The Poetical Works of (Richard Monckton Milnes) Lord Houghton ::

Solomon is the Hero of Wisdom all over the East: but wisdom there must be manifested by power: he is therefore the great Magician, the ruler of all the spirits of Creation, and to whom all inferior creatures do homage. The Targum to the Book of Esther, i. 2, relates: “that Demons of the most different orders, and all evil Spirits, were submitted to his will.” The 8th verse of the 2nd chapter of Ecclesiastes has been interpreted to have a similar meaning. One of the singular uses to which he applied his power, according to the Mohammedan commentators, was to get the demons to make a depilatory to remove the hair from the legs of the Queen of Seba before he her. The following story from the Kuràn is evidently connected with the mention of the wonderful instincts of the ant, Proverbs, vi. 6, 7, 8.

Of all the Kings of fallen earth,
The sun has never shone
On one to match in power and worth
With ancient Solomon.

Master of Genii and of Men,
He ruled o'er sea and land;
Nor bird in nest, nor beast in den,
Was safe from his command.

So past he, gloriously arrayed,
One morning to review
The creatures God on earth has made,
And give Him homage due.

178

Well busied in a valley near,
A troop of Ants perceived
The coming pomp—and struck with fear
Death close at hand believed.

They cried: “What care the Kings and Priests
That here in splendour meet,
What care the Genii, birds, or beasts,
For us beneath their feet?

For what are we to them, and who
Shall check their mighty way?
Fly to your inmost homes or rue
The glory of to-day.”

The son of David's wondrous ear
No haughty mood beguiled;
He, bent the Ant's small voice to hear,
Beneficently smiled;

And prayed: “Oh God! the great, the good,
Of kings Almighty King!
Preserve my progress free from blood,
Or hurt to living thing!

“Comfort these humble creatures' fear;
Let all thy servants know,
That I thy servant, too, am here,
Thy power, not mine, to show.

179

That, 'mid the tumult and the tread
Of myriads, I will guard
Secure from hurt each little head,
As thou wilt me reward.”

And thus the Ants that marvellous scene
Beheld, as glad a throng,
As if their tiny forms had been
The strongest of the strong.

University of Virginia Library

IV. SOLOMON AND THE ANTS.