 | Zimri |  |
SCENE III.
To Zimri, Moses.Recitative.
Moses.
Is yet the hand that softens rocks upon thee?
Dost thou relent? and wilt thou yet with us
Surround the sacred dwelling of our God,
And see th'apostate chiefs of Israel die?
Zim.
Relent thou rather, and forbid the murder:
Nor more, when driving on the tainted storm
Disease assails us, feign that Heaven is wroth,
And glut the grave with those that plagues would spare!
Moses.
Doubt and suspicion still attend on guilt:
While yet thy life was pure, thy faith was strong.
But tell me, thou, whose intellectual eye
4
Why, if contagion uncommission'd spreads,
It reaches not to Midian?
Zim.
Tell me rather,
Why, if commission'd, the seducers live?
Moses.
Abhorr'd of God, he leaves them unreclaim'd;
And only deigns to punish those he loves.
Zim.
Let reason judge who most are lov'd of Heaven.
Air.
Yon happy race on fertile plains recline,
Embrac'd by beauty, and regal'd with wine;
Aw'd by no terrors, to no laws confin'd,
Love all the worship for their gods design'd.
We, still to hunger and to thirst a prey,
With painful rites relentless pow'rs obey:
From ev'ry joy restrain'd by stern command,
And driv'n still vagrant o'er the burning sand,
Forward we look for better days in vain—
If patient, famish'd; if we murmur, slain.
Embrac'd by beauty, and regal'd with wine;
Aw'd by no terrors, to no laws confin'd,
Love all the worship for their gods design'd.
We, still to hunger and to thirst a prey,
With painful rites relentless pow'rs obey:
From ev'ry joy restrain'd by stern command,
And driv'n still vagrant o'er the burning sand,
Forward we look for better days in vain—
If patient, famish'd; if we murmur, slain.
Recitative.
Moses.
To sense, not reason, is thy rash appeal.
To brutal appetite, luxurious ease
Is sweet; but man should live to nobler purpose.
Air.
To brutal appetite, luxurious ease
Is sweet; but man should live to nobler purpose.
The bliss that ne'er was found below,
Above by virtue we obtain;
And virtue if we wish to know,
We must not strangers be to pain.
Who hopes for Heav'n, adversity defies;
And sights on earth, to triumph in the skies.
Recitative.
Above by virtue we obtain;
And virtue if we wish to know,
We must not strangers be to pain.
Who hopes for Heav'n, adversity defies;
And sights on earth, to triumph in the skies.
Farewel. Yet one word more—remember Sinai!
[Exit.
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