thing to be done.')

OZIAS (_still soothingly_). Who among you will be the spokesman?

CHARMIS. We are all spokesmen.

OZIAS. Even the children?

CHARMIS. Even the children. In our extremity we are all spokesmen.

OZIAS. But not all at once. Will you begin, honourable Charmis? You know
that I am the servant of the citizens.

CHARMIS (_nervously oratorical_). Lord Ozias, may the God of Israel
judge between us and you, for you have done us a great injury. (_Looks
round for approval. The group approves._)

OZIAS. An injury? I? Have I not said that I am the servant of the
citizens?

CHARMIS (_more confidently_). And I say again that you have done us a
great injury, in that you have not asked peace of the Assyrians. For we
have no helper, and the God of Israel has sold us into the hands of the
Assyrians. We are thrown down before them with thirst and with great
destruction. Therefore now we demand--(_looks round_)--I say we demand
that you call the Assyrians, and deliver the whole city for a spoil to
the people of Holofernes and to all his army. For it is better for us to
be made a spoil than to die of thirst. We will be the slaves of
Holofernes, so that our souls may live and so that we may not see the
death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children
die. (_A mother in the group convulsively seizes her child. Pause_.
Ozias _walks about_.) We take to witness against you the heaven and the
earth and our God and the God of our fathers, which punishes us
according to our sins and the sins of our fathers; and we demand of you
that you deliver up the city to Holofernes and his host. (_A silence_.)

(Ozias _ascends solemnly to the vantage-point._)

OZIAS (_dominating the assembly_). Friends, it would seem that Charmis
has made an end. His words are excellent and full of pity. Who follows
him? Who will speak next? My ear waits. (_A silence_.) Ah! Then give
heed. The words of Charmis are full of pity, but I also have pity. Do
not I too cherish our women, and our maidens and our young children? And
because I pity I would not yield to the monster Holofernes. Yes, the
monster! This is not war that he wages. Once our enemy strove fairly
with the warriors of Israel. Now he makes our women and children to die
of thirst. The magnificence of war is gone from the earth, and
Holofernes by the excess of his hosts has rendered war ridiculous.
(Chabris _raises his hands_.) The peoples of the earth will perceive
th