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
Beneath the mask a subtle statesman wears

To hide his secret soul, and dost not know
That, of all fickle Fortune's transient gifts,
Favour is most deceitful? 'Tis a beam
Which darts uncertain brightness for a moment :
The faint precarious sickly shine of pow'r;
iv'n without merit, by caprice withdrawn.
No trifle is so small as what obtains,
Save that which loses, favour: 'tis a breath
Which hangs upon a smile; a look, a word,
A frown, the air-built tow'r of fortune shakes,
And down the unsubstantial fabric falls.
Darius, just and clement as he is,

If I mistake not, may be wrought upon
By prudent wiles, by Flatt'ry's pleasant cup,
Administer'd with caution.

Sor.

But the means?
For Daniel's life (a foe must grant him that)
Is so replete with goodness, so adorn'd
With every virtue, so exactly squar'd

By Wisdom's nicest rules, 'twill be most hard
To charge him with the shadow of offence.
Pure is his fame as Scythia's mountain snows,
When not a breath pollutes them. O Pharnaces,
I've scann'd the actions of his daily life

With all th' industrious malice of a foe,

And nothing meets mine eye but deeds of honour.
In office pure; for equitable acts

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
Where these fair deeds are written.

Sor.

Thou mistak'st.

I only meant to show what cause we have
To hate and fear him. I but meant to paint
His popular virtues, and eclipsing merit.
Then for devotion, and religious zeal,

Who so renown'd as Daniel? Of his law
Observant in th' extreme. Thrice every day,
With prostrate rev'rence he adores his God:
With superstitious awe his face he turns
Towards his belov'd Jerusalem, as if
Some local, partial god might there be found
To hear his supplication. No affair
Of state, no business so importunate,
No pleasure so alluring, no employ
Of such high import, to seduce his zeal
From this observance due.

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
Has yet receiv'd no form. 'Tis yet too soon
To give it body, circumstance, or breath.
The seeds of mighty deeds are lab'ring here,
And struggling for a birth. 'Tis near the hour
The king is wont to summon us to council:
Ere that, this big conception of my mind
I'll shape to form and being. Thou, meanwhile,
Convene our chosen friends; for I shall need