University of Virginia Library

“Through man His will performing,—as of yore
Oft have we seen,—the chosen instrument
Is now that Moses, whom, to some great end
Unknown intended, from his birth we judged;
And heedfully have marked: for other men,
In all rare gifts, of mind and body alike,
Surpasseth he, as the fleet desert steed
The slow-paced ox surpasseth. Marvel much
Hath held us, wherefore, to high power and fame,
As by heaven's special favor, having risen,—
Suddenly thence, as though by heaven accursed,
He fell; and, hastily flying, safety sought
In a far land; where, all unknown,—his power,
His wisdom all unused,—in labor mean
Long years he passed; as if, like lowliest men,
His doom it were to toil, and eat, and die,
And be forgotten. But the purpose firm,
Though seeming all abandoned,—as man's earth,
Myriads of centuries ere he was made,
For use of rational thing, abandoned seemed,—
Silently still advanced. Reserved, not lost,
Was Moses: the time fixed, not yet had come:
Not yet, perchance, to its full height of power,
Wisdom, and daring, had his spirit risen;
But, by long solitude, and abstinence,
Labor, and nightly watchings, must be trained,
And fitted for his task. But, be the cause
Whatso' it may, his time for rest is gone;
The time for action come. To him it was
That the voice spake,—deliverance promising
To wretched Israel. Face to face, the king
Who holdeth them in bonds must he confront;
Demanding that, for sacrifice to God,
A three days' journey in the wilderness
To Israel he should grant. But, known it is
That this will be refused. By marvellous signs,
And miracles, shall Moses then attest
That he from Heaven is sent: but yet the king
Will not believe; till, by strange wonderments,
And plagues unknown before, his haughty soul
Shall be brought down; and he shall bid them go;
Yea, hasten them by gifts. Such God's intent.
Accomplished, unto Canaan, a fair land,
Will Israel be led forth. In the after time,
What they shall do, what suffer; how work out
The final purpose,—whatsoe'er that be,—
As yet in darkness lies. Unceasing watch
On every motion must we keep; each word
Must hearken, and well weigh; for, out of these,
Glimpses may come of the design concealed;
Or intimation of the means most sure
Our foe to harass; and impede, at least,
If not foil wholly. To this great design,
Then bend we all our strength. The battle-field,
'Twixt us and our relentless enemy,
Egypt is now,—poor room for such great strife:
A petty land, by a small river alone
For man made habitable; else, a waste
For reptiles merely. Thither in force must go
Our subtlest, strongest Spirits: there must toil
By day, by night: in souls of men must pass,
And sway them to our will; Egyptians both,
And they of Israel; moulding all alike
To fashion of such thoughts and acts, as most
This God-announced deliverance shall oppose.
But, first and chief, the headstrong, fickle king
Our aim must be: his spirit so to rule,
His heart so harden, that, defying all,
Threats, miracles, plagues, the iron bonds he still
Shall keep on Israel, and not let them go.
Him, therefore, to myself I take: his soul
Will enter: every thought, and word, and act,
Will strive to rule. His priests, his ministers,
The women of his court, whose honied tongues
The hearts of all will sway,—to Spirits strong
And subtle shall be given. The general mass,
Women and men alike,—both of the race
Of Egypt, and of Israel,—to the care
Of Spirits less potential,—though not less
In ardour for the work, and diligence
Each in his proper labor,—must be left.
This the great law to all;—by every thought,
And every word, and act,—or of man's own,
Or to his heart suggested,—still to strive
Toward the one end,—prevention absolute
Of this, the God-announced deliverance
Of Israel from his bondage. That achieved,—
Glory, and triumph, and increase of strength,
To us will bring; to God, and all heaven's host,
Vexation, and discomfiture, and shame,
Never to be effaced.

“As next in power
And wisdom to myself; and next in rank
Among archangels; and of subtlety
Not to be overcome,—to thy strict watch,
Beelzebub, that Israelite I give,—
Moses, the God-appointed instrument
In this new work. By whatsoever means
Man may be ruled, or led: by power, by wealth,
By thirst for knowledge, by desire to pry
In mysteries forbidden; or, best lure
To those frail things of flesh, by woman's love,—
By each, and all, occasion seize to tempt,
And draw him from allegiance. Next the king,—
Nay, haply, in this strife, like eminent,—
Is he, that humble tender upon sheep,
These two score years just passed. Fix all thy force
Of subtlety upon his human soul,
His fleshly nature. Lure him the sweet cup
Of sin to taste; and that one draught may raise
Thirst so unquenchable, that, with floods o'ergorged,
And drunken, he may perish.

“In like way,
Ye Spirits all,—both ye of loftiest power,
And ye of humblest,—on the hearts of man,
And woman,—on their thoughts, hopes, fears, desires,—
Both waking, and in dreams,—work ceaselessly,
That Egypt still 'gainst Israel may stand firm,
And hold him in his bondage. Yet, by all,
Ever be this remembered; guile alone,
Temptation, cunning words, inflaming thoughts,—
Whate'er the spirit, or the flesh, can lure,—
These, solely, be your arms: for such, unseen
By Powers of heaven may be,—occasion fit
Seized wisely, and due caution alway kept,—
But, the strong hand on any mortal laid,
Would be a trumpet, sounding the alarm
To Spirits of heaven; that force by greater force
Soon would be quelled; and, haply, to such wrath
Power now Almighty wakened, that from earth,—
As once from heaven—the unseen lightning-blast
Might hurl us down the unfathomable deep,
Far, far beyond even this. For, space there is,
Wherein float shadowy ruins, once bright orbs
Of an old Universe which had passed away,
Ere this had birth. Wandering the Infinite,
With thee, Beelzebub, long cycles gone,
One such we found; its adamant soft as cloud,
Its mountains as thin air. Even this lone wreck,
To such, would be a heaven. All cautious heed,
All diligence, all wisdom, to your task
Take with you then. In secret ever work:
Heaven's angels shun; for sunbeams pierce not more
Through darkness, than their vision through best shows
That cunning can put on. All that ye need,
Now is made known: yet, if there be, whose thoughts
For public good weigh on him, let him speak.”