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There have been too many beggars here, and we must decline alms for the good of the town. Exit Illanaun. AGMAR We shall need fine raiment, let the thief start at once. Let it rather be green raiment. BEGGAR I will go and fetch the thief. ULF We will dress ourselves as lords and impose upon the city. OOGNO Yes, yes; we will say we are ambassadors from a far land. ULF And there will be good eating.

ALL O ancient deity, partake, partake. AGMAR Enough. Let it be enough that these have condescended to this bestial and human habit. OORANDER But beggars eat. ILLANAUN Now I never knew a beggar yet who would refuse a bowl of Woldery wine. AKMOS This is no beggar. ILLANAUN Nevertheless let us offer him a bowl of Woldery wine. AKMOS You do wrong to doubt him.

AGMAR There is no benevolence greater than our benevolence. ILLANAUN Then we need do little: they portend no danger to us. AGMAR There is no anger greater than our anger. OORANDER Let us make sacrifice to them, if they be gods. AKMOS We humbly worship you, if ye be gods.

ILLANAUN I do but wish to prove his divinity. I will fetch the Woldery wine. AKMOS He will not drink. Yet if he does, then he will not overwhelm us. Let us offer him the wine. FIRST BEGGAR It is Woldery wine! SECOND BEGGAR It is Woldery! THIRD BEGGAR A goblet of Woldery wine! FOURTH BEGGAR O blessed day! MLAN O happy times! SLAG O my wise Master! Illanaun gives it to Agmar.

OORANDER This is not wonted. ILLANAUN It is not in accordance with custom. AKMOS Prophecy hath not thought it. SLAG She comes to us new and nimble remembering olden loves. OORANDER It were well that prophets should come and speak to us. ILLANAUN This hath not been in the past. Let prophets come; let prophets speak to us of future things. CITIZEN I heard men speak to-day in the market-place.

So shall they seem more pious to you all, pretending that they alone have seen the gods. Fools shall believe them and share in their damnation. You anger the gods. ILLANAUN I am not sure whom I anger. OORANDER It may be they are the gods. ILLANAUN Where are these men from Marma? CITIZEN Here are the dromedary men, they are coming now. AGMAR The men are doubters. How the gods hate the word!

ULF We have a few that we call thieves here, Master, but they would scarcely seem thieves to you. They are not good thieves. AGMAR I shall need the best thief you have. ILLANAUN Therefore we will send galleons to Ardaspes. OORANDER Right to Ardaspes through the silver gates. His right arm hangs limp and useless. ILLANAUN I am sorry. I cannot help you.

They speak of a prophecy read somewhere of old. It says the seven gods shall come from Marma in the guise of men. ILLANAUN Is this a true prophecy? OORANDER It is all the prophecy we have. Man without prophecy is like a sailor going by night over uncharted seas. He knows not where are the rocks nor where the havens.

AGMAR Let the pestilence not fall at once upon this city, as it had indeed designed to; let not the earthquake swallow it all immediately up amid the howls of the thunder; let not infuriate armies overwhelm those that escape if we be gods. OORANDER Come let us sacrifice. ILLANAUN Bring lambs. AKMOS Quick, quick. THAHN He is no common god. MLAN Indeed he has made us.

He sent a doom after that shepherd. CITIZEN Master, we have not doubted. SLAG And the doom found him on the hills at evening. SECOND CITIZEN It shall be a good sacrifice, Master. ILLANAUN It is strange that gods should be thus anxious about the cooking of a leg of lamb. OORANDER It is strange certainly. ILLANAUN Almost I had said that it was a man spoke then. Strange certainly.