Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
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 | Israel in Egypt |  |
Order must ever reign;—so taught their chiefs,—
Nor mocking, though all order had themselves
Madly o'erthrown; and into very Heaven
Foulest disorder brought: obedience true
To their great leader, Satan; though himself
The first to example disobedience
Toward Him, his greater, as eternity
Than Time's least moment greater. Through all space,
Wherever power opposing checked them not,
His own free course might every Spirit take:
Yet nighest to Heaven still best; so aught, perchance,
Of good might be espied; or hope of good,
Through their united powers attainable.
But, at fixed seasons,—then to be resolved,
When in the mid Creation they should pause,—
To that extinguished orb, their prison so long,
Must every Spirit return: in safety there,—
For, surely, to that utter depth of space,
Nor eye, nor ear of jealous God could pierce,—
Tidings from all the countless worlds to hear,
And tell; and conference hold, on what to do,
And what to shun; so working evermore
To victory at last.
Nor mocking, though all order had themselves
Madly o'erthrown; and into very Heaven
Foulest disorder brought: obedience true
To their great leader, Satan; though himself
The first to example disobedience
Toward Him, his greater, as eternity
Than Time's least moment greater. Through all space,
Wherever power opposing checked them not,
His own free course might every Spirit take:
Yet nighest to Heaven still best; so aught, perchance,
Of good might be espied; or hope of good,
Through their united powers attainable.
But, at fixed seasons,—then to be resolved,
When in the mid Creation they should pause,—
To that extinguished orb, their prison so long,
Must every Spirit return: in safety there,—
For, surely, to that utter depth of space,
Nor eye, nor ear of jealous God could pierce,—
Tidings from all the countless worlds to hear,
And tell; and conference hold, on what to do,
And what to shun; so working evermore
To victory at last.
The Council o'er,—
For flight across the void immense of night,
Even to the heart of the great Universe,
In silence they prepared: then, all at once,
Right up through the ribbed arch of adamant,
As through thin ether, they sprang: through rock on rock,
Emerald, chrysolite, ruby; till, at last,
On the broad outside of the perished orb,—
Darkness eternal shrouding them,—they came,
And in deep silence paused.
For flight across the void immense of night,
Even to the heart of the great Universe,
In silence they prepared: then, all at once,
Right up through the ribbed arch of adamant,
As through thin ether, they sprang: through rock on rock,
Emerald, chrysolite, ruby; till, at last,
On the broad outside of the perished orb,—
Darkness eternal shrouding them,—they came,
And in deep silence paused.
By spiritual sense,
To man unknown,—throughout the countless host
Their leader's will was felt; the place of each,
Mid uttermost dark, apparent was to all.
He, in the centre, gave the voiceless sign,
Their course directing; and,—no noise of flight
Creating,—instantly amid the void
The ardent legions shot. For, not on wings,
Laborious, slow, do Spirits take their way,
But at thought's speed; one moment on man's globe,
And, ere from cloud to earth lightning could leap,
Deep in the burning glory of the sun,
Will urging, might they stand.
9
Their leader's will was felt; the place of each,
Mid uttermost dark, apparent was to all.
He, in the centre, gave the voiceless sign,
Their course directing; and,—no noise of flight
Creating,—instantly amid the void
The ardent legions shot. For, not on wings,
Laborious, slow, do Spirits take their way,
But at thought's speed; one moment on man's globe,
And, ere from cloud to earth lightning could leap,
Deep in the burning glory of the sun,
Will urging, might they stand.
So went they on,
In silence, yet rejoicing; glad to see
Again the light of countless living orbs;
To speed at pleasure through the infinite;
Yet feel themselves from eye of God secure,
And from his baffled vengeance: for,—so lost
In sin and folly were they,—all unknown
By the Omniscient, deemed they their escape;
All unpermitted by the Omnipotent:
And how to oppose Him; how His heaven invade;
How dim His glory, and decrease His power,
Insanely brooded; while the All Merciful
Their every thought, their every motion knew;
And, their own good, at last, through ill to work,
Their folly suffered.
In silence, yet rejoicing; glad to see
Again the light of countless living orbs;
To speed at pleasure through the infinite;
Yet feel themselves from eye of God secure,
And from his baffled vengeance: for,—so lost
In sin and folly were they,—all unknown
By the Omniscient, deemed they their escape;
All unpermitted by the Omnipotent:
And how to oppose Him; how His heaven invade;
How dim His glory, and decrease His power,
Insanely brooded; while the All Merciful
Their every thought, their every motion knew;
And, their own good, at last, through ill to work,
Their folly suffered.
Through the universe
At length they scattered: but, the appointed times
Ever observing, to the perished orb
Duly repaired; from all the suns and worlds,
Tidings to tell, and hear.
At length they scattered: but, the appointed times
Ever observing, to the perished orb
Duly repaired; from all the suns and worlds,
Tidings to tell, and hear.
Long ages gone,—
Of man they heard; on a small globe, named Earth,
Newly created: like unto themselves,
But of inferior nature: yet, 'twas said,
Destined, no doubt, their vacant place in heaven,
At the due time, to fill. Then envy rose,
And hatred; and resolve, by force, or guile,
God's purpose to defeat; and man to bring,
Through disobedience, to their own fall'n state;
Or lower still; so most to exasperate
Him whom they deemed their foe; the God of love,
Of mercy; God Omnipotent, All Wise;
Who their vain pride, and boasted power,—so willed—
Might, even by feeblest thing, have utterly crushed:
Nay, their great selves,—immortal, as they deemed,—
Eternal, for the ages yet to come,
As Deity itself—might have sent back
To Nothingness, whence first to life they rose,
By His sole word called forth.
Of man they heard; on a small globe, named Earth,
Newly created: like unto themselves,
But of inferior nature: yet, 'twas said,
Destined, no doubt, their vacant place in heaven,
At the due time, to fill. Then envy rose,
And hatred; and resolve, by force, or guile,
God's purpose to defeat; and man to bring,
Through disobedience, to their own fall'n state;
10
Him whom they deemed their foe; the God of love,
Of mercy; God Omnipotent, All Wise;
Who their vain pride, and boasted power,—so willed—
Might, even by feeblest thing, have utterly crushed:
Nay, their great selves,—immortal, as they deemed,—
Eternal, for the ages yet to come,
As Deity itself—might have sent back
To Nothingness, whence first to life they rose,
By His sole word called forth.
That God of love,
Of mercy, to incense, and thwart His ways,
Then man they tempted: and, through them, man fell!
Glory they deemed it; proof of growing strength,
Ere long to match them with Omnipotence:
Unknowing how—for their own sharper grief,
More dread remorse, and deeper penitence,
And for the greater good to injured man;
Nay, to themselves, when, in the infinite
Of ages should the time appointed come,
For everlasting peace, and perfect bliss,
Throughout the universe—their deed malign
Supernal power permitted.
Of mercy, to incense, and thwart His ways,
Then man they tempted: and, through them, man fell!
Glory they deemed it; proof of growing strength,
Ere long to match them with Omnipotence:
Unknowing how—for their own sharper grief,
More dread remorse, and deeper penitence,
And for the greater good to injured man;
Nay, to themselves, when, in the infinite
Of ages should the time appointed come,
For everlasting peace, and perfect bliss,
Throughout the universe—their deed malign
Supernal power permitted.
Man thus fallen,
Earth as their own domain they boasted then;
Pleasantly living, save when thought of heaven,
Its glories, and its happiness—so far
Best joy of earth transcending,—a sharp pang,
As from a serpent's tooth in human flesh,
Through Spiritual being shot: in some, worse hate
'Gainst man and God arousing; but in some,
Remorse, repentance; sense of heaviest guilt,
Of black ingratitude toward Him, whom, once,
The source they knew of all their happiness.
Earth as their own domain they boasted then;
Pleasantly living, save when thought of heaven,
Its glories, and its happiness—so far
Best joy of earth transcending,—a sharp pang,
As from a serpent's tooth in human flesh,
Through Spiritual being shot: in some, worse hate
'Gainst man and God arousing; but in some,
Remorse, repentance; sense of heaviest guilt,
Of black ingratitude toward Him, whom, once,
The source they knew of all their happiness.
| Israel in Egypt | |