A perfect man’s blasphemy’s pure faith, my quiz.[212]
Rash combatant, fight’st thou on foot ’gainst horseman!
Thy point thou’lt not carry;—as sure as thou’rt man.
So, Egypt’s magicians, in old Pharaoh’s days,
Contended ’gainst Moses; and rashly, always.
At length they owned Moses superior was;
Men honour, revere him, who most of power has.70
They said to him, then: “Command ’s thine! See! Purely!
‘Thy rod cast down’ first.[213] This thy wish is; surely.”
He answered: “Nay, nay! First cast ye down your wands.