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Laid bare her coral caves and iris-tintedFloor; that wall of flood which lined the people'sWay was God's own wondrous masonry;The signal pillar sent to guide them through the wildMoved its dark shadow till it fronted Egypt'sCamp, but hung in fiery splendor, a lightTo Israel's path. Madly rushed the hostsOf Pharaoh upon the people's track, whenThe solemn truth broke on them—that GodFor Israel fought. With cheeks in terrorBlenching, and eyes astart with fear, "letUs flee," they cried, "from Israel, for their GodDoth fight against us; he is battling on their side."They had trusted in their chariots, but nowThat hope was vain; God had loosened everyAxle and unfastened every wheel, and eachFace did gather blackness and each heart stood stillWith fear, as the livid lightnings glitteredAnd the thunder roared and muttered on the air,And they saw the dreadful ruin that shudderedO'er their heads, for the waves began to trembleAnd the wall of flood to bend. Then aroseA cry of terror, baffled hate and hopeless dread,A gurgling sound of horror, as "the wavesCame madly dashing, wildly crashing, seekingOut their place again," and the flower and prideOf Egypt sank as lead within the seaTill the waves threw back their corpses cold and stark
