University of Virginia Library

On the next morrow,—as by Voice Divine
Commanded,—before Pharaoh Moses stood,
And sternly spake. “Well know I all thy thoughts,
O king; and how the tongues of wicked men
Have counselled thee to slay me. Not the less,
Here do I stand before thee; fearing not
What man shall say, or do; for, in God's hands
Are all things; and His will alone shall be,
In heaven and earth. Plain speech must now be mine;
Heeding not kingly state, when kingly faith
Is all forgotten. With most solemn word,—
So I the Lord would pray that plague to end,—
Didst thou to Israel promise, they should go
A three days' journey in the wilderness:
Yet, when our God had hearkened, and the scourge
Had bid depart,—all truth despising, thou
Thy word revoked; and, for the three days' grace,
Didst give them yet worse bondage; labor more,
And taxes doubled: nor with that content,
Didst of their cattle rob them; for each beast,
Lost by Egyptians, from their hapless slaves
Three taking. But, O Pharaoh, three times three
Doomed yet to lose, if thy most stony heart,
This day thou soften not, and let them forth.
For, thus the Lord God of the Hebrews saith:
‘Let thou my people to the desert go,
That they may serve me. But, if thou refuse
To let them go, and wilt withhold them still,
Behold, upon thy cattle in the field
The hand of God shall be,—on horse, on ass,
On camel, on the ox, and on the sheep,—
A very grievous murrain. And the Lord
Shall sever between those of Israel,
And those of Egypt,—there shall nothing die
Of all the cattle of Israel. And the Lord
This thing shall do tomorrow in the land.’
Take thou then thought, O king; and, lest the plague
Come on thee, let us go.”

With gleaming eye,
Pharaoh looked on him; wrathful, yet afraid:
For Moses with a mien and voice of power
Had spoken, as the mighty to the weak;
And the king's heart misgave him; and a shame
Rankled within him; knowing how with lies
He had defiled himself. A secret dread
Likewise was on him; for, now, all alone
With Moses was he; and, what sudden stroke
Of witchcraft in that privacy might be done,
He knew not. Silent, therefore, for awhile
He sat. But Satan, him beholding thus,
His spirit entered—stirring up anew
Pride, anger, headstrong will: kindling within
Suspicions foul; and urging to defy
At once the insolent wizard, and his god;
And be himself the threatener. With dark look,
Pharaoh, at length, thus spake.

“I counsel thee,
Bold Hebrew, to look well unto thy feet.
A road thou treadest which, too far pursued,
In death must end. Thy magic spells most black,
My sorcerers soon will match: for, day and night,
Dark secrets they dig up; such as, at length,
Thine art will master. But even now, methinks,
Thy cunning halts; and with mere mortal means
Thou'rt forced to work; bad leaving, for yet worse;
The wizard's craft, for poisoner's. Hopeless now,
Upon ourselves, by magic,—with foul drugs,
Thou'lt work upon our cattle; and, by night,
Send forth thy men to creep into our fields,
And with some subtile venom slay the beasts;
Then, on the morrow, glorify thy god,
Saying, his hand it was that smote them all;
Even as through thee he had threatened. If a power
Of magic still thou hast, such spite to do,
Why on our cattle wreak it,—not on us?
They hold you not in bonds: why, then, on them
Your murrain send? Yet, easy answer is:
They at your mercy lie; but you at ours.
Slept we within the fields, your pestilence
On us, perchance, as on our beasts, might come.
Into your land of Goshen ye send not
Your poisoners; and, behold a miracle!
Your cattle shall not die! Art not ashamed,
With such poor lie to come before the king?
Yet, for thy warning, thanks. Our fields, this night,
Well watched shall be: and every Israelite
Who therein shall be found,—with instant stroke,—
No questions asked, and no excuses heard,
Shall on that spot be slain. Now, answer not;
But hence. Thee, and thy god do I defy.
Meantime, be sure, thy people shall not go.
If, at the last, by some black sorcery,—
Thy poisoning hindered,—thou the mischief bring,—
Then, first, what worse to Israel I can do,
In quittance, will I ponder: next, for thee,
What punishment the fittest. Heed thou, then:
For,—whatsoe'er thine impudence, and guile,—
I tell thee, at thy root there lies an axe;
A strong man near at hand; and, be thou sure,
If evil more thou do, a voice will speak;
The axe will be uplifted; and thy top
Will quickly beat the dust.”

Thus having said,
He started from his throne, intent to go.
But Moses raised the hand, and spake.

“O king,
A strong deceit is on thee. As I live,
And as thou livest, rather would I die
Than falsely speak. Within the house, this night,
Imprison thou all Israel; not the less,
Upon the morrow will the pestilence come
On all your cattle in the field. On them,
And not on you, wherefore the plague shall be,
I cannot answer: the mere messenger I
From Israel's God; His words, not mine, to speak.
Three times already warning have I brought;
Three times hast thou regarded not; three times
The threat hath been accomplished: and the fourth,
If thou obey not, will as surely come
As day-light on the morrow. Canst thou hope
To strive 'gainst God! Though yet a hundred times
Thou should resist, 'twere but a hundred times
To feel a grievous scourge, thou might have 'scaped
And bow thee down at last.”

“That will I prove,
Fiercely cried Pharaoh; “for, by earth, and sky,
Thy people shall not go. Thy god, and thee,
Alike I scorn: thy witchcraft damnable,
Spell against spell, soon will my sorcerers front:
And, if in that fight victor, thou shalt, next,
Try spells 'gainst Death: him conjure if thou can.