The Cairo bulletin., 1905-02-10
"Salammho.n

"Salammbo," Stanislaus STANCES
spectacular drama in which Freder
icS Warde and Kathryn Kidder are to
appear next Tuesday evening, would
probably fail to pass through the
hands of London's play censor were
i s production attempted in the Eng
fish metropolis, for Norma Wanna
which was prohibited there doubtless
was founded upon Flauberts Sal
ammbo" as is also Mr.. STANCES play
The story of "Salammbo" runs
somewhat as follows:
Carthage az the time of the open
ing Of the play, three hundred years
before the dawn of the Christian era,
weakened by continuous warfare was
threatened by the power of Rome,
aad rather tnan risk further defeat,
agreed to pay tribute TO her powerful
rival, which 50 depleted her treasury
that she was unable to pay the great
army. of hired soldiers then awaiting
within her gates the money due them.
This preclpltated riot, slaughter
and sacrilege.
One of the barbarian commanders
named Matho, during his vengeful
looting of the city, catches sight of
Salammbo, daughter of the carthag-
enian general, Hamilcar, and crazed
by the vision of loveliness deter
mines to possess her. TO this ambi-
ton he Is further goaded by Spendius
eia nf a M
who thirsts for revenge for the suf
ferings he has undergone. Spendius
plots with Matho to penetrate the
sacred precincts of the temple OF
Tanit Of which Salammbo is the high
priestess and to secure the sacred
veil. which reposes on the altar and
which none may look upon but the
high priest Schahabarim, and live,
Matho secures the veil and with it
succeeds in reaching the apartments
of Salammbo, tells her that posses
sing the veil, he is her master and
bids her follow him, She is stunned
by me awful sacrilege, but RECEIVERS
in time TO sound the alarm and Ma
tho escapes with the sacred trophy,
regains the outer walls and finally
his tent where the army of mercena-
ries is now encamped. This daring
feat earns for him the admiration of
the other barbarian warriors and they
made him Their leader, vowing war
TO me death with Carthage.
The loss of the sacred veil throws
the pagan worshippers of Carthage
into panic. Il is the greatest curse
which could befall them. The food
ana water supply is cut off and their
ve~y existence threatened by the par
barians. In their extremity and urg
ed by the priests. it is decided to ex-
plate their sins by sacrificing in the
flames of Moloch's shrine the first
born male children of the nobility
This horrible expedient has special
terrors for Salammbo, as her broth
or Hannibal, twelve ydars of age
whom Hamilcar has secretly kept In
hiding because of the possibility OF
such an event, and whom she Thought
was dead. has escaped and sought rel
uge with her in Carthage. The priests
duly claim Hannibal for the. sacrifice
which of course involves a heartrend
inc scene with Salammbo when he
is torn from her arms.
She confronts the high priest Sa
bahabarim who tells her that thert
is but enc way TO save her brother
and that is TO restore the sacred
veil before sunrise when the sacrffict
Is to take flace Replying to bel
query as to how this may be accom-
plished. he tells her that only she
can do it, that she must go alone tC
the tent of the barbarian Matho, tina
with her beauty he will deny hel
nothing provided she shall be sub
seryient 10 his will Dreading thu
foul means. but dreading still NOR
the horrible fate awaiting her broth