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The bowing head, and smile, approval signed.
Then, upon Moses turning, with a voice
Angry and harsh as hungry leopard's growl,
“Answer,” cried Mascron, “man of impudence!
How knowëst thou why from that juggler's staff
A seeming dragon came? Thy magic rules
Explain to us; thy reasons give why thus
The issue was; and, the same means pursued,
For ever still must be; thy reasons too,
Why wolf, or bear, or any monstrous thing,
In the old times fabled, came not. All the force
Of thy keen argument, more upon yourselves
Than us doth fall: unless indeed ye know,—
What by no mortal else hath yet been known,—
How, from dead wood, to fashion living thing:
Nay, from the self-same block, a dragon, now,
And now a wolf, and now a lynx, or bear,
Or dog to make. If such in truth ye know,—
Your rules expound us first, your course of work;
Then from yon staff bring forth the River-Horse,
Or Elephant; so shall we honor much
Your deeper knowledge: but, if reasons none
Ye have to give; no rules by which to work;
Nought showing why a dragon, or a bear,
A wolf, a leopard, and no other thing,
Should, or could be the birth,—such spells in force,—
Then upon you same accusation falls,
Ye charge 'gainst us,—ye are by Spirits ruled,
To wicked ends; to them, ay willingly,
The ministers; for, even as ourselves,
No rules, no reasons have ye, why this thing,
Not that ye made. For us, boldly I say,
No law, no reason, cause, knew any man
Among us wherefore, when his staff he cast,
Should come a serpent: by the will alone
We wrought; we willed, and it was done.
Now give thine answer, Israelite: show proof
That thou,—if we be,—art not minister
To Spirit of Evil. But I warn thee first,
That bold assertion, even with oath on oath,
Will stead thee nought. Deny it as thou may,
Thine own words past will brand thee as the tool
Of Spirits Evil, if the reasons, rules,
Thou render not, why, from yon juggler's staff,
Came forth that dragon; wherefore, in its place,
Came not a wolf, or any thing beside;
And ne'er could come. The argument thine own;
Thyself thou judgest, if thou answer not.”