I must approach the spot where he is laid, Lest from the royal gardens any 'spy me: -Poor babe! ere this the pressing calls of hunger [waves, Have broke thy short repose; the chilling Ere this have drench'd thy little shiv'ring limbs. [sees me! What must my babe have suffer'd-Noone But soft, does no one listen!-Ah! how hard, How very hard for fondness to be prudent! Now is the moment to embrace and feed him. [She looks out. Where's Miriam? she has left her little charge, Perhaps through fear; perhaps she was detected. How wild is thought! how terrible conjecture ! A mother's fondness frames a thousand fears, With thrilling nerve feels every real ill, And shapes imagin'd miseries into being. [She looks towards the river. Ah me! where is he? soul-distracting sight! He is not there-he's lost, he's gone, he's Toss'd by each beating surge my infant drown'd! floats. Cold, cold, and watʼry is thy grave, my child! O no-I see the ark-transporting sight! [She goes towards it. I have it here-Alas, the ark is empty! The casket's left, the precious gem is gone! You spar'd him, pitying spirits of the deep! But vain your mercy; some insatiate beast, Cruel as Pharaoh, took the life you spar'dAnd I shall never, never see my boy! Enter MIRIAM, Joch, come and lament with me thy brother's loss! Mir. Come and adore with me the God of Jacob! Joch. Miriam-the child is dead! Mir. He lives! he lives! Joch. Impossible-Oh, do not mock my grief! See'st thou that empty vessel? Mir. From that vessel Th' Egyptian princess took him. Joch. Pharaoh's daughter? Then still he will be slain: a bloodier death Will terminate his woes. Mir. His life is safe; For know, she means to rear him as her own. Joch. [Falis on her knees in rapture. O magnify'd forever be thy might To God, the Lord, the glory be ascrib'd! Who mock'st all human forethought! who o'errulest The hearts of all sinners to perform thy work, Defeating their own purpose! who canst plant Unlook'd-for mercy in a heathen's heart, I've almost reach'd the place- with cautious And from the depth of evil bring forth good? steps [She riscs. Mir. O blest event, beyond our warmest When he is furnish'd 'gainst the evil day, hopes! [a court, With God's whole armour,* girt with saJoch, What! shall my son be nurtur'd in cred truth, In princely grandeur bred? 'taught every art And ev'ry wond'rous science Egypt knows? Yet ah! I tremble Miriam; should he learn, With Egypt's polish'd arts her baneful faith! O worse exchange for death! yes, should he embrace (As sure he will, if bred in Pharaoh's court) The gross idolatries which Egypt owns, Her graven images, her brutish gods, Then shall I wish he had not been preserv'd To shame his fathers and deny his faith. Mir. Then to dispel thy fears and crown thy joy, [princess Hear farther wonders-Know, the gen'rous To thine own care thy darling child commits. Joch. Speak, while my joy will give me leave to listen! [me here, Mir. By her commission'd, thou behold'st To seek a matron of the Hebrew race To nurse him: thou, my mother, art that [rear him, I said I knew thee well; that thou wouldst E'en with a mother's fondness; she who bare him [more. (I told the princess) would not love him Joch. Fountain of Mercy! whose perva matron. ding eye Can look within and read what passes there. Accept my thoughts for thanks! I have no words. My soul o'erfraught with gratitude, rejects The aid of Language-Lord! behold my heart. Mir. Yes, thou shalt pour into his infant mind The purest precepts of the purest faith. Joch. O! I will fill his tender soul with virtue, And warm his bosom with devotion's flame! Aid me celestial Spirit! with thy grace, And be my labours with thy influence crown'd! [Miriam, Without it they were vain. Then, then, my And as a breastplate wearing righteousness, Arm'd with the Spirit of God, the shield of faith, And with the helmet of salvation crown'd, Inur'd to watching and dispos'd to prayer; Then may I send him to a dangerous court, And safely trust him in a perilous world, Too full of tempting snares and fond delu sions! Mir. May bounteous Heav'n thy pious cares reward! Joch. O Amram ! O my husband! when thou com'st, Wearied at night, to rest thee from the toils Impos'd by haughty Pharaoh, what a tale Have I to tell thee! Yes: thy darling son Was lost, and is restor'd; was dead, and lives! Mir. How joyful shall we spend the livelong night In praises to Jehovah ; who thus mocks As a fond mother trembles to recal, And mark still farther; Joch. Then let us join to bless the hand of Heaven, That this poor outcast of the house of Israel, Condemn'd to die by Pharaoh, kept in se DAVID AND GOLIATH; A SACRED DRAMA. O bienheureux mille fois, Qui de bonne heure entend sa voix, Et du mechant l'abord contagieux The scene lies in the camp in the valley of Elah, and the adjacent plain. The subject is taken from the seventh chapter of the First Book of Samuel. PART I. SCENE-A shepherd's tent on a plain. DAVID, under a spreading tree, plays on his harp and sings. I. GREAT Lord of all things! Pow'r divine! Thy grace serene and pure; Teach me to bless my lowly lot, Remote from regal state! No anxious vigils here I keep, Invites the hostile winds: Then let me shun th' ambitious deed, And may thy will be done! [He lays down his harp and rises. David. Methinks this shepherds life were dull and tasteless Without the charm of soothing song or harp: This daily solace of my cares, I sooth'd me! To man; to pour my grateful soul before thee; To sing thy pow'r, thy wisdom, and thy love, And ev'ry gracious attribute; to paint (Though with long interval of worth) aspire Than horned bullock's, ceremonial rites, New moons, and Sabbaths, passovers, and fasts! Yet those I too will keep; but not in lieu But see, my father, good old Jesse comes! To cheer the setting evening of whose life, Content, a simple shepherd here I dwell, Though Israel is in arms; and royal Saul, Encamp'd in yonder field, defies Philistia. JESSE, DAVID. Jesse. Blest be the gracious pow'r who gave my age To boast a son like thee! Thou art the staff Which props my bending years, and makes me bear The heavy burden of declining age O venerable Eli! But two sons, In all the cruel catalogue of pains David. O! my lov'd father! Long may'st thou live, in years and honours rich; To taste and to communicate the joys, And loveliest gift, with which she well By one man's crime, by one man's lust of atones The niggard boon of fortune. O earthly emblem of celestial things! David. Know'st thou, my father, Aught from the field? for though so near the camp, Though war's proud ensigns stream on yon- And all Philistia's swarming hosts encamp, ners My brothers lift the spear-I have not left me, To learn the various fortunes of the war. Who shall submit one day to his command We hardly catch the echo as it dies). Kindled the martial spirit in thine eye; David. Thou hast not told the posture of the war, And much my beating bosom pants to hear. I tremble for thy brothers, thus expos'd After the brightest conquest, what appears For the proud victor, what? Alas! to reign O'er desolated nations! a drear waste, pow'r, Salutes the victor's ear, and soothes his How is the grateful harmony profan'd Who clasp their wither'd hands, and fondly With iteration shrill, their slaughter'd sons! How is the laurel's verdure stain'd with blood, And soil'd with widows' tears! David. Thrice mournful truth! Her firm foundations shaken to their base; Our liberties and laws; the throne they Commands us to defend his injur'd name, Twere then inglorious weakness, mean self- And, with heroic valour, bids them dare they gave; No other cause can sanctify resentment. O were the princely Jonathan in danger, His armour-bearer next) I well remember he cry, Far richer in the talent Heav'n has lent From splendid actions high renown will thee, [brow. spring. Than if a crown hung o'er thy anxious Such is the usual course of human things; The jealous monarch mark'd our growing For Wisdom Infinite permits, that thus friendship; [him, Effects to causes be proportionate, And as my favour grew with those about And natʼral ends by nat'ral means achiev'd. His royal bounty lessen'd, till at length, But in the future estimate which Heaven For Bethl'hem's safer shades I left the court. Will make of thing's terrestrial, know, my Nor would these alter'd features now be son, known, Grown into manly strength; nor this chang'd form, Enlarg'd with age, and clad in russet weed. Will please thy active spirit. Go, my boy! As furnish out our frugal shepherd's meal. David. With joy I'll bear thy presents to And to the valiant captain of their host That no inferior blessing is reserv'd When her shrill trump proclaims the proud success Which desolates the nations. But, on earth, cause: Eternal Justice keeps them for the bliss To the fond votaries of Fame unknown, Its whisp'ring plaudit to the silent soul. Hears the low plaint by human ear unheard, David. Ás Hermon's dews their grateful |