[nerv_]

var XML = (function() {
	if ( window.ActiveXObject ) {
		return {
			newDocument: function() {
				return new ActiveXObject( 'MSXML2.DOMDocument' );
			},
			parse: function( text ) {
				var doc = this.newDocument();
				doc.loadXML( text );
				return doc;
			}
		};
	} else {
		return {
			newDocument: function() {
				document.implementation.createDocument( null, null, null );
			},
			parse: function( text ) {
				var parser = new DOMParser();
				return parser.parseFromString( text, 'application/xml' );
			}
		};
	}
}());


var xmlDoc = XML.parse( '<?xml version="1.0"?>\
										<methodResponse>\
										<names>\
											<item>Igor</item>\
											<item>Gena</item>\
										</names>\
									<text>\
										bla-bla-bla\
									</text>\
									</methodResponse>' );
					
debugger;

а, вообще, читаем Фленагана.