NICODEMUS, aside. 
This is a dreamer of dreams; a visionary,
Whose brain is overtasked, until he deems
The unseen world to be a thing substantial,
And this we live in, an unreal vision! 
And yet his presence fascinates and fills me
With wonder, and I feel myself exalted
Into a higher region, and become
Myself in part a dreamer of his dreams,
A seer of his visions!

CHRISTUS. 
                      And as Moses
Uplifted the serpent in the wilderness,
So must the Son of Man be lifted up;
That whosoever shall believe in Him
Shall perish not, but have eternal life. 
He that believes in Him is not condemned;
He that believes not, is condemned already.

NICODEMUS, aside. 
He speaketh like a Prophet of the Lord!

CHRISTUS. 
This is the condemnation; that the light
Is come into the world, and men loved darkness
Rather than light, because their deeds are evil!

NICODEMUS, aside. 
Of me he speaketh!  He reproveth me,
Because I come by night to question him!

CHRISTUS. 
For every one that doeth evil deeds
Hateth the light, nor cometh to the light
Lest he should be reproved.

NICODEMUS, aside. 
                      Alas, how truly
He readeth what is passing in my heart!

CHRISTUS. 
But he that doeth truth comes to the light,
So that his deeds may be made manifest,
That they are wrought in God.

NICODEMUS. 
                          Alas! alas!

V

BLIND BARTIMEUS

BARTIMEUS. 
Be not impatient, Chilion; it is pleasant
To sit here in the shadow of the walls
Under the palms, and hear the hum of bees,
And rumor of voices passing to and fro,
And drowsy bells of caravans on their way
To Sidon or Damascus.  This is still
The City of Palms, and yet the walls thou seest
Are not the old walls, not the walls where Rahab
Hid the two spies, and let them down by cords
Out of the window, when the gates were shut,
And it was dark.  Those walls were overthrown
When Joshua’s army shouted, and the priests
Blew with their seven trumpets.

CHILION. 
                      When was that?

BARTIMEUS. 
O my sweet rose of Jericho, I know not
Hundreds of years ago.  And over there
Beyond the river, the great prophet Elijah
Was taken by a whirlwind up to heaven
In chariot of fire, with fiery horses. 
That is the plain of Moab; and beyond it
Rise the blue summits of Mount Abarim,
Nebo and Pisgah and Peor, where Moses
Died, whom the Lord knew face to face? and whom
He buried in a valley, and no man
Knows of his sepulchre unto this day.

CHILION. 
Would thou couldst see these places, as I see them.

BARTIMEUS. 
I have not seen a glimmer of the light
Since thou wast born.  I never saw thy face,
And yet I seem to see it; and one day
Perhaps shall see it; for there is a Prophet
In Galilee, the Messiah, the Son of David,
Who heals the blind, if I could only find him. 
I hear the sound of many feet approaching,
And voices, like the murmur of a crowd! 
What seest thou?