grown gray

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 mo-
ment!

The faint, precarious, fickly shine of pow'r;
Giv'n without merit, by caprice withdrawn.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 tower 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?

With prostrate reverence, he adores his
God:

With superstitious awe his face he turns
Tow'rds 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, mean-
while,

Convene our chosen friends; for I shall need
The aid of all your councils, and the weight
Of grave authority.

Sor.
Who shall be trusted?
Phar. With our immediate motive none,
except

A chosen band of friends, who most repine
At Daniel's exaltation.-But the scheme
I meditate must be disclos'd to all

Who bear high office; all our Median ruiers,

Princes and captains, presidents and lords;
All must assemble. 'Tis a common cause:
All but the young Araspes; he inclines
To Daniel and his God. He sits attent,
With ravish'd ears, to listen to his lore.
With rev'rence names Jerusalem, and reads
The volume of the law. No more he bows
To hail the golden Ruler of the Day,

naces,

Iv'e 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 did'st read the page
Where these fair deeds are written!
Thou mistak'st.

Sor.
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 ev'ry
day

The end of the ungodly; thou wilt own How short their longest period; wilt perceive. [day! How black a night succeeds their brightest Thy purged eye will see God is not slack, As men count slackness, to fulfil his word. Weigh well this book; and may the Spirit of grace, [page, Who stamp'd the seal of truth on the bless'd Descend into thy soul, remove thy doubts, Clear the perplex'd, and solve the intricate, Till faith be lost in sight, and hope in joy!

Now tell me, has your wisdom aught de-
vis'd
[pire,
To aid the commonwealth? In our new em-
Subdu'd Chaldea, is there aught remains
Your prudence can suggest to serve the
state,

To benefit the subject, to redress
And raise the injur'd, to assist the oppress'd,
And humble the oppressor? If you know,
Speak freely, princes! Why am I a king,
Except to poise the awful scale of justice
With even hand; to minister to want;
To bless the nations with a lib'ral rule,
Vicegerent of th' eternal Oromasdes ?
Phar. So absolute thy wisdom, mighty
king,

All counsel were superfluous.

Darius.

Hold, Pharnaces!

No adulation; 'tis the death of virtue; Who flatters is of all mankind the lowest, Save he who courts flattery. Kings are men,

As feeble and as frail as those they rule, And born like them, to die. The Lydian monarch,

Unhappy Croesus, lately sat aloft,
Almost above mortality; now see him!
Sunk to the vile condition of a slave,
He swells the train of Cyrus! I, like him,
To misery am obnoxious. See this throne;
This royal throne the great Nebassar fill'd;
Yet hence his pride expell'd him! Yonder
wall,

The dread terrific writing to the eyes
Of proud Belshazzar show'd; sad monu-
[shall I,
Of Heav'n's tremendous vengeance! and

ments

And meet acceptance in his royal ear,
Who subjugates the east! Let not the king
With anger hear my pray'r.
Pharnaces, speak;

Darius.
I know thou lov'st me; I but meant to chide
Thy flatt'ry, not reprove thee for thy zeal.
Speak boldly, friends, as man should speak

to man.

Thy princes, and the captains of thy bands,
Thy presidents, the nobles who bear rule
O'er provinces, and I, thine humble crea-
ture,

Less than the least in merit, but in love,
In zeal, and duty, equal with the first,
We have devis'd a measure to confirm
Thy infant empire, to establish firmly、
Thy pow'r and new dominion, and secure
Thy growing greatness past the pow'r of
change.

Darius. I am prepar'd to hear thee.
Speak Pharnaces.

Phar. The wretched Babylonians long have groan'd

Beneath the rule of princes, weak or rash.
The rod of pow'r was sway'd alike amiss,
By feeble Merodach and fierce Belshazzar.
One let the slacken'd reins too loosely float
Upon the people's neck, and lost his pow'r
By nerveless relaxation. He, who foliow'd,
Held with a tyrant's hand the cruel curb,
And check'd the groaning nation till it bled;
On different rocks they met one common

ruin.

Phar. We have resolv'd it, mighty king! with care,

With closest scrutiny. On us devolve
Whatever blame occurs!

Darius.
I'm satisfy'd.
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.

Darius. (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 re

Thy high renown! "Twill make thy name rever'd,

And popular beyond example. What!
To be as Heav'n, dispensing good and ill
For thirty days! With thine own ears to
hear

Thy people's wants, with thine own lib'ral hands

Tobless thy suppliant subjects! O, Darius!
Thoul't seem as bounteous as a giving God!
And reign in ev'ry 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!
Darius. Is this the gen'ral wish?

[Princes and courtiers kneel. Chief president. Of one, of all. Behold thy princes, presidents and lords, Thy counsellors, and captains! See, O king! [Presents 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.

Darius.

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!'

Darius,

Hold! Methinks a deed

solv'd

This statute, ere, the royal signet stamp'd, It had been past repeal. Sage Daniel, too! My counsellor, my guide, my well-try'd friend,

He should have been consulted; he, whose

wisdom

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,

weigh'd.

Retire, my friend: this is my second hour

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 thinks't thou then my reve-
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,

Defy'd 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,

Though 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 awakened 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, O remember,

Aras.

Oft have I 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

Through coward fear! How would God's

enemies Insultingly blaspheme!

Yet think a moment.

Aras. Dan. No!Where evil may be done, tis right to ponder; Where only suffer'd, know the shortest pause

Is much too long. Had great Darius paus'd, This ill had been prevented. But for me, Araspes, to deliberate is to sin.

Aras. Think of thy pow'r, thy favour with Darius :

Think of thy life's importance to the tribes, Scarce yet return'd in safety. Live! O, live!

To serve the cause of God!
Dan.
God will himself
Sustain his righteous cause. He knows to

What would it profit me, if I should gain Imperial Ecbatan, th' extended land`

No flagrant violation of his faith

empire,

If mine eternal soul must be the price?

stol'n

Some moments from my duty to confirm And strengthen thy young faith! Let us fulfil

What Heav'n enjoins, and leave to Heav'n th' event!

PART V.

Scene-The Palace.

PHARKACES, SORANUS.

Phar. "Tis done-success has crown'd our scheme, Soranus;