Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-12-24
NiiCrOGinIip.N

"Iefoaisds" il the uane of 2 ntW opcrs
pOH beius reld.rt in Buses. l. pur9orts
10 dtpcs TIE Vstious aoancs 10 sno lie and ur-
timely death Of } Joha the Baptist through the
nachiIstions Of lac wicked Hsrcdias.
Tic authors ct tie tp!ra have not permitted
themselves to DC Aou1G Oy tho hiS:Otical lsc!s,
aud the plot is na eGtro departure ictm The
story as wo knoa ii. La tau frs; place, Saome
ID rot st ell ths galno character 50 IS presented
to Us in tho Naw Ttetsmear. Ia M.sseuets
"neroliAdn" she has beer coay:rged to Chris
,ia2i'y b. Jo5u the Baptist. aud has sf;etward
becoug slave io !he seIv!o, ot uerCd, the Tl-
trarca OF Gallilcc. She is isrocaat Of The ucrne
OF her mother aad unknown by uer. although
they are !ivleg 10 the palRos together. ueroG
falls 10 love with her. but she repals his ed
Yaaaca bceaule her gtslitula to ! 5hn th9 Bsp-
It's: hiss Changed to esrnass love- On thcso
aua!ofS c1oet- purposes ani HeToGins' tbi:st
tuI IoVorga upon John haug the plot OF the
opera. J'he curtain rises co court IL the ie-
terror of II .roc' s palace 10 Jerusalem On the
left staods 80 Immense pnr,ico which serves
IS an entra-c, to the pslbc,, and 10 the
dis!sac5 is seen il the daHoiGs light 6
caravan ThIca IS prtparirg to eutsr the
! Holy CITY. Insrliee uo0 Samaritan merchants
| enter. aod dispute arises 5alw.cn ,hum when
Plaluuel, the Chades1, appears end succeeds
IN sl!aylug tho tumul;. S,!one, A7ing from
| the palace, ruShes ou tho stage. Sha is tollos
| cd by Hsrod. Who is abou: TO pufSu3 acr WHOM
hc is stopped by Pbannu;l, who aishes to give
Gn acc0uot Of o mission on which be has bcsn
sans, Ihe lavish paople acoart tho Roman
government, aod the nsme Of th9 Prophet John
is greeted with noisy scclsm m.ti1us or ali sides.
| H. II IL
ara at their Loud, s., spd is evidently 10 ;ate
Of terrible agitst,ou. Sac demands the head
ef ths Baptist, who hBs insulted her cruelty,
snd es Herod hesiscs, s1esrs that she will
| kill him bers.lf John appears, and his calm
bearing ffighteos Htr3dias, who hurrie5 sway
with her hus5sod. Then follows the GsoTal OF
Saione's love. She seeks to touch the heart
of the prophet but be is intxorabe. The sec
ond scene shows The public plsc, oil Jeru.alenI.
| As uerod is itoitiug the J avs 70 rchel sgains.
| The Rumsn rule, trumneis are heard which an
nouace the arriVsl OF Fltelius. the prcopusut ct
! Iiberus. Night has c9me ca aud the cortese
| sGysncss smid the light OF innumcrabls torches,
the procession of lictors aud Roman soldiers
making magnificent p !oIace. As the women
of Canaan are acclslnig The Prophet john,
| Herod den6unoes him as an asDirsnt to power,
srd on the order of Vtelius the B, p iss is 81
res ed. The curtain 10 the second act rises no
the interior cf the Temple Of Solomon. A.
Sa'one is at her prsy :rsHerod enters the temple
AID approaches her. Neith.r his threats nor
bis entreatits can nova her, for she loves an-
other. The clrtsps of the saLc Jury are drawn
aside for the religious ceremonies IN which ara
ioterpolated the sacred dsnces. Viteus, es.
oorted by Hered, Herodiss and Phannus arrives
in the temple. when the priests and people de-
msnd the death Of John, whose fate The Pre-.
consul pisces 10 the hands Of Hercd. Wher
John APPEARS Htrod PROPOSES TO him to create
ris OK OF the Jaws sgaiust the Romans. Bu
this John refuses and lie is condemned to death,
Sslone wishes to ehsre his fate. and ss she
denounces Hsrod's rival they are dragged away
together. The third &C. shows the dungeon iu
which the Baptist is Imprisoned. John is nes,
yielding TO SAome's love. when the guards
come to seek him. The. last scsus represens s
the barq1etiDg ball. Here there are foul
groups Of ballet, representing Egyptians,
Amszons, captive GauIs and pnoeuician We
men. salome casts herself at Herod.s' fee
and pleads for Johns life. HsrcdisH recog'