If I tell you earthly things, And ye believe not, how shall ye believe, If I should tell you of things heavenly?
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, But he alone that first came down from heaven, Even the Son of Man which is in heaven! 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?
CHILION.
A young man clad in white Is coming through the gateway, and a crowd Of people follow.
BARTIMEUS.
Can it be the Prophet! O neighbors, tell me who it is that passes?
ONE OF THE CROWD.
Jesus of Nazareth.
BARTIMEUS, crying.
O Son of David! Have mercy on me! MANY OP THE CROWD.
Peace.