Poems (Louisa Blake)/David and Goliah
DAVID AND GOLIAH.
There was a peace and quiet in the campOf the opposing armies, as they layWithin their tents upon the highest pointsOf the twin mountains;—no one would have thoughtAs they lay stretch'd beneath the quiet skyIn such apparent harmony, that hateRender'd each bosom the unhallow'd seatOf the worst passions man can bear to man.It was the calmness that precedes the storm,The stillness nature sheds on leaf and treeAs a brief prelude to entire destruction.
Already at the morning's earliest dawn,The note of preparation had begun,And those two mighty forces were to rushOn to the work of death, for none so braveTo meet the challenge of that mighty manWhose dread approach at even and at mornSpread panic and affright, through every heart,As he came forth in his gigantic strength, To challenge to the combat, and to praise,In words of cruel scoffing, the brave heartsWhich form'd that mighty army; to admireThe latent courage, which was hid so deepThat all his various efforts quite had fail'dTo elicit hitherto a single spark;That they possess'd this courage he declared(With bitter irony,) he knew full well;For they had often said., their hearts were strong,Their spirits fearless, and to doubt the wordsSo oft repeated of such valiant menWere most uncourteous:—but these all fail'dHis cold derision, and those bitter taunts,Which soonest touch the heart and make it wakeFrom any lethargy, now wholly fail'dTo reach their slumbering and palsied souls.The far extended host, collected thereAs patriots to assert their country's rights,As what they valued more than life itself,—That chosen people whom the most high GodHad highly favor'd, and who now had comeTo vindicate and to declare his nameAgainst a heathen foe who knew him not,Lay bound and fetter'd by their slavish fear;While the deep sin press'd heavier on their souls As day by day they heard the haughty man,Blaspheme the great Creator, as he bidDefiance, both to Israel, and her God.
They were prepared; and the opposing bandsStood ready for the battle; when once more,For the last time the trumpet's sound was heard,And once again the herald's voice proclaim'd,The oft repeated challenge.There was a breathless and a deathlike pause—Not a voice answer'd, not a foot was stirr'd,But many eyes were bent upon the faceOf stern Goliah, as he proudly stoodWith his tall form drawn to its fullest height,And his arms folded on his giant breast,While his lip curl'd in his supreme contempt,And his dark eye sent forth its bitter scorn,As once again he impiously bidHis blasphemous defiance.
As he turn'd slowly round to leave the spot,And Israel's soldiers dared not raise their eyesTo see the humbling and the burning shameThat redden'd on each cheek, to think that noneOf all that countless band, would risk his life,His single life, for Israel's sake, and God's. Then rush'd upon the spot, with breathless haste,A stripling youth, whose slight and tender frameSeem'd scarcely fitted to contend againstMore than an infant's strength, and call'd aloudUpon the bold contemner of his God,To turn and to retract his impious words,Or meet him in the fight.—Goliah turn'd,And stood in silent wonder, that a boy,A stripling, should come boldly forth and meetThe danger old and bearded men had shrunk from.
They met—Goliah with his lance and spearWith all his giant limbs encased in steel,And David in his shepherd's humble dress,No instrument of warfare save a stoneChosen from the clear small brook—but 't was enough;Undaunted he advanced—He knew that God,Who once had saved him from the lion's jaw,Was as strong now, to shield him from the handOf that bad man,—and as he placed his stoneWithin the sling, he felt his arm was strong,And his eye steady, while with all his skillHe hurl'd it at the proud deriding foe.The work of death was done—It had sunk deepInto Goliah's forehead, and he fellAnd Israel was free!