r unaltered to my pages the
Asmonean's battle-prayer.

"Blessed art Thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst quell the violence of
the mighty man by the hand of Thy servant David, and gavest the host of
strangers into the hand of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his
armour-bearer! Shut up this army in the hand of Thy people Israel, and
let them be confounded in their power and horsemen; make them to be of
no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength to fall away, and
let them quake in their destruction. Cast them down with the sword of
them that love Thee, and let all those that know Thy Name praise Thee
with thanksgiving!"

When the tones of the leader's voice were silent, there was for a
moment a solemn stillness throughout the martial throng; then from
their knees arose the brave sons of Abraham, prepared to "do or die."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

BETHSURA.

Her brief but momentous interview with Maccabeus had left a very
painful impression upon the mind of Zarah. It had disclosed, to her
distress as well as surprise, the depth of the wound which she was
inflicting upon a loving heart; for Zarah had none of that miserable
vanity which makes the meaner of her sex triumph in their power of
giving pain. Zarah's apprehensions were also awakened on account of
Lycidas; she could not but fear that very serious obstacles might arise
to prevent her union with the Greek. Generous as Maccabeus might be,
it was not in human nature that he should favour the claims of a rival;
and determined opposition from her kinsman and prince must be
annihilation to the hopes of the maiden. There would be in many Jewish
minds prejudices against an Athenian; Zarah was aware of this, though
not of the intense hatred to which such prejudices might lead. The
short interview held with Maccabeus had sufficed to cover Zarah's
bright sky with clouds, to darken her hopes, to distress her
conscience, to make her uneasily question herself as to whether she
were indeed erring by giving her heart to a stranger. Had she really
spoken truth when she had said, "Hadassah would not have blamed us?"

But when Anna, pale with excitement, brought tidings to her young
mistress that the Hebrews were marching to battle, when Zarah heard
that the decisive hour had come on which hung the fate of her country,
and with it that of Lycidas, all other fears yielded for a time to one
absorbing terror. On her knees, with hands clasped in attitude of
prayer, yet