Classic Poem

[SCENE II.]

Enter J OAB , A BISAI , U RIAS , and others, with drum and ensign.

Joab. Courage, ye mighty men of Israel,
And charge your fatal instruments of war
Upon the bosoms of proud Ammon's sons,
That have disguised your king's ambassadors,
Cut half their beards and half their garments off,
In spite of Israel and his daughters' sons!
Ye fight the holy battles of Jehovah,
King David's God, and ours, and Jacob's God,
That guides your weapons to their conquering strokes,
Orders your footsteps, and directs your thoughts
To stratagems that harbour victory:
He casts his sacred eyesight from on high,
And sees your foes run seeking for their deaths,
Laughing their labours and their hopes to scorn;
While 'twixt your bodies and their blunted swords
He puts on armour of his honour's proof,
And makes their weapons wound the senseless winds.
Abis. Before this city Rabbah we will lie,
And shoot forth shafts as thick and dangerous
As was the hail that Moses mixed with fire,
And threw with fury round about the fields,
Devouring Pharaoh's friends and Egypt's fruits.
Ur. First, mighty captains, Joab and Abisai,
Let us assault, and scale this kingly tower,
Where all their conduits and their fountains are;
Then we may easily take the city too.
Joab. Well hath Urias counselled our attempts;
And as he spake us, so assault the tower:
Let Hanon now, the king of Ammon's sons,
Repulse our conquering passage if he dare.

H ANON with King M ACHAAS , and others, upon the walls.

Ha. What would the shepherd's-dogs of Israel
Snatch from the mighty issue of King Ammon,
The valiant Ammonites and haughty Syrians?
'Tis not your late successive victories
Can make us yield, or quail our courages;
But if ye dare assay to scale this tower,
Our angry swords shall smite ye to the ground,
And venge our losses on your hateful lives.
Joab. Hanon, thy father Nahas gave relief
To holy David in his hapless exile,
Lived his fixed date, and died in peace:
But thou, instead of reaping his reward,
Hast trod it under foot, and scorned our king;
Therefore thy days shall end with violence,
And to our swords thy vital blood shall cleave.
Mach. Hence, thou that bear'st poor Israel's shepherd's-hook,
The proud lieutenant of that base-born king,
And keep within the compass of his fold;
For, if ye seek to feed on Ammon's fruits,
And stray into the Syrian's fruitful meads,
The mastives of our land shall worry ye,
And pull the weesels from your greedy throats.
Abis. Who can endure these pagans' blasphemies?
Ur. My soul repines at this disparagement.
Joab. Assault, ye valiant men of David's host,
And beat these railing dastards from their doors.

Assault, and they win the tower, and J OAB speaks above .

Thus have we won the tower, which we will keep,
Maugre the sons of Ammon and of Syria.

Enter C USAY beneath.

Cu. Where is Lord Joab, leader of the host?
Joab. Here is Lord Joab, leader of the host.
Cusay, come up, for we have won the hold.
Cu. In happy hour, then, is Cusay come.
Joab. What news, then, brings Lord Cusay from the king?
Cu. His majesty commands thee out of hand
To send him home Urias from the wars,
For matter of some service he should do.
Ur. 'Tis for no choler hath surprised the king,
I hope, Lord Cusay, 'gainst his servant's truth?
Cu. No; rather to prefer Urias' truth.
Joab. Here, take him with thee, then, and go in peace;
And tell my lord the king that I have fought
Against the city Rabbah with success,
And scaled where the royal palace is,
The conduit-heads and all their sweetest springs:
Then let him come in person to these walls,
With all the soldiers he can bring besides,
And take the city as his own exploit,
Lest I surprise it, and the people give
The glory of the conquest to my name.
Cu. We will, Lord Joab; and great Israel's God
Bless in thy hands the battles of our king!
Joab. Farwell, Urias; haste away the king
Ur. As sure as Joab breathes a victor here,
Urias will haste him and his own return.
Abis. Let us descend, and ope the palace' gate,
Taking our soldiers in to keep the hold.
Joab. Let us, Abisai: — and, ye sons of Judah,
Be valiant, and maintain your victory.