Not only hast thou wronged thine own true lord,
And mocked and shamed me in the people's eyes,
But thou hast wronged all princes and all men
By thy pernicious and rebellious ways.
Queens act and subjects imitate. So let
Queen Vashti weigh her conduct and her words,
Or be no more called 'queen!'

VASHTI

I was a princess ere I was a queen,
And worthy of a better fate than this!
There lies the crown that made me queen in name!
Here stands the woman--wife in name alone!
Now, no more queen--nor wife--but woman still -
Ay, and a woman strong enough to be
Her own avenger.



THE CHOOSING OF ESTHER
(FROM THE DRAMA OF MIZPAH)



AHASUERAS

Tell me thy name!

ESTHER