Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
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 | Israel in Egypt |  |
On the next morning early, went a cry
Throughout all Egypt, for their cattle struck,
Thousands on thousands, by a pestilence
Such as, till then, no eye of man had seen,
No ear had heard of. Post-haste messengers,
Sent Pharaoh then through all the land around,—
Far as, 'twixt rise and set of sun, swift horse
Might go, and come,—to question everywhere,
What cattle of the Egyptians had been slain;
What cattle of the Hebrews.
Throughout all Egypt, for their cattle struck,
Thousands on thousands, by a pestilence
Such as, till then, no eye of man had seen,
No ear had heard of. Post-haste messengers,
Sent Pharaoh then through all the land around,—
282
Might go, and come,—to question everywhere,
What cattle of the Egyptians had been slain;
What cattle of the Hebrews.
But, when night
Had fallen, and every missive had returned,—
To Pharaoh went his ministers, and said;
“Splendor of heaven! so heavy is the count
Of cattle lost to Egypt, that the sum
All figures fail to tell: but, as for them
Of Israel, not one horse, ass, ox, or sheep,
Hath by this pestilence perished.”
Had fallen, and every missive had returned,—
To Pharaoh went his ministers, and said;
“Splendor of heaven! so heavy is the count
Of cattle lost to Egypt, that the sum
All figures fail to tell: but, as for them
Of Israel, not one horse, ass, ox, or sheep,
Hath by this pestilence perished.”
Hard as rock
Was Pharaoh still; headstrong, and proud, and stern.
Command he gave; and, promptly, nigh the throne,
Priests and magicians stood. At heart dismayed,
Yet,—the bold front assuming,—with big words
Outspake they: making boast how, speedily,
Spell against spell, with every day more strong,
Would they the cunning of the Hebrew match;
And, at the last, o'ercome. A willing ear
Gave Pharaoh; and yet harder grew of heart;
Pondering how best on Israel he might work
Avengement.
Was Pharaoh still; headstrong, and proud, and stern.
Command he gave; and, promptly, nigh the throne,
Priests and magicians stood. At heart dismayed,
Yet,—the bold front assuming,—with big words
Outspake they: making boast how, speedily,
Spell against spell, with every day more strong,
Would they the cunning of the Hebrew match;
And, at the last, o'ercome. A willing ear
Gave Pharaoh; and yet harder grew of heart;
Pondering how best on Israel he might work
Avengement.
But, on that same evening, came
To Moses and to Aaron, as they walked
Within the garden, musing silently,
A Voice from out the firmament, which said;
“Handfuls of ashes of the furnace take;
And toward the heaven let Moses sprinkle it,
In sight of Pharaoh: and it shall become,
Through all the land of Egypt, a small dust;
And shall a boil be, breaking forth with blains,
On man and beast through all Egyptian land.”
To Moses and to Aaron, as they walked
Within the garden, musing silently,
A Voice from out the firmament, which said;
“Handfuls of ashes of the furnace take;
And toward the heaven let Moses sprinkle it,
In sight of Pharaoh: and it shall become,
Through all the land of Egypt, a small dust;
And shall a boil be, breaking forth with blains,
On man and beast through all Egyptian land.”
| Israel in Egypt | |