And Balaam stood amazed Long time, while thoughts, conflicting, tore his breast, And barred all passage for his voice. At length, “Hath not the Highest, by this sign, declared His purpose? I MUST GO!” he said, and then Dark-boding terrors shook him and the strain That held his face rapt westward, all relaxed By speech, he felt as one, who, in a dream, Stands on a steep cliff, by the greedy sea, While ruthless foes pursue him. “I MUST GO!” He said, and from ten thousand horrid throats There seemed to come a mocking answer, “Go!” And o’er him came a shiver, as a lake Shivers beneath the burden of a breeze. And then there came a whisper to his ear, “Balaam, God’s prophet! go not with these men! Puttest thou Balak’s honour above His Who chose thee to declare His will to men? Go, and thou art undone! God doth not lie!” Then Balaam, as in answer to a friend: “There came across the desert lordly men From Moab and from Midian, who besought, With many prayers and noble gifts, that I, Balaam, the Seer, would go with them and curse A people who were terrible in war-- To whom the strength of Moab was as grass Before the oxen, feeding on the plains-- If, haply, I might crush them with a curse! These prayed I to abide with me all night, Till I should learn the purpose of the Lord-- And, in a dream, God warned me not to go; And so they went away ungratified. Then came these princes with more precious gifts, And still more precious promises, who said, ‘Balak, our lord, hath sent us unto thee, And prayeth thee to come. He will promote Thee and thy house to honour; and all boons, Whate’er thou askest, he will freely give.’ And I replied, ‘If Balak’s house were full Of gold and silver, and he made it mine, Or more or less than God commandeth me, I could not do. But tarry here to-night, And I will hear the answer of the Lord.’ And then God sent a sign, the like of which I, who know all the faces of the night, And am familiar with all stars that shine Over the hills and plains of Pethor-land, Have never seen before, a sign which said: ‘Balaam, if these men call thee, rise and go.’ Or more or less than God commandeth me I cannot do. Am I in this to blame?” And then the wind came sweeping down the hills, And Balaam heard again the mocking cry, “If these man call thee, Balaam, rise and go.” And though he shuddered, all his face grew dark And knotted, as he said, “God doth not lie, But--doth God mock? Hath he not sent a sign To me, who have the power of reading signs, His own high gift? And now--and now, O God! If thou wouldst send me yet another sign--!” And here the whisper of the still, small voice Came back, “O, Balaam! wretched is their fate,