BAGOAS. Bring her. Her god may wait, but not the illustrious Prince. Run
with both thy legs.

HAGGITH. Ye--es, mightiness. (_Exit, back_)

HOLOFERNES. Bagoas, with thine arts thou shalt persuade the Hebrew woman
to come to us and to eat and drink with us this night.

BAGOAS (_grimly_). Persuasion shall be used, highness. My arts are many
and various.

HOLOFERNES. It will be a shame for our person if we let such a woman go,
not having delighted in her company. If we do not draw her to us she
will laugh us to scorn.

BAGOAS. Yea, highness. But my lord has but this moment appointed a great
feast with his captains at sunset. How then shall he eat and drink with
the lady Judith?

HOLOFERNES. Thick-skull! Speak not to me of my captains! The Council of
the Captains was as dust in my mouth, and I could not away with it.
Therefore I sharply dismissed the Council, and soothed their damnable
pride with the promise of a mighty feast. But what care I for the
captains? My heart thirsts horribly for this Hebrew woman, and I am full
of a great madness.

BAGOAS. So be it, highness. Nevertheless, the Prince has promised to his
captains a mighty feast, and the word of Holofernes is a rock that
cannot be shaken.