Athaliah | Page 2

porticos; And all in order 'fore the altar placed, Bearing the fields' new produce in their hands, Those first-fruits offered up to the One God: The sacrifices overtaxed the priests! Stopping that concourse, an audacious woman Has changed those glorious days to days of gloom. Scarce a small number of true worshippers Dare give faint semblance of the ancient times; The rest have shewn a fatal thoughtlessness Towards their God, or worse, have even rushed To Baal's altars to initiate Themselves into his shameful mysteries; And curse the name their fathers have invoked. To speak right openly, I am in dread That Athaliah from the altar will Tear you, yourself; and casting off, at length, The remnants of her forced respect, complete On you her deadly vengeance.
{JOAD.}
Whence comes to-day this dark presentiment?
{ABNER.}
Think you that with impunity you can Be just and pure? since, for so long a time The queen has hated that rare constancy Which adds, in Joad, new splendour to his office; Since, for so long, your ardour for your faith Has been construed sedition and revolt. The jealous-minded queen hates, above all, The dazzling worth of Josabet, your wife. Though Joad is the successor of the priest-- The high priest, Aaron--Josabet is still The last king's sister. Mathan, besides, Mathan-- Apostate priest--more vile than Athaliah, Is importuning her at every hour; Mathan, the base deserter from our altars, And persecutor of all righteous zeal. 'Tis not enough his brow's encircled with A foreign mitre; e'en his ministry This Levite lends to Baal: this temple frets him, And his impiety doth wish to crush The God he has abjured. To ruin you No snare he can devise will be unwrought. Sometimes he pities you, and frequently He even praises, and affects for you A treacherous gentleness; and by this means He deepens his malignity's dark dye. Now, to that queen he paints you terrible; Now, seeing her insatiate lust for gold, He feigns that in a place, to you but known, You hide the treasures David had amassed. At last, the sombre Athaliah's seemed For two days buried in a dark chagrin. I saw her yesterday, and watched her eye Flash on this holy place a furious glance, As if the depths of this vast edifice Concealed God's 'venger, armed to punish her. Believe me, more I think of it and less I doubt that 'tis on you her wrath's to burst; And that the cruel Athaliah will Assail our God, e'en in His sanctuary.
{JOAD.}
He who can rein the fury of the waves Knows also how to check the base one's plots: Submit with reverence to His holy will. Dear Abner, I fear God, and no one else I have to fear. I thank you, ne'ertheless, For the observant zeal with which your eyes Are open to my peril. Secretly, I see injustice galls you,--that you have Within you still the heart of Israel: Thank God for that! But are you satisfied With this unpractised virtue--secret wrath? Ah! Can that faith which acts not be sincere? Usurping all the rights of David's sway, An impious stranger, now for eight years past, Hath weltered in the blood of Judah's kings Unpunished,--odious murderer of her sons; And now e'en raiseth her perfidious arm 'Gainst God: and you, though nourished in the camp Of Josaphat, the saintly king, are one Of the upholders of this tottering state; Who led our armies under Joram's son, And who alone revived our towns alarmed When the abrupt decease of Ochoziah Dispersed all his camp at Jehu's sight; God fear, I say you, and His word affects me! Hear, how that God rebukes you by my mouth:-- "What use to vaunt your ardour for My law? By empty vows think you to honour Me? What value all your offerings to Me? Need I the blood of he-goats and of heifers? The blood of kings exclaims and is not heard: Break, break all compact with the impious! Drive out the offences from your people's midst; And then return to offer Me your victims."
{ABNER.}
Ah! what can I amongst this down-trod race? Powerless is Benjamin, and Judah droops: The day which saw their race of kings no more Extinguished all their spirits' ancient fire; E'en God, say they, withholds Himself from us: So jealous, formerly, of Hebrews' fame, He sees, unmoved, our grandeur crushed to earth, And, in the end, His mercy's wearied out: No more, for us, His terrible arm is seen To awe mankind with marvels numberless: The ark is mute, its oracles unspoken.
{JOAD.}
Yet, when was time so full of miracles? When did God show His power with more effect? Will you have always eyes that do not see A people thankless?--still your ear be struck With greatest wonders, and your heart unmoved? Must I, then,