Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
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 | Israel in Egypt |  |
“Would that I dared refuse to answer thee!
For, losing fear, the worse wilt thou become;
Yea, make of Israel one great voice of woe.
But answer thee I must.....Whom Hebrews call
Their God Jehovah, but a shadow is;
A name, a sound,—nought else. Had they a god
Peculiar to them, slaves they had not been
Long years to thee, and thine. Release me now,
I pray thee, king, lest other misery,
Through me, thou bring on Israel.”
For, losing fear, the worse wilt thou become;
Yea, make of Israel one great voice of woe.
But answer thee I must.....Whom Hebrews call
Their God Jehovah, but a shadow is;
A name, a sound,—nought else. Had they a god
Peculiar to them, slaves they had not been
Long years to thee, and thine. Release me now,
I pray thee, king, lest other misery,
Through me, thou bring on Israel.”
“Tell me, first,”
Said Pharaoh, “why, in name of Israel's god,
Plagues threatening, Moses came,—if, in the truth,
No god hath Israel? Was he mind-diseased;
Conceiting that a god he saw, and heard?
Or falsehoods uttered he, us to mislead,
And bend unto his purpose? Furthermore,
Tell me thou this: how came on us those plagues?
How their on-coming did your Moses know?
Were they of natural cause, and but foreseen
By his keen prescience? or, by his great spells
Solely were they brought on us? Quickly speak;
For thy life-flame low burneth.”
Said Pharaoh, “why, in name of Israel's god,
Plagues threatening, Moses came,—if, in the truth,
No god hath Israel? Was he mind-diseased;
Conceiting that a god he saw, and heard?
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And bend unto his purpose? Furthermore,
Tell me thou this: how came on us those plagues?
How their on-coming did your Moses know?
Were they of natural cause, and but foreseen
By his keen prescience? or, by his great spells
Solely were they brought on us? Quickly speak;
For thy life-flame low burneth.”
“While on earth,”
Sighed the thin voice, “even righteous men, for good,
Do evil; falsehood speak, in cause of truth:
And Moses thus, great, virtuous though he is,—
To serve his suffering Israel, did with guile
Strive to dismay thee; threatening as from god,
Though god was none; that sooner from their bonds
Might thou set free his people. For the plagues,
He, Moses, all alone, them sent on you;
Master of spells that might the moon eclipse;
Root up the mountains; and make ocean boil,
As water in a cauldron. Heed, O king,
How thou confront him. But thy sorcerers, too,
Strange might are gathering: and I see, methinks,
Far off, great clouds wherein a conflict is
'Twixt him and them. Osiris aid the right!
I have replied to all: let me then go;
For the clay chokes me.”
Sighed the thin voice, “even righteous men, for good,
Do evil; falsehood speak, in cause of truth:
And Moses thus, great, virtuous though he is,—
To serve his suffering Israel, did with guile
Strive to dismay thee; threatening as from god,
Though god was none; that sooner from their bonds
Might thou set free his people. For the plagues,
He, Moses, all alone, them sent on you;
Master of spells that might the moon eclipse;
Root up the mountains; and make ocean boil,
As water in a cauldron. Heed, O king,
How thou confront him. But thy sorcerers, too,
Strange might are gathering: and I see, methinks,
Far off, great clouds wherein a conflict is
'Twixt him and them. Osiris aid the right!
I have replied to all: let me then go;
For the clay chokes me.”
“Yet one question more,”
Said Pharaoh quickly,—every instant now
Marking the pale flame weaker, paler, grow,—
“One only; then I let thy spirit pass.
Hath Moses power yet other plagues to send?
And will he send? What, then, our best course were?
To endure,—or shun them,—or the sorcerer crush?
Speak.”
Said Pharaoh quickly,—every instant now
Marking the pale flame weaker, paler, grow,—
“One only; then I let thy spirit pass.
Hath Moses power yet other plagues to send?
And will he send? What, then, our best course were?
To endure,—or shun them,—or the sorcerer crush?
Speak.”
Like a hasty blow rang out the word;
For, suddenly sank the life-flame to a point,
Small as a star; and darkness so thick fell,
That no man saw his fellow. As thin smoke
To the eye,—just visible, and melting fast,—
So faint, and sinking, to the listening ear
Came the dim spirit-voice; “Yet two plagues more
Will Moses bring on Egypt; after that—
The king—shall rest—in peace.”
For, suddenly sank the life-flame to a point,
Small as a star; and darkness so thick fell,
That no man saw his fellow. As thin smoke
To the eye,—just visible, and melting fast,—
So faint, and sinking, to the listening ear
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Will Moses bring on Egypt; after that—
The king—shall rest—in peace.”
Like scarce-heard voice
Of lessening echoes from far distant hills,
Faint, fainter fell the words. As ceased the last,
Died out the life-flame. From the clammy brow
Pharaoh his chilled hand snatched; and on his robe,
Heart-sick, wiped off the death-dew.
Of lessening echoes from far distant hills,
Faint, fainter fell the words. As ceased the last,
Died out the life-flame. From the clammy brow
Pharaoh his chilled hand snatched; and on his robe,
Heart-sick, wiped off the death-dew.
Torchlight soon
Flashed in the chamber: quickly he went out:
For water cried: washed: to his chariot sprang:
Word uttered none; but toward the palace sped.
Flashed in the chamber: quickly he went out:
For water cried: washed: to his chariot sprang:
Word uttered none; but toward the palace sped.
| Israel in Egypt | |