Hebrew Heroes, A Tale Founded on Jewish History

h, followed that exclamation from Zarah. Cold steel gleamed in the moonlight; Lycidas, who had scarcely before thought of

! as ye would find mercy in the hour of death, only hear me!" Then, ashamed at having been betrayed into showing what might look like cowardly fear,

lifted blades were arrested in air, and like leopards crouching in act to spring, the

alm and stern. "Can you deny that you have been present as a spy at a scene t

but who would not be wantonly cruel. "I am here, but not as a spy--not to look with prying eyes upon your solemn and sacred rites. Led by chance to this spot, sleep o

g to him an almost wolf-like ferocity of aspect, that well accorded with his cry for blood. "He was present--I know it--when our martyred brethr

with vehemence; "I c

ne our ears with the names of the demons whom he worships. Cut him off from the face of the e

or revenge, the ear of Lycidas, and the ear of the leader also, caugh

that he was influenced by the demand for blood from Abishai and his fierce companions, but that he was aware of the extreme risk of setting the captive free. Lycidas felt that hi

t a hair of your head should be harmed. But on your silence as to what you have seen this night depends the safety of all here assembled, even of these daughters of Zion, for the tyrant spares not our women. We ha

w that under like circumstances neither Syrian nor Greek would feel hesitation before, or remorse after, wha

deathless fame by smiting Zimri and Cosbi through with a dart. 'Thine eye shall not pity, nor thine hand spare.' Guilt lies on your head if you

hame on you, Abishai, man of blood. Yea, though you be the husband of my dead daughter, I repeat, shame on you to bring the name of the Lord to sanction your own thirst f

ad been her servants in her more prosperous days. But it was chiefly the dignity of Hadassah's character that gave weight to her speech; the widowed lady was regar

even as the waves of the sea overwhelmed Pharaoh, or the flood a world of transgressors. But the God of justice is the God also of mercy, slow to anger and plenteous in goodness. He calleth vengeance--though His work--His strange work (Isa. xxviii. 21). He hath

rael, not a vile Gentile," mutter

tes fell away from their king? God said of Cyrus the Persian, He is my shepherd (Isa. xliv. 28), and Alexander of Macedon was suffered to offer sacrifices to the Lord God of Jacob. Yea, hath not Isaiah the prophet declared that He, the Holy One, the Messiah, for whose coming we look, shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles (Isa. xlii. 1), shall be a light of the Gentiles (Isa. xlii. 6), that He will lift up His hand to the Gentiles

she raised her hand towards heaven, she seemed to call the Deity to conf

d up in others the fierce jealousy which made so many Jews unwilling that the Gentiles should ever s

then require that we should trust this stranger, when--if he prove fa

ath ordained that whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. We s

adness, tempting Providence," mingled with imprecations on "dogs of h

he heart of Lycidas throbbed faster, he read his own death-warrant in the movement, but he braced his spirit to fall bravely, as bec

side of the grave nearest to the stem of the tree. When they had done so, the son of Mattathias cast his javelin down on the ground. "Let those who would let the captive go free, tho

d his glance on Lycidas, and with stern courtesy repeated his question to the G

shall vote," said the chief, with decision; "their pe

the predominating feeling. A cloud for a few moments darkened the face of the moon, but through the shadow he could see the stately dark figure of Hadassah as she crossed over

rly; but even as the exclamation was on his lips, Judas with a

Hadassah. Abishai, with a muttered curse, t

tathias; "but ere you quit this spot, solemnly

those whose grave--but for your mercy--I should have sh

and leave the Hebrews to complete the sole

h and Zarah. "May I not speak my gratitude," he began, advancing one st

remember this night. And when next you would bow down before an idol, and pray--as your people pray--to the deaf wood and the senseless stone, pause and reflect first upon what you