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(Continued from p. 31.)
By
Miss Sarah Cohen
When left alone, the king sought not his couch,
though the hour was late; but continued to pace up
and down before his tent, with a mind which, if
somewhat relieved, was still agitated with fearful
emotions; for if he had hopes of obtaining a
revelation of the future, he felt humiliated in his
own heart by the communication of the cause of his
disquietude which he had <<85>>made to his servants.
“But,”said he, “any humiliation, so that my doubts
are dispelled, is preferable to this horrible
darkness which now surrounds me. Oh, can it be
indeed true, that the Lord refuses to answer my
inquiries? when formerly He often communicated to me
his word, though it might threaten us, through that
faithful adviser Samuel, whom death has removed from
the people he once guided so well. Has God indeed
forsaken me? or is it a cunning device of the
prophets, in revenge at the slaughter of the
traitorous priests?”
He
hastily paused, for conscience smote him with a
sudden and heavy stroke, “or can it be,” thought he,
“that divine vengeance will overtake me, for the
cruel death of these trusty servants of the Most
High?”
But quickly and scornfully was this idea dismissed.
“Did not,” he said, “these seditious meddlers assist
the son of Jesse to escape from his well-merited
doom? did they not refuse to reveal to me his
flight? did they not give him even the sword of
Goliath, the Philistine, and food, even the
consecrated shewbread from the sanctuary? Well was
their fate richly deserved by them. Ha! and that
insolent soldier, who dared to utter such words as
reached my ears this day, deserves to die, for
daring to censure the command of his king; and were
it not for the speedily approaching strife, he
should soon be with those he loved so well.”
He
mused a while, and then spoke again: “And I, the
king of Israel, could not find one of my own people
to execute my desire! but one, a stranger born, is
the only man who would obey the bidding of his
sovereign. Afraid were they to slay the priests of
the Lord? No, no, it was not this; my own servants
have secretly espoused the cause of David, the
disturber of my repose.”
Again he paused, and fancy was busy conjuring up
before him the bleeding bodies of the priests, the
victims of his fury, lying pallid and dying in his
presence. Their well-remembered features seemed to
be looking on him with silent reproach; he heard
again their expiring groans, he beheld their gaping
wounds, their ghastly look of anguish, as they
turned round in their last agonies on those dear to
them, slaughtered mercilessly like themselves. He
shuddered, a cold chill ran through all his frame,
<<86>>and turning sway with a vacant stare into the
open space, he groaned aloud, and said: “Oh, what
means this horrible picture! Is God indeed wroth
with me for avenging myself on those who had so
grievously offended? No, I never, never can believe
this; it cannot be; it is surely s mere delusion.
But I am dispirited at the coming strife; and
hearing the names of these traitors mentioned,
recalled them to my memory, whence I had hoped they
were long since banished. But I will chase them
again from my thoughts, they shall never distress me
again, they do not deserve that I should torment
myself with what justly befell them.”
He
therefore continued his lonely walk, and often would
his thoughts turn wonderingly to the import of these
disclosures, which the sorceress, by her mysterious
art, would make to him.
The gray light of early dawn had already overspread
the eastern skies, before he sought repose, though
vainly; for sleep fled from his eyelids, and fancy,
busy fancy, drew many a varied picture of the
destiny which he hoped would so soon be revealed to
him. “O for a triumph over the insolent
Philistines,” said he, “and then I will seek to
devise some fresh scheme to rid myself of Jesse’s
son, for while he exists my crown is not secure on
my head. Has he not already gained the hearts of the
malcontents of my people? and what though with
affected magnanimity he has twice spared my life
when I was in his power, was not this artfully done
to endear himself yet more to his followers, and to
entice those who adhere to me to join their fortunes
with his? know I not that he aims to sit on the
throne of Israel? Only let me first overcome these
uncircumcised hosts before me, and then I will
pursue the traitor, who shall die, though he be the
husband of Michal and the friend of Jonathan.”
He
paused awhile, then suddenly starting up, he
exclaimed: “This approaching strife! when I think of
it a heavy stroke seems to fall on my heart, a cold
damp is on my brow, and my whole frame is chilled by
an icy tremor. What can these unusual feelings
portend? or what can they be? Scan this be in truth
dastard cowardice, weak, degrading fear, which I now
feel? No, perish for ever such thought! I never
dreaded death, and when‑<<87>>ever the battle raged
fiercest I was ever foremost amidst the dreadful
shock.”
He
then laid himself down on his uneasy couch till the
rise of the sun, when he left it, unrefreshed and
weary, to wander abroad; and though his heart was a
prey to dismal forebodings, and his mind was
troubled, he walked round the camp, and conversed
cheerfully with the leaders of his army; for he much
feared that his altered manner might be ascribed to
its true cause, wherefore he strove to conceal the
sad change which had come over him.
The hour of noon had long passed, when his two
confidential servants sought their master's
presence, each bearing a small bundle. Una spoke
first, saying: “My lord, the king, art thou ready?
it were time that we should be on our way; my
comrade and myself have chosen the garb of herdsmen,
as being most likely to effectually disguise both
thyself and us.”
The king assented, and after telling the guard that
he and his chosen officers would go and observe the
position of the enemy, but that he wished his
absence to be kept a secret, he and his companions,
after changing their splendid attire for the humble
garment they had brought along, turned away
unsuspected on their long and toilsome way.
Once more darkness had veiled the earth, when the
disguised king and nobles reached the habitation of
the sorceress, which was in a lonely and obscure
spot; their signal for admittance was made, and a
woman quickly obeyed the summons. Her youth had long
since passed away; yet years had but dimmed the
beauty of her countenance, and most imposing was the
majesty of her figure, as also the dignity of her
movements, as she stepped forward with a commanding
air to receive the unexpected visitors, and to
demand of them the object of their journey. Saul
quickly unfolded to her his ardent desire that she
should, by her art, assist him to withdraw the veil
which shrouded the future from his sight; and humbly
did the haughty royal chief sue for the boon, “that
she, by the exercise of her power, would enable him
to hold communion with the dead,” carefully
concealing at the same time from her his station and
name. But she was unwilling to acknowledge that she
possessed <<88>>such power, for she distrusted her visiters; since by their air she rightly judged that
their humble garb concealed far higher rank than
what it bespoke, though how exalted she little
dreamed; and being very fearful that a snare had
been laid for her by some emissaries of the king,
she long denied that she had ever practised such art
as they spoke of. And when at length the two
officers addressed her as one they had visited
before, she spoke of the punishment which awaited
all those who exercised the secret art; and
addressing the king, as the one who had first
conversed with her, she said: “Knowest thou not what
Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have
familiar spirits, and the wizards out of the land?
wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to
cause me to die?”
But at length, after many entreaties had been made,
and the king had bound himself by a solemn oath that
no harm should befall her, bestowing at the same
time many rich and costly gifts, she consented to do
as he had requested. “It is well,” said she, “the
one whom thou wishest to see shall shortly appear,
but remember thy oath.” On hearing that he wished to
see Samuel, she bowed assent, and retired then into
an inner chamber, whence she speedily issued, and
stood before them arrayed for the performance of her
necromantic rites, and fearfully beautiful she
appeared to them in that strange garb; her robe was
of scarlet and gold, embroidered with many a mystic
symbol, while from her head to the ground flowed on
either side a veil of the same hue as the rest of
her attire, and was bordered with the same mystic
devices in broidery of gold. “Now shall thy wishes
be gratified,” said she; “be prepared for the
summons; fear not; for bound by my controlling
power, subservient to my will, the spirit cannot
harm thee.”
Again she left them there. Silently sat the three
waiting for the signal which should summon the king;
and though valorous and undaunted men, a strange and
inexpressible feeling stole over them; each gazed
in the other's face, and marvelled at its paleness,
though neither could break the painful silence. Was
it terror that seized on these bold hearts?
(To be continued.) |
