Page:The Works of Abraham Cowley - volume 2 (ed. Aikin) (1806).djvu/194

"But what god can to Egypt be unknown?)
"What sign, what powers, what credence, do you bring?"
"Behold his seal! behold his hand!"
Cries Moses, and casts down th' all-mighty wand.
Th' all-mighty wand scarce touch'd the earth,
When, with an undiscerned birth,
Th' all-mighty wand a serpent grew,
And his long half in painted folds behind him drew:
Upwards his threatening tail he threw;
Upwards he cast his threatening head:
He gap'd and hiss'd aloud,
With flaming eyes survey'd the trembling crowd,
And, like a basilisk, almost look'd th' assembly dead;
Swift fled th' amazed king, the guards before him fled.

Jannes and Jambres stopp'd their flight,
And with proud words allay'd th' affright.
"The God of slaves," said they, "how can he be
"More powerful than their masters' deity?"
And down they cast their rods,
And mutter'd secret sounds that charm the servile gods.
The evil spirits their charms obey,
And in a subtle cloud they snatch the rods away,
And serpents in their place the airy jugglers lay.
Serpents in Egypt's monstrous land
Were ready still at hand,
And all at the Old Serpent's first command.