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And, lo, that first fierce triumph o'er,
Swells Ocean on the shrinking shore;
Still onward, onward, dark and wide,
Engulfs the land the furious tide.
Then bowed thy spirit, stubborn king,
Thou serpent, reft of fang and sting;
Humbled before the prophet's knee,
He groaned, "Be injured Israel free!

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To Heaven the sage upraised his wand;
Back rolled the deluge from the land;
Back to its caverns sank the gale;
Fled from the noon the vapors pale;
Broad burned again the joyous sun:
The hour of wrath and death was done.

GEORGE CROLY

27

THE DESTROYING ANGEL

"To your homes," said the leader of Israel's host, "And slaughter a sacrifice;

Let the life-blood be sprinkled on each door-post,
Nor stir till the morn arise;

And the Angel of Vengeance shall pass you by,
He shall see the red stain, and shall not come nigh
Where the hope of your household lies."

The people hear, and they bow them low-
Each to his house has flown;

The lamb is slain, and with blood they go
And sprinkle the lintel stone;

THE DESTROYING ANGEL

And the doors they close when the sun hath set,
But few in oblivious sleep forget

The judgment to be done.

'Tis midnight, yet they hear no sound
Along the lone, still street;

No blast of a pestilence sweeps the ground,
No tramp of unearthly feet,

Nor rush as of harpy-wings goes by,

But the calm moon floats in the cloudless sky
'Mid her wan light clear and sweet.

Once only, shot like an arrowy ray,
A pale, blue flash was seen;

It passed so swift, the eye scarce could say
That such a thing had been:

Yet the beat of every heart was still,
And the flesh crawled fearfully and chill,
And back flowed every vein.

The courage of Israel's bravest quailed
At the view of that awful light,

87

Though knowing the blood of their offering availed
To shield them from its might.

They felt 'twas the Spirit of Death had passed,
That the brightness they saw his cold glance had

cast

On Egypt's land that night.

Wail, King of the Pyramids! Death hath cast
His shafts through thine empire wide,

But o'er Israel in bondage his rage hath passed-
No first-born of hers hath died.

Go, Satrap, command that the captive be free, Lest their God, in fierce anger, should smite even thee

On the crown of thy purple pride.

ANONYMOUS

28

THE EXIT FROM EGYPTIAN BONDAGE

When Israel's sons, from cruel bondage freed,
Fled to the land by righteous Heaven decreed,
Insulting Pharaoh quick pursued their train,
E'en to the borders of the troubled main.

Affrighted Israel stood alone dismayed,
The foe behind, the sea before them laid;
Around, the hosts of bloody Pharaoh fold,

And wave o'er wave the ranging Red Sea rolled.

But God, who saves His chosen ones from harm, Stretched to their aid His all-protecting arm;

And lo! on either side the sea divides,

And Israel's army in its bosom hides.

Safe to the shore through watery walls they march,
And once more hail kind Heaven's aerial arch;
Far, far behind the cruel foe is seen,

And the dark waters roll their march between.

The God of vengeance stretched His arm again,
And, heaving, back recoiled the foaming main;
And impious Pharaoh, 'neath the raging wave,
With all his army, finds a watery grave.

THE EXIT FROM EGYPTIAN BONDAGE 89

Rejoice, O Israel! God is on your side;
He is your champion and your faithful guide;
By day, a cloud is to your footsteps given,
By night, a fiery column towers to heaven.

Then Israel's children marched by day and night,
Till Sinai's mountain rose upon their sight;
There righteous Heaven the flying army stayed,
And Israel's sons the high command obeyed.

To Sinai's mount the trembling people came,-
'Twas wrapped in threatening clouds, in smoke and
flame;

A silent awe pervaded all the van;

Not e'en a murmur through the army ran.

High Sinai shook! dread thunders rent the air!
And horrid lightnings round its summit glare!
'Twas God's pavilion, and the blackening clouds,
Dark hovering o'er, His dazzling glory shrouds.

To Heaven's dread court, th’intrepid leader came
To receive its mandate in the people's name;
Loud trumpets peal-the awful thunders roll,
Transfixing terrors in each guilty soul.

But lo! he comes arrayed in shining light,
And round his forehead plays a halo bright;

Heaven's high commands with trembling were re

ceived;

Heaven's high commands were heard and were be

lieved.

LUCRETIA DAVIDSON

29

THE DESTRUCTION OF PHARAOH

Mourn, Mizraim, mourn! The weltering wave
Wails loudly o'er Egyptia's brave

Where lowly laid they sleep;
The salt sea rusts the helmet's crest;
The warrior takes his ocean rest
Full far below the deep;

The deep, the deep, the dreary deep!

Wail, wail, Egyptia! mourn and weep!
For many a mighty legion fell
Before the God of Israel.

Wake, Israel, wake the harp. The roar
Of ocean's wave on Mizraim's shore
Rolls now o'er many a crest.
Where, now, the iron chariot's sweep?
Where Pharaoh's host? Beneath the deep
His armies take their rest.

Shout, Israel! Let the joyful cry
Pour forth the tones of victory;
High let it swell across the sea,
For Jacob's weary sons are free.

JOHN RUSKIN [At the age of thirteen]

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