God only knows what passes in her heart. She sent for me, and with distracted air Said, "see those soldiers quite surround that temple, A vengeful fire's about to make it ashes; Thy God 'gainst mine can not defend Himself. Howe'er His priests--but they must make quick haste, On two conditions may redeem their lives-- That in my power Eliacin be given, With treasures which I know are known to them, Amassed by David, formerly your king, Intrusted to the high-priest's secret care. Go tell them at that price that they may live." {JOAD.} What counsel, Abner, think you we should follow? {ABNER.} If, in effect, 'tis true that all the gold Of David's secret treasure you preserve, And from the hands of that rapacious queen You may thereby save all that's rich and rare, Why, yield it up. Would you that foul assassins Come break the altar, burn the cherubim, And laying on our ark a violent hand, With your own blood pollute the sanctuary? {JOAD.} Would it become us, Abner, from kind hearts, To give to torture an unfortunate child, Whom God Himself confided to my care; And at his life's expense redeem our own? {ABNER.} Alas! God sees my heart. O that our God Would make the queen forget an innocent child, And that the blood of Abner would content Her cruelty, and that my death would calm The heavens that torture her! But what avails Your useless tenderness? If you all perish, Is death the less to him? And does our God Bid you to dare impossibilities? Submitting to a heartless tyrant's law, Moses, left by his mother at the Nile, Was seen almost at birth condemned to fall: But God, preserving 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.}