Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
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 | Israel in Egypt |  |
Joy was in Israel; for all hoped that, now,
A three days' journey in the wilderness
Verily should they go, and sacrifice
Unto the Lord their God. So, to their tasks
That morn they went not; but within their homes
Abided, and meet preparation made
Of food; and garments, such as might beseem
That solemn festival: and to their fields
Went some, fit victims for the sacrifice
To mark from out the rest: and in all hearts
Great gladness was; and hope of wondrous things
Yet to be done for them.
A three days' journey in the wilderness
Verily should they go, and sacrifice
Unto the Lord their God. So, to their tasks
That morn they went not; but within their homes
Abided, and meet preparation made
Of food; and garments, such as might beseem
That solemn festival: and to their fields
Went some, fit victims for the sacrifice
To mark from out the rest: and in all hearts
Great gladness was; and hope of wondrous things
Yet to be done for them.
Throughout that day,
And through the night, by their long suffering worn,
The Egyptians heavily slept: but, the next morn,
When the task-masters not one slave could find
At wonted toil; then, to the officers
Above them, angrily they made complaint:
These spake unto the rulers next in rank;
And they to those superior; till, at last,
To Pharaoh came the tidings; and his wrath,
Hot as it was before, made overboil.
For, with the dawn, both he and all his court,
And all the Egyptian people, had arisen,
From torment free; as though that fearful plague,
Of magic alone had been. And, such the cause,
Demons persuaded them; in heart of man
And woman entering; and great wrath and shame
Stirring within them, that, by wicked spells,
Thus had they been tormented, and abused,
Befooled, and mocked.
And through the night, by their long suffering worn,
The Egyptians heavily slept: but, the next morn,
When the task-masters not one slave could find
At wonted toil; then, to the officers
Above them, angrily they made complaint:
These spake unto the rulers next in rank;
And they to those superior; till, at last,
To Pharaoh came the tidings; and his wrath,
Hot as it was before, made overboil.
235
And all the Egyptian people, had arisen,
From torment free; as though that fearful plague,
Of magic alone had been. And, such the cause,
Demons persuaded them; in heart of man
And woman entering; and great wrath and shame
Stirring within them, that, by wicked spells,
Thus had they been tormented, and abused,
Befooled, and mocked.
In Pharaoh, chief, had toiled
The great Arch-Fiend; his passions lashing up,
As tempests lash the waves. With burning face,
Hands clenched, teeth set, the mad king paced his room;
Picturing the triumph of those sorcerers,
And his own damning shame: for, in the ears
Of all his court, had he not cried aloud,
His sin confessing; and, of Israel's God,
Mercy beseeching! nay, even word sent forth
To the base multitude,—that they should speed
To Moses and to Aaron, and call out,
“The king will hear; quickly before him come,
And stay the plague; then shall your people go?”
Humiliation foul!—What should he now?
Not he the lord of Egypt, it might seem;
But those accurst enchanters. He had sworn
That, if their threatened plague they dared to send,
High on the gallows should they hang ere noon:
Yet they had sent it: and, in place of death,
Suddenly launched against them,—burning shame!
For mercy he had prayed! ay—prayed to them
Who had defied him! whom he had sworn to slay!
What should he then?—what could,—what dared he do!
He had given promise, Israel should go forth
Into the wilderness for sacrifice.
Before his court, and through his messengers,
Nay through the people all, so had he vowed.
Promise thus public,—promise of a king,—
Could it be now revoked?
The great Arch-Fiend; his passions lashing up,
As tempests lash the waves. With burning face,
Hands clenched, teeth set, the mad king paced his room;
Picturing the triumph of those sorcerers,
And his own damning shame: for, in the ears
Of all his court, had he not cried aloud,
His sin confessing; and, of Israel's God,
Mercy beseeching! nay, even word sent forth
To the base multitude,—that they should speed
To Moses and to Aaron, and call out,
“The king will hear; quickly before him come,
And stay the plague; then shall your people go?”
Humiliation foul!—What should he now?
Not he the lord of Egypt, it might seem;
But those accurst enchanters. He had sworn
That, if their threatened plague they dared to send,
High on the gallows should they hang ere noon:
Yet they had sent it: and, in place of death,
Suddenly launched against them,—burning shame!
For mercy he had prayed! ay—prayed to them
Who had defied him! whom he had sworn to slay!
What should he then?—what could,—what dared he do!
He had given promise, Israel should go forth
Into the wilderness for sacrifice.
Before his court, and through his messengers,
Nay through the people all, so had he vowed.
Promise thus public,—promise of a king,—
Could it be now revoked?
While darkly thus
He pondered,—from his rulers, sorcerers, priests,
Came prayer, that in his presence they might stand,
High things to speak of. A deep flush of shame
Spread o'er his face, when thus his servants spake:
For, of those rulers, priests, and sorcerers,
Many, no doubt, there were, who his great boasts
Had heard, the plague defying,—and his words,
Harsh and unfeeling, to themselves, and all,—
Commanding them endure it as they might;
For bow he would not to those wizards curst,—
That, on the morrow, of itself 'twould die;
And, meantime, must they bear it; for, like rock,
Firm would he stand. Had they not heard him say,
“I will not send to those vile sorcerers!
I will not let that hated Israel go!
I will not ope this door; for never here
Can plague set foot; and scornfully I laugh
At the poor sorcery”? Yet, afterwards,
Had they not heard him yell, and fling back bolt,
And clash the lock, and madly issue out,
Crying aloud for those same sorcerers
To come before him, and the plague to stop;
So Israel should go forth? Even thus, alas!
His shame those men had witnessed! But 'twas done;
And face them must he; that day,—or the next:
Better at once, then.
He pondered,—from his rulers, sorcerers, priests,
236
High things to speak of. A deep flush of shame
Spread o'er his face, when thus his servants spake:
For, of those rulers, priests, and sorcerers,
Many, no doubt, there were, who his great boasts
Had heard, the plague defying,—and his words,
Harsh and unfeeling, to themselves, and all,—
Commanding them endure it as they might;
For bow he would not to those wizards curst,—
That, on the morrow, of itself 'twould die;
And, meantime, must they bear it; for, like rock,
Firm would he stand. Had they not heard him say,
“I will not send to those vile sorcerers!
I will not let that hated Israel go!
I will not ope this door; for never here
Can plague set foot; and scornfully I laugh
At the poor sorcery”? Yet, afterwards,
Had they not heard him yell, and fling back bolt,
And clash the lock, and madly issue out,
Crying aloud for those same sorcerers
To come before him, and the plague to stop;
So Israel should go forth? Even thus, alas!
His shame those men had witnessed! But 'twas done;
And face them must he; that day,—or the next:
Better at once, then.
Thinking, feeling thus,
The sign he gave; and, forthwith, through the door,—
Accustomed reverence paying, as though still
His glory all unsullied,—a long rank
Of lords, and rulers, priests, and sorcerers came,
And stood before him, and in silence paused,
Waiting till he should speak. With eye unfirm,
And wandering, he looked on them for awhile;
Then, with low tone, unsteady, thus began.
The sign he gave; and, forthwith, through the door,—
Accustomed reverence paying, as though still
His glory all unsullied,—a long rank
Of lords, and rulers, priests, and sorcerers came,
And stood before him, and in silence paused,
Waiting till he should speak. With eye unfirm,
And wandering, he looked on them for awhile;
Then, with low tone, unsteady, thus began.
| Israel in Egypt | |