University of Virginia Library

“For thee,—in thy clear soul I read it well,—
First, ruling thought, is not of thine own gain,
But of the general; in the next degree,
Of thine own house, and friends; in last, and least,
Of thy pure self. Thy largest wishes, then,
It rests with thee to grasp: for, unto all,
And all at once, such blessings may thou give,
As dreams could scarcely match. Speak but one word,—
Osiris, for Jehovah,—easy task;
Within our temple, and before our gods,
To my most noble son,—mad for thy love,—
Give thou thy hand,—and Israel will be free:
Thy Reuben, losing thee, will, in exchange,
A princess take to wife; honor and wealth,
And glory, and power will gain; throughout this realm,
Even as its king becoming: and thyself,—
Ah! let me call thee daughter!—over all
Egypt's most haughty dames, in rank and wealth,
Supreme wilt be, as, in thy beauty, now,
Beyond compare supreme. To worship thee,
From farthest limits of the land will come,
The young, the old, the great, the rich, the wise;
All that is rare in beauty, high in fame,—
Eager to look, as on a milder sun,
Shedding diviner light. Even Egypt's prince,—
Noble and glorious as all own him now,—
By thee will sit unseen; so every eye,
By thy perfections dazzled, will be blind
To aught of earth beside. Such thine estate,
While only wife of Egypt's foremost prince:
But when, in due time, shall descend to him
The throne of this great kingdom,—then, its queen
Wilt thou become; of earth the mightiest queen:
Both queen's and king's thy power; for, unto thee,
By love's strong force subjected, must he yield
Submission absolute,—that thy will alone
Shall rule and guide the nation. Then shall be
Glory indeed to Egypt: for thy sway,—
I feel it in my soul,—will wisest, best,
Most just, most merciful be: and every voice
Throughout the land will praise thee. Even now,
In spirit's eye, I see thee on the throne;—
Sethos beside thee, to thy golden words
Of wisdom humbly listening: on thy head
A gem-fired diadem,—yet lustreless,
By thy bright countenance shadowed. So, to thought,
Dost thou appear: but, in the verity, now
Let all eyes prove it. Zabid, bring thou forth
The queenly crown: and, on thy daughter's head,
Thou, Sarah, place it; and, then, note ye all,
If her the crown adorneth, or she it:
If, placed together, flame of diamond
And ruby, the pure radiance of her face
Darken,—or they, before her beams, look dim.”