ng him beyond all hope,
Made e'en the tyrant tend, his infancy.
Who knows God's will towards our Eliacin?
And, if preparing him like destiny,
He has not, the fierce murderess of our kings,
Already made susceptible of pity?
At least, short time ago, I saw his aspect
Move her (which Josabet observed as well),
I saw the tempest of her fury fall.

_(To Josabet.),_

Princess! can you be silent in this peril?
What, for a boy, who is a stranger to you,
Will you allow that Joad shall fruitlessly
Leave you, his son, and people to be slaughtered?
And that the fire devour the very place
Upon the earth where God would be adored?
Why, were that tender boy a precious relic
Of your ancestral kings, could you do more?

{JOSABET (_aside, to Joad_).}

O wherefore do you not speak out, you see
His tenderness for Israel's kings?

{JOAD.}

Princess 'tis not yet time.

{ABNER.}

The time's more precious, sire, than you suppose.
Whilst hesitating here to answer me,
Mathan, beside the queen, indignant flaming,
Demands the signal, panting for the carnage.
Must I entreat you at your sacred feet,
By the place saintly, closed to all but you,
Dread place, where dwells the majesty of God?
However hard the task on you imposed,
We must but think of warding off the blow.
O give me only time to breathe--to-morrow,
This very night, I will arrange the means
To save the temple and avenge its wrongs.
But ah! I see my tears and vain discourse
Are arguments too frail to change your mind:
Your austere virtue will not be subdued.
Well! bring me then my armour, and a sword,
That at the portals of the temple, where
The foe awaits me, Abner, at the least,
May die in combat

{JOAD.}

I yield. You give advice which I embrace:
Let us avert so many threatening ills.
'Tis true there is a treasure left by David;
To my fidelity the charge was given:
It was the melancholy Jews' last hope,
Which from the light my vigilance concealed:
But since we _must_ expose it to our queen,
I'm going to please her. Open wide our gates!
Let her, accompanied by her bravest chiefs,
Advance, but from our sacred altars, let
Her hold at distance the unreasoning fury
Of herds of strangers, and pr