Israel In Egypt. Book Twentieth. Poem by Edwin Atherstone

Like a strong youth who, from refreshing sleep
After hard travel, rises light of heart,
Active of limb, flushed with high summer of health,
And eager for whate'er the day may bring,--
So, on the morrow, waking from sound rest,
And visions glorious, Pharaoh on the past,
As on a great toil overcome, looked back;
Then toward the future; and, exultingly,
Within himself thus said. ``Yet two plagues more,--
And then, proud sorcerer, will thy spells be done;
The king will rest in peace. But, as for thee,
What peace canst thou expect? The peace of death!
Nought else! for, though thy mischief all be spent;
Thine arm grown powerless,--still, thy deeds accursed,
Punishment full must have. Yet, ere thou die,
In sight of all the people shalt thou stand,
For mockery; both on thee, and on thy god;
When, stronger grown than thou, my sorcerers
Shall make of thee, and of thy magic tricks,
A sport to please even children; and thy god
Shall hold up for the laughter of the land;
A thing of smoke, or mist, or air, or nought;
A name, a bugbear only. And, the while,
Pharaoh shall sit; and look upon the man,
Who, in the name of that same fantasy,
Once bearded him, and bid let Israel go.
Yea, Moses, upon thee shall Pharaoh look,
Thundering, as thou 'gainst him didst thunder oft,--
Armed with thy plagues, and vaunting of thy god:
And loudly in the dust shalt thou cry out
For pity; but the answer will be, death!
Meantime, upon the instant shall proclaim
Go forth to Israel, bidding them remain;
And better do their work.'' Then passed he forth
Among his lords and priests, and spake the word;
And, forthwith, through the city, and around,
Went out a voice, commanding Israel stay;
And with more diligence labor. To the baths,
By all his train attended, then he walked;
Thamusin at his right; and, at his left,
The necromancer Hophra; in discourse
On what, the night before, had come to pass;
The spirit's prophecy; and what should be
The two plagues yet to come; and how the best
They might be met; endured, or shunned; or stayed,
As theretofore, by prayers, and promises,
Ne'er meant to be fulfilled: for, falsely thus
Feigned Pharaoh now,--pretending that in guile,
Not under fear, submission he had made,
To the Hebrew wizards;--so one rag to hide,
By putting on another, though far worse.

Among the sorcerers chiefly, and the priests,
Was gladness, hearing that but two plagues more,
Had Moses power to send; though, even of those,
Were some who at the prophecy shook the head;
And feared, they knew not what; the awful power
Of Israel's magic; or the power, yet more,
Of Israel's God: for, through the boundless void
Of mortal darkness, how could man see all,
Know all that is? Osiris who had seen?
Or heard? or felt? Yet who him doubted God?
If he,--why not a god Jehovah, too,
Existent, though unseen; by no sense known?
And, surely, or a god, or magic power
Great as a god's, it must be, that such plagues
Had sent on Egypt,--Israel to get loosed.
Magic, or god, alike 'twould victor be:
Soonest, then, best, to yield, and let them go.
So these, but privately, among themselves;
Not daring yet aloud such thoughts to speak.
But, of the lords and rulers, did the most
That prophecy hold as nought; a poor device
Of priest--craft; and still numerous plagues, and worse,
Dreaded would come upon them; and their voice,--
If so might be,--in presence of the king
Resolved to lift; imploring him to yield,
And send the Hebrews forth. As these, so thought
Among the Egyptians many; nay, the most:
For, 'vantage little from the Israelites
Had they; but, through their bondage, evils great;
So that for their departure did they long:
Some, that they pitied them; some, that they feared,
If obstinate still the king,--more scourges yet,
Yea, even more terrible, might Israel's god,
Or Moses, send; to force him let them go.

Though,--knowing well how false would Pharaoh prove,--
On the hope of Israel forthwith to depart,
Moses cool words of caution had poured out,--
Yet, when the noisy criers went abroad,
Commanding them more labor than before,
For slaves they still should be,--then fell again
Great weight upon them; and again they railed
'Gainst Moses, Aaron, and the Elders all;
Saying that, for deliverance, they had brought
Yet heavier chains upon them, and worse toil.
But, throughout all that day, to whom they might,
Moses, and Aaron, and the Elders went,
Consoling them; and bidding trust in God;
For that the time drew nigh, when His great hand
Surely would He put forth, and set them free.

But Pharaoh, high in pride uplifted now,--
With a long train of lords, and men of war
Accompanied, throughout the city drove
In his gold--flashing chariot; that the eyes
Of all the people might his pomp behold,
And glory in his power. A great feast then
Unto his lords, and priests, and sorcerers,
Gave he: and high his talk was; for he looked
Into the future; and, two clouds o'erpast,
Saw an eternal sunshine waiting him.

But, on the morrow, while beside the bank
Of Nile walked Moses, musing,--from on high
The Voice descended to him; and he sank
Upon his knees, and fell upon his face,
And, trembling, listened. ``Unto Pharaoh go,
For hardened is his heart; and say to him:
`How long wilt thou refuse to bow thyself
Before the Lord! Let thou my people go,
That they may serve me: else, if thou refuse,
Behold, tomorrow will I bring a cloud
Of locusts on thy coast; which all the land
Of Egypt so shall cover, that no eye
May the ground see: and all that from the hail
Remaineth to you, every tree of the field,
Shall they devour. Thy houses shall they fill,
The houses of thy servants,--every house
Of all the Egyptians: such the plague shall be,
As thy forefathers, even since the day
When first on earth they were, have never seen.'''

When the Great Voice had ceased, and for awhile
Moses had worshipped,--he arose, and went
Unto the house of Aaron; and the words
In low tone spake. Together then they walked;
And,--for they knew that on the judgment--seat
Sat Pharaoh in that hour,--unto the hall
Of justice hastened, and before him stood.

With a great burst of rage, as theretofore,
Looked they that he would greet them; but, behold,
A smile was on his lips,--a giant's smile,
In presence of a dwarf. Nor word he spake,
Nor sign made that he saw them. To the end,
The cause before him heard he; the award
Of the grave judges sanctioned; and arose,
Tokening the session o'er. But, suddenly,--
As if that moment first beholding them,--
On the great sons of Amram a cold look
Of mere surprise he cast; upon his throne
Again sat down; with calm and patient mien,
Awaited till the people had gone forth;
Then toward the Hebrews turned, and spake. ``What now
With Pharaoh would ye, that, unsummoned, thus
Ye come before him? Yet I need not ask;
For sure am I that the old jugglery
Ye come to act before me; some new plague
To threaten, if I will not let you go.
Speak freely then; for, not far off the day
When ours 'twill be to threaten, yours to obey.
Not ye alone, great sorcerers, in the blank
Of time--to--come can look; and see in life,
Events unborn as yet: our art, like yours,
Can make the future present: and the day,
I tell you, is at hand, when your great voice
Shall die in whimpers. But, of this enough:
Speak as ye will.'' Then Moses one step took,--
Not bending now the head; and, his right hand,
As one who warns, uplifting, with stern voice
Thus spake. ``Again, O Pharaoh, unto God
Vow hast thou broken. How long, thinkest thou,
Will this be suffered? Hath not, evermore,
Punishment fallen upon thee, when thy deeds
Have given the lie to promise? Dost thou hope
That God's strength is worn out? palsied His arm?
Or His plague--quiver spent? A handful take
From ocean's wave, and sprinkle it in air:
As those few drops, unto the boundless deep,
So the plagues past, to plagues that yet remain,--
Willed He to send them. Hard art thou of heart,
Shameless, and false! In thy great agony,
Didst thou not cry,--`entreat ye now the Lord,
That no more thunderings, and hail there be;
Then shall ye go; ye shall no longer stay?'
And, afterward, did I not answer thus;
`But as for thee, and thine, I know that yet
Ye will not fear the Lord?' Ay, king, even then
I saw the lie within thee; and see now
Within thee what against thyself doth lie,--
A hope, false, foolish, that o'er Israel's God
The mastery thou may gain; and, in thy turn,
Become the threatener, and the conqueror.
Or from thine own proud heart, or from the tongue
Of the false speaker, if such folly have come,--
Quench it, O Pharaoh, as the torch thou'dst quench,
Thrust in to fire thy palace. When thy hand
Can stretch into the infinite; pluck forth thence
Star after star; and in the bottomless void
Of Night down cast them: when thy palm, outspread,
Can cover up the sun; and crush his fire
To darkness, as a candle is crushed out,--
Even then be sure that, unto Israel's God,
Still as a candle art thou to the sun:
Nay, even as nought: for, to the infinite,
The finite, greatest, less and less becomes,
Till nothing seems it; all invisible,
As dust--mote, leagues away. Yet, well I see
That words to thee are vain; that, hard of heart,
Proud and imperious, thou dost hold thyself
Still as a god o'er Israel. Hearken then.
To thee the Lord God of the Hebrews saith;
`How long wilt thou refuse to bow thyself
Before the Lord! Let thou my people go,
That they may serve me: else, if thou refuse,
Behold, tomorrow will I bring a cloud
Of locusts on thy coasts; which all the land
Of Egypt so shall cover, that no eye
May the ground see: and all that from the hail
Remaineth to you, every tree of the field,
Shall they devour. Thy houses shall they fill;
The houses of thy servants; every house
Of all the Egyptians: such the plague shall be,
As thy forefathers, even since the day
When first on earth they were, have never seen.'''

With awful voice thus having said, he turned,
Reply awaiting not; to Aaron signed;
And from the presence of the king went out.

So stern the tone, the countenance so severe,
That all awhile were silent; man on man
Looking askaunt; and all upon the king.
Gone now was Pharaoh's smile: with eyes cast down,
Pale, anxious, restless, sat he; wrath, and fear,
Strangely perplexing him. When this they saw,--
The lords, who from the judges and the priests
Apart were seated,--gathered in a group,
And whispered earnestly; then all at once
Went on, and stood before the king, and bowed:
And, when he looked upon them, Osochor,
One of the chief, thus said. ``Light of the Sun,
We pray of thee, let not this Israelite
Become a snare to us; a stumblingblock,
For Egypt to fall over. Plain to us
It seemeth, that the power which turned to blood
All waters of the land: frogs, lice, and flies,
Created out of nothing: boils and blains
Sent on all beasts, and men: and, last, that storm,
Thunder, and rain, and hail horrific, brought,--
Could also, and far easier, were it willed,
Set free the Hebrews; and conduct them hence,
Whithersoe'er it would. But, at the first,
This had it done, pretext there had not been
For these plagues sending on us; old despite
On Egypt so to vent. Seven plagues, O king,
Hath it let loose; and threateneth now the eighth:
And, if that eighth avail not, be thou sure,
Even to the eightieth, should thou still resist,
Glad will it be to hurl them; till the land
Shall be a wilderness. Nay, even now,
Knowëst thou not that Egypt is destroyed?
We pray thee, then, O Splendor of the Sun,
Let the men go, that they may serve their God.''

``That they may serve their God?'' with tone of scorn
Spake Pharaoh, echoing them; for, by their prayer
That he would yield, the stiffer had he grown;
By their submiss'ness, haughtier: the fear, too,
Was now gone from him; for the watchful fiend
Had entered, and his heart made iron--hard;--
``That they may serve their God? And think ye, then,
That, God to serve, into the wilderness
A three days' journey distant they must go?
Ah! if a god they had, all spots alike,
To worship him were fit. A vile pretence
This wilderness worship is: the slaves would 'scape:
And three days' journey off, good starting--point,
Doubtless they think. If worship were their aim,
Why go not forth the Elders, and the priests,
Alone,--the people leaving all behind,
That they may labor? But not thus, methinks,
Would they be satisfied. If so ye will,
Send after the two sorcerers: bid them back;
And, in your hearing, will I question them.''

Forth went command; and, in brief time, again
Moses and Aaron stood before the king.
Pharaoh awhile looked on them, and then said;
``Go, serve the Lord your God: but, who are they
That shall go with you?'' With a firm, clear voice,
Looking on him, and all, thus Moses spake.
``Our young, our old; our sons, our daughters; our flocks,
Our herds,--all shall go with us: for a feast
We hold unto the Lord.'' At those great words
Laughed out the king; and on his rulers looked,
As he would say, ``I told you their intent;
Worship new meaning hath, and stands for flight.''
Then, to the Hebrews turning wrathfully,
Thus cried he: ``Let the Lord be so with you,
As I will let you, and your children go!
Look to it. Evil is before you. Nay--
Ye that are men, go now, and serve the Lord,
For so did ye desire: but not one else.''

That heard,--from judges, priests, and sorcerers, burst
A laugh of mockery; and before the king
Went some, and prayed of him that they might drive
The Hebrews from the hall. But, tarrying not,
Soon as the king had spoken, Moses turned;
To Aaron signed, and went. Toward his own house
Sped Aaron; but, without the city--gate,
Sorrowing, walked Moses. On that mound arrived
Whereon he had stood, when, the hail--plague to stay,
He spread abroad his hands unto the Lord,--
Again to him came the Voice; and he bowed down,
With face upon the earth. ``Stretch out thy rod,
That locusts may come up o'er all the land
Of Egypt; and may eat up every herb;
Even all the hail hath left.'' The Voice Divine,
Awe--stricken, Moses heard; and, worshipping,
Long time lay prostrate: then arose, and stood,
And toward all quarters of the land, his rod
Stretched out. That instant, from the east
The wind arose; and all that day blew strong;
And all that night: and, when the morning came,
The east--wind brought the locusts. As a cloud
O'er all the land they came; blotting the sun;
As though, by hand invisible, o'er the sky
A dark pall had been drawn. Hurriedly then,
The people of all cities through the realm;
And who in villages, and lonely spots,
North, south, and east, and west, their dwelling had,--
Went forth, and stood to gaze; all silent, fixed;
Dreading they knew not what. High up in air
Sailed on at first the Plague; and like the sound
Of wintry wind and torrent, was the boom
Of million million wings. But when, at length,
O'er all the land had spread that living night,--
Then down, with din like thickening thunder--peal,
The innumerable sank; and all the earth
Covered, and darkened; that no spot was seen,
No leaf, no blade of grass. Monstrous in size,
Voracious,--every herb, fruit of all trees,
All that the hail had left, did they devour.
In every house they thronged: over all men,
Women, and children, fell, and covered them:
Upon the floors ran thick: o'er all the beds,
Couches, and stools, and tables: o'er all food,
And in all drinks, brought founless. A great cry
Went up throughout the land. In Zoan most;
And, chiefly in the palace of the king,--
For hottest there the plague,--was heard the wail.
``Nay, ye must bear it,'' Pharaoh proudly said:
``Bear it ye must: in few hours will it pass.''
But soon,--by the dense clustering over mouth,
And nostril; the close, burning atmosphere,
And the foul odour of the plague, nigh choked,--
All courage he lost; and on his servants cried;
``To Moses, and to Aaron fly with speed:
Bid them before me. If they stay the plague,
Israel shall go into the wilderness.
Away! haste, haste; or dead men are we all!''

Louder and louder still the wailings grew;
And louder the deep roar of countless wings.
Down to the vaults beneath the palace floor,
Rushed priests, lords, rulers, sorcerers, serving men,
Princes, and serving women,--all degrees,
In that great dread forgotten. But, with them,
Rushed the Plague also--the whole space of air
Close filling, as the crowded water--drops
Of heaviest rain--shower. At the summons, came
Moses and Aaron quickly. Them the king
Beholding, toward them hastened; with a hand
Sheltering his mouth, lifted his voice, and cried;
``Oh, I have sinned against the Lord your God!
And 'gainst you also! Therefore now forgive
This once my sin, I pray thee; and entreat
The Lord your God, that this death only he
May take away: then shall your Israel go.''

``Thou speakest words, O Pharaoh, but not thoughts,''
Solemnly Moses answered. ``At thine heart,
Still is the hardness; and even yet, I see,
Thou wilt not let us go. But, at the last,
Be sure thou wilt; yea, pray us to depart.
To this God's wrath shall bring thee. Wiser far,
Unforced, His will to do, than by constraint
Of ills unbearable. Ere yet too late,
Ponder then well, if Him thou canst resist.
Magic thou deem'st it still,--the power that sends
These plagues upon you. From thy soul drive forth
Such folly; and behold the hand of God
Stretched out upon you, irresistible.
Maker of all things, and Disposer too,--
He is it that these chastisements hath sent,
Because of disobedience. His command
Obey, and ye may live: if thou refuse,
Again with heavy stroke will fall the hand,
Till bow thou must. Though still I see thee hard,
And insincere of promise,--yet, thine eyes
Haply to open, that thou may perceive
How Israel's God alone all things hath done,
And all can do,--behold, when I go hence,
I will entreat the Lord that He may take
This plague from Egypt: for, as here it is,
Even so, at this same hour, o'er all the land
Hath it come down: and, if my prayer be heard,
And the plague taken from you,--know thou then,
That Israel's God alone it was, who sent,
And who recalled it.'' Having spoken thus,
Forth went he; and from out the city passed:
And when he was alone upon the hill,
Prone on his face he fell, and prayed to God,
That He the plague would stay. Then suddenly,
Against the east, a mighty strong west wind,
Upstarted, quick as war--horse at the spur;
And roared along the ground, and high in air;
And bore away the locusts, every one;
And in the Red Sea cast them. Of that host,
Throughout all Egypt there remained not one.

Glad were the people then; and wonder--struck;
For, though in years before had locusts come
Thick on the land, yet, had they been, to these,
As pigmies unto men; and, though even weeks
They stayed, had spoiled not all. But, few short hours
Though these remained, yet not one herb, or fruit,
Or corn--blade, had they left. Still, all the day,
No word unto the Hebrews Pharaoh sent;
For in his heart he gloried that again
The wizard he had foiled: and the one plague
Which yet they must endure, by like deceit
Trusted to overcome. His sorcerers, too,
His proud heart lifted more,--declaring aloud,
That neither god, nor magic, had that plague
Brought on the land; but the east wind alone,
From the great deserts blowing; for, behold,
Soon as the west rose thundering, it had fled,
Even faster than it came. But, for the lords
Who Pharaoh had counselled to let Israel go,
They knew that, nor the east wind, nor the west,
The scourge had caused to come, or pass away;
But magic terrible, or the might of God,
Solely; and yet worse dreaded. And, as they,
So, of the Egyptian people, many thought;
Moses respecting greatly; whether power
Within himself, or greater power of God,
Through him made manifest, such wondrous things
For Israel's freedom had wrought: and fain would they,--
Maugre the promptings of the Spirits of Ill,--
Have seen the Hebrews loosed; and free to go,
Whither they would. But, to the Israelites,
Moses declared, that yet was Pharaoh's heart
Hard as the rock; his promise as thin smoke,
Melting even while it rose. ``But the day comes,
When I shall speak to you, and bid prepare
For sudden going forth. Against that time,
In what ye may, get ready. Until then,
Bear as ye can; and put your trust in God.''