Ismael

“ When Ismael learn’d, from whom he drew his breath,
Shich-Eidar’s virtues, and Shich-Eidar’s death,90
The rightful heir to Persia’s realms; his soul
With glory heav’d, disdaining Love’s control.
He left the maid, for Honour’s trumpet blew,
And straight to arms, and to revenge he flew.
Wrong’d by oppression, or impell’d by fame,
Around his standard, thousands daily came:
His sire’s old followers, joying to behold,
From their dead sage, arise a son so bold ”

“ A foe so dread, Alvante never yet
In conflict’s thickest walks of heroes met;
And ne’er had Ismael, mid th’ embattled throng,
Known eye so keen, and arm so swift and strong.500
Each stroke, that like the flash of lightning past,
Seem’d fiercer, heavier, mightier than the last;
Till Ismael felt his youthful arm at length,
Weaken its blows, and slacken in its strength;{49}
While stern Alvante, like some massy tow’r,
Still seem’d to combat with the prime of pow’r:
But Ismael hop’d one blow, that should contain
All his remaining strength, should smite him on the plain. ”

“ ISMAEL. CANTO II.
“Let those who rule on Persia’s jewell’d throne,
“Be fam’d for love, and gentlest love alone,
“Or twine, like Abbas, full of fair renown,
“The lover’s myrtle with the warrior’s crown.”
Collins’s Oriental Eclogues.
{27}{26} ISMAEL. CANTO II. I.
‘Another hour is fled;—a few, few more,
‘And life, and all its sweets, are ever o’er;
“’Tis hard in youth’s fair blossom to decay,
‘And, like the dreams of midnight, pass away:
‘To go—we scarce know where,—and, as the wind,
‘To leave, alas! no ling’ring trace behind! ”

“ A long, loud shout of “Ismael! Ismael” ’s given.130
All that wide camp re-echoed with the name,
So high in glory, and so dear to fame.
And now towards the chieftain’s ample tent,
The clanging sounds of scouring steed are bent.
And each on each the assembled leaders gaze,
Fix’d to their stations in profound amaze.
IV.
And Ismael enter’d on that busy scene,
With bearing princely, and with brow serene ”

“ Was (faintly mutter’d) “Ismael is near!”
’Till, as the news gain’d ground, the clamours rise,
And “Ismael! Ismael!” rend the list’ning skies.280
Some fling the high gates open—some loud cry,
“Perish the proud Alvante;” while they fly
To seek the palace, and the court to force,
And send th’ usurper on his long, last course. ”

“ The third, young Ismael, then of infant age,
His father’s friends convey’d from Rustam’s rage.{8}
And flying hence, to Pyrchilim the Brave,
His sire’s illustrious friend, the child they gave:
And there he grew, and every virtuous grace
Enrich’d the noblest of Shich-Eidar’s race;
Talent and honour all his soul possest,
In form of scarcely human beauty drest.60
In earliest youth, ere yet the toils of man,
Ambitious fire, and war’s alarms, began,
He lov’d a maid, the flow’r of Ava’s race ”

“ Fate-bearing Ismael, glorying in his might,
Destruction’s sabre bar’d, and rush to meet the fight.
From wide Assyria, young Moratcham led
A martial squadron to his brother’s aid;
But Ismael, with his courage, mingling still
The sage’s prudence and the leader’s skill,
Prevents their joining; and now hastes to dare
Th’ enraged Alvante to the scenes of war:
And that bold chief determines, with this band,
Cull’d from the bravest of Armenia’s land,420
Upon the fight to set his fortunes all,
A king to conquer, or a king to fall. ”

“ From ev’ry quarter of the crowded tent:
As up the chieftains rose, the sudden glare
Of hundred sabres glimmer’d in the air.{35}
‘And, traitor, this is mine,’ high Ismael cries,
Death on his brow, and fury in his eyes;
As flash’d his weapon forth, and through the head
Of Abbas, down e’en to the mouth it sped.
He fell:—o’er Ismael’s eye th’ expression came
Of pitying softness, conq’ring wrathful flame:180
He dropt the blade,—he sigh’d,—for he could glow
In soft compassion o’er a fallen foe. ”

“ These are the sons of Ismael: and these are their names by their castles and towns, twelve princes of their tribes.
25:17. And the years of Ismael's life were a hundred and thirty-seven, and decaying he died, and was gathered unto his people.
25:18. And he dwelt from Hevila as far as Sur, which looketh towards Egypt, to them that go towards the Assyrians. He died in the presence of all his brethren.
25:19. These also are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac:
25:20. ”

“ But
bid Agar depart elsewhere, and take Ismael with her.2785
We should no longer be together, for my pleasure, if I
might have my way. Never shall Ismael share the
heritage with Isaac, my own son, after thee, when thou
yieldest up thy spirit from the body."2790
Then was Abraham heavy at heart, because he must
drive away his own son into exile; then speedily the
True God came to his aid, for He knew that the heart
of the man was in dire straits. ”

“ And Abram inquiring also concerning Ismael, whether he should live or not, God signified to him that he should live to be very old, and should be the father of great nations. Abram therefore gave thanks to God for these blessings; and then he, and all his family, and his son Ismael, were circumcised immediately; the son being that day thirteen years of age, and he ninety-nine. ”

“ Dewi Sant! Father of the Saints of Britain! May he live amongst us for ever!"
"As God wills," said he, as he turned to leave them. "Beautiful the May tree—more beautiful the groves of Paradise. There is a hard task, my brothers, for Ismael."
His companions remembered well what he had spoken of Ismael in two months less than a year from that hour. [13]
One February day in the year Six Hundred and One, many folk, rich and poor, flocked to the walls of Ty Ddewi, David's monastic enclosure. A rumour had gone abroad that the saint had had heavenly premonition that his end was near at hand. ”

“ To Ismael like th’ adventures of a dream;
But, when his hand the pond’rous sabre prest,
He felt his soul high heaving in his breast;
And courage whisper’d, ‘If I fall, my fate
Shall, like my life, be gloriously great.’
Meanwhile the gaoler, cautious as before,
Roll’d on its massy hinge, and barr’d the dungeon door;
Then down a mirky passage pacing slow,
They left that scene of horror and of wo.80
III.
The hotly-beaming orb of noon-day’s sky,
Illum’d green Caymyr with his golden eye,{31}
And cast a mellowing splendour, warm and bright,
O’er many a scene of beauty and delight. ”

“ His couch untouch’d, his absent steed, declare:{32}
Throughout the camp, throughout the martial train,
They seek high Ismael,—but they seek in vain.
In anger stern, the chiefs together came,
Suspicion black’ning o’er their leader’s name.
In speaking silence, each glanc’d round on each,
All loath alike to be the first in speech110
To vent his wrath.—At length, each rolling eye
Is turn’d on one, who stands indignant by:
Bold was that chief, through all that conq’ring band
Not one surpassed the prowess of his hand. ”

“ A something, O! too horrible to view!
“Now, now thine hour is come,” he inly said,
And high in air, he rear’d his shining blade.
Then Persia’s Genius, as she soar’d on high,
Trembled with fear, at Ismael’s death so nigh.520
Among the darts, that cleave the airy tides,
She singles one, and to Alvante guides:
Then in that moment, through his bending head,
When thund’ring down his massy blade, it sped.{50}
Th’ exulting speech has fainted from his tongue,
From his numb’d hand down dropt the sword and rung
Useless on earth ”

“ That list’ning ear could scarcely catch the sound,
“Hush, hush,” the gaoler cried; “be still, and see,
Thy servant comes to set his Sultan free.”
Scarce had he said, when Ismael’s wond’ring eye
Saw at his feet the prostrate gaoler lie.
And heard, with wilder’d joy, the grateful sound
{30}Of clinking fetters clashing on the ground;60
And raptur’d felt each limb of might again,
Free as the air that wantons o’er the main:
‘O say what means all this’—“Hush, hush, my lord,
“The life of both hangs on a single word. ”

“ And all the hero swell’d his mighty soul:—
“’Tis well; the rebel boy shall rue the hour
“When first he dar’d to tempt Alvante’s pow’r:—
“Brav’d by a stripling! where is then this arm,
“At which whole squadrons fled with dire alarm?
“Am I not king? and shall this Ismael dare
“To seize a crown which I alone should wear?—
“No, never no! but hence—command Reylain
“To draw our troops before high Tauris’ plain.”
He ceas’d—but still his mutt’ring tongue, the fire
Which flash’d his eye, declar’d his inward ire. ”

“ In patient silence stern Alvante heard380
The youthful stranger’s fierce defying word;
Again with darkling eye he scann’d him o’er,
And certain grew the doubts he had before;
Then beam’d his joy in that dark-glowing hue,
That instant o’er his haughty features grew;
His hand half-drew the sabre from his side;
“Now, by my faith, ’tis Ismael’s self,” he cried:
“Prophet, I thank thee, that this glorious hour,
“My only dread is plac’d within my pow’r.389
“Guards, instant bring the bow-string—he shall die ”

“ So motionless was ev’ry chieftain there,
That scarce a breathing died upon the car.
High Ismael rose!—in language short and cold,
Began th’ adventures of the night t’ unfold.
The cause of all, alone forbears to tell,
His seeking her his bosom lov’d so well.
Nor had he finished his narration brief,
{34}Ere the fierce rage of Abbas, haughty chief!150
That rage, which scarce had been restrain’d till now,
Burst like the flamings of red Ætna’s brow:—
“Go hence, thou liar! hence, thou smooth-tongued youth!
“To other ears go take thy tale of truth,
“For here ’tis not believ’d! ”

“ So they say, that the blessed God hauing commanded Abraham his faithfull seruant to sacrifice his first begotten Ismael, the old Abraham went to do according to God's wil, and met with the infernall enemie in the shape of a man, and being of him demanded whither he went, he answered, that he went to sacrifice his sonne Ismael, as God had commanded him. ”

“ By Tauris’ walls, along the delving plain,
Swift drive young Ismael’s far-extending train;{42}
On yonder hill, has paus’d the setting sun,
To mark their glories ere his race be run,
And loves his splendour o’er their arms to cast,
Type of their fame, ere yet that splendour’s past;340
Forth from the walls, like billows on the deep,
In one vast mass the joyous numbers sweep.
“Welcome, great Chief! welcome, the golden hour,
“That frees us from the tyger-tyrant’s pow’r ”

“ Depart now
to seek thy master again: live with those who own thee!"
In accordance with the angel's command, she at once
returned to her lord, as the holy spirit-messenger of God2295
bade her, in sapient speech. Thus was Ismael born to
Abraham, even when he had [lived] 86 winters in the
world. The son grew and flourished, as the angel, the2300
true minister of peace, had promised to the woman by
his own word. ”

“ Alvante met the fire with steady eye,
Which darted back the flame of majesty,339
Then, turning to the guards,—“Ye’ve speeded well,
“Where met ye this young warrior?—Sadi, tell.”—
With lowly salem, the time-serving man,
Pimp to his master’s vices, thus began:—
VIII.
“Sultan of Persia, whose wide-spreading sway,
“With trembling awe an universe obey,
“List to thine humble slave!—As with this band
“I view’d afar green Caymyr’s fragrant land,
“And saw with horror, on its flow’ry plain,
“The rebel Ismael’s far-extending train,
“We met this youth ”

“ In that desert there were then no inhabitants, and though Ishmael’s192 succession was incompatible with God’s promise to Abraham and his son Isaac, yet neither Hagar nor he having sinned, justice required a reparation for the heritage which he had lost. God gave him that very wilderness which before was the property of no man, in which Ishmael was to erect a kingdom under the most improbable circumstances possible to be imagined. His 193hand was to be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. By his sword he was to live, and pitch his tent in the face of his brethren. ”

“ By this time the excitement of the people amounted to frenzy. "Allah! Allah!" they shouted as they followed Ishmael from group to group in an ever-increasing crowd that was like a boiling, surging, rushing river, flashing in fierce brilliance under the light of the lamps and torches.
"Brothers," said Ishmael again, "your homes are here, and your wives and children. I am going out into the desert and you cannot all follow me. But give me one hundred men and your enemies will afflict you no more. ”

“ He gallops on a horse in front of us, crying, 'There is no god but God,' and 'The Messenger of God is coming,' with the result that crowds of people are waiting for Ishmael at every village, with their houses swept, their straw mats laid down, and their carpets spread on the divans, all eager to entertain him, to open their secret granaries to feed his followers, or at least to kiss the hem of his caftan.
"Every day our numbers increase, and we go off from the greater towns to the beating of copper war-drums, the blowing of antelope horns, and sometimes to the cracking of rifles. ”

“ They have always been Ishmaelites—their hand against every man and every man’s hand against them—and by some they have been believed to be the actual descendants of Ishmael, the outcast son of Abraham. ”

“ When the flesh is served the following prayer is said by the father: “O, Almighty God, I offer in the stead of my own offspring life for life, blood for blood, head for head, bone for bone, hair for hair, and skin for skin. In the name of God do I sacrifice this he-goat.” This is apparently a relic of the substitution of a goat for Ishmael when Abraham was offering him as a sacrifice. The Muhammadans say that it was Ishmael instead of Isaac who was thus offered, and they think that Ishmael or Ismail was the ancestor of all the Arabs.13
11. ”