University of Virginia Library

4. PART IV.

SCENE, Daniel's House.
DANIEL, ARASPES.
ARASPES.
Oh, holy Daniel! prophet, father, friend!
I come, the wretched messenger of ill!
Thy foes complot thy death. For what can mean
This new-made law, extorted from the king,
Almost by force? What can it mean, O Daniel!
But to involve thee in the toils they spread
To snare thy precious life?

DANIEL.
How! was the king
Consenting to this edict?

ARASPES.
They surpris'd
His easy nature; took him when his heart
Was soften'd by their blandishments! They wore
The mask of public virtue to deceive him.
Beneath the specious name of gen'ral good,
They wrought him to their purposes: no time
Allow'd him to delib'rate. One short hour,
Another moment, and his soul had gain'd
Her natural tone of virtue.

DANIEL.
That great Pow'r
Who suffers evil, only to produce
Some unseen good, permits that this shou'd be:
And, he permitting, I, well pleas'd, resign!
Retire, my friend! This is my second hour
Of daily pray'r. Anon we'll meet again!
Here, in the open face of that bright sun
Thy fathers worshipp'd, will I offer up,
As is my rule, petition to our God,
For thee, for me, for Solyma, for all!

ARASPES.
Oh, stay! what mean'st thou! sure thou hast not heard
The edict of the king? I thought, but now,
Thou knew'st its purport. It expressly says,
That no petition henceforth shall be made,
For thirty days, save only to the king;
Nor pray'r nor intercession shall be heard
Of any God, or man, but of Darius.

DANIEL.
And think'st thou then my rev'rence for the king,
Good as he is, shall tempt me to renounce
My sworn allegiance to the King of kings?
Hast thou commanded legions, tempted death
In various shapes, and shrink'st at danger now?
Come, learn of me; I'll teach thee to be bold,
Tho' sword I never drew! Fear not, Araspes,
The feeble vengeance of a mortal man,
Whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein
Is he to be accounted of? but fear
The awaken'd vengeance of the living Lord;
He who can plunge the everlasting soul
In infinite perdition!

ARASPES.
Then, O Daniel!
If thou persist to disobey the edict,
Retire, and hide thee from the prying eyes
Of busy malice!

DANIEL.
He who is asham'd
To vindicate the honour of his God,
Of him the living Lord shall be asham'd,
When he shall judge the tribes!

ARASPES.
Yet, O remember,
Oft have I heard thee say, the secret heart
Is fair Devotion's Temple; there the saint,
Ev'n on that living altar, lights the flame
Of purest sacrifice, which burns unseen,
Not unaccepted.—I remember too,
When Syrian Naaman , by Elisha's hand,
Was cleans'd from foul pollution, and his mind,
Enlighten'd by the miracle, confess'd
The Almighty God of Jacob, that he deem'd it
No flagrant violation of his faith,
To bend at Rimmon's shrine; nor did the Seer
Forbid the rite external.

DANIEL.
Know, Araspes,
Heav'n deigns to suit our trials to our strength!
A recent convert, feeble in his faith,
Naaman, perhaps, had sunk beneath the weight
Of so severe a duty. But shall I,
Shall Daniel, shall the servant of the Lord,
A vet'ran in his cause; one train'd to know,
And do his will; one exercis'd in woe,
Bred in captivity, and born to suffer;
Shall I, from known, from certain duty shrink
To shun a threaten'd danger? O, Araspes!
Shall I, advanc'd in age, in zeal decline?
Grow careless as I reach my journey's end?
And slacken in my pace, the goal in view?
Perish discretion, when it interferes
With duty! Perish the safe policy
Of human wit, where God's eternal name
Is put in competition! Shall his law
Be set at nought, that I may live at ease?
How wou'd the heathen triumph, shou'd I fall
Thro' coward fear! How wou'd God's enemies
Insultingly blaspheme!

ARASPES.
Yet think a moment.

DANIEL.
No!—
Where evil may be done, 'tis right to ponder;
Where only suffer'd, know, the shortest pause
Is much too long. Had great Darius paus'd,
This ill had been prevented. But for me,
Araspes! to deliberate is to sin.

ARASPES.
Think of thy pow'r, thy favour with Darius:
Think of thy life's importance to the tribes,
Scarce yet return'd in safety. Live! O, live!
To serve the cause of God!

DANIEL.
God will sustain
Himself his righteous cause. He knows to raise
Fit instruments to serve him. As for me,
The spacious earth holds not a bait to tempt me.
What wou'd it profit me if I shou'd gain
Imperial Ecbatan, th' extended land
Of fruitful Media, nay, the world's wide round,
If my eternal soul must be the price?
Farewell, my friend! time presses. I have stol'n
Some moments from my duty, to confirm,
And strengthen thy young faith! Let us fulfil
What Heav'n enjoins, and leave to Heav'n th' event!