University of Virginia Library

The quivering twilight of the autumnal morn
On slumbering Gilead's mountain solitudes
With a dim beauty fell, and shadowed forth
The giants of the forest; and the mist,
That canopied the waters, curled and wreathed
And blushed to meet the bridegroom sun in joy.
Each perpendicular peak and cedared height
Lifted its head above the wavering sea
Of vapour, bearing to the uncertain eye
Similitude to some far lonely isle.
Silence watched o'er the solemn hour; the leaves
Dropped not their treasure-dew; the dreaming flowers
Just raised their moist lids to the East, and sunk
To morning sleep; the herd upon the hills
Yet listened not for voice of summons home.
The fragrant breeze flew o'er the woods, and sung,
Like seraphim, amid the echoing nooks,
And haunted places of a storied Land.
Peace, and the holy thoughts it brings, o'er earth
And Heaven reposed. Men woke not yet to strife!

“But I must wake to strive and suffer still!”
Beside his threshingfloor thus Gideon mused.
“The stern oppressor's eye o'erwatches all—
“The mart of traffic and the holy hearth,
“The secret haunts of fellowship and love,
“And ev'n the field of unrewarded toil.
“And by the winepress I must gather corn
“For bread of daily sustenance, ere day
“Streaks the cold Orient with pallid light,
“Dreading the Midian tyrant! Shall it be,
“While holy Jordan from Phiala's lake,
“And Arnon from the sea of Jazer flows?
“While Tabor smiles on earth's one paradise,
“And high hearts burn in castled Gilead?
“Shall Shame on noble brows forever brand
“The seal of ruin? and the gifted sons
“Of Israel to Zalmunna bow—and cast
“Their perfumes in the dust he proudly spurns
“From his wrought sandals?—God, our King, forefend!
“Why, what avail the beauty and the pride,
“Heaven's glory or the loveliness of earth?
“There is no hope—no refuge! in the caves,
“The dungeon depths of mountains famished dwell
“The birth and boast of Judah—all the land
“Lies bare and desolate—and all the tribes
“Quail at the echo of the hunter's tread!
—“O glorious sepulchre of rotting men!
“The soulfelt darkness of despairing hearts
“Without the death that recks not for the light!
“Fear, like an awful vision, haunts and tears
“Each humbled bosom—and the savage hosts
“Of Midian riot in our hopelessness!

“When Orphir peopled the Molucca Isles,
“And Sheba reigned in diamond realms of Inde,
“It was not thus! When o'er the Philistine
“Israel's great father like a seraph towered,
“And Joseph saw all Egypt at his feet,
“It was not thus!—When Othniel rose and slew
“Cushan, and Eglon fell beneath the stroke
“Of Ehud—'twas not thus!—Have heroes ceased?
“Will injured, trampled, hunted men lie down
“Beneath the conqueror's chariot wheels, and die
“Howling—“All hail, ye Children of the East!
““Lo! princes are your vassals! Monarchs, hail!”
“Let me not think! the burden must be borne.”
Sad self-communion skilled not—for the pride,
That can sustain, consoles not him who bears;
And pale and dim, his melancholy thoughts,
Like the far fading of ideal forms,
Floated away from sorrow's tomb—his heart!
And left him, gifted with capacities
Of boundless pleasure—energies to turn
His living sense of beauty into shapes
To charm the world—a lone, forsaken man,
Doomed to eternal toil without its meed—
Life's only tenure—breath and daily bread!
Like the high cliffs of Patmos, lighted up
By evening's purple radiance, Gideon stood—
In desolation proud, in bondage blest
With a deep knowledge of himself, yet cursed
With conscious greatness in an evil hour.

But trial teaches patience to the proud—
The path of darkness opens into day.
There's grandeur in calamity, and joy
In agony, when both are born of hate,
And multiply the miseries of those
Who merit not their censure nor their praise—
—For each doth ooze along the same foul sewer!
Beneath the scorn, the ruthlessness of foes
He quailed not; but, serene, bestowed on all
The largess of a great and godlike mind,
Unto itself most faithful—to the world
Calm as the rock that looks o'er raging seas.
Brave from an inward principle, and just
Beyond a slavish dread of men's regard;
Poor and of low condition, generous yet,
Gifted yet affable, and, though oppressed,
The first to shield the friendless—on through ill
And good he passed—not subject to the world—
Fearing alone his conscience and his God.
The morn advanced; he turned him to his toil.
But, by the winepress, stood a glorious Shape,
Who instant spake: “Lo! Israel shall be free!
“And thou shalt lead her armies—Gideon, thou!”
“Rabbi! misfortune may be borne—but jest
“Is ev'n more bitter than the gall. Few days
“Have vanished since I tamed my spirit down
“To the dull slavery of our fate—in sooth,
“I bear the ills but will not bear the scorn.”
—“He knows me not!—I meant not thus—but thou
“Shalt guide the forefront of redeeming strife.”
“The poorest son of Israel's poorest sire!
“I lead her squadrons! Rabbi! mock no more!”
“The Lord is with thee and the foe at ease—
“What wouldst thou more? doth necromancy charm?
“Have the moon's phases power o'er thee? Away!
“Some Hebrew doubtful less shall guide the van!”
“Why groan we, then, in bondage?—Yet I doubt!
“Angels and evil ministers are both
“Swift on their errands, winning in their speech,
“And not unlike to the dull eyes of men.
“Show me a sign thou com'st not for my hurt!
“Depart not till I bring thee sustenance!”

While Gideon went, the unknown angel mused:—
“Thus all are sceptic in an evil world!
“Sin brings distrust—suspicion poisons hearts—
“And rank hypocrisy infects the soul.
“Thus life is torture, else for transport meant,
“And all the bland affections of its youth
“Sink into apathy or settled hate,
“The leaven of a dark and obdurate heart.
“First man doubts man, and stratagem ensues,
“Then bold reprisal; hatred, then, and wrath,
“Dissension and despair. Next, man doubts heaven,
“Spurns bonds, and wills himself to be his god!
“Then comes the burning heart, the branded pride
“Of a seared mind—the knowledge ever strong,
“And yet the final ruin. Oh! that men
“Were wise to shun the martyrdom of life!
“He comes, and for immortal natures brings
“His mortal food!—I needed not thy care—
“But place the seath'd kid on yon blasted rock!
“And, now, behold!” Fire from the massy cliff
Leapt forth, and seized upon the flesh and high
Mounted the incense of the sacrifice.
“Believest thou? thy country groans in chains!”
And Gideon stood alone!—the morning broke.

Not prouder glory thrilled Alcides' heart
When home from Phleagra's field the hero came;
Not purer joy gushed from Latona's breast
When, in Ortygia, fair Diana breathed;
Than mastered, now, the mighty mind of him
Whose fame could never perish. Oracles,
(Twas said in other days when deeds made true
The sybil wisdom of the sorceress),
Had prophesied his greatness; prodigies
Held counsel with the moment of his birth;
And awful portents verified his fame.
But He was silent; words are vain as wind
To picture mind—and thought intense wraps up
Visions too bright for common eyes to bear.
They prize not men's repute who feel themselves
Above its soaring and beyond its reach;
For Genius, to itself supreme, beholds
The very thoughts of men; the darksome depth
Of passion; the excess of hate and love;
The hidden motive, secret principle
Of demon malice; and, beholding, scorns
Both earth and nether hell—men, imps and fiends.
His high emprise fell like a glorious dream
Around him—and he slacked not in the work.

Night fell on Ophrah's solitude, and deep
Floated the darkness of a starless heaven.
Sound slumbered on the loneliness of hills,
And all the passions and propensities
Of life were hushed; along the pictured banks
Of each lone, wild and melancholy stream
The faint air wandered, like the cherubim,
Without a sigh; amid the fir trees slept
The stork; the timid coney in the cave;
The bittern in the fen; the lion, fierce
As Envy, on the desert.—At that hour,
Beneath the arm of Gideon fell the groves
Of Baal-berith and his images,—
—The senseless idols of a changeful race,
On whom the mercy of most patient heaven
Fell like the dew on wild Sahara's waste;
Whom trial never tamed, nor punishment
Wrought to the penitence of one brief year;
A gifted people, yet like swandown driven
Before the faintest breeze; most eloquent,
Yet cruel and remorseless; quick to feel,
And certain to revenge; for all belief
Apt, and most subtle in their craftiness;
Majestic in their presence; vain of pomp
In household and in person; prodigal
And proud, yet vassals of the god of gain!
Alike of mercy, justice, love and wo
An everlasting monument! who, once,
A chosen, yet rebellious, blest though false,
And mighty nation, saw no prouder kings,
No purer judges,—and no prophets crowned
With such an awful vision. Glorious realm!
Roman and Saracen, Crusaders, gorged
With rapine and revenge, have trod thee down,
And thou art drenched in blood! and now the world
Accepts thy princes as the frozen earth
Doth the dead leaves of Autumn. Hebrew, weep!
And yet despair not! in the East awakes
The day of your Redeeming; Tabor glows,
And Lebanon puts on its glory! Time
Summons ye home to God's Jerusalem!—

—Quick fell the groves, the altars, and the stocks,
The apostates and the vassals had adored;
And not a voice from all that worshipped throng
Forbade the sacrilege. And thus began
The retribution, the redemption strong,
The hurtling tempest of a nation's wrongs.

That night, the son of Æson to the coast
Of Colchis voyaged; and the Argo ploughed
The faithless billows as with conscious pride
In the first glory of great enterprise.
Then Orpheus sought in Pluto's dismal realms
His lost Eurydice, and life's one charm,
Pure love, eternized in the deeds of men.
Then Hercules,—(the moral principle,
So named in ancient ages, when the mind
Clothed palpably its high moralities,)
O'ercoming the stern edicts of the world,
The dragon of the Hesperides, enjoyed
The golden banquet beauty spread for him.
Then Greece, that, after slumber, wakes again,
First in the skill of Cadmus crowned her fame;
And learned Egypt wailed the dying day
Of her young glory,—sinking to the depth
Of ruin and despair, yet bearing up
With a proud spirit and a stony heart.

The first deed of his enterprise achieved,
The brave child of Manasseh slept till morn.
He dreamed of the oppressor and his deeds,
Of Israel and her bondage,—and his thoughts
Became most stern realities; his breast
Heaved in the deep convulsions of his zeal,
As his proud spirit battled for the right.
The sounds of war commingled in his sleep,
The rush, the roar, the fury,—and he woke!
The rage of foiled idolaters,—the storm
Of human passions from the bigot creed
Of interest gathering worst atrocity,—
Burst round him as he started from his sleep.
Loud rose the cries of madness; “Who hath spoiled
“The groves of Baal? for he shall not live!
“And who cast down his shrines? for he shall die!
“Bring forth the traitor,—Joash! bring him forth!”
“He comes not,” said the hoary man, “to bear
“The scoff of slaves,—the mock of idol scorn;
“If Baal-berith be indeed your god,
“And fierce Zalmunna your anointed lord,
“Their power waits on their vengeance; let them wreak
“The penalty! but, yet, my son shall speak,—
“Gideon, come forth!—Lo! fresh from toil he comes!”

“What would ye, friends?—perchance, not so, but men
“Whose every shekel from the tyrant comes,
“And thus the servitors of Midian! say!”
“We reverence power and worship Israel's gods.
“He shall not live who follows not our path.”
“Why, what are ye, that thus ye speak to me?
“Groans not our holy and appointed Land
“Beneath the scoffings and rapacities,
“The iron reign of evil ministers,—
“The felon insults and remorseless deeds
“Of these our dark and infidel invaders?
“Thick stand our witnesses as forest trees,—
“A famished nation and a ruined realm,
“Gored hearts and broken spirits! and our foes,—
“Have they not dwelt at ease and quaffed our wines,—
“Yes, and refreshed them with the snows of Hermon.
“And in our dwellings wild carousals held?
“Hath not the oil of Sharon in their haunts,
“Their most unhallowed haunts, like mountain streams
“Regaled their very slaves, and pampered up
“Their courtesans to mock our matrons,—spurn
“Our virgins, and brand deep the seal of shame
“Upon their fathers? while the memory lives
“Of Jubal,—master of the glorious lyre,—
“And Tubal-Cain,—the warrior's minister,—
“Need we the wisdom of vain prodigies,
“The magic of fair Araby,—the skill
“Of Memnon,—or the voice of oracles
“From Egypt, our old prisonhouse, to teach
“The hordes of Midian that MEN can strike?”
“Treason,—foul treason to our king!”
“Our king!
“We have but One,—and He is King of Heaven,
“Our Judge and our Avenger! Fear ye not,
“Pale hearted vassals of a ruthless chief!
“The Power that wills our freedom?”
“Where is he
“That dares to lead rebellion? are we not
“The spoil of Midian? and Zalmunna's slaves?”
“His subjects for a time, yet not his slaves,
“As he shall own; and he is here who dares
“Defy the despot and despise his power.
“Shem's turban trembles on my quivering brow
“While thus I toil in speech to them who crouch
“Beneath their bondage, and consent to shame.
“Was it for this the deluge spared our sires?
“Was it for this we scaped Egyptian bonds?
“Was it for this that Moses died, and he,
“The son of Nun led on our chosen tribes?
“Lost and degraded!—yet not utterly,—
“Pause,—think ere ye are lost!—Have ye not borne
“The wrong that withers the devoted heart,
“Oppression's lash and spurn,—the pestilence
“Of want and houseless horror? wild leash'd hounds,
“To follow up the hunter's savage cry!
“And will ye tamely bear, ay, heap reproach
“On him who loves his country and his King?”
“Dares Gideon's sword espouse his martial speech?”
“I cast my life before my country's shrine,
“Insulted heaven's demolished shrine, and swear
“To live victorious or to perish free!
“Have ye forgot the ordinance of God,—
“The atoning sacrifice, long quenched, the priest
“With ephod, mitre, breastplate panoplied?
“The solemn glory of the one pure faith?
“The dread apocalypse of Heaven to Earth?
“And know ye not the nameless rites performed
“Where Levi's sons communed with cherubim?
“The ossifrage, the raven and the owl,
“The cormorant and pelican, and e'en
“The abhorred of all abhorrences,—the swine
“Have bled and burned upon our altars, men!—
“What, can ye feel? ye would not, then, become
“The slaves of Ahriman or Mythra's priests?
“And, like the dastard bonzes of Ceylon,
“Adore a creed your better knowledge scorns?
“Ye would not, as the brahmin of the East,
“Bathe in men's blood, yet sorrow o'er a fly!
“Great Baal-berith can avenge himself;
“We war with fierce Zalmunna and his host.
“Ho, for the trump and cymbal! on, friends, on!
“Israel is free or Ashteroth is God!”

Hevila's pearls nor Saba's virgin gold
Nor all the incense of far Hadramant
Could, then, have saved the hosts of Midian.
Sublime in his devotion, Gideon stood
On topmost Gilead, and blew the trump
That summoned all the tribes; and on they came,
A lion phalanx, glaring on the foe.
The cloudless sun in glory rode and on
Their shields and lances imaged out his smile.
The rush of mighty gathering and the voice
Of combat roused the foeman from his lair;
And Jezreel teemed with warriors numberless,
Exulting in destruction, brave and proud.
Around the well of Harod throng'd the tents
Of fearless Asher, gallant Zebulun,
And conquering Naphtali; and round the hill
Of Moreh gathered countless Midian.
“Let all return who fear the tyrant's host!”
Cried the proud patriot; and quickly rushed
A sea of turbans through the frowning woods.
For in the garb of office and of power
The worst inspire the best with causeless awe,
The bravest dread the coward; callous hearts
Grow terrible, and men, perforce, respect
The stolid brain whose ideot will is law.
So Israel feared the Midian multitude,
Distrusted Gideon and fled the field,
Crowning his glory and their own deep shame.

“Too many yet remain to prove the power
“Of God,—too few to fight alone!” Thus spake
The sightless angel; “whosoever laps
“The water,—he is chosen; for the rest,
“Bid them depart! the glory is the Lord's!”
And on his little troop the evening sun
Fell, and night's shadows gathered round their tents.

At midnight Gideon rose, and stealthily
Went forth on his espial; Phurah trod
Behind him like a roe, and either's voice
Slept like the parted spirit in its tomb.
The giant oaks of Gilead seemed alive
With a most high intelligence; the air
Whispered great oracles; and, as they stole
Along the forest path, vast shadows towered
On mountain pinnacles, and shapes walked down
The vast rock's dread declivities, and turned
Their glorious faces on the heroic chief.
With hearts resolved and spirits unappalled
By fiercest danger, yet with silent steps,
That fell upon the dewy sward like down,
Onward they journeyed swiftly; and the stars
With diamond glories guided them to spoil.
Not in the council wiser nor in war
Gifted with a more eagle spirit, quick
To see and seize advantage when events
Hang on a moment's lapse, was he, who fell
On Maserfield, or he, whose sainted soul
From Lutzen rose to Paradise,—than now
The Avenger of lost Israel! Suffering
Refines, exalts and magnifies the mind,
Till pride becomes a pleasure, and the sense
Of danger pure delight, and men's regard
Far less respected than our own desert.
Great in adversity, the happier mind
Exults in its despair, resolves when doubt
Pervades all vassal spirits, and o'er fear
And hope,—and all the tender ties of life
Triumphs, and shrines itself in Glory's fame.

“Behold, my lord! beneath yon jutting cliffs
“The Midian outposts! tread we here like ghosts.”
Hanging by shrubs and vines and pointed rocks,
They clambered up the precipice, and lo!
The countless tents of the oppressor spread
Along the silent plain; the camels slept
Beside the watercourse; and bow and spear
Hung idly o'er each slumbering warrior's head.
“Jehovah-Jireh!” said the Patriot,—“there
“The tyrant lies secure, and Judah's spoils
“Adorn his gorgeous dwelling, while the sons
“Of outcast Israel lack their daily bread.
“But retribution comes,—will ever come
“To all who wait and watch, however low
“Cast down and trampled!—hush! what voice is that?”
“Oh! 'twas a fiendish vision,—Oreb, wake!”
A Midian sleeper cried in agony.
“How wears the night?” “It is the middle watch.”
“Oh, what a direful darkness! on my brain
“It falls like madness,—let the fight come on
“And the trump summon, like a fearless man,
“I'll mingle with the wildest,—but no more,—
“No more such dreams!—Sleep, Oreb, I shall watch!”
“What didst thou dream, my brother?” said the Prince.
“Methought, a roll of barley-bread did fall
“Amid the host of Midian and o'erturn
“The countless tents of our great multitude;
“And there were shrieks and groans and blasphemies,
“And vain implorings and despairing prayers;
“But still the strange Destroyer hurried on.
“That I should dream of barley-bread was nought;
“Imagination panoplies the least
“And most unworthy things with boundless fear,
“And clothes its dark creations with a power
“To crush mind's proudest energies; to feel
“The worst of evil, in the open day,
“Kills not like evil's faintest dream by night.
“Realities I dread not; visions haunt
“And terrify the wrought and trembling heart.
“What means my dream?”—“Destruction to our cause!
“The common barley, that the peasant sows,
“May typify the peasant, and the bread
“Thereof the slave in his despair; gird on
“Thine armour, Zeeb! for this is Gideon!”

“So!” said the Avenger; “this reveals to all
“The certain victory of a glorious cause;
“The very heathen oracles assail
“The heathen's confidence, and gift our hearts
“With faith unwavering and hope sublime.
“Strange shadowy dreams to all believing men
“Become most holy prophecies, and truth
“Shows like a shade and verifies a lie.
“On to the camp! the Midian host is our's!”
And down the shaggy precipice—and o'er
The moss-grown rocks—as earliest morning burst—
They hurried voicelessly; on every side
The song-birds lifted up their sweetest hymns;
The chamois browsed upon the topmost cliffs;
And in the depth of every lovely vale,
The flocks rose up and gladly banquetted.