Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
 |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
| 13. |
| 14. |
| 15. |
| 16. |
| 17. |
| 18. |
| 19. |
| 20. |
| 21. |
| 22. |
| 23. |
| 24. |
| 25. |
| 26. |
| 27. |
 | Israel in Egypt |  |
Upstarted he, by that shrill cry alarmed,—
And stared her in the face; as knowing not
What she had said; or wherefore in such haste
She had aroused him. But the murmur deep
Of the life-ocean came upon his ear,
Like far off thunder; and the chorus dire
Of cries, and shrieks,—like a great mist of sound,
From all the tortured city going up.
Paleness of death swept o'er his countenance,
As thus he listened. “Demons! they have brought
Their pest upon us! though with sudden death
I threatened them, so dared they! But to us
Plague cannot come, my Sirois: no fly here
Can bring his venom: locked is every door;
Each window with its snowy drapery closed,
That not even gnat can enter. Calm thee then.
Here, shut up, will we bide, till dies the scourge,—
As, ere tomorrow, will it,—like the curse
Of those foul reptiles, and that other thing,—
And then, be sure, this their last trick shall be;
For, as I live, ere set another sun,
Those sorcerers shall hang. Fruit, cates, and wine,
And water, have we here: and such light fare,
A day, or even twain, may serve us well:
For no door shall be opened; lest thereat
Plague enter, as before; and force me send
For those vile wizards; promising again
Freedom to Israel, so they take it off.
I will not do it! Safe abide we here;
And, for the people, in best way they can,
Must they endure. The day at length will end,
And end the night; and then, by natural death,
The plague will perish; and the Hebrew's spells
Bring on me no disgrace. To pleasant sleep
Return we then, my Sirois; so the hours
Shall flit away; and we the scourge escape.”
And stared her in the face; as knowing not
What she had said; or wherefore in such haste
222
Of the life-ocean came upon his ear,
Like far off thunder; and the chorus dire
Of cries, and shrieks,—like a great mist of sound,
From all the tortured city going up.
Paleness of death swept o'er his countenance,
As thus he listened. “Demons! they have brought
Their pest upon us! though with sudden death
I threatened them, so dared they! But to us
Plague cannot come, my Sirois: no fly here
Can bring his venom: locked is every door;
Each window with its snowy drapery closed,
That not even gnat can enter. Calm thee then.
Here, shut up, will we bide, till dies the scourge,—
As, ere tomorrow, will it,—like the curse
Of those foul reptiles, and that other thing,—
And then, be sure, this their last trick shall be;
For, as I live, ere set another sun,
Those sorcerers shall hang. Fruit, cates, and wine,
And water, have we here: and such light fare,
A day, or even twain, may serve us well:
For no door shall be opened; lest thereat
Plague enter, as before; and force me send
For those vile wizards; promising again
Freedom to Israel, so they take it off.
I will not do it! Safe abide we here;
And, for the people, in best way they can,
Must they endure. The day at length will end,
And end the night; and then, by natural death,
The plague will perish; and the Hebrew's spells
Bring on me no disgrace. To pleasant sleep
Return we then, my Sirois; so the hours
Shall flit away; and we the scourge escape.”
| Israel in Egypt | |