“Thy skill, oh free Israelite,” he said, “exceedeth mine. What say you of this power as a test of the God of Israel’s might to perform upon Egypt, that which He threatens?”
The Prince had watched with keenest interest and he now replied, rather than the Princess: “No test of foolish magic will move our King from his purpose, believe me. I speak both the will of the King and his sainted Queen, when I say Israel will abide in Egypt,” and as though hushed by a power that she could not baffle, while her heart and soul were filled with protest, Hatsu held her peace.
Then Aaron spoke: “But Israel shall go and Egypt shall open her gates and cry, ‘Depart, depart, ere the remnant of us be lost forever.’ Listen! In some near at hand day, Nature shall break no law, when she makes this fair land a chaos of misery! Your rivers and lakes shall be like unto blood, and the fish that is in them shall die and the people shall turn away with loathing, though their throats be parched and their thirst be intolerable. Then shall the waters breed frogs, and they shall be tame in their boldness, and go up into the houses, and consume all that there is therein, from the fair hangings on the palace walls, to the dough in the humblest dwellers’ kneading troughs, and then if my people be not free, the dust of the land shall become fleas, and lice, and these shall fall upon man and beast and devour their bodies while they yet live, and then if wisdom comes not to thee, oh Egypt, there shall rise swarms of flies that shall buzz and sting without ceasing and a murrain shall come on thy beasts, the cattle and the horses and the camels, the oxen and the sheep, and a boil shall follow, breaking forth with blains upon man and beast! Then upon Egypt a tempest shall fall, whose like was never known—a tempest of hail that shall cut like a sword of fire that shall kill—of wind that howls, and tears, and destroys; and the hail shall smite the field, and the fire from heaven shall consume the cattle, and every green thing shall die! The trees shall perish! The flax shall be useless for the loom! The barley shall give no yield! Then shall come the locusts, singing a mournful song! They shall cover all things that be left, and then, be ye warned, if thou still vaunt thyself, there shall come a midnight wherein all the first born of the land shall die! The first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon the throne and the first born of the lowliest in the realm! No hearth shall be spared! Listen, oh Queen! give heed to my word, oh councillors! for what the Lord saith that will He surely perform.”
It was with the same relentlessness that the Queen made answer:
“Go back, Shepherd Prophets, to your flocks and herds! Your threatenings we do not heed! In the name of King Tothmes the Second of Egypt, I bid you depart, and wish you peace.” The great Lawgiver felt, as the queen spoke, a hand upon his robe, and looking down beheld it in the grasp of the fingers of the idiot King. And he heard softly, but distinctly, these words: “Let Israel go! Let Israel go!” And it stirred in his grand soul a tender pity.
“Israel shall go,” he said gently, “and thy will (which thy people feign to misinterpret) is remembered in love, by the God of all the earth. Egypt shall harden her heart, and the sorrows of her sin shall fall upon her; but when Israel goes out thy soul shall go, too, and, leaving its poor tenement of clay, will inherit a better kingdom, wherein our God shall give thee light.”
CHAPTER V.
In one of the summer houses—or arbors—of the King’s garden, Miriam sat that day as the sun went down, her eyes fixed upon the forms of the King, and the little Prince, his son, who were busily at play with a mimic squadron in one of the smaller tanks or pools. So intent was her watching that she was startled to find the King’s brother standing beside her and mindful of her duty to royalty she arose.
“Nay, nay, my lady,” said the prince, “do not rise to do me reverence! It is more meet that I should bend to thee.” Miriam paid little heed to these words. She had been reared amid the meaningless flattery of the court, but she nevertheless resumed her seat, and was not surprised to have the Prince take the vacant place beside her. “It is to be regretted, my lady,” he said, “that you did not linger in the council chamber to-day and hear the great prophet speak Egypt’s doom! Your Moses (through the lips of Aaron his brother) bids us prepare for many calamities, and at Nature’s door he lays them all! wind, rain, hail, a devouring insect horde, and then, if we hold Israel still, the grim spectre called Death will make a gleaning of Mizram’s first born.”