In the unsettled state of the Holy Land, where its brave sons had to maintain a kind of guerrilla warfare1 against the powerful enemy who held its strongholds and ruled in its capital--where communication between places not far remote from each other was difficult and dangerous, and a written letter was a thing almost unknown--the Asmonean brothers had been in ignorance of many events which have occupied a large space in these pages. Joab, therefore, on his arrival in the camp of the Hebrews, had much to tell that was to them entirely3 new.
Judas with thrilling interest had listened to the muleteer's account of Zarah's peril4 and escape from the palace of Antiochus, and the deaths of Hadassah and Pollux. The fount of tenderness which lay concealed5 under the chief's usually calm and almost stern exterior6 was stirred to its inmost depths. Grief, admiration7, love, swelled8 his brave heart. Maccabeus could hardly wait to hear the end of Joab's narration9. Zarah was near him--his beauteous, his beloved, his chosen bride--she who had so suffered and so mourned--the tender orphan10 maiden11 bereaved12 of all love, all protection save his own--but dearer in her poverty and desolation than she could have been had she brought him the dowry of an empire!
It was thus that Maccabeus thought of Zarah, as, with an eagerness of impatience13 which could not have brooked14 an instant's longer delay, he strode rapidly towards the hut which sheltered his treasure. He soon beheld15 her--could it indeed be she? No desolate16, weeping, trembling fugitive17 met the gaze of the chief; but a maiden bright and fair as the morn, with a blush on her cheeks and a smile on her lips, her whole countenance18 beaming with hope, and her eyes fixed19 with a lingering look on a Greek who was disappearing from view in a direction opposite to that by which Judas had approached her! The depths of the leader's feelings were again stirred, but this time as by a bar of glowing red-hot iron.
"Who is yon Gentile?" was the sudden fierce exclamation20 which burst from the warrior's lips.
Never before had her kinsman21 looked so terrible to Zarah as when he startled her then by his sudden appearance. It was not because she now saw Maccabeus for the first time arrayed in the harness of battle, his tall powerful frame partly sheathed22 in glittering steel, and a plumed23 helmet on his head, giving him a resemblance to the description which she had heard from Lycidas of the fabled24 god of war; it was the eye, the manner, the tone of Judas that changed the smile of the maiden in a moment to a look of embarrassment25 and fear. Antiochus himself, on his judgment-seat, had scarcely appeared more formidable to the trembling captive before him, than did the kinsman who had come to welcome her, and who would have died to shield her from wrong!
Maccabeus repeated his stern question before Zarah found courage to reply. "That is Lycidas, the Athenian lord," she faltered26; "he whom you spared by the martyrs27' tomb. He has well requited28 your mercy. He protected and aided Hadassah to the end, and paid the last honours to her dear remains29; he struck down the Syrian who slew30 my father. Lycidas has embraced the Hebrew faith, and has come to fight, and, if need be, to die in the Hebrew cause!"
The maiden spoke31 rapidly, and with a good deal of nervous excitement. She did not venture to glance up again into the face of her kinsman to see the effect of her explanation, for all the false hopes regarding his indifference32 with which she had buoyed33 herself, had vanished like a bubble at a touch. Maccabeus did not at once reply. Silently he led Zarah back into the hut, and motioned to her to take her seat upon a low heap of cushions which Anna had removed from the litter, and placed on the earthen floor for the accommodation of her young mistress. He then dismissed the attendant by a wave of his hand. The profound gloomy silence of her kinsman was by no means re-assuring to Zarah, who felt much as a criminal might feel in presence of a judge--albeit in regard to her conduct towards Lycidas her conscience was clear.
Maccabeus stood before Zarah, the shadow of his form falling upon the maiden, as he towered tween her and the light, gloomily gazing down upon her.
"Zarah," he said at last, "there must be no concealment34 between us. You know in what relation we stand to each other. You have told me what that Gentile has been to Hadassah, and to Abner your father; tell me now, What is he to you?"
Zarah struggled to regain35 her courage, though she knew not how deeply her evident fear of him wounded the spirit of her kinsman. She did not dare to answer his question directly. "Lycidas is not a Gentile," she said; "he is, as you are, a servant of God, a true believer; he has been fully36 admitted into all the privileges held by our race."
"Even the privilege of wedding a Hebrew maiden?" inquired Maccabeus with slow deliberation.
Zarah fancied that his tone was less stern, and was thankful that Judas had been the one to break ground upon so delicate a subject.
"Hadassah would not have blamed us," she said simply, blushing deeply as she spoke.
Notwithstanding what had just passed, Zarah was utterly37 unprepared for the effect of what was in fact an artless confession38. It was not a groan39 nor a cry that she heard, but a sound that partook of the nature of both; a sound that the last turn of the rack could not have forced from the breast that uttered it now! It was the expression of an agony which few hearts have affections strong enough to feel, fewer still could have fortitude40 to sustain. No death-wail, no cry of woe41, no shriek42 of pain that Zarah had ever listened to, smote43 on her soul like that sound! She heard it but once--it was never heard but once--and before she had recovered from the shock which it gave her, Judas had rushed forth44 from the hut. He was as one possessed45; so fierce were the demons46 of jealousy48 and hatred49 that for a space held reason, conscience, every power of mind and soul in subjection. One wild desire to kill his rival, to tear him limb from limb, seemed all that had any definite form in that fearful chaos50 of passion. It was well for Lycidas that he did not then cross the path of the lion!
Maccabeus plunged51 into the depths of a wood that was near, seeking instinctively52 the thickest shade afforded by evergreen53 trees. He would fain have buried his anguish54 from the sight of man in the darkest cavern--in the deepest grave! The very sunlight was oppressive!
All lost--all rent away from him for ever! What hope had clung to, what love had treasured through the long, long years of waiting, giving new courage to the brave, new energy to the weary! Youth, happiness, the cup of joy just filled to the brim by the coming of Zarah, without one moment's warning dashed from the lips of him who loved her, and the last drops sucked up by the thirsty sand! The miseries55 of a long life seemed to be crowded into the few minutes during which the leader of the Hebrews, the hope of Judah, lay prostrate56 on the earth, clinching57 the dust in his despair.
Hatred and jealousy raged within; and a yet darker demon47 had joined them, one whose presence, above all others, makes the soul as a hell! Like burning venom-drops fell the suggestions of rebellious58 unbelief upon the spirit of the disappointed man. "Is it for this that you have washed your hands in innocency59, and kept your feet in the paths of truth? Is it for this that you have devoted60 all your powers to God and your country, have shrunk from no toil61, and dreaded62 no danger? He whom you were faithfully serving hath not watched over your peace, nor guarded for you that treasure which you had confided63 to his care. What profit is there in obedience64, what benefit in devotion? Prayer has been but vanity, and faith but self-deception!"
Such moments as these are the most terrible in the experience of a servant of the Lord. They afford a glimpse of the depths of guilt65 and misery66 to which the noblest human soul would sink without sustaining grace; they show that, like the brightest planet, such soul shines not with light of its own, but with an imparted radiance, deprived of which it would be enveloped67 in utter darkness. An Abraham, left to himself, could lie; a David stain his soul with innocent blood. All need the Sacrifice of Atonement, all require the grace which comes from above.
But Judas Maccabeus was not left unaided to be carried away to an abyss of crime by his own wild passions. They were as a steed accustomed to obey the rein68 of conscience, that, smitten69 with agonizing70 pain, has taken the bit into its teeth, and rushed madly towards a precipice71. But the hand of its rider still grasps the bridle72, his eye sees the danger in front, and the frantic73 animal beneath him has but for a brief space burst from his master's powerful constraint74. If the rider cannot otherwise stop his wild steed, he will strike it down with a heavy blow, that by a lesser75 fall the greater may be avoided; and so he leads it back to its starting-place, quivering, trembling in every limb, the sweat on its flanks, the foam76 on its bit, but subdued77, submissive, under command. Even so with the Hebrew chief, conscience regained78 its habitual79 sway over the passions; as soon as the anguish of his soul found vent2 in prayer, the crisis of danger was past. Maccabeus rose from the earth, pale as one who has received a death-wound, but submissive and calm.
"Shall one who has been so favoured, beyond his hopes, far beyond his deserts, dare to repine at the decree of Him who orders all things in wisdom and goodness?" Thus reflected the chief. "Who am I, that I should claim exemption80 from disappointment and loss? Shame on the leader who gives way to selfish passion, and at such a time as this! We shall shortly close in battle; and if in that battle I fall" (the thought brought strange consolation), "how shall I look back from the world of spirits on that which for a time could almost shake the trust of this unworthy heart in the God of my fathers? If I survive the perils81 of the day, better it is that there should be no selfish hopes, no selfish cares, to prevent me from concentrating all my energies and thoughts upon the work appointed me to do. I have been wasting my time in idle dreams of earthly enjoyment82; I have been rudely awakened83. O Lord of hosts, strengthen Thy servant to arise and gird up his spirit to perform fearlessly and faithfully the duties of the day!"
Then, with slower step and calmer aspect, Judas Maccabeus returned to his camp.
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1
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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brooked
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| 容忍，忍受（brook的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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plumed
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| 饰有羽毛的 | |
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fabled
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| adj.寓言中的，虚构的 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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27
martyrs
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| n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情） | |
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28
requited
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| v.报答( requite的过去式和过去分词 )；酬谢；回报；报复 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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31
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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33
buoyed
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| v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
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concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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35
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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38
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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39
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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42
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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43
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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44
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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46
demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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49
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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50
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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51
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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53
evergreen
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| n.常青树；adj.四季常青的 | |
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54
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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56
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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57
clinching
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的现在分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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59
innocency
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| 无罪，洁白 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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63
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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exemption
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| n.豁免，免税额，免除 | |
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81
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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82
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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