Scene III.
JOAS, JOAD, AZARIAH, ISHMAEL, THREE OTHER LEVITE
CHIEFS.
JOAD.
King, here are the avengers on your foes.
Priests, here's the king that I have promised you.
AZARIAH.
What, is't Eliacin?
ISHMAEL.
What! that amiable child—
JOAD.
Is true inheritor of Judah's throne,
Last born of tristful Ochoziah's children,
Reared up, you know it, by the name of Joas.
All Israel wept like you the destiny
Of this sweet flower, cut down so soon, and thought
That with his brother he was wrapt in death.
Attacked with the perfidious steel like them:
But God knowing how to turn aside the blow,
Kept in his heart the life-warmth near extinct,
Allowing Josabet to carry him
All bleeding in her bosom, and avoid
The assassin's vigilance. She having none
Except myself the accomplice of her theft,
Concealed the child, and reared him in the temple.
JOAS.
Alas! for so much love, so many blessings,
Father, how shall I e'er acquit myself?
JOAD.
For other times reserve this gratitude.
Here then behold your king, your only hope!
Till now my care has treasured him for you;
You, servants of the Lord, must bear it out.
Informed that Ochoziah's son still lives,
The murderess, Athaliah, soon will rush,
To hurry him again into the tomb.
Already, without knowing him, she pants
To ruin sacred ministers 'tis yours
To anticipate her fury; now 'tis time
To end the shameful slavery of the Jews,
To avenge our princes' deaths, exalt our laws,
And make our king be owned by our two tribes.
The enterprize is great and dangerous;
Attacking on her throne a haughty queen,
Who sees a numerous camp of hardy strangers
And traitorous Hebrews march beneath her standards!
But God's my strength, whose interest guideth me.
Think that all Israel lives within this child!
Already God the avenger troubles her.
Eluding whom, I have assembled you;
She deems us armless here, without defence.
Let us crown quickly and proclaim Joas king:
Then, fearless soldiers of the new crowned prince,
March and invoke the Arbiter of battles;
And rousing in the people's hearts their faith,
Even in her palace, seek our enemy.
Then those so long in lazy slumber sunk,
Beholding us advance in saintly garbs,
Will haste with zeal to follow our example!
A king whom in His temple God has nourished:
Aaron's successor, followed by his priests,
Leading the house of Levi to the combat;
And in these hands, by all tribes venerated,
The arms of David consecrate to God!
The Lord will scatter terror on His foes.
Bathe without fear in unbelievers' blood!
Strike Syrian, and even Israelite!
From those famed Levites do you not descend,
Who, when to Nilus' god inconstant Israel
Paid in the desert adoration vile,
The saintly homicides of their own house,
Did dedicate their hands in treacherous blood,
And by that awful deed acquired for you
The rank of sole presiders at the altar?
But now I see you burn to follow me!
Swear on this sacred volume, then, Yore all
To live, to combat, and to die for him,
The king, whom heaven presenteth you to-day.
AZARIAH (at the end of the table, laying his hand
the sacred book),
Yes, swear we, for our brothers and ourselves,
To establish Joas upon his father's throne;
That we again will not lay down our arms
Until avenged upon his enemies:
If any' violator break this vow,
O may he feel, great God, Thy vengeful wrath!
And may with him his children be debarred
Thy heritage, as those Thou knowest no more!
JOAD.
And to this law, your ever present guide,
Will you not, king, swear always to be true?
JOAS.
Can I not to that law conform myself?
JOAD.
Allow, my son—I still dare call you so—
This tenderness, and tolerate the tears
Drawn from my eyes for you with just alarms.
Alas! far from the throne instructed, you
Are ignorant of the enpoisoned cup;
The drunkenness of unrestricted power;
The voice of the enchantress flattery.
Soon will they tell you that the sacred laws,
Which sway the common people, bow to kings;
That his own will's the sovereign's sole restraint;
That all to his supreme magnificence
Is to be sacrificed; that unto tears
And toils his subjects are condemned; and that
They must be governed by an iron sway;
Who soon or late, if not subdued, subdue.
And thus from snare to snare, and gulf to gulf,
Fouling the lovely chasteness of your morals,
At length they bring you to despise the truth
By painting virtue in a frightful form;
Alas! they have misled the kings most wise!
Swear on this book, before these witnesses,
That God shall always be your first of cares;
Stern to the wicked, refuge of the good:
That 'twixt the poor and you the Lord shall judge.
Remember you, my son, that in this dress,
Like them you were an orphan, like them, poor.
JOAS (at the middle of the table, having his hand
the sacred book,)
I promise to obey the law ordained;
God punish me if I abandon you.
JOAD.
Come, and anoint him with the holy oil;
Josabet, appear: you now may show yourself.
Scenes IV. and V.
JOAS, JOAD, JOSABET, ZACHARIAH, SALOMITH, AZARIAH,
ISHMAEL, THREE OTHER LEVITE CHIEFS, THE CHOIR.
JOSABET (embracing Joas).
O king, offspring of David!
JOAS.
My only mother! Come, dear Zachariah,
Embrace me.
JOSABET (to Zachariah).
My son, prostrate yourself before your king.
JOAD (whilst they embrace.)
Children, may thus your hearts be always one.
JOSABET (to Joas).
You know then to what source you owe your life?
JOAS.
And also know the hand, which, but for you,
Had robbed me of it.
JOSABET.
I then can call you by your own name, Joas.
JOAS.
Joas will never cease to love you.
THE CHOIR.
What! is it—
JOSABET.
It is Joas.
JOAD.
Let us hear that Levite.
Scene VI.
JOAS, JOAD, JOSABET, ZACHARIAH, SALOMITH, AZARIAH,
ISHMAEL, THREE OTHER LEVITE CHIEFS, A LEVITE,
THE CHOIR.
A LEVITE.
I know not what design they have 'gainst God;
But threatening boldness growls on every side:
Amidst their standards they have lighted fires,
And doubtless Athaliah joins her forces;
Already every path for succour's closed:
The sacred mount on which the temple's reared
Is quite infested with fierce Tynans;
Blaspheming, one of them came forth and said,
"Your Abner is in chains, and cannot aid you."
JOSABET (to Joas)
Dear child, whom Heaven in vain reserved for me,
I've done whate'er I could to rescue you:
But God no longer knows your father, David.
JOAD (to Josabet).
What! fear you not to draw His wrath on you,
And on this king so dear unto your love?
Though God should tear him from your arms for ever,
And will that David's house should be extinct,
Are you not here upon the holy mount,
Where 'gainst his innocent son the Jewish sire,
Raised, without murmur, his obedient arm;
And, as burnt-offering, on the altar placed
The finit of his old age, leaving with God
The oversight of bearing out His promise,
And yielded up to Him, with his loved son,
His house's hope, contained in him alone?
Friends let us go. Let Ishmael to his charge,
Take all the side that looks unto the east;
You take the northern portion, you the west,
And you the centre. Let not too much zeal,
Betraying my designs, cause priest or Levite
To quit his place, and charge before the time;
And, finally, let all impelled as one
Keep to the death the post I have assigned them.
The foe beholding us in his blind rage,
As a vile herd reserved for massacre,
Thinks but to meet disorder and dismay.
You, Azariah, keep beside the king.
(To Joas.)
Come, you dear scion of a valiant race,
With a new courage fill your champions;
Assume the diadem before their eyes,
And fall as king, at least, if fall you must.
(To a Levite.)
Follow him, Josabet. Give me those arms.
(To the Choir.)
Children, to God present your innocent tears.
