Classic Poem

D ANIEL , A RASPES .

Ar. Oh, holy Daniel! prophet, father, friend,
I come, the wretched messenger of ill!
Thy foes complot thy death. For what can mean
This new-made law, extorted from the king
Almost by force? What can it mean, O Daniel,
But to involve thee in the toils they spread
To snare thy precious life?
Dan. How! was the king
Consenting to this edict?
Ar. They surpris'd
His easy nature; took him when his heart
Was soften'd by their blandishments. They were
The mask of public virtue, to deceive him.
Beneath the specious name of general good,
They wrought him to their purposes: no time
Allow'd him to delib'rate. One short hour,
Another moment, and his soul had gain'd
Her nat'ral tone of virtue.
Dan. That great Pow'r,
Who suffers evil only to produce
Some unseen good, permits that this should be:
And, He permitting, I, well pleas'd, resign.
Retire, my friend: this is my second hour
Of daily pray'r. Anon we'll meet again.
Here, in the open face of that bright sun
Thy fathers worshipp'd, will I offer up,
As is my rule, petition to our God,
For thee, for me, for Solyma, for all!
Ar. Oh, stay! what mean'st thou! sure thou hast not heard
The edict of the king? I thought, but now;
Thou know'st its purport. It expressly says,
That no petition henceforth shall be made,
For thirty days, save only to the king;
Nor pray'r nor intercession shall be heard
Of any God or man, but of Darfus.
Dan. And think'st thou then my rev'rence for the king,
Good as he is, shall tempt me to renounce
My sworn allegiance to the King of kings?
Hast thou commanded legions? strove in battle,
Defied the face of danger, mock'd at death
In all its frightful forms, and tremblest now?
Come, learn of me; I'll teach thee to be bold,
Though sword I never drew! Fear not, Araspes,
The feeble vengeance of a mortal man,
Whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein
Is he to be accounted of? but fear
Th' awaken'd vengeance of the living Lord;
He who can plunge the everlasting soul
In infinite perdition!
Ar. Then, O Daniel!
If thou persist to disobey the edict,
Retire, and hide thee from the prying eyes
Of busy malice!
Dan. He who is asham'd
To vindicate the honour of his God,
Of him the living Lord shall be asham'd
When he shall judge the tribes!
Ar. Yet, O remember,
Oft have I heard then say, the secret heart
Is fair devotion's temple; there the saint,
E'en on that living altar, lights the flame
Of purest sacrifice, which burns unseen,
Not unaccepted. — I remember too,
When Syrian Naaman, by Elisha's hand,
Was cleans'd from foul pollution, and his mind,
Enlighten'd by the miracle, confess'd
The Almighty God of Jacob; that he deem'd it
No fingrant violation of his faith
To bend at Rimmon's shrine; nor did the seer
Forbid the rite external.
Dan. Know, Araspes,
Heav'n deigns to suit our trials to our strength
A recent convert, feeble in his faith,
Naaman, perhaps, had sunk beneath the weight
Of so severe a duty. Gracious Heav'n
Forbears to bruise the reed, or quench the flax
When feeble and expiring. But shall I,
Shall Daniel, shall the servant of the Lord,
A vet'ran in his cause — long train'd to know
And do his will — long exercis'd in we,
Bred in captivity, and born to suffer;
Shall I, from known, from certain duty shrink,
To shun a threaten'd danger? O, Araspes!
Shall I, advanced in age, in zeal decline?
Grow careless as I reach my journey's end?
And slacken in my pace, the goal in view?
Perish discretion, when it interferes
With duty! Perish the false policy
Of human wit, which would commute our safety
With God's eternal honour! Shall His law
Be set at nought, that I may live at ease?
How would the heathen triumph, should I fall
Through coward fear! How would God's enemies,
Insultingly blaspheme!
Ar. Yet, think a moment.
Dan. No! —
Where evil may be done , 'tis right to ponder;
Where only suffer'd , know, the shortest pause
Is much too long. Had great Darius paus'd,
This ill had been prevented. But for me,
Araspes, to delib'rate is to sin.
Ar. Think of thy pow'r, thy favour with Darius:
Think of thy life's importance to the tribes,
Scarce yet return'd in safety. Live! oh, live!
To serve the cause of God.
Dan. God will himself
Sustain his righteous cause. He knows to raise
Fit instruments to serve him. Know, Araspes,
He does not need our crimes to help his cause,
Nor does his equitable law permit
A sinful not, from the prepost'rous plea
That good may follow it. For me, my friend,
The spacious earth holds not a bait to tempt me.
What would it profit me, if I should gain
Imperial Echatan, th' extended land
Of fruitful Media, any, the world's wide empire,
If mine eternal soul must be the price?
Farewell, my friend! time presses. I have stol'n
Some moments from my duty, to confirm
And strengthen thy young faith. Let us fulfil
What Heav'n enjoins, — and leave to Heav'n th' event.