While morning yet was young, within his hall
Of justice Pharaoh sat: his princes, priests,
Judges, and ministers, in costly robes
Of ceremony clad, on lower seats,
At either hand were placed; their task, to hear
The accuser, and the accused; and judgment give,
As by their law decreed. But, when the sun
To his fifth hour had reached, went forth a voice
Among the people, bidding them depart.

Then, presently, before the king, and all
The intently gazing court, a man there stood:
One among many; yet, as singly there,
Sole object of all eyes: for well 'twas known,
That he, illustrious once throughout the land;
But suddenly lost to sight, and long deemed dead;
As suddenly, and with some purpose high
Toward his own people, Israel, had returned;
And of the king craved hearing. At his left
Stood Aaron; and, behind them, closely grouped,
The Elders; anxious all, and pale of hue,
And inly trembling. But,--due reverence first
To that high presence made,--not firmer stands
The marble statue, than stood Moses there;
His eye upon the king, and all his court,
Placidly moving; in each form and face,
Seeking the known of old. As though his glance,
Had been a sunbeam, from it turned aside
All eyes on which it fell. Amazement strange
In silence held them; for the countenance,
In manly beauty eminent, grave, yet mild,
Scarce mortal wholly seemed; so pure a light
Beamed from it; radiance gentle as the touch
On thinnest cloud from yet unrisen moon.
In silence, therefore, long time, sat they all,
Gazing, and marvelling. Till the king should speak,
None dared presume: and not a word found he;
Strengthless, as men in dreams, when they would shape
In speech their thoughts confused, yet utterance lack.
At his own weakness wrathful, twice he strove
Silence to break; and, with the lofty tone,
Kinglike, his power and dignity make felt:
But the voice came not; the awe--fettered lips
Quivered,--but tongue was mute. That Satan saw,--
And in the spirit of the troubled man
Poured courage, and strength; and lifted him with pride
Of regal greatness; that his voice went forth,
Firm, and commanding,--as, to humble men,
Discourse the mighty. ''Thou art he,'' he said,
''Of whom the sister of my father spake,
On the day past; imploring for thee speech
In presence of the king; because that thou,
In times long gone,--nay even from thy birth,--
Hadst favor in her sight; thy very name
From her receiving. What thou hast to say,
Speak freely then; Pharaoh inclines the ear.''

Then Moses bent the head; and with calm voice,
Deep--toned and soft; yet such nice utterance,
That, on the ear most distant, fell each word,
Clear as the stroke upon a silver bell,
Thus made reply. ''Not name alone, O king,
To that great princess owe I; life, and all
That makes man's life more worth than that of beast:
Knowledge of men, and things; the lore of books;
Of wisdom unrecorded; nature's laws;
And laws that govern men; the mysteries
Profound of your religion; of the stars
All that men know, or guess; of earth, and sea,
The magnitudes, and forms,--in brief, whate'er
Of wise and wondrous Egypt's priests could teach,
To her alone I owe.'' Upstarted then,
Self--prompted,--for no demon needed he,
Malice and wrath to waken--the chief priest,
Thamusin: with eye flashing, quivering lip,
He bowed before the king; then rose, and said.

''Will dread Sesostris, Splendor of the Sun,
Grant to his servant liberty to speak
With this long banished man; against the law
Hither returned; and, with shame--lacking face,
Daring before the king of kings to stand;
Doubtless, for his accursed race, some boon
To wheedle from the mercy of their lord;
When heavier tasks, and sharper stripes alone,
Should fall upon them.'' But the king, displeased,
Motioned the priest to silence; and himself
Thus questioned. ''Thou hast heard,'' he said, ''the words
Of the chief priest. Speak now to me; and say,
If just the accusation he hath brought.
Wert thou, in truth,--or by award of law,
Or by my royal father's will alone,--
From Egypt banished? and, against the law,
Or, 'gainst his doom, thy sentence unrepealed,
Hast thou come back?'' Then Moses bowed, and spake.
''Nor by the law, nor by thy father's will,
Nor any other power of earth, was I
From Egypt banished. Wilt thou, Pharaoh, hear,
Wherefore this land I fled; wherefore again
Hither am come; and, so permitted, stand
To plead before thee,--in the briefest words
The plain truth will I speak.'' ''The king will hear,''
Said Pharaoh gently, ''and thy words will weigh.''

''Be it not thought I boast,''--then Moses said;
''For thousands, tens of thousands, yet there be,
Who could my words attest. Nay, in this court,
Some see I now, who knew me in the day
When, of thy father, king, the favored most
Of all in Egypt was I. For, when scourged,
And overrun, and plundered by the hosts
Of Ethiopia, was this fertile land;
And army after army, under rule
Of Egypt's chosen captains, had been driven
Before the invader, beaten and disgraced;
And when a cry from all the land went up,
Utter destruction dreading; and the king,
The princes, priests, and rulers, feared to see
The fall of empire; and the countless heaps
Of riches in the treasure--cities, seized
By hordes barbaric; and themselves enslaved,
Imprisoned, tortured, sent to shameful death,--
Then upon me,--already high in rank,
And favor of the king,--the people called:
The priests and rulers, also, raised the voice,
Me naming fittest leader of that host,
Egypt's last strength, which, rallying from defeat,
Though in despair, she had gathered. To that call
Answered the king; and, in my hands, sole rule
O'er all the army gave. ''Now, Pharaoh, list.
Four times a hundred years hath Israel dwelt
Within this Egypt; here with friendly love,
At first, received; and, as close friends, long time
By your forefathers cherished. Enmity
From us toward you, was none. No law brake we;
Offence gave not; no treason ever planned:
But, rich by honest labor had we grown;
And, living temperate and virtuous lives,
And for our children caring, had become
A strong and numerous people. This beheld
By the Egyptians,--prosperous less than we,
Because less diligent; observant less
Of God's, and nature's laws,--suspicion rose,
Lest Israel, waxing mighty, should become
Greater than they: and, with suspicion, grew
Hatred; and thirst, by ways iniquitous,
To injure whom they envied. Like a plague,
Throughout all Egypt ran this mind's disease;
People, and priests, and princes, women, and men,
All were infected; all in madness cried
Against unhappy Israel. Then the king
Frowned on our innocent people: of their wealth
Despoiled them oft: taskmasters o'er them placed;
Made them, as slaves, beneath the lash to toil;
Till all their life was bitterness. ''Now, O king,
Bethink thee. When the enemy had come;
Had vanquished all opposal: when last hope
Had gone from trembling Egypt;--when the foot
Of conqueror, on the morrow might have stamped
Thy father's throne--steps,--Pharaoh, what if then
The men of Israel, maddened by their wrongs;
Alike for freedom and revenge athirst,--
'Gainst their oppressors, as one man, had risen;
With Ethiopia joined their strength; and fought,
Their tyrants and taskmasters to o'erthrow;
Making, of masters, slaves,--of slaves, their lords,--
Who justly could have blamed them? Ever strive
The oppressëd to be free: and public praise
Goes with them. But, if Israel, on that day,
His wrongs alone had thought of; and his sword
For Ethiopia drawn; or even, unmoved,
Neutral had stood, leaving to chance of war
Decision of the strife,--sure as the sun
At eve declines, so surely had gone down
The day of Egypt's glory. But the land
Wherein their fathers, and forefathers, long
Had sojourned,--even though, in later years,
So bitterly oppressed,--as home they loved;
And when, prime leader of the shattered bands
Going to battle, I sent forth the call,
Then Israel answered; all his bravest men
Thronged to my standard; and the land was purged
From her fierce enemies. ''Through them, in chief,
The valiant sons of Israel, was the field,
In many a bloody fight, for Egypt won.
Be this remembered, Pharaoh, when, at last,
Justice to them I ask: for bitter shame
To Egypt is it, that the noble men
Who her deliverance wrought, themselves are slaves,
To those whom they delivered. In the sight
Of man and God, iniquitous is this;
And must in evil end. But, of myself,
Now will I speak. ''The contest o'er,--the land
Cleared of her enemies, and firm peace made,--
Into thy father's hands I rendered up
My rule in war; and to my former state,
Content, returned; reward demanding none
For that which, at the first, acknowledged all
Service most eminent,--save this sole boon,--
That Israel's bondage lighter should be made,
If freedom full not given him. Solemn word,
So promising, spake thy father: but, alas!
Bad counsels quickly poured into his ear;
Telling that Israel's good, was Egypt's ill:
That, Israel prosperous,--Egypt soon would fall;
That, Israel rich,--the king, the lords, the priests,
Soon would be poor; that Israel was the slave,
By right, to Egypt; and his labor owed
Unto his masters, as the ass, and horse,
To man owe labor; and content had been
In that long during servitude to stay;
Had not the turbulent tongue of factious men
Taught them to covet freedom. ''Then on me,
In chief, were flung malicious word; and threat,
Not doubtful, of a vengeance soon to fall;
Not loss of kingly countenance alone,
But even of life; if not by public hand,
Then by the private. Not one lord, one priest,
But scowled upon me. Even the king, at last,
Coldly received, and with suspicious eye
Lowered on me. Yet awhile I firmly stood,
Strong in mine innocence; and fearing nought
That lying tongue might charge. ''But, on a day,
As with a man I pleaded, who in rage
Smote cruelly a Hebrew, old and weak,
Me also did he strike; and struck again,
Nor would hear reason; but still, furiously,
Strove as to slay me. Backward then I drew,
As to desist: but this way looked, and that,
Hoping some man to espy, who his voice, too,
Might bring to stay the wrong: but Hebrew slaves
Alone I saw, and distant; and well knew
That neither hand nor foot would such dare stir
Against Egyptian master. Meantime, he,
As he were mad, the old man smote again,
Till his howling wrung my soul. I grasped his arm,
And bade him cease: but, thereat, on myself
With worse rage struck he. Him, then, to disarm,--
Not hurt,--with lifted staff, his staff to strike,
I aimed; with hope that either I might break,
Or cast it from his hand: but other end
God purposed; for, while mine too strongly fell,
His staff he shifted suddenly, and left
Defenceless his bare head. Alas! too late
I saw! my staff descended. Heavily
On the shorn crown it fell; and, without groan,
Or cry, or struggle, to the earth he dropped,
Dead! Bitterly I grieved; but help was none;
Tears useless.--That by accident he died,
Knew I, and God alone. If to the seat
Of justice I should go; and the plain truth
Tell in defence, well knew I that no man,
On whom the jealous priests and lords had sway,
Would dare acquit me. My own words would be
Death sentence: an Egyptian I had slain,
And therefore must I die. With sorrowing heart,
I scooped the sand; and decently the corpse,
From fowls and beasts protecting, covered up;
Then homeward sped: heavy of soul, in truth,
But not blood--guilty; for of God it was,
Not will of mine, that such had been the event.
On the next day, two Hebrew men I saw
In strife; and, unto him who did the wrong,
Said, 'Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow thus?'
With insolent tongue he answered--'Who made thee
A prince and judge o'er us? Intendest thou
To kill me, as the Egyptian thou didst kill?'
Then knew I that the thing was known; and saw
That I must flee, or die. So God's plain will
It seemed, that forth from Egypt I should go.
Wherefore, I asked not; but, submiss, obeyed;
And foodless, drinkless, with my staff alone,
Went onward toward the desert. How I fared,
Or wherefore so long years I made sojourn
In a far country, needs not here be told.
The truth, whole simple truth, I now have said;
Answering the charge most false, that banishment,
Or by the law, or by the king's decree,
Against me was pronounced.'' There Moses paused,
And stood, expecting that the king would speak.
But, when he saw that, with a thoughtful brow,
Sesostris silent sat,--then once more rose
Thamusin, the chief priest; his fierce dark eye,
Though bleared with age, flashing malicious fire;
And, lowly bending, with a thick, harsh voice,
Tremulous 'twixt hate and fear, his thoughts thus spake.

''Light of the Sun, may now thy servant's voice
Be heard; not him, the murderer, self--convict,
To question,--but thyself, the fountain head
Of justice, to address. That banishment,
After his flight, against this man was passed,
Boldly doth he deny: yet I affirm,
That, for his crime, when the king vainly sought
To slay him--being fled--doom spake he then
Against him--banishment for evermore.
That sentence heard he not perchance, because,
Knowing his guilt, self--banished. Not the less,
O king, doth law award against him death,
As one, 'gainst law, from banishment returned,
His sentence unrepealed. For such offence,
All men expect due punishment to fall,--
Thy mercy staying it not. But, for that crime,
Full pardon granted,--still is there a deed
By this man wrought; a crime of blackest hue,
That no proof needeth,--since, with his own tongue,
Even in this court of Justice,--in the sight
Of thee, O king, the judge supreme of all,--
And in the face of these thy ministers,
Princes, and priests, his guilt hath he confessed.
Light of the Sun,--for crime like this, even thou,
No power to pardon hast. Clear speaks the law,--
'If any stranger an Egyptian slay,
That man shall surely die.' He slew; and fled;
Or had died instantly. His long sojourn
In foreign land, hath not wiped out his guilt;
Fresh now as on the day when it was done:
And death, which on him should that day have fallen,
This day will fall; or old Egyptian law
Become a mockery.'' Hurriedly stopped he there,
With spite and fury trembling; and with dread;
For on the countenance of the king he saw
Wrath, and disgust. So hastily he paused,--
Not daring more to speak, yet 'shamed to stop
In mid career,--that o'er his wrinkled brow
Confusion settled,--as a wintry cloud
The hill top darkens: and, with quivering lips,
That seemed to mutter, yet nought said, at once
Down sat he; and, with furtive glance, peered round,
Marking men's looks; but, most of all, the face
Of him he hated, and whose death he sought;
Marvelling to see that, calm as breezeless lake
In summer sunshine, stood the Israelite;
His eye on Pharaoh fixed; yet not as one
For mercy mutely praying; not as one,
Or fearful, or incensed; nor as the man
Who doubts, and hopes, and trembles, while the word
Of judgment lingers; but as one assured;
In right, and potence confident; as one
Who rather stands superior, than abashed
Before superior; and with calmness waits
Progress toward certain good. To the fierce priest
The king spake not; but, with mild tone at first,
To Moses turning, thus. ''What thou hast said,
Touching that war of old, and thine own deeds
Against the Ethiop, know I to be truth;
For in our public records so doth stand
The story of that time; and from the mouths
Of those who witnessed, also have I heard,
That verily so thou didst. Thine own report
Of strife 'twixt thee and that Egyptian man
Whom thou didst slay, I, therefore, will receive
As also truth; acquitting thee of crime
Intended; and the punishment which, else,
On deed like that, even done unwittingly,
Law had awarded,--for thy services
Done in the day of trouble, I remit.
Wholly thou stand'st forgiven. Yet, beware,''
With lowering brow and stern tone he pursued,
''Beware--nor farther aggravate offence,
Which, in my royal father's mind, did blot
All service thou hadst done. Let not thy voice
Again be heard, stirring the Hebrews up
To hate their masters. Theirs it is to serve;
Ours to command. Old custom is as law:
They, and their fathers, long have been our slaves;
Our slaves they shall continue. From their birth,
Such have they been; such to the grave shall go.
That which our sires bequeathed us,--the clear right
To Israel's labor,--'twere a robber's hand
Would from us take; and, be thou sure, the attempt
A robber's meed should have. What though they stood
For us in battle,--for themselves not less
They fought; a slavery heavier tenfold, so
To 'scape from: gainers by the event, as we.
Be this enough. My will, the will of all,
Now hast thou heard. Within thy memory
Be it well treasured: and when, as thou saidst,
For justice unto Israel thou shalt plead,
Ask not the leave to rob us; for thy words
Vain were, as treasonous; and the heavy hand
Would fall upon thyself; and, on thy race,
A harder servitude. Thus warned, speak on,
And say,--why back to Egypt thou hast come;
By whom commanded, or by what impelled;
And to what end this audience thou hast craved.''

Stirred by the demon, thus Sesostris spake;
Threatening his tone; his brow like gathering storm:
But Moses in the might of God stood firm;
And with clear voice, unmoved, thus answered him.

''Already, Pharaoh, hast thou given reply
To my most just request: nay, the harsh word
Of threat hast spoken; knowing in thy heart,
That what thou didst forbid my tongue to speak,
Is that it would have spoken. Said I not
That justice unto Israel I should ask?
And, for the wrongfully enslaved, what else
Than freedom can he ask, who justice asks!
From thee, O king,--as by wide--spread report
Instructed,--nobler things might I have hoped.
Men call thee clement, candid, generous, just;
Albeit, they whisper, sometimes iron--hard
Of will; sometimes, again, o'er apt to turn
With newest counsels;--is it generous, just,
The priceless benefits of old to slight,
As things unworthy? of the noblest deeds,
Self--sacrificing done, to make the mean,
The selfish only? Israel for the cause
Of Egypt, solely, in your battles stood;
His own clear rights, to a more peaceful day
Deferring: and the life--blood of his sons,
For Egypt purchased victory. But for them,
Ye now had been the slaves: thy throne, O king,
A clay--shed; and thy sceptre, it may be,
A spade, an axe, a shovel, or the tool
Of poor brickmaker. All thy power, thy state,
Thy riches, unto Israel dost thou owe;
Yet with contempt dost fling into his face
His noble deeds: and, for deliverance wrought
By him for you, dost the deliverer thank
With slavery on himself! Just, generous this?
Bethink thee, Pharaoh, how the tongues of men,
Throughout all countries, and throughout all times,
Will name thy deed; will picture of thyself,
If more to this abominable wrong
'Gainst your deliverers, thou dost lend thy power.
Nor sin alone for ever will it stand
Against thy name, but folly: for, be sure,
The days already, in the thoughts of God,
Are counted, ere the universal voice
Of Egypt, and thine own, shall bid us hence,
Free through the world to go.'' ''Hold! hold! enough!''
Exclaimed Sesostris, starting on his throne,
Pale--faced, and fiery--eyed;--rage, and strange fear,
Conflicting in him;--for the countenance,
Heaven--kindled, that upon him looked; the voice
Potential more than man's, his very soul
Had shaken; till the watchful fiend again,
Suddenly entering, with old pride and ire,
To the height inflamed him. For a moment thus,
Upstanding, cried the king; his arm outstretched,
His foot advanced, as though irresolute
If to descend, and with the sceptre smite
The audacious speaker; or again to sit,
And with strong speech confound him. Down, at length,
As quickly sat he; for the calm clear eye
Strangely subdued him; but, with wrathful tone,
Thus spake he on. ''My word of promise past,
That calmly I would hear, and weigh thy words,--
I punish not, bold man, thine insolence.
Nay, matter rather for my mirth it were,
From one most impotent, such mighty words
To listen. How the thoughts of God ye know,
And of days counted till your chains shall drop,
A marvel verily is. If not all fume,
Vain boasting, tell me, then, whence learn ye this?
Who hath revealed to you the thoughts of God?
Hath shown to you the future?'' With low voice,
And solemn, Moses answered. ''When I tell,
O Pharaoh, words of simple truth to thee,
Thou wilt a liar deem me! For, of things
I have to speak, passing belief of man;
Yet, not the less, sure as the steadfast earth,
The seas, the stars, the sun. The thoughts of God,--
With reverence hear me, king, nor let thy lip
Curl in derision,--even by the voice
Of God himself were spoken.'' ''He is mad!''
Furiously starting up, the chief priest cried.
''Hear him no longer, Splendor of the Sun;
But send him to the straw, the chain, the scourge,
'Mong other madmen.'' ''Be thou silent, priest,''
Said Pharaoh; ''and thou, Moses, tell me more.
Where saw ye God? what said he? and how spake?
With thunder's voice? or sound of many seas?
What was his stature? and his countenance
How fashioned? like to face of man? or how?
And of what substance? flesh, or air, or flame?
Or like to sunbeams moulded? that, methinks,
Best would a God beseem.'' Silent, and stern,
An instant Moses stood; then briefly thus.

''Thy speech doth mock me. To the word of scorn
I answer not. Enough that I have said,
By Israel's God commanded, stand I now
Within thy presence: and His words I speak.
'Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israël;
Let thou my people go, that they may hold
A feast unto me in the wilderness.'''

Loudly at that laughed Pharaoh; and his court
Loudly laughed with him. ''Who, then, is the Lord,''
Proudly he cried, ''that him I should obey,
And let your Israel go? I know him not;
Nor will let Israel go.'' Then Moses thus:
''Truly O king thou speakest. Israel's God
Thou dost not know: yet God is He of thee,
As of the Hebrews; God of earth, and heaven;
Creator sole of all things. At His frown,
The earth, the seas, the stars, the sun, would fade
To nothing; like thin smoke upon the wind!
And He it is whose words I speak to thee,
As by His own voice spoken. Harden not
Thy heart against us, then: but let us go,
We pray thee, three days' journey in the desert,
That we may sacrifice unto our God.''

''And when return,--those three days granted you?''
Cried Pharaoh, mocking. ''And, for sacrifice,
Why to the desert should ye go at all?
Is not, in this great country, room enough?''

''Our sacrifices, Pharaoh, well thou knowest,''
Moses made answer, ''by the Egyptian race
Are held abominable; for the flesh
Of animals we offer. At our rites,
They would make mock; our worship would molest,
And fling into confusion; that great wrath,
On both sides, would spring up; and blood, perchance,
Not meant for sacrifice, would stain the ground,--
Holy devotion changing to fierce strife;
And Deity incense, that pestilence,
Or sword, against both people might He send.
Far in the desert only, may our rites
Fitly be ministered. Once more, O king,
We pray thee let us go.'' Then, mockingly,
Cried Pharaoh, yet in wrath; ''Ay, go; go hence;
And instantly: but, to the wilderness
Go not; or now, or ever. And look well,--
Thou, Moses,--and thou, Aaron,--and ye all,
Elders of Israel,--look ye well, I say,
That with your busy tongues ye hinder not
The people from their works; else may yourselves,
With clay and straw, the trowel, and the spade,
Your delicate palms make rough.'' ''Thou art incensed,
O king,'' then Moses placidly replied;
''And wilt not this day hearken to our prayer.
With a new morn, new thoughts may visit thee;
More just, more wise. Till then, our God I pray,
That from thine eyes the blindness may pass off;
And from thy heart the hardness.'' Having said,
He bowed; then Aaron, and the Elders bent,
Due reverence yielding; and with solemn mien,
Patient and hopeful,--though the smothered laugh
They heard behind them,--from the hall went forth.