J. Donkersley

“ As for myself, you know of Ishmael blood, I neither worship Baal nor Israel's God. MATHAN. Friend, canst thou think that I allow myself To be made blind by an unworthy zeal For a vain idol, fragile form of wood, Which, notwithstanding my support, the worms Upon its altar every day consume? Born servant of the God that temple loves, It might be Mathan would adore Him still, If lust of greatness, thirst for dominance, Could be accommodated to His yoke. Nabal, what need repicture to thy mind The noted quarrel of myself and Joad. ”

“ God, who hates tyrants, who in Jezreel Swore Jezabel and Ahab to uproot; God, who smote Joram, husband of their daughter, And even to his son pursued their house; God, whose avenging arm, awhile withheld, Is always threatening o'er that impious race: JOSABET. And 'tis His rigid justice on those kings That throes me for my wretched brother's son. For who can say that child, at birth, was not Condemned with them—included in their guilt? That God, for David's sake, will grant him favour, And separate him from a hateful race? ”

“ Let not too much zeal, Betraying my designs, cause priest or Levite To quit his place, and charge before the time; And, finally, let all impelled as one Keep to the death the post I have assigned them. The foe beholding us in his blind rage, As a vile herd reserved for massacre, Thinks but to meet disorder and dismay. You, Azariah, keep beside the king. (To Joas.) Come, you dear scion of a valiant race, With a new courage fill your champions; Assume the diadem before their eyes, And fall as king, at least, if fall you must. (To a Levite.) Follow him, Josabet. ”

“ Let us crown quickly and proclaim Joas king: Then, fearless soldiers of the new crowned prince, March and invoke the Arbiter of battles; And rousing in the people's hearts their faith, Even in her palace, seek our enemy. Then those so long in lazy slumber sunk, Beholding us advance in saintly garbs, Will haste with zeal to follow our example! A king whom in His temple God has nourished: Aaron's successor, followed by his priests, Leading the house of Levi to the combat; And in these hands, by all tribes venerated, The arms of David consecrate to God! The Lord will scatter terror on His foes. ”

“ JOAS. Thus God Himself declares that a wise king Does not rely on riches and on gold; [81] But fears the Lord his God; and ever hath Before him His stern judgments, precepts, laws, And crusheth not his brethren with oppression. JOAD. But of our kings, if you must copy one, Which, from your choice, my son, would you be like? JOAS. David, who full of loyal love to God, Appears the type most perfect of great kings. JOAD. Then, in their riot, you'd not imitate The faithless Joram, godless Ochoziah? JOAS. O my father! JOAD. Continue, say what you think. ”

“ The symphonies resume, and immediately after Joad continues. What new Jerusalem arises from The desert's depths in dazzling splendour, And bears upon her brow a stamp immortal? JOAD. Sing, people of the earth, Jerusalem reborn more grand and beautiful! Whence on all sides repair to her The progeny not fostered in her bosom? Lift high, Jerusalem, lift high thy head! Look on those monarchs of thy marvellous glory: The kings of nations are before thee prostrate, Kissing the dust of thy feet: The people in thy light walk emulous. Blest, who for Sion with a holy fervour Doth feel his soul expanded! ”

“ God sees my heart. O that our God Would make the queen forget an innocent child, And that the blood of Abner would content Her cruelty, and that my death would calm The heavens that torture her! But what avails Your useless tenderness? If you all perish, Is death the less to him? And does our God Bid you to dare impossibilities? Submitting to a heartless tyrant's law, Moses, left by his mother at the Nile, Was seen almost at birth condemned to fall: But God, preserving him beyond all hope, Made e'en the tyrant tend, his infancy. Who knows God's will towards our Eliacin? ”

“ Informed that Ochoziah's son still lives, The murderess, Athaliah, soon will rush, To hurry him again into the tomb. Already, without knowing him, she pants To ruin sacred ministers 'tis yours To anticipate her fury; now 'tis time To end the shameful slavery of the Jews, To avenge our princes' deaths, exalt our laws, And make our king be owned by our two tribes. The enterprize is great and dangerous; Attacking on her throne a haughty queen, Who sees a numerous camp of hardy strangers And traitorous Hebrews march beneath her standards! ”

“ The high priest, Aaron—Josabet is still The last king's sister. Mathan, besides, Mathan— Apostate priest—more vile than Athaliah, Is importuning her at every hour; Mathan, the base deserter from our altars, And persecutor of all righteous zeal. 'Tis not enough his brow's encircled with A foreign mitre; e'en his ministry This Levite lends to Baal: this temple frets him, And his impiety doth wish to crush The God he has abjured. To ruin you No snare he can devise will be unwrought. Sometimes he pities you, and frequently He even praises, and affects for you A treacherous gentleness ”

“ Will not an over-confidence offend Him? Employing human means to sacred ends, Has He Himself not Jehu's arm equipt? JOAD. [69] Jehu, on whom I see your hopes are built, Paying His gifts with thankless thoughtlessness, Jehu in peace leaves Ahab's hideous daughter; Following the course profane of Israel's kings, Of Egypt's worthless god he saves the temples; Jehu, at length, dares offer on the heights An incense rash which God can not allow: His heart's not just enough, nor pure his hands, To serve His cause—to avenge His injuries. No, No, 'tis God alone we must engage. ”

“ The race of David, Athaliah hate! Joas will affect them with his modesty, Through which appears to glow his royal blood, And our example, by His very voice The Lord supporting, will moreover speak Within His temple straight unto their hearts. Two unbelieving kings in turns have braved Him; Tis now imperative a king be raised Upon the throne, who shall avow hereafter That, to the honour of his ancestors, God caused him, by the influence of His priests, To re-ascend; and, by their hands, hath snatched Him, Joas, from the oblivion of the tomb, To light again the fire of David's ashes. ”

“ Should fate have ranked him in obscurity, What matters it if low-born blood be spilt? Does this slow justice appertain to kings? Their safety oft depends on prompt redress. Let us not pinch them with perplexing cares: Suspected ones are criminals to them. ABNER. Mathan, is this the language of a priest? I, trained to horrid carnage in the field, The stern executor of royal vengeance, Must I to the unhappy lend my voice! And you, who owe to him a father's yearnings, You, minister of peace in time of wrath, Now, covering your resentment with false zeal, Are of opinion blood too lightly flows! ”

“ He bids the sun to animate His works, And light's the power of His own hands; But still His holy law, His spotless law Is richest blessing God has given mankind. Another. O, Mount of Sinai, keep eternally In our remembrance the illustrious day, When on thy flaming summit, in a cloud, Densely enveloped, God into the eye Of mortals caused to shine A beamlet of His glory. ”

“ What star has burst upon our sight? What will that marvellous child one day become? He braveth pompous haughtiness, And will not let himself be lured By any of her dangerous baits. Another. Whilst each to Athaliah's god With incense to the altar runs, A child unfearing publishes That God alone eternal is, And speaks as once Elijah spoke Before the other Jezebel. ”

“ Scene VIII. A LEVITE, JOAS, JOAD, AND ALL THE OTHERS OF THE PRECEDING SCENE. JOAD (to the Levite) . Well, have they punished the temerity Of that ungodly woman? LEVITE. Her death's atoned the horrors of her life. Jerusalem, for long her fury's prey, Is freed at length from her detested yoke. JOAD. By her dread end, commensurate with her crimes, Learn, prince of Judah, never to forget, That there's a rigid Judge of kings in heaven; The orphan's Father, Sword of innocence. ”

“ Scene VII. JOAS (having descended from his throne) God, who behold'st my trouble, my affliction, O turn her maledictions far from me, And never suffer their accomplishment. Sooner than Joas forget Thee, may he die! JOAD. Call forth the people, let them see their king, That in his power they may renew their faith. King, people, priests, come, full of gratitude, Confirm the covenant with Jacob's God: And, struck with sacred awe at our ill deeds, Engage ourselves anew to Him with oaths. Abner, resume your place beside your prince. ”

“ Doubt you that Athaliah, at the word First spread abroad—that Ochoziah's son Is here concealed—will fail her barbarous troop Of strangers to collect about the temple, And violate its gates? Will it suffice 'Gainst them to place your sacred ministers, Who never scattered but their victims' blood; Who, raising to the Lord their harmless hands, [18] Can only groan and pray for our offences? Perhaps, when in their arms, Joas pierced with wounds— JOAD. Then count you God for nought who fights for us! God, who protects the orphans' innocence, And in their weakness testifies His power ”

“ JOAD. Yet, when was time so full of miracles? When did God show His power with more effect? Will you have always eyes that do not see [12] A people thankless?—still your ear be struck With greatest wonders, and your heart unmoved? Must I, then, Abner, call to mind the course Of prodigies accomplished in our days? Of Israel's tyrants, the notorious shame, And God found true in all His menaces; The impious Ahab ruined, and his blood That drenched the field by homicide usurped; Jezebel slaughtered near that fatal field; That queen beneath the feet of horses crushed ”

“ Princess, you weep, What pity touches you? To-day presented as burnt offering Am I, as formerly was Jeptha's daughter, By my own death to appease the wrath of God? Alas! a child has nought a father may Not claim. JOSABET. Here's one will tell you of the will of Heaven; Fear nothing. Let us leave these precincts. JOAD, JOAS. ( Joas running into the arms of the high-priest.) JOAD. [80] Well, my son? JOAS. What is it, pray, that they prepare? JOAD. 'Tis right my son I should inform you, even before all, Of God's great ends o'er you and o'er His people. Be armed with new fidelity and zeal! ”

“ ABNER. God only knows what passes in her heart. She sent for me, and with distracted air Said, "see those soldiers quite surround that temple, A vengeful fire's about to make it ashes; Thy God 'gainst mine can not defend Himself. Howe'er His priests—but they must make quick haste, On two conditions may redeem their lives— That in my power Eliacin be given, With treasures which I know are known to them, Amassed by David, formerly your king, Intrusted to the high-priest's secret care. Go tell them at that price that they may live." JOAD. What counsel, Abner, think you we should follow? ”

“ But very soon the priests surrounded us— They caused us to withdraw. Of all the rest I'm ignorant, and I returned to tell You of this woeful uproar. JOSABET. [29] She came, no doubt, to tear him from our arms; Her fury came to seek him at the altar! Perhaps, the object of so many tears Is at this moment—God, who seest my grief, Do Thou remember David! SALOMITH. What is the reason of your flooding tears? ZACHARIAH. Ah! Is Eliacin's life in danger? SALOMITH. Has he attracted Athaliah's rage? ZACHARIAH. What! does she fear a child without support, And fatherless? JOSABET. Ah! here she is. ”

“ Can that faith which acts not be sincere? Usurping all the rights of David's sway, An impious stranger, now for eight years past, Hath weltered in the blood of Judah's kings Unpunished,—odious murderer of her sons; And now e'en raiseth her perfidious arm 'Gainst God: and you, though nourished in the camp Of Josaphat, the saintly king, are one Of the upholders of this tottering state; Who led our armies under Joram's son, And who alone revived our towns alarmed When the abrupt decease of Ochoziah Dispersed all his camp at Jehu's sight ”

“ They both are powerful gods. JOAS. Mine must be feared, for He alone is God, [47] And yours is nothing, Madam. ATHALIAH. Pleasures, near me, will seek you out, in crowds. JOAS. The blessings of the wicked pass away, As doth a torrent ATHALIAH. The wicked! Who are they? JOSABET. Pray, Madam! excuse a child. ATHALIAH I like to see how you are training him. At length, Eliacin, you have amused me; You're, doubtless, not an ordinary child. You see I am a queen, without an heir: Cast off these garments, quit this menial trade, And all my riches I will share with you. ”

“ God fear, I say you, and His word affects me! Hear, how that God rebukes you by my mouth:— "What use to vaunt your ardour for My law? By empty vows think you to honour Me? What value all your offerings to Me? Need I the blood of he-goats and of heifers? The blood of kings exclaims and is not heard: Break, break all compact with the impious! ”

“ Joas is seen on his throne; his nurse on her knees at his right; Azariah, with his sword in his hand, is standing at his left; and near him are Zachariah and Salomith, kneeling on the steps of the throne; several Levites armed are ranged around.) Appear, dear boy, blood worthy Israel's kings! Of our most saintly monarchs, knowst thou, queen, The inheritor? Knowst thou at least these scars Thy dagger made? Behold thy king, thy son, The son of Ochoziah! Abner, you And people recognise king Joas! ABNER. Heavens! ATHALIAH (to Joad) . ”