FOLLOW A WORD THROUGH THE COLLECTION
Search the corpus.
Phrase search ignores case and repeated whitespace. All-words search finds whole words anywhere on the same page. OCR errors can affect results.
9 matching pages
Page 1 of 11898 · PDF PAGE 19
…and carry me this message: The Elders unto Jephthah, greeting : Help! No single cry beyond that Help! Be gone! Exit Messenger. CHORUS. I fear me our necessity is sure. But they come hither. Shall we rather flee ? ELEAZAR. I stand here manly, and will die a man. CHORUS. For cowardice not pleases God, nor fear. Shall we not take up weapons? Or shall He Rather defend us with His Holy Arm, We not presuming in our arrogance To come with cunning, and defend ourselves ? ELEAZAR. Nay, but God smites with sharpness of our swords, CHORUS. The sword is ma…
1898 · PDF PAGE 17
… Nor his followers call, Hear thou, O Most High, give ear To our pitiful complaint: Under woes of war we faint. Pity, Lord of Hosts, our fear! Hear, Most High, oh, hear! ° Enter Messenger. MESSENGER. My lords, take heed now, prayer is good to save - While yet the foemen are far off ; but now They howl and clamour at our very gates. ‘ ELEAZAR. Blaspheme not God, but tell thy woeful news. CHORUS. I fear me for the sorrow that he speaks. MESSENGER. The tribe of Ephraim went forth to fight Armed, and with bows, and turned them back to-day.
1898 · PDF PAGE 59
…‘I will keep silence, though they tear my tongue Blaspheming from my throat. My servant now! ELEAZAR. Mingled emotions quickly following Fear upon fear, and joy and hope at last Crowning, have maddened Jephthah’s kinsman here. Mark his lips muttering, and his meaningless Furious gestures, and indignant eyes Starting, and hard-drawn breath! Him lead away Tenderly, as beseems the mercy shown To his repentance by this maiden queen. The Lord is merciful to them that show Mercy, and all such as are pure of heart ; Thy crown, Adulah, wears a double f…
1898 · PDF PAGE 24
…, as Joshua long ago. JEPHTHAH. Swear by the Name unspoken that the truth Flashes between the lips that tremble thus! Ye love me not; ye fear me; ye might thrust Some petty obstacle before my hands When I would grasp your promise, and betray Your faith for fear of me. I read thy thoughts, Old man; I trust no word of thine, but these Full-hearted mourners, them will I believe Upon their oath most solemn and secure. _ But take thou warning now, I shall not spare Grey hairs or faltering limbs for treachery. ELEAZAR. Lift up your hands, all people …
1898 · PDF PAGE 16
12 JEPHTHAH. And his mighty hand Grips a mighty mace. He would shatter, did we call, Sons of Ammon one and all, Did we fear not lest his eye Turn back covetous to try For our palaces, to rule Where the far blue Syrian sky Stretches, where the clouds as wool Mark the white Arabian border, To become a tyrant king Where his sword came conquering. Out of chaos rises order On her wide unwearying wing, But the desolate marauder Never over us shall swing Such a sceptre as should bring Sorrow to one home of ours. Better bear the heavy hours Under God’s…
1898 · PDF PAGE 20
…his Soldiers, with many young men of Israel. | JEPHTHAH. Yea, for a man’s sword should not turn again To his own bosom, and the sword of fear Smites not in vain the heart of cowardice. But who hath called me hither to what end ? ELEAZAR. For these, and for the sake of Israel. JEPHTHAH. And who are these? And who are Israel? CHORUS. Turn not thy face from us in wrath, for we Are thine own father’s children, and his loins With double fervour gat a double flower ; And we indeed were born of drudging wives, Pale spouses whom his heart despised, but…
1898 · PDF PAGE 27
JEPHTHAH. 23 His wrong he may not forget, But he pitieth men that call From the heart that is broken with fear and the noise of funeral. JEPHTHAH. Are all these ready for their hearth and altars To perish suddenly upon the field, Pavilioned with the little tents at noon, And ere the nightfall tented with the dead, And every hollow made a sepulchre, And every hill a vantage ground whereon Hard-breathing fighting men get scanty sleep Till the dawn lift his eyebrows, and the day Renew the battle? Will ye follow me Through slippery ways of blood to…
1898 · PDF PAGE 40
…ng free, shall pass the gates of God, And the spirit find the Sea by the feet of Him untrod, | And the flesh, a lifeless ember, in ashen fear grow cold,
1898 · PDF PAGE 34
…d, A lambent liquid fire of poetry Full of all meaning as the very stars. Yet of my own life they have never breathed One chilly word of fear, or one divine Roseate syllable of hope and joy. Still less of love. For no sweet life of love Lies to my hand, but I am bound by Fate To the strong compulsion of the sword; my lips Shall fasten on my wife’s not much; nor those Pure lips of innocent girlhood that call me Father ; but my lips must wreathe smiles no more, But set in fearful strength of purpose toward The blood of enemies, in horrid gouts An…