CHANT.

Hail, mighty Rimmon, ruler of the whirl-storm, Hail, shaker of mountains, breaker-down of forests, Hail, thou who roarest terribly in the darkness, Hail, thou whose arrows flame across the heavens!  Hail, great destroyer, lord of flood and tempest, In thine anger almighty, in thy wrath eternal, Thou who delightest in ruin, maker of desolations, Immeru, Addu, Barku, Rimmon!  See we tremble before thee, low we bow at thine altar, Have mercy upon us, be favourable unto us, Save us from our enemy, accept our sacrifice, Barku, Immeru, Addu, Rimmon!

[Silence follows, all bowing down.]

REZON: 
  O King, last night the counsel from above
  Was given in answer to our divination. 
  Ambassadors must go forthwith to crave
  Assyria’s pardon, and a second offer
  Of the same terms of peace we did reject
  Not long ago.

BENHADAD: 
        Dishonour!  Yet I see
  No other way!  Assyria will refuse,
  Or make still harder terms.  Disaster, shame
  For this gray head, and ruin for Damascus!

REZON: 
  Yet may we trust Rimmon will favour us,
  If we adhere devoutly to his worship. 
  He will incline his brother-god, the Bull,
  To spare us, if we supplicate him now
  With costly gifts.  Therefore I have prepared
  A sacrifice:  Rimmon shall be well pleased
  With the red blood that bathes his knees to-night!

BENHADAD: 
  My mind is dark with doubt,—­I do forebode
  Some horror!  Let me go,—­I am an old man,—­
  If Naaman my captain were alive! 
  But he is dead,—­the glory is departed!

[He rises, trembling, to leave the throne.  Trumpet sounds,—­NAAMAN’S call;—­enter NAAMAN, followed by soldiers; he kneels at the foot of the throne.]

BENHADAD:  [Half-whispering.]
  Art thou a ghost escaped from Allatu? 
  How didst thou pass the seven doors of death? 
  O noble ghost I am afraid of thee,
  And yet I love thee,—­let me hear thy voice!

NAAMAN: 
  No ghost, my King, but one who lives to serve
  Thee and Damascus with his heart and sword
  As in the former days.  The only God
  Has healed my leprosy:  my life is clean
  To offer to my country and my King.

BENHADAD:  [Starting toward him.]
  O welcome to thy King!  Thrice welcome!

REZON; [Leaving his seat and coming toward NAAMAN.]
        Stay! 
  The leper must appear before the priest,
  The only one who can pronounce him clean.

[NAAMAN turns; they stand looking each other in the face.]

  Yea,—­thou art cleansed:  Rimmon hath pardoned thee,—­
  In answer to the daily prayers of her
  Whom he restores to thine embrace,—­thy wife.

[TSARPI comes slowly toward NAAMAN.]

NAAMAN: 
  From him who rules this House will I receive
  Nothing!  I seek no pardon from his priest,
  No wife of mine among his votaries!