His old inftru&tor ere he loft his place,
Was never thought indued with so much grace.
Good heavens, how faction can a patriot paint!
My rebel ever proves my people's faint.
Would they impofe an heir upon the throne,
Let fanhedrims be taught to give their own.
A king's at leaft a part of government,
And mine as requifite as their confent :
Without my leave a future king to choose,
Ifers a right the prefent to dispose.

True, they petition me t' approve their choice:
Bet Efau's hands fuit ill with Jacob's voice.
My pious fubjects for my fafety pray;
Which to fecure, they take my power away.
From plots and treasons heaven preferve my years,
But fave me most from my petitioners.
Unfatiate as the barren womb or grave;
God cannot grant fo much as they can crave.
What then is left, but with a jealous eye
To guard the fmall remains of royalty?
The law fhall ftill direct my peaceful sway,
And the fame law teach rebels to obey :
Votes shall no more establish'd power controul,
Such votes as make a part exceed the whole.
No groundless clamours shall my friends remove,
Nor crowds have power to punish ere they prove;
For gods and god-like kings their care express,
Still to defend their fervants in distress.
Oh, that my power to faving were confin'd!
Why am I forc'd, like heaven, against my mind,
To make examples of another kind?

Muft I at length the sword of justice draw?
Oh curft effects of neceffary law !

How ill my fear they by my mercy scan!
Beware the fury of a patient man.

Law they require, let law then shew her face;
They could not be content to look on grace,
Her hinder parts, but with a daring eye
To tempt the terror of her front and die.
By their own arts 'tis righteoufly decreed,
Thofe dire artificers of death shall bleed.
Against themselves their witnesses will fwear,
Till, viper-like, their mother plot they tear;
And fuck for nutriment that bloody gore,
Which was their principle of life before.
Their Belial with their Beelzebub will fight:
Thus on my foes, my foes fhall do me right.
Nor doubt th' event: for factious crowds engage
In their first onfet, all their brutal rage.
Then let them take an unrefifted course :
Retire, and traverfe, and delude their force :
But when they stand all breathlefs, urge the fight,
And rife upon them with redoubled might:
For lawful power is still fuperior found;
When long driven back, at length it ftands the
ground.

He faid: Th' Almighty nodding gave confent;
And peals of thunder fhook the firmament.
Henceforth a series of new time began,
The mighty years in long proceffion ran :
Once more the god-like David was reftor'd,
And willing nations knew their lawful lord.

SINCE men like beafts each other's prey were made,

Since trade began, and priesthood grew a trade, Since realms were form'd, none fure so curft as thofe

That madly their own happiness oppose;
There heaven itself, and Gad-like kings, in vain
Shower down the manna of a gentle reign:
While pamper'd crowds to mad fedition run,
And monarchs by indulgence are undone.
Thas David's clemency was fatal grown,
While wealthy faction aw'd the wanting throne.
For now their fovereign's orders to contemn
Was held the charter of Jerufalem,
His rights t' invade, his tributes to refuse,
A privilege peculiar to the Jews;
As if from heavenly call this licence fell,
And Jacob's feed were chosen to rebel!

Achitophel with triumph fees his crimes
Thus fuited to the madness of the times;
And Abfalom, to make his hopes fucceed,
Of flattering charms no longer stands in need;
While, fond of change, though ne'er fo dearly
bought,

Our tribes outftrip the youth's ambitious thought;
His fwifteft hopes with fwifter homage meet,
And crowd their fervile necks beneath his feet.
Thus to his aid while preffing tides repair,
He mounts and spreads his ftreamers in the air.
The charms of empire might his youth mislead,
But what can our befotted Ifrael plead?
Sway'd by a monarch, whofe ferene command
Seems half the bleffing of our promis'd land.
Whofe only grievance is excefs of eafe;
Freedom our pain, and plenty our disease!
Yet as all folly would lay claim to fenfe,
And wickedness ne'er wanted a pretence,
With arguments they'd make their treafon good,
And righteous David's felf with flanders load;
That arts of foreign fway he did affect,
And guilty Jebufites from law protect,

Whofe very chiefs, convict, were never freed,
Nay we have feen the facrificers bleed!
Accufers' infamy is urg'd in vain,

While in the bounds of fenfe they did contain,
But foon they launch'd into th' unfathom'd tide,
And in the depths they knew difdain'd to ride.
For probable difcoveries to difpenfe,

Was thought below a penfion'd evidence;
Mere truth was dull, nor fuited with the port
Of pamper'd Corah when advanc'd to court.
No less than wonders now they will impofe,
And projects void of grace or fenfe difclofe.
Such was the change on pious Michal brought,
Michal that ne'er was cruel ev'n in thought,
The best of queens, and most obedient wife,
Impeach'd of curft defigns on David's life!
His life, the theme of her eternal prayer,
"Tis fcarce fo much his guardian angel's care.
Not fummer morns fuch mildness can disclose,
The Hermon lily, nor the Sharon rose.
Neglecting each vain pomp of majesty,
Transported Michal feeds her thoughts on high.
She lives with angels, and, as angels do,
Quits heaven fometimes to bless the world below.
Where, cherish'd by her bounty's plenteous
Spring,

Reviving widows smile, and orphans fing.
Oh! when rebellious Ifrael's crimes at height,
Are threaten'd with her Lord's approaching fate,
The picty of Michal then remain

In heaven's remembrance, and prolong his reign!
Lefs defolation did the pest pursue,
That from Dan's limits to Beersheba flew,
Lefs fatal the repeated wars of Tyre,
And lefs Jerufalem's avenging fire.
With gentler terror these our state o'er-ran,
Than fince our evidencing days began!
On every cheek a pale confufion fat,
Continued fear beyond the worst of fate!
Truft was no more, art, fcience, useless made,
All occupations loft but Corah's trade.

Nor in Achitophel yet grudge or blame,
The privilege that statesmen ever claim;
Who private intereft never yet pursued,
Bar fill pretended 'twas for others' good:
What politician yet e'er fcap'd his fate,
Who faving his own neck not fav'd the state?
Frem hence on every humorous wind that veer'd,
With fhifted fails a feveral course you fteer'd.
What from a fway did David e'er pursue,
That feem'd like abfolute, but fprung from you?
Who at your inflance quash'd each penal law,
That kept diffenting factious Jews in awe;
And who fufpends fixt laws, may abrogate,
That done, form new, and fo enflave the state.
Ev'n property, whofe champion now you stand,
And feem for this the idol of the land,
Did ne'er fuftain fuch violence before,
As when your counsel shut the royal store;
Advice, that ruin to whole tribes procur'd,
But fecret kept till your own banks fecur'd.
Recount with this the triple covenant broke,
And Ifrael fitted for a foreign yoke;
Nor here your counfels fatal progress staid,
But fent our levied powers to Pharaoh's aid.
Hence Tyre and Ifrael, low in ruins laid, [made.
And Egypt, once their scorn, their common terror
Ev'a yet of fuch a feafon can we dream,
When royal rights you made your darling theme.
For power unlimited could reafons draw,
And place prerogative above the law;
Which on your fall from office grew unjust,
The laws made king, the king a flave in trust:
Whom with state craft, to interest only true,
You now accufe of ills contriv'd by you.
To this hell's agent-Royal youth, fix here;
Let intereft be the ftar by which you fteer;
Hence to repofe your trust in me was wife,
Whole interelt moft in your advancement lies.
A tye fo firm as always will avail,

When friendship, nature, and religion, fail ;
On our's the fafety of the crowd depends,
Secure the crowd, and we obtain our ends,
Whom I will caufe fo fat our guilt to fhare,
Till they are made our champions by their fear.
What oppofition can your rival bring,
While fanhedrims are jealous of the king?
His ftrength as yet in David's friendship lies,
And what can David's felf without fupplies?
Who with exclufive bills must now difpenfe,
Debar the heir, or ftarve in his defence,
Conditions which our elders ne'er will quit,
And David's justice never can admit.
Or forc'd by wants his brother to betray,
To your ambition next he clears the way;
For if fucceffion once to nought they bring,
Their next advance removes the present king:
Perfifting elfe his fenates to diffolve,
In equal hazard fhall his reign involve, [alarms,
Our tribes, whom Pharaoh's power fo much
Shall rife without their prince t'oppose his arms;
Not boots it on what caufe at first they join,
Their troops once up, are tools for our defign.
At least fuch fubtle covenants fhall be made,
Till peace itself is war in masquerade.
VOL. VI.

I' th' point of treafon yet were well agreed.
'Mongft thefe, extorting Ishban first appears,
Pursued by a meager troop of bankrupt heirs.
Bleft times when Ihban, he whofe occupation
So long has been to cheat, reforms the nation!
Ifhban of confcience fuited to his trade,
As good a faint as ufurer ever made.
Yet Mammon has not fo engroft him quite,
But Belial lays as large a claim of spight;
Who, for those pardons from his prince he draws
Returns reproaches, and cries up the cause.
That year in which the city he did fway,
He left rebellion in a hopeful way.
Yet his ambition once was found fo bold,
To offer talents of extorted gold;

Could David's wants have fo been brib'd, to fhame
And fcandalize our peerage with his name;
For which, his dear fedition he'd forfwear,
And ev'n turn loyal to be made a peer.
Next him, let railing Rabfheka have place,
Se full of zeal he has no need of grace;
A faint that can both flesh and spirit ufe,
Alike haunt conventicles and the stews :
Of whom the question difficult appears,
If most i' th' preachers or the bawds arrears.
What caution could appear too much in him
That keeps the treasure of Jerufalem!
Let David's brother but approach the town,
Double our guards, he crics, we are undone.
Protefling that he dares nor fleep in's bed
Left he should rise next morn without his head.
"Next thefe, a troop of bufy fpirits prefs,

Of little fortunes, and of confcience lefs;
With them the, tribe, whofe luxury had drain'd
Their banks, in former fequeftrations gain'd;
Who rich and great by past rebellions grew,
And long to fish the troubled ftreams anew.
Some future hopes, fome prefent payment draws,
To fell their confcience and efpoufe the caufe.
Such ftipends thofe vile hirelings best befit,
Priefts without grace, and poets without wit.
Shall that falfe Hebronite efcape our curfe,
Judas that keeps the rebels penfion-purse;
Judas that pays the treafon-writer's fee,
Judas that well deserves his namesake's tree;
Who at Jerufalem's own gates erects
His college for a nursery of fects.
Young prophets with an early care fecures,
And with the dung of his own arts manures.
What have the men of Hebron here to do,
What part in Ifrael's promis'd land have you
Here Phaleg, the lay-Hebronite is come,
'Caufe like the reft he could not live at home;

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