DANIEL: A Sacred Drama. The Righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the Wicked cometh in his stead. Proverbs of Solomon. On peut des plus grands rois surprendre la justice. Incapables de tromper Ils ont peine a s'échapper Des pièges de l'artifice. Un cœur noble ne peut soupçonner en autrui La basesse et la malice Qu'il ne sent point en lui. ESTHER. Tragédie de Racine. PERSONS OF THE DRAMA. DARIUS, King of Media and Babylon. PHARNACES, Courtiers, enemies to Daniel. SORANUS, ARASPES, a young Median Lord, friend and convert The Subject is taken from the Sixth Chapter of the Prophet Daniel. DANIEL. PART I. PHARNACES, SORANUS. Phar. YES; -I have noted with a jealous eye The pow'r of this new fav'rite. Daniel reigns, And not Darius. Daniel guides the springs Which move this mighty empire. High he sits, Supreme in favour both with prince and people. Where is the spirit of our Median lords, Tamely to crouch and bend the supple knee To this new god? By Mithras, 'tis too much. Shall great Arbaces' race to Daniel bow? A foreigner, a captive, and a Jew. Something must be devis'd, and that right soon, To shake his credit. Sor. Rather hope to shake The mountain pine, whose twisting fibres clasp The earth, deep rooted. Rather hope to shake The Scythian Taurus from his central base. No-Daniel sits too absolute in pow'r, Too firm in favour, for the keenest shaft Of nicely-aiming jealousy to reach him. Phar. Rather, he sits too high to sit securely. Yes; he has reach'd that pinnacle of pow'r Which closely touches on Depression's verge. Hast thou then liv'd in courts? hast thou grown grey To hide his secret soul, and dost not know If I mistake not, may be wrought upon Sor. But the means? By Wisdom's nicest rules, 'twill be most hard With all th' industrious malice of a foe, And nothing meets mine eye but deeds of honour. Renown'd in justice and impartial truth, The Grecian Themis is not more severe. Phar. By yon bright sun thou blazon'st forth his praise, As if with rapture thou didst read the page Sor. Thou mistak'st. I only meant to show what cause we have Who so renown'd as Daniel? Of his law Phar. There, there he falls. Enough, my friend: his piety destroys him. There, at the very footstool of his God, Where he implores protection, there I'll crush him. Sor. What means Pharnaces? Phar. Ask not what I mean : The new idea floating in my brain |