Untitled

218 , LITURGICAL
DRAMA
(Let us all with one accord wish "him joy; let the drums sound; let the harp
players touch their strings; let the instruments of music sound in his praise.)
The tune itself is one of great beauty.
Then follows a dumb-show, the defeat and death of Belshazzar
and the establishment of Darius, hailed in his turn with 'Rex, in
aeternum vive!* Further verses show messengers greeting Daniel and
summoning him before the new ruler, who confirms him in his
honours. Daniel retires to his own home and 'adores his God*. Then
come the plotters to the King, and (to another fine tune) beg for the
proclamation of the decree that shall trap the prophet. This is done,
and Daniel is haled before Darius. The King is no Herod, and he
replies to them uneasily:
Ex.84 GO
It 4-
Nun-quam vo-bis con-ce-da-tur quod virsan-ctus sic per-da-tur.
Nun-quam vo - bis con- ce - da- tur -
quodvir san - ctus sic per-da-tur.
(Be it never conceded to you that a holy man should thus be destroyed.)
But he is reminded of the lex Parthenon et Medonan and reluctantly
condemns the prophet to the lions. 1 In fairness to Daniel's accusers
it should be recorded that after his delivery they show a proper
repentance, and proclaim their remorse in an eight-line chorus.
In the den Daniel is defended by an angel, sings a very melodious
prayer, and is fed by the prophet Habakkuk, who, with a laden
5
basket, is 'translated
by another angel from his own harvest fields
for that purpose. Rather drastically, to judge by the rubric, 'Tune
Angelus, apprehendens eum capiflo capitis sui, ducet ad lacum * , ,*. 2
The King, having left his throne and come to the prison, rejoices
to see that Daniel is yet alive, learns from him how he has been saved,
and then consigns the plotters to the fate they had intended for the
prophet. Finally, he proclaims the omnipotence of Daniel's God
Thai follows Daniel's prophecy, beginning:
1 DaiM^slanjentlsrecxaidedm The History ofMusic in Sound, ii, side 8.
8 *Tfaea tberasge!, seizing him by the hair of his head, will take him to the pit'.