Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
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 | Israel in Egypt |  |
Him Moses answered not; but wroth, yet sad,
With Aaron left the hall.
With Aaron left the hall.
Then more and more
Went up the laughter: and, as he were mad,
Sethos, on hands and feet, across the floor
Went leaping; with full eyes, and mouth wide drawn,
The reptiles mimicking. At that arose
A very storm of laughter; till the king,
Exhausted, bade him cease. So they.
Went up the laughter: and, as he were mad,
Sethos, on hands and feet, across the floor
Went leaping; with full eyes, and mouth wide drawn,
The reptiles mimicking. At that arose
A very storm of laughter; till the king,
Exhausted, bade him cease. So they.
Meantime,
Moses and Aaron toward the river went;
Pure now, and crystal bright, as though of blood
No drop had ever fouled it: then his staff
Moses to Aaron gave, and said; “Behold,
Even as to me was spoken, so to thee
Now speak I. ‘With thine hand stretch forth the rod,
Over all streams, all rivers, and all ponds;
And cause the frogs to come up on the land,
Even all the land of Egypt.’”
Moses and Aaron toward the river went;
Pure now, and crystal bright, as though of blood
No drop had ever fouled it: then his staff
Moses to Aaron gave, and said; “Behold,
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Now speak I. ‘With thine hand stretch forth the rod,
Over all streams, all rivers, and all ponds;
And cause the frogs to come up on the land,
Even all the land of Egypt.’”
Aaron then,
Above that river, and toward north and south,
And west, and east,—all waters ruling thus,—
The rod stretched out; and, instantly, behold—
Bubbling and foaming to its lowest depths,
High o'er the bank, like a wide-sweeping wave,
Nile cast up its foul brood! Enormous, black,
Lizards in gait, claw-footed, swift in flight,
They covered all the ground. Sight horrible!
And sound appalling! for, from each low throat,
Croak deeper than the raven's gurgled up;
That, with the dissonant chorus, the air shook;
And birds and beasts affrighted fled, and men.
Wave after wave, cresting the shore, came up
The great, black, living Horror: rapidly
Rolled toward the city; thronged the streets, the courts,
The temples, houses, bedchambers, and beds,
The kneading-troughs, the ovens, and the cups;
With slime bedaubing all things. Every heart
Was fear-struck: children, women, men, alike,
Flew to escape them; but no place could find
Where they were not.
Above that river, and toward north and south,
And west, and east,—all waters ruling thus,—
The rod stretched out; and, instantly, behold—
Bubbling and foaming to its lowest depths,
High o'er the bank, like a wide-sweeping wave,
Nile cast up its foul brood! Enormous, black,
Lizards in gait, claw-footed, swift in flight,
They covered all the ground. Sight horrible!
And sound appalling! for, from each low throat,
Croak deeper than the raven's gurgled up;
That, with the dissonant chorus, the air shook;
And birds and beasts affrighted fled, and men.
Wave after wave, cresting the shore, came up
The great, black, living Horror: rapidly
Rolled toward the city; thronged the streets, the courts,
The temples, houses, bedchambers, and beds,
The kneading-troughs, the ovens, and the cups;
With slime bedaubing all things. Every heart
Was fear-struck: children, women, men, alike,
Flew to escape them; but no place could find
Where they were not.
To Pharaoh's palace, soon,
The clamor reached; and quickly came the tale
Of that strange terror. But the sorcerers,—
By the bad Spirits taught new power to feel,—
Spake then to Pharaoh, saying, “Lo! that same
Can we do likewise. 'Tis but nought. Behold!”
And therewith, lifting up their rods, they called,
And bade the frogs to come. Forth, then, they came;
Even on the floor, and underneath the eye
Of the astonished king. At that, laughed out
Sethos; and, of the rulers also, some
Laughed out aloud; even Pharaoh darkly smiled;
But said, “Better, methinks, your art were used,
The plague to stop, than a like plague to bring.
And, surely, all that uproar round about,
Worse ill than this bespeaks. Send out to know
Why cry the people thus.”
The clamor reached; and quickly came the tale
Of that strange terror. But the sorcerers,—
By the bad Spirits taught new power to feel,—
Spake then to Pharaoh, saying, “Lo! that same
Can we do likewise. 'Tis but nought. Behold!”
And therewith, lifting up their rods, they called,
And bade the frogs to come. Forth, then, they came;
Even on the floor, and underneath the eye
Of the astonished king. At that, laughed out
Sethos; and, of the rulers also, some
Laughed out aloud; even Pharaoh darkly smiled;
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The plague to stop, than a like plague to bring.
And, surely, all that uproar round about,
Worse ill than this bespeaks. Send out to know
Why cry the people thus.”
At once went forth
Some younger lords and priests: but, the outer gate
As they drew open, lo! the living wave,
Fiery-eyed, loathsome, croaking loud, burst in.
Terror-struck, back they fled; the inner door
Hurriedly barred, and that dire wonder told.
Yet needless now the tale; for, close without,
The horrible chorus sounded; and the floor
To the numerous trampling quivered. Pale with fright,
Unto his innermost chamber ran the king,
Calling his princes with him: and the rest,
Priests, sorcerers, rulers, in a great dismay,
Huddled together,—doubtful what to do;
Not daring to stir thence.
Some younger lords and priests: but, the outer gate
As they drew open, lo! the living wave,
Fiery-eyed, loathsome, croaking loud, burst in.
Terror-struck, back they fled; the inner door
Hurriedly barred, and that dire wonder told.
Yet needless now the tale; for, close without,
The horrible chorus sounded; and the floor
To the numerous trampling quivered. Pale with fright,
Unto his innermost chamber ran the king,
Calling his princes with him: and the rest,
Priests, sorcerers, rulers, in a great dismay,
Huddled together,—doubtful what to do;
Not daring to stir thence.
Through half the day,
Alone within his chamber, to no man
Would Pharaoh speak; nor unto man give ear:
But, as the night drew on, and wilder rose
The wailings from the city,—horror-struck,
Aloud he called, and bade that to the house
Of Aaron men should haste, and say to him;
“Come thou, and Moses, straightway to the king;
For he will hear your words.”
Alone within his chamber, to no man
Would Pharaoh speak; nor unto man give ear:
But, as the night drew on, and wilder rose
The wailings from the city,—horror-struck,
Aloud he called, and bade that to the house
Of Aaron men should haste, and say to him;
“Come thou, and Moses, straightway to the king;
For he will hear your words.”
That message heard,—
The sons of Amram went; threats, curses, prayers,
As they passed on, from windows greeting them:
For, now, by all the people was it said,
How they that plague had caused; the king to force
Base Israel to set free: some, therefore, cursed;
Some, mischief threatened them; and some, with tears,
Besought them to have pity, and take off
That hideous scourge; else famine would slay all!
But, unto no man speaking, on they went,
The firm ground treading; for, before their path,
Aside the reptiles turned, and left clear way;
Gathering again behind.
The sons of Amram went; threats, curses, prayers,
As they passed on, from windows greeting them:
For, now, by all the people was it said,
How they that plague had caused; the king to force
Base Israel to set free: some, therefore, cursed;
Some, mischief threatened them; and some, with tears,
Besought them to have pity, and take off
That hideous scourge; else famine would slay all!
But, unto no man speaking, on they went,
The firm ground treading; for, before their path,
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Gathering again behind.
With Pharaoh soon,
Even in his private chamber, did they stand;—
With him alone; for, shame would he have felt,
In presence of his daughters, queen, and sons,
Submissive words to speak. Cold looks at first,
Nay angry, he cast on them; but, by fear
O'ermastered soon, with tremulous voice, and face
Haggard and pale, to Moses thus began.
Even in his private chamber, did they stand;—
With him alone; for, shame would he have felt,
In presence of his daughters, queen, and sons,
Submissive words to speak. Cold looks at first,
Nay angry, he cast on them; but, by fear
O'ermastered soon, with tremulous voice, and face
Haggard and pale, to Moses thus began.
| Israel in Egypt | |