University of Virginia Library

JUDITH's speech to the Elders of ISRAEL, Paraphrased.

Attend, ye fathers, nor too rashly run,
To meet the evil, which you still may shun;
What tho' his succour God a while forbear,
In the last hopeless moment he can spare;
Defeat the strength of your devouring band,
And drive them spoil'd and scatter'd from our land.
But think not man, vain creature, may presume,
To teach his Maker, or to chuse his doom.
Oft has afflicted Isr'el been restor'd,
None trust in vain the mercy of the Lord.
Our resignation still he means to try;
We live, if patient; if we murmer, die.
Learn this hard burthen, for a time, to bear,
And God, relenting, will his people hear,
Not now averse, as when, in impious croud,
At Baal's shrine our fathers lowly bow'd;
When lost, abandon'd, and with sin defil'd,
Aliens, by heaven's decree, their riches spoil'd,
Or dreadful Midian to the dens and rocks,
In chace, pursu'd them like affrighted flocks;
No idol now can Israel's homage boast,
No god is worshipp'd but the Lord of Host;
And shall we miscreants to the foe give way,
And leave his house and sacred ark a prey,
For Judah round, by our default compell'd,
To hands profane their holy things must yield?
How better far our dearest blood were spilt,
Than we partakers in so foul a guilt!
How worse than death our slavery must prove,
Oppress'd below, and frown'd on from above!
No hope of better days our souls to chear,
Remorse our comfort, and our friend despair!
Ah! change we for a worse our present state,
Who love the treach'ry, tho' the traitor hate!
The gen'rous soul, whose bleeding country lies,
Smoaking around in one sad sacrifice,
Who late resigns his unavailing sword,
Who holds his virtue, tho' he change his Lord,
May meet compassion from the fairest foe,
May smile in bondage, and outlive his woe;
But traitors, scorn'd by all of human kind,
Implore the favour which they never find.
Let us then face the dreadest front of war,
God on our side, the fiercest perils dare;
Firm keep the field, till death shall force us hence,
Or live our country's glory and defence.