To bless thy suppliant subjects! O Darius!
Thou❜lt seem as bounteous as a giving god;
And reign in every heart in Babylon
As well as Media. What a glorious state,
To be the sovereign arbiter of good!
The first efficient cause of happiness!
To scatter mercies with a plenteous hand,
And to be blest thyself in blessing others!
Dar. Is this the genʼral wish?

Chief Pres.

[Princes and courtiers kneel.

Behold thy princes, presidents,

Thy counsellors, and captains.

Of one, of all.

and lords,
See, O king!

[Presenting the edict.

Behold the instrument our zeal has drawn:

The edict is prepar'd. We only wait
The confirmation of thy gracious word,
And thy imperial signet.

Dar.

Say, Pharnaces, What penalty awaits the man who dares Transgress our mandate?

Phar.

Instant death, O king!

This statute says, "Should any subject dare
"Petition, for the space of thirty days,
"Of God or man, except of thee, O king!
"He shall be thrown into yon dreadful den
"Of hungry lions!"

Dar.

Hold! Methinks a deed

Of such importance should be wisely weigh'd.

Phar. We have revolv'd it, mighty king, with care, With closest scrutiny. On us devolve

Whatever blame occurs.

Dar.

I'm satisfied.

Then to your wisdom I commit me, princes.
Behold the royal signet: see, 'tis done.

Phar. (aside.) There Daniel fell! That signet seal'd his doom.

Dar. (after a pause.) Let me reflect — Sure I have been too rash.

Why such intemp’rate haste? but you are wise,
And would not counsel this severe decree
But for the wisest purpose. Yet, methinks,
I might have weigh'd, and in my mind revolv'd
This statute, ere, the royal signet stamp'd,
It had been past repeal. Sage Daniel, too,
My counsellor, my guide, my well-tried friend,
He should have been consulted: he whose wisdom
I still have found oracular.

Phar.

Mighty king,

'Tis as it should be. The decree is past

Irrevocable, as the steadfast law

Of Mede and Persian, which can never change:
Those who observe it live, as is most meet,
High in thy grace; - who violate it, die.

Aras. Он, holy Daniel, prophet, father, friend, I come the wretched messenger of ill.

Thy foes complot thy death. For what can mean This new-made law, extorted from the king Almost by force? What can it mean, O Daniel, But to involve thee in the toils they spread

To snare thy precious life?

Dan.

Consenting to this edict?

Aras.

His

How! was the king

They surpris'd

easy nature; took him when his heart Was soften'd by their blandishments. They wore The mask of public virtue to deceive him: Beneath the specious name of general good, They wrought him to their purposes: no time Allow'd him to delib'rate. One short hour, Another moment, and his soul had gain'd Her natural tone of virtue.

Dan.

That great Pow'r

Who suffers evil only to produce

Some unseen good, permits that this should be;
And, He permitting, I, well pleas'd, resign.
Retire, my friend: this is my second hour
Of daily pray'r. Anon we'll meet again.
Here, in the open face of that bright sun
Thy fathers worshipp'd, will I offer up,
As is my rule, petition to our God,
For thee, for me, for Solyma, for all!

Aras. Oh, stay: what mean'st thou? sure thou
hast not heard

The edict of the king? I thought, but now,
Thou knew'st its purport. It expressly says,
That no petition henceforth shall be made,
For thirty days, save only to the king;
Nor pray'r nor intercession shall be heard
Of any god or man, but of Darius.

Dan. And think'st thou then my rev'rence for the

king,

Good as he is, shall tempt me to renounce
My sworn allegiance to the King of kings?
Hast thou commanded legions? strove in battle,
Defied the face of danger, mock'd at death
In all its frightful forms, and tremblest now?
Come, learn of me: I'll teach thee to be bold,
Tho' sword I never drew. Fear not, Araspes,
The feeble vengeance of a mortal man,
Whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein
Is he to be accounted of? but fear

The awaken'd vengeance of the living Lord;
He who can plunge the everlasting soul
In infinite perdition.

Aras.

Then, O Daniel !

If thou persist to disobey the edict,

Retire and hide thee from the prying eyes
Of busy malice.

Dan.

He who is asham'd

To vindicate the honour of his God,

Of him the living Lord shall be asham'd

When He shall judge the tribes.

Yet, oh, remember,

Aras.
Oft I have heard thee say, the secret heart
Is fair Devotion's Temple; there the saint,
E'en on that living altar, lights the flame
Of purest sacrifice, which burns unseen,
Not unaccepted.
I remember, too,

When Syrian Naaman*, by Elisha's hand,
Was cleans'd from foul pollution, and his mind,
Enlighten'd by the miracle, confess'd

The Almighty God of Jacob; that he deem'd it
No flagrant violation of his faith

To bend at Rimmon's shrine; nor did the Seer
Forbid the rite external.

Dan.

Know, Araspes,

Heav'n deigns to suit our trials to our strength.
A recent convert, feeble in his faith,
Naaman, perhaps, had sunk beneath the weight
Of so severe a duty. Gracious Heaven
Forbears to bruise the reed, or quench the flax
When feeble and expiring. But shall I,
Shall Daniel, shall the servant of the Lord,
A vet'ran in his cause-long train'd to know
And do his will-long exercis'd in woe,
Bred in captivity, and born to suffer;

2 Kings, chap. v.