times and runs through the passage with his companion captain.
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: Who are the baskets for? Callboy? For the whip? He's
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: in pieces, They're all in pieces. More or less. Lavinia
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: hides her face. Two more masked slaves come in with
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: a basket and follow the others into the arena, as
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: the call boy turns to the gladiators and exclaims, exhausted,
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: call boy, boys, he's killed the lot Caesar again bursting
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: from his box, this time in an ecstasy of delight.
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: Where is he magnificent? He shall have a laurel crown. Ferrovius,
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 1: madly waving his bloodstained sword, rushes through the passage in despair,
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 1: followed by his co religionists, and by the menagerie keeper,
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 1: who goes to the gladiators. The gladiators draw their swords.
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 1: Nervously lost, lost forever, I have betrayed my master. Cut
• 1:18:00
  Speaker 1: off this right hand. It is offended. Ye have swords,
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: my brethren strike Lavinia. No, no, what have you done
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 1: for Rovius? I know not, but there was blood behind
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 1: my eyes, and there's blood on my sword. What does
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: that mean? Caesar enthusiastically on the landing outside his box.
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: What does it mean? It means that you are the
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: greatest man in Rome. It means that you shall have
• 1:18:26
  Speaker 1: a laurel crown of gold. Superb fighter. I could almost
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: yield you my throne. It is a record for my reign.
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: I shall live in history. Once in Omission's time, a
• 1:18:35
  Speaker 1: gall slew three men in the arena and gained his freedom.
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: But when before has one naked man slain six armed
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 1: men of the bravest and best, the persecution shall cease.
• 1:18:46
  Speaker 1: If Christians can fight like this, I shall have none
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: but Christians to fight for me. To the gladiators, you
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: are ordered to become Christians. You there, do you hear? Retiarius?
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: It is all one to us, Caesar. Had I been
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: there with my net, the story would been different. Captain
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: suddenly seizing Lavina by the wrist and dragging her up
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: the steps to the Emperor. Caesar. This woman is the
• 1:19:09
  Speaker 1: sister of Ferrovius. If she is thrown to the lions,
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: he will fret, he will lose weight. Get out of condition, Caesar.
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: The lions nonsense to Lavinia. Madam. I am proud to
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 1: have the honor of making your acquaintance. Your brother is
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: the glory of Rome. Lavinia. But my friends here must
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 1: they die? Caesar, die, certainly not. There has never been
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: the slightest idea of harming them. Ladies and gentlemen, you
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: are all free, pray, go into the front of the
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: house and enjoy the spectacle to which your brother has
• 1:19:41
  Speaker 1: so splendidly contributed. Captain, oblige me by conducting them to
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: the seats reserved for my personal friends. Keeper Caesar, I
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: must have one Christian for the lion. The people have
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: been promised it, and they will tear the decorations to bits.
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 1: If they are disappointed, Caesar, true, true, we must have
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 1: somebody for the new lion. Throw me to him. Let
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: the apostate perish, Caesar. No, no, you would tear him
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 1: in pieces, my friend. And we cannot afford to throw
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: away lions as if they were mere slaves. But we
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 1: must have somebody. This is really extremely awkward. Keeper. Why
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 1: not that little Greek chap He's not a Christian, He's
• 1:20:22
  Speaker 1: a sorcerer, Caesar, the very thing he will do very well, callboy,
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 1: issuing from the passage number twelve, the Christian for the
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 1: new lion, Andrew Cles, rising and pulling himself sadly together.
• 1:20:37
  Speaker 1: Well it was to be, after all, Lavinia. I'll go
• 1:20:41
  Speaker 1: in his place, Caesar. Ask the captain whether they do
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: not like best to see a woman torn to pieces.
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: He told me so yesterday. Caesar, there is something in that.
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: There is certainly something in that. If only I could
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: feel sure that your brother would not fret Androcles, No,
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: I should never have another happy hour. No, on the
• 1:21:00
  Speaker 1: faith of a Christian and the honor of a tailor.
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 1: I accept the lot that has fallen on me. If
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 1: my wife turns up, give her my love and say
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: that my wish was that she should be happy with
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 1: her next poor fellow, Caesar, go to your box and
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 1: see how a tailor can die. Make way for number twelve.
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 1: There he marches out along the passage. The vast audience
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 1: in the amphitheater now sees the Emperor re enter his
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: box and take his place as Androcles, desperately frightened but
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: still marching with piteous devotion, emerges from the other end
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 1: of the passage and finds himself at the focus of
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: thousands of eager eyes. The lion's cage, with a heavy
• 1:21:42
  Speaker 1: portcullis grating is on his left. The Emperor gives a signal.
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 1: A gong sounds. Androcles shivers at the sound, then falls
• 1:21:49
  Speaker 1: on his knees and prays. The grating rises with a clash.
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: The lion bounds into the arena. He rushes round, frisking
• 1:21:57
  Speaker 1: in his freedom, he sees Androcles. He stops, rises stiffly
• 1:22:02
  Speaker 1: by straightening his legs, stretches out his nose forward and
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: his tail in a horizontal line behind like a pointer,
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 1: and utters an appalling roar. Androcles crouches and hides his
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: face in his hands. The lion gathers himself for a spring,
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: swishing his tail to and fro through the dust. In
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: an ecstasy of anticipation. Androcles throws up his hands in
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: supplication to heaven. The lion checks at the sight of
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: Adrocles's face. He then steals towards him, smells him, arches
• 1:22:31
  Speaker 1: his back, purrs like a motor car, finally rubs himself
• 1:22:34
  Speaker 1: against Androcles, knocking him over. Androcles, supporting himself on his wrist,
• 1:22:39
  Speaker 1: looks affrightedly at the lion. The lion limps on three paws,
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 1: holding up the other as if it was wounded. A
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: flash of recognition lights up the face of Adrocles. He
• 1:22:48
  Speaker 1: flaps his hand as if it had a thorn in it,
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 1: and pretends to pull the thorn out and to hurt himself.
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: The lion nods repeatedly. Androcles holds out his hands to
• 1:22:57
  Speaker 1: the lion, who gives him both paws, which he shakes
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 1: with enthusiasm. They embrace rapturously, finally waltz round the arena
• 1:23:05
  Speaker 1: amid a sudden burst of deafening applause and out through
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: the passage, the emperor watching them in breathless astonishment until
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: they disappear. When he rushes from his box and descends
• 1:23:15
  Speaker 1: the steps in frantic excitement. Caesar, my friends, an incredible,
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: an amazing thing has happened. I can no longer doubt
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: the truth of Christianity. The Christians pressed to him joyfully,
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: this Christian sorcerer with a yell. He breaks off as
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 1: he sees androcles and the lion emerge from the passage waltzing.
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: He bolts wildly up the steps into his box and
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: slams the door. All Christians and gladiators alike fly for
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 1: their lives, the gladiators bolting into the arena, the others
• 1:23:45
  Speaker 1: in all directions. The place is emptied with magical suddenness
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 1: and naively. Now I wonder why they all run away
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 1: from us like that. The lion, combining a series of yawns, purrs,
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 1: and roars, achieves something very like a laugh. Caesar, standing
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 1: on a chair inside his box and looking over the wall, sor, Sir,
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: I command you to put that lion to death instantly.
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: It is guilty of high treason. Your conduct is most
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: as the lion charges at him up the stairs. Help
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 1: he disappears. The lion rears against the box, looks over
• 1:24:21
  Speaker 1: the partition at him, and roars. The Emperor darts out
• 1:24:24
  Speaker 1: through the door and down to Androcles, pursued by the lion. Androcles,
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 1: don't run away, sir, he can't help springing if you run.
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 1: He seizes the Emperor and gets between him and the lion,
• 1:24:35
  Speaker 1: who stops at once. Don't be afraid of him, Caesar,
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 1: I am not afraid of him. The lion crouches, growling.
• 1:24:43
  Speaker 1: The emperor clutches Androcles, keep between us, Androcles, never be
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 1: afraid of animals, your worship, that's the great secret. He'll
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 1: be as gentle as a lamb when he knows that
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 1: you are his friend. Stand quite still and smile and
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: let him smell you all, just to reassure him. For
• 1:25:01
  Speaker 1: you see, he's afraid of you, and he must examine
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: you thoroughly before he gives you his confidence. To the lion,
• 1:25:09
  Speaker 1: come now, tommy, and speak nicely to the Emperor, the
• 1:25:12
  Speaker 1: great good Emperor, who has the power to have all
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 1: our heads cut off if we don't behave very, very
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: respectfully to him. The lion utters a fearful roar. The
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: Emperor dashes madly up the steps, across the landing and
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 1: down again on the other side, with the lion in
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: hot pursuit. Androcles rushes after the lion, overtakes him as
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: he is descending, and throws himself on his back, trying
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: to use his toes as a brake. Before he can
• 1:25:39
  Speaker 1: stop him, the lion gets hold of the trailing end
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 1: of the Emperor's robe and oh, bad, wicked Tommy, to
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: chase the emperor like that. Let go the Emperor's robe
• 1:25:49
  Speaker 1: at once, Sir, where's your manners? The lion growls and
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 1: worries the robe. Don't pull it away from him, your worship,
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: he's only playing now. I shall be really angry with you, Tommy,
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 1: if you don't let go. The lion growls again. I'll
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 1: tell you what it is, sir. He thinks you and
• 1:26:08
  Speaker 1: I are not friends. Caesar trying to undo the clasp
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: of his brooch friends, you infernal scoundrel. The lion growls.
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 1: Don't let him go. Curse this brooch. I can't get
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: it loose, andrew Cles. We mustn't let him lash himself
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 1: into a rage. You must show him that you are
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: my particular friend, if you will have the condescension. He
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 1: seizes the Emperor's hands and shakes them cordially. Look, Tommy,
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: the nice Emperor is the dearest friend Andy Wandy has
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 1: in the whole world. He loves him like a brother. Caesar,
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 1: you little brute, you damned, filthy, little dog of a
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 1: Greek tailor. I'll have you burnt alive for daring to
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: touch the divine person of the Emperor. The lion roars
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: androw Clees, Oh, don't talk like that, sir. He understands
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 1: every word you say. All animals do. They take it
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 1: from the tone of your voice. The lion growls and
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: lashes his tail. I think he's going to spring at
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: your worship if you wouldn't mind saying something affectionate. The
• 1:27:10
  Speaker 1: lion roars Caesar, shaking Androcles's hands frantically. My dearest mister Anderkles,
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 1: my sweetest friend, my long lost brother, come to my arms.
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 1: He embraces Androcles. Oh, what an abominable smell of garlic.
• 1:27:25
  Speaker 1: The lion lets go the robe and rolls over on
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 1: his back, clasping his fore paws over one another coquettishly
• 1:27:31
  Speaker 1: above his nose. Androcles, there you see, your worship. A
• 1:27:35
  Speaker 1: child might play with him, now see. He tickles the
• 1:27:39
  Speaker 1: lion's belly. The lion wriggles ecstatically, come and pet him, Caesar,
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 1: I must conquer these unkingly terrors. Mind, you don't go
• 1:27:47
  Speaker 1: away from him though he pats the lion's chest, Androcles, Oh, sir,
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 1: how few men would have the courage to do that, Caesar. Yes,
• 1:27:57
  Speaker 1: it takes a bit of a nerve. Let us invite
• 1:27:59
  Speaker 1: the court and frightened them. Is he safe? Do you
• 1:28:02
  Speaker 1: think andrew Les quite safe? Now, Sir Caesar, majestically, what
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 1: ho there? All who are within hearing? Return without fear.
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 1: Caesar has tamed the lion. All the fugitives steal cautiously
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: in the menagerie. Keeper comes from the passage with the
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 1: other keepers, armed with iron bars and tridents. Take those
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: things away. I have subdued the beast. He places his
• 1:28:26
  Speaker 1: foot on it, timidly approaching the Emperor and looking down
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 1: with awe on the lion. It is strange that I,
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 1: who fear no man, should fear a lion captain. Every
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 1: man fears something for Rovius Caesar, how about the Praetorian Guard. Now,
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 1: in my youth I worshiped Mars, the god of war.
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: I turned from him to serve the Christian God. But
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: today the Christian God forsook me and Mars overcame me
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 1: and took back his own the Christian God. It is
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 1: not yet. He will come when Mars and I are dust.
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 1: But meanwhile I must serve the gods that are not
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 1: the God that will be. Until then I accept service
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 1: in the guard Caesar. Caesar very wisely said, all really
• 1:29:17
  Speaker 1: sensible men agree that the prudent course is to be
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 1: neither bigoted in our attachment to the old nor Rah,
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: and unpractical in keeping an open mind for the new.
• 1:29:25
  Speaker 1: But to make the best of both dispensations. Captain, what
• 1:29:29
  Speaker 1: do you say, Lavinia? Will you too be prudent? Lavinia
• 1:29:34
  Speaker 1: on the stair, No, I'll strive for the coming of
• 1:29:37
  Speaker 1: the God who is not yet. Captain. May I come
• 1:29:40
  Speaker 1: and argue with you occasionally, Lavinia, Yes, handsome Captain, you
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 1: may He kisses her hands. Caesar, And now, my friends,
• 1:29:51
  Speaker 1: though I do not, as you see, fear this lion,
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 1: yet the strain of his presence is considerable, for none
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: of us can feel quite sure what he will do next.
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 1: Keeper Paser, give us the Streek sorcerer to be a
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: slave in the menagerie. He has away with the beasts.
• 1:30:07
  Speaker 1: Androcles distressed, not if they are in cages. They should
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 1: not be kept in cages. They must all be let out. Caesar,
• 1:30:16
  Speaker 1: I give this sorcerer to be a slave to the
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 1: first man who lays hands on him. The menagerie keepers
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 1: and the gladiators rush for Androcles. The lion starts up
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 1: and faces them. They surge back. You see how magnanimous
• 1:30:29
  Speaker 1: we Romans are, Androcles. We suffer you to go in peace, Androcles,
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 1: I thank your worship. I thank you all ladies and gentlemen.
• 1:30:38
  Speaker 1: Come Tommy, whilst we stand together. No cage for you,
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 1: no slavery for me. He goes out with the lion,
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 1: everybody crowding away to give him as wide a berth
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 1: as possible. End of Section two, Section three of Androcles
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: and the Lion by George Bernard Shaw. This LibriVox recording
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: is in the public domain unnamed appendix. In this play,
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 1: I have represented one of the Roman persecutions of the
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: early Christians, not as the conflict of a false theology
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 1: with a true but as what all Such persecutions essentially
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: are an attempt to suppress a propaganda that seemed to
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: threaten the interests involved in the established law and order
• 1:31:30
  Speaker 1: organized and maintained in the name of religion and justice
• 1:31:33
  Speaker 1: by politicians who are pure opportunists, have and holders. People
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 1: who are shown by their inner light the possibility of
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: a better world, based on the demand of the spirit
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: for a nobler and more abundant life, not for themselves
• 1:31:45
  Speaker 1: at the expense of others, but for everybody, are naturally
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 1: dreaded and therefore hated by they have and holders, who
• 1:31:52
  Speaker 1: keep always in reserve two shore weapons against them. The
• 1:31:56
  Speaker 1: first is a persecution affected by the provocation, organization, and
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 1: n arming of that herd instinct which makes men abhor
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: all departures from custom, and by the most cruel punishments
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 1: and the wildest calumnies, force eccentric people to behave and
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 1: profess exactly as other people do. The second is by
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 1: leading the herd to war, which immediately and infallibly makes
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 1: them forget everything, even their most cherished and hard won
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: public liberties and private interests, in the irresistible surge of
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 1: their pugnacity and the tense preoccupation of their terror. There
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: is no reason to believe that there was anything more
• 1:32:30
  Speaker 1: in the Roman persecutions than this. The attitude of the
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: Roman emperor and the officers of his staff towards the
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 1: opinions at tissue were much the same as those of
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 1: a modern British Home secretary towards members of the lower
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: middle classes when some pious policemen charges them with bad
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 1: taste technically called blasphemy, bad taste being a violation of
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 1: good taste, which in such matters practically means hypocrisy. The
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 1: Home secretary and the judges who try the case are
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 1: usually far more skeptical and blasphemous than the poor men
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 1: whom they pursecret and their professions of horror at the
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: blunt utterance of their own opinions are revolting to those
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: behind the scenes who have any genuine religious sensibility. But
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 1: the thing is done because the governing classes, provided only
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: the law against blasphemy is not applied to themselves, strongly
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 1: approve of such persecution because it enables them to represent
• 1:33:18
  Speaker 1: their own privileges as part of the religion of the country. Therefore,
• 1:33:22
  Speaker 1: my martyrs are the martyrs of all time, and my
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: persecutors the persecutors of all time. My emperor, who has
• 1:33:28
  Speaker 1: no sense of the value of common people's lives, and
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: amuses himself with killing as carelessly as with sparing is
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: the sort of monster you can make of any silly,
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 1: clever gentleman by idolizing him. We are still so easily
• 1:33:40
  Speaker 1: imposed on by such idols that one of the leading
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 1: pastors of the free churches in London denounced my play
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 1: on the ground that my persecuting emperor is a very
• 1:33:48
  Speaker 1: fine fellow, and the persecuted Christians ridiculous, from which I
• 1:33:52
  Speaker 1: conclude that a popular pulpit may be as perilous to
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 1: a man's soul as an imperial throne. All my articulate Christians, reader,
• 1:34:00
  Speaker 1: will notice, have different enthusiasms, which they accept as the
• 1:34:03
  Speaker 1: same religion only because it involves them in a common
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: opposition to the official religion, and consequently in a common doom.
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: Anericles is a humanitarian naturalist whose views surprise everybody. Lavinia,
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: a clever and fearless freethinker, shocks the paul line Ferovius,
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 1: who is comparatively stupid and conscience ridden, spinto the blackguardly
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 1: Debachi is presented as one of the typical Christians of
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 1: that period on the authority of Saint Augustine, who seems
• 1:34:29
  Speaker 1: to have come to the conclusion at one period of
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: his development that most Christians were what we call wrong uns.
• 1:34:35
  Speaker 1: No doubt he was to some extent right. I have
• 1:34:37
  Speaker 1: had occasion often to point out that revolutionary movements attract
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 1: those who are not good enough for established institutions, as
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: well as those who are too good for them. But
• 1:34:46
  Speaker 1: the most striking aspect of the play at this moment
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: is the terrible topicality given it by the war. We
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: were at peace when I pointed out, by the mouth
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 1: of Ferovius the path of an honest man who finds
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: out when the trumpet sounds that he cannot follow Jesus.
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: Many years earlier, in The Devil's Disciple, I touched the
• 1:35:05
  Speaker 1: same theme even more definitely, and showed the minister throwing
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: off his black coat forever when he discovered amid the
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: thunder of the captains and the shouting, that he was
• 1:35:14
  Speaker 1: a born fighter. Great numbers of our clergy have found
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 1: themselves of late in the position of Farobius and Antony Anderson.
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 1: They have discovered that they hate not only their enemies,
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: but every one who does not share their hatred, and
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 1: that they want to fight and to force other people
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: to fight. They have turned their churches into recruiting stations,
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: and their vestries into munition workshops. But it has never
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: occurred to them to take off their black coats and say,
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 1: quite simply, I find in the hour of trial that
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: the sermon on the Mount is Tosh, and that I
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 1: am not a Christian. I apologize for all the unpatriotic
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 1: nonsense that I have been preaching all these years. Have
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: the goodness to give me a revolver and a commission
• 1:35:49
  Speaker 1: in a regiment which has for its chaplain a priest
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 1: of the God Mars, my God, not a bit of it.
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: They have stuck to their livings and served Mars in
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: the name of Christ, to the scandal of all religious menkind.
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: When the Archbishop of York behaved like a gentleman and
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 1: the head Master of Eton preached a Christian sermon and
• 1:36:06
  Speaker 1: were reviled by the rabble, the Martian parsons encouraged the
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: rabble for this. They made no apologies or excuses, good
• 1:36:13
  Speaker 1: or bad. They simply indulged their passions, just as they
• 1:36:16
  Speaker 1: had always indulged their class prejudices and commercial interests, without
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: troubling themselves for a moment as to whether they were
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: Christians or not. They did not protest even when a
• 1:36:25
  Speaker 1: body calling itself. The Anti German League, not having noticed
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: apparently that it had been anticipated by the British Empire,
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 1: the French Republic and the kingdoms of Italy, Japan and Serbia,
• 1:36:35
  Speaker 1: actually succeeded in closing a church at Forest Hill in
• 1:36:38
  Speaker 1: which God was worshiped in the German language. One would
• 1:36:42
  Speaker 1: have supposed that this grotesque outrage on the commonest decencies
• 1:36:45
  Speaker 1: of religion would have provoked a remonstrance from even the
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 1: worldliest bench of bishops. But no, Apparently, it seemed to
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 1: the bishops as natural that the House of God should
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 1: be looted when he allowed German to be spoken in it,
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 1: as that a baker's shop with a German name for
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 1: the doors should be pillaged. Their verdict was in effect
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 1: serve God right for creating a Germans. The incident would
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 1: have been impossible in a country where the Church was
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 1: as powerful as the Church of England, had it had
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 1: at the same time a spark of catholic as distinguished
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: from tribal religion. In it, as it is, the thing occurred,
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: and as far as I have observed, the only people
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: who gasped were the free thinkers. Thus we see that
• 1:37:23
  Speaker 1: even among men who make a profession of religion. The
• 1:37:25
  Speaker 1: great majority are as Martian as the majority of their congregations.
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: The average clergyman is an official who makes his living
• 1:37:31
  Speaker 1: by christening babies, marrying adults, conducting a ritual, and making
• 1:37:35
  Speaker 1: the best he can when he has any conscience about it,
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 1: of a certain routine of school superintendents, district visiting, and
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: organization of almsgiving, which does not necessarily touch Christianity at
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: any point except the point of the tongue. The exceptional
• 1:37:49
  Speaker 1: or religious clergyman may be an ardent Pauline Salvationist, in
• 1:37:53
  Speaker 1: which case his more cultivated parishioners dislike him and say
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: he ought to have joined the Methodists. Or he may
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 1: be an artist, expressing religious emotion without intellectual definition by
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 1: means of poetry, music, vestments, and architecture, also producing religious
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 1: ecstasy by physical expedients such as fasts and vigils, in
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: which case he is denounced as a ritualist. Or he
• 1:38:15
  Speaker 1: may be either a Unitarian Deist like Voltaire or Tom Paine,
• 1:38:18
  Speaker 1: or the more modern sort of Anglican theosophist, to whom
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: the Holy Ghost is the elan vital of Bergsen and
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: the Father and son are an expression of the fact
• 1:38:27
  Speaker 1: that our functions and aspects are manifold, and that we
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 1: are all sons, and all either potential or actual parents,
• 1:38:34
  Speaker 1: in which case he is strongly suspected by the straighter
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 1: Salvationists of being little better than an atheist. All these
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: varieties you see excite remark. They may be very popular
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 1: with their congregations, but they are regarded by the average
• 1:38:47
  Speaker 1: man as the freaks of the church. The Church, like
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 1: the society of which it is an organ, is balanced
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: and studied by the great central Philistine mass, above whom
• 1:38:56
  Speaker 1: theology looms as a highly spoken of and doubtless most
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: important thing, like Greek tragedy, or classical music or the
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 1: higher mathematics, but who are very glad when church is
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: over and they can go home to lunch or dinner, having,
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: in fact, for all practical purposes, no reasoned convictions at all,
• 1:39:11
  Speaker 1: and being equally ready to persecute a poor freethinker for
• 1:39:14
  Speaker 1: saying that Saint James was not infallible, and to send
• 1:39:17
  Speaker 1: one of the peculiar people to prison for being so
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 1: very peculiar as to take Saint James seriously. In short,
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 1: a Christian marchyer was thrown to the lions, not because
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 1: he was a Christian, but because he was a crank,
• 1:39:29
  Speaker 1: that is an unusual sort of person. And multitudes of people,
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 1: quite as civilized and amiable as we crowded to see
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 1: the lions eat him, just as they now crowd the
• 1:39:37
  Speaker 1: lion house in the zoo at feeding time. Not because
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: they really cared two pence about Diana or Christ, or
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 1: could have given you any intelligent or correct account of
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 1: the things Diana and Christ did against one another for,
• 1:39:48
  Speaker 1: but simply because they wanted to see a curious and
• 1:39:50
  Speaker 1: exciting spectacle. You, dear reader, have probably run to see
• 1:39:53
  Speaker 1: a fire. And if somebody came in now and told
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 1: you that a lion was chasing a man down the street,
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 1: you would rush to the window. And if anyone were
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 1: to say that you were as cruel as the people
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 1: who let the lion loose on the man, you would
• 1:40:04
  Speaker 1: be justly indignant. Now that we may no longer see
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: a man hanged, we assemble outside the jail to see
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: the black flag run up. That is our duller method
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 1: of enjoying ourselves in the old Roman spirit. And if
• 1:40:15
  Speaker 1: the government decided to throw persons of unpopular or eccentric
• 1:40:18
  Speaker 1: views to the lions in the Albert Hall or the
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: Earl's Court stadium tomorrow. Can you doubt that all the
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 1: seats would be crammed mostly by people who could not
• 1:40:25
  Speaker 1: give you the most superficial account of the views in question.
• 1:40:29
  Speaker 1: Much less unlikely things have happened. It is true that
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 1: if such a revival does take place soon, the martyrs
• 1:40:34
  Speaker 1: will not be members of heretical religious sects. They will
• 1:40:37
  Speaker 1: be peculiars, anti vivisectionists, flat earth men, scoffers at the laboratories,
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: or infidels who refuse to kneel down when a procession
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 1: of doctors goes by. But the Lions will hurt them
• 1:40:48
  Speaker 1: just as much, and the spectators will enjoy themselves just
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 1: as much as the Roman lions and spectators used to do.
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: It was currently reported in the Berlin newspapers that when
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 1: Androcles was first performed in Berlin, the Crown Prince rose
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 1: and left the house unable to endure the I hope
• 1:41:03
  Speaker 1: very clear and fair exposition of autocratic imperialism given by
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 1: the Roman captain to his Christian prisoners. No English imperialist
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 1: was intelligent and earnest enough to do the same in London.
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 1: If the report is correct, I can confirm the logic
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 1: of the Crown Prince, and I am glad to find
• 1:41:18
  Speaker 1: myself so well understood. But I can assure him that
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: the empire which served for my model when I wrote Androcles, was,
• 1:41:25
  Speaker 1: as he is now finding to his cost, much nearer
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: my home than the German one. End of section three,
• 1:41:35
  Speaker 1: end of Androcles and the Lion by George Bernard Shaw