The Continental Monthly, Vol 6, No 5, November 1864

Chorus of the New Priests. Where are the lords, where are the kings, who lately walked the earth with crown and sceptre, ruled with pride and scorn?

First Murderer. I killed King Alexander.

Second Murderer. I stabbed King Henry.

Third Murderer. I murdered King Immanuel!

Leonard. Go on without fear; murder without a sting of conscience!

Remember that you are the Elect of the Elect; the Holy among the Holy; the brave heroes and blessed martyrs of equality and freedom!

Chorus of Murderers. We go in the darkness of night; we move in the gloom of the shadow! With the dagger firmly clutched in our unsparing hands, we go, we go!

Leonard (to the Maiden). Arouse thee, my beautiful and free!

A loud clap of thunder is heard.

Reply to the living god of thunder: raise high the hymn of strength! Follow me all, all! Let us once more trample under our feet the ruined temple of the dead God!

The Maiden. I glow with love to thee and to thy god! I will share my love with the whole world: I glow! I glow!

The Man. Some one blocks the way; he falls upon his knees, raises his joined hands, struggles, sighs, sobs....

The Baptized. He is the son of a famous philosopher.

Leonard. What do you demand, Herman?

Herman. High priest, give me the Sacrament of Murder!

Leonard (to the Priests). Give me the oil, the dagger, and the poison!—(To Herman.) With the sacred oil once used to anoint kings, I now anoint thee to their destruction!

The arm once used by knights and nobles, I give thee now for their destruction!

I hang upon thy breast this flask of poison, that where the sword cannot reach, it may gnaw, corrode, and burn the bowels of the tyrants!

Go, and destroy the old race in all parts of the world!

The Man. He is gone! I see him, at the head of a band of assassins, crossing the crest of the nearest hill.

The Baptized. They turn, they approach us, we must move out of their way!

The Man. No. I will dream this dream to its end!

The Baptized (aside). I thrice spew thee forth to destruction!—(To the Man). Leonard might recognize me, your excellency. Do you not see the knife glittering upon his breast?

The Man. Wrap yourself up in my cloak. What ladies are those dancing before him you call Leonard?

The Baptized. Princesses and countesses who have forsaken their husbands.

The Man. Once my angels!!

The people now surround him on every side, I can see him no longer, I only know by the retreating music that he is going farther from us. Follow me, Jew, we can see him better up here!

He clambers up the parapet of a wall.

The Baptized. Woe! woe! We will certainly be discovered.

The Man. There, now I can see him again! Ha! other women are with him now, pale, confused, trembling, following him convulsively; the son of the philosopher foams and brandishes his dagger; they are stopping by the ruins of the North Tower.

They remain standing for a moment, they climb upon the ruins, they tear them down, they pull the shrine apart, they throw coals upon the prostrate altars, the votive wreaths, the holy pictures; the fire kindles, columns of smoke darken all before me: Woe to the destroyers! Woe!

Leonard. Woe to the men who still bow down before the dead God!

The Man. Dark masses of the people turn and drive upon us.

The Baptized. O Father Abraham!

The Man. Old Eagle of glory, is it not true that my hour is not yet come?

The Baptized. We are lost!

Leonard (stopping immediately in front of Count Henry). Who are you with that haughty face, citizen, and why do you not join in the solemnities?

The Man. I hastened here when I heard of the revolution; I am a murderer of the Spanish league, and have only arrived to-day.

Leonard. Who is that man hiding himself in the folds of your mantle?

The Man. He is my younger brother. He has taken an oath to show his face to no one, until he has at least killed a baron.

Leonard. Of whose murder can you yourself boast?

The Man. My elder brothers consecrated me only two days before my departure, and....

Leonard. Whom do you think of killing?

The Man. You in the first place, if you should prove false to us!

Leonard. For this use, brother, take my dagger!

Hands it to him.

The Man. For such use my own will suffice me, brother!

Many Voices. Long live Leonard! Long live the Spanish murderer!

Leonard. Meet me to-morrow in the tent of Pancratius, our citizen general.

Chorus of Priests. We greet thee, stranger, in the name of the Spirit of Liberty: we intrust to thy hand a share of our emancipation!