 | Israel in Egypt |  |
“Knowëst thou, Pharaoh, of the fathomless sea
The secret bed, and what therein doth lie?
Couldst thou go down into the uttermost depth,
And bring up all its riches? Less, far less,
Of God aught knowëst thou; or of His ways
Aright can'st judge. There is no God but one;
That Universal God who,—as ye teach,—
With man and things of earth doth meddle not,—
O'er such to lower Gods deputing rule:—
Error pernicious! for all things from Him
First came; and by, and through Him, still exist:
Without Him, nought had been; nought still would be:
Sole ruler He o'er earth, and sea, and sky,
O'er stars, and sun; o'er man, and o'er each thing
That draweth breath of life. Of that One God,
Jehovah is the name,—I Am, the name,—
By His own voice thus spoken; and to Him
Doth Israel bow, adoring. Other gods,
None are there; fictions all! With shadows try
To throw down mountains; yet, the banded might
Of all your gods—Jchovah to o'erthrow,—
Shade of a shadow were! His words to speak
Again before thee, me thou dost forbid:
But, king of Egypt, from Heaven's king I come;
His messenger; and speak I must,—and thou
Must hear me: nor, as subject to a king,
May I speak humbly; but as greatest king
To humblest subject; for all earthly power
And grandeur,—to the majesty of Heaven,
Is dust, to sunbeams. By the Omnipotent sent,
Nought can I fear. Thy threats,—the hate and spite
Of those thy servants, such light pressure have,
As mist on Lebanon. Not as man I come
Before thee, my own thoughts, my own free will,
Alone impelling: a mere instrument I,
Sounding to thee His bidding. Be not deaf,
O king, to His command. My humble voice,
Rough, and offensive, galling to thy pride,
Though it may seem,—like but the small cloud is,
As messenger sent on from coming storm,
And warning thee to shelter. If thou bide,
Defying it,—as straws by whirlwind flung,
Will thou, and all, be scattered.
The secret bed, and what therein doth lie?
Couldst thou go down into the uttermost depth,
And bring up all its riches? Less, far less,
Of God aught knowëst thou; or of His ways
Aright can'st judge. There is no God but one;
That Universal God who,—as ye teach,—
With man and things of earth doth meddle not,—
O'er such to lower Gods deputing rule:—
Error pernicious! for all things from Him
First came; and by, and through Him, still exist:
Without Him, nought had been; nought still would be:
Sole ruler He o'er earth, and sea, and sky,
O'er stars, and sun; o'er man, and o'er each thing
That draweth breath of life. Of that One God,
Jehovah is the name,—I Am, the name,—
By His own voice thus spoken; and to Him
Doth Israel bow, adoring. Other gods,
None are there; fictions all! With shadows try
To throw down mountains; yet, the banded might
Of all your gods—Jchovah to o'erthrow,—
Shade of a shadow were! His words to speak
77
But, king of Egypt, from Heaven's king I come;
His messenger; and speak I must,—and thou
Must hear me: nor, as subject to a king,
May I speak humbly; but as greatest king
To humblest subject; for all earthly power
And grandeur,—to the majesty of Heaven,
Is dust, to sunbeams. By the Omnipotent sent,
Nought can I fear. Thy threats,—the hate and spite
Of those thy servants, such light pressure have,
As mist on Lebanon. Not as man I come
Before thee, my own thoughts, my own free will,
Alone impelling: a mere instrument I,
Sounding to thee His bidding. Be not deaf,
O king, to His command. My humble voice,
Rough, and offensive, galling to thy pride,
Though it may seem,—like but the small cloud is,
As messenger sent on from coming storm,
And warning thee to shelter. If thou bide,
Defying it,—as straws by whirlwind flung,
Will thou, and all, be scattered.
“I behold
Even now, Sesostris,”—and, while thus he spake,
Death-pale his countenance grew; his eyes were fixed,
As on far distance looking; and his voice,
From lips scarce moving, came, hollow and faint
As his who talks in slumber—“I behold
Even now, Sesostris, what the end will be,
If by repentance changed not. Realm, crown, life,
Are taken from thee! A great gulf I see;
And men, and steeds, and chariots, whelmed therein,
Amid a noise of thunder, and strong winds,
And roar of mighty waters!.... All are gone!”
Even now, Sesostris,”—and, while thus he spake,
Death-pale his countenance grew; his eyes were fixed,
As on far distance looking; and his voice,
From lips scarce moving, came, hollow and faint
As his who talks in slumber—“I behold
Even now, Sesostris, what the end will be,
If by repentance changed not. Realm, crown, life,
Are taken from thee! A great gulf I see;
And men, and steeds, and chariots, whelmed therein,
Amid a noise of thunder, and strong winds,
And roar of mighty waters!.... All are gone!”
| Israel in Egypt | |