Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
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 | Israel in Egypt |  |
But Hophra from the rest stepped quickly forth,
And bowed before the king; then nigher drew;
And, with hushed voice, thus spake. “Light of the Sun,
Be thou not wroth with me, that to this man
I fling back scorn for scorn. That which I said,
Truth is. Last night from out his grave we took
The body of a Hebrew; and old slave,
As yet but one day dead. Till ends the third,
Power have we to call back the parted soul,
And force it speak. If Israel a god hath,
He knoweth now: if Moses yet more plagues
Can send, he knoweth; and the truth will tell;
For spirits dare not lie. If Pharaoh, then,
So ordereth,—ere the sunset will we lay
The might of spells upon him: and the king
Himself may question; and from out the corpse
Hear the soul answer; thus the truth to know.”
Well pleased heard Pharaoh. “On the morrow, then,”
Replied he; “and, when verily your spells
Have power upon the dead, and on the soul,
To make it speak,—then send ye speedily,
And I will come to question it.” That said,
He signed: the necromancer bowed, and went.
And bowed before the king; then nigher drew;
And, with hushed voice, thus spake. “Light of the Sun,
Be thou not wroth with me, that to this man
I fling back scorn for scorn. That which I said,
Truth is. Last night from out his grave we took
The body of a Hebrew; and old slave,
As yet but one day dead. Till ends the third,
Power have we to call back the parted soul,
And force it speak. If Israel a god hath,
He knoweth now: if Moses yet more plagues
Can send, he knoweth; and the truth will tell;
For spirits dare not lie. If Pharaoh, then,
So ordereth,—ere the sunset will we lay
The might of spells upon him: and the king
Himself may question; and from out the corpse
Hear the soul answer; thus the truth to know.”
Well pleased heard Pharaoh. “On the morrow, then,”
Replied he; “and, when verily your spells
Have power upon the dead, and on the soul,
To make it speak,—then send ye speedily,
And I will come to question it.” That said,
He signed: the necromancer bowed, and went.
| Israel in Egypt | |