In vain our factious priests the cant revive;
In vain seditious scribes with libel strive
To inflame the crowd; while he with watchful eye
суе
Observes, and shoots their treasons as they fly;
Their weekly frauds his keen replies detect;
He undeceives more fast than they infect:
So Moses, when the pest on legions prey'd,
Advanced his signal, and the plague was stay'd.
Once more, my fainting muse! thy pinions try,
And strength's exhausted store let love supply.
What tribute, Asaph, shall we render thee?
We'll crown thee with a wreath from thy own tree! 1010
Thy laurel grove no envy's flash can blast;
The song of Asaph shall for ever last.
With wonder late posterity shall dwell
On Absalom and false Achitophel :
Thy strains shall be our slumbering prophets' dream,
And when our Sion virgins sing their theme;
Our jubilees shall with thy verse be graced,
The song of Asaph shall for ever last.
How fierce his satire loosed! restrain'd, how tame! How tender of the offending young man's fame! How well his worth, and brave adventures styled, Just to his virtues, to his error mild!
page of thine that fears the strictest view,
But teems with just reproof, or praise as due;
Not Eden could a fairer prospect yield,
All Paradise without one barren field:
Whose wit the censure of his foes has pass'd—
The song of Asaph shall for ever last.
What praise for such rich strains shall we allow ?
What just rewards the grateful crown bestow?
While bees in flowers rejoice, and flowers in dew,
While stars and fountains to their course are true;
While Judah's throne, and Sion's rock stand fast,
The song of Asaph and the fame shall last!
Still Hebron's honour'd, happy soil retains
Our royal hero's beauteous, dear remains ;
Who now sails off with winds nor wishes slack,
To bring his sufferings' bright companion back.
But e'er such transport can our sense employ,
A bitter grief must poison half our joy;
Nor can our coasts restored those blessings see
Without a bribe to envious destiny!
Cursed Sodom's doom for ever fix the tide
Where by inglorious chance the valiant died!
Give not insulting Askelon to know,
Nor let Gath's daughters triumph in our woe;
No sailor with the news swell Egypt's pride,
By what inglorious fate our valiant died.
Weep, Arnon! Jordan, weep thy fountains dry!
While Sion's rock dissolves for a supply.
Calm were the elements, night's silence deep,
The waves scarce murmuring, and the winds asleep;
Yet fate for ruin takes so still an hour,
And treacherous sands the princely bark devour ;
Then death unworthy seized a generous race,
To virtue's scandal, and the stars' disgrace!
Oh! had th' indulgent powers vouchsafed to yield,
Instead of faithless shelves, a listed field;
A listed field of Heaven's and David's foes,
Fierce as the troops that did his youth oppose,
Each life had on his slaughter'd heap retired,
Not tamely, and unconquering, thus expired:
But destiny is now their only foe,
And dying, even o'er that they triumph too;
With loud last breaths their master's 'scape applaud,
Of whom kind force could scarce the fates defraud;
Who for such followers lost, O matchless mind!
At his own safety now almost repined!
Say, royal Sir! by all your fame in arms,
Your praise in peace, and by Urania's charms,
If all your sufferings past so nearly press'd,
Or pierced with half so painful grief your breast?
Thus some diviner muse her hero forms,
Not soothed with soft delights, but toss'd in storms ;
Nor stretch'd on roses in the myrtle grove,
Nor crowns his days with mirth, his nights with love,
But far removed in thundering camps is found,
His slumbers short, his bed the herbless ground.
In tasks of danger always seen the first,
Feeds from the hedge, and slakes with ice his thirst. 1119
Long must his patience strive with fortune's rage,
And long-opposing gods themselves engage;
Must see his country flame, his friends destroy'd,
Before the promised empire be enjoy'd.
Such toil of fate must build a man of fame,
And such, to Israel's crown, the godlike David came.
What sudden beams dispel the clouds so fast,
Whose drenching rains laid all our vineyards waste?
The spring, so far behind her course delay'd,
On th' instant is in all her bloom array'd;
The winds breathe low, the element serene;
Yet mark what motion in the waves is seen!
Thronging and busy as Hyblæan swarms,
Or straggled soldiers summon'd to their arms,
See where the princely bark in loosest pride,
With all her guardian fleet, adorns the tide!
High on her deck the royal lovers stand,
Our crimes to pardon, e'er they touch'd our land.
Welcome to Israel and to David's breast!
Here all your toils, here all your sufferings rest.
This year did Ziloah rule Jerusalem, And boldly all sedition's surges stem, Howe'er encumber'd with a viler pair Than Ziph or Shimei to assist the chair; Yet Ziloah's loyal labours so prevail'd, That faction at the next election fail'd,
When even the common cry did justice found,
And merit by the multitude was crown'd:
With David then was Israel's peace restored,
Crowds mourn'd their error, and obey'd their lord. 1140
A KEY TO BOTH PARTS OF ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL.
Benaiah-General Sackville.
Ben Jochanan-Rev. Samuel John
Bezaliel-Duke of Beaufort.
Caleb-Ford, Lord Grey of Werk.
Corah-Dr Titus Oates.
David-King Charles II.
Doeg-Elkanah Settle, the city poet.
Egypt-France.
Eliab Sir Henry Bennet, Earl of
Arlington.
Ethnic-Plot-The Popish Plot.
Gath-The Land of Exile, more par-
ticularly Brussels, where King
Charles II. long resided.
Hebrew Priests-The Church of
England Clergy.
Hebron-Scotland.
Helon-Earl of Feversham, a French-
man by birth, and nephew to
Marshal Turenne.
Hushai-Hyde, Earl of Rochester.
Ishban-Sir Robert Clayton, Alder-
man, and one of the City Meni-
bers.
Ishbosheth-Richard Cromwell.
Israel-England.
Issachar Thomas Thynne, Esq.,
who was shot in his coach.
Jebusites-Papists.
Jerusalem-London.
Jews-English.
Jonas-Sir William Jones, a great
lawyer.
Jordan-Dover.
Jotham-Saville, Marquis of Hali-
fax.
Jothran-Lord Dartmouth.
Judas-Mr Ferguson, a canting
teacher.
Mephibosheth-Pordage.
Michal-Queen Catharine.
Nadab-Lord Howard of Escrick.
Og-Shadwell.
Othniel-Henry, Duke of Grafton,
natural son of King Charles II.
by the Duchess of Cleveland.
Phaleg-Forbes.
Pharaoh-King of France.
Rabsheka-Sir Thomas Player, one
of the City Members.
Sagan of Jerusalem-Dr Compton,
Bishop of London, youngest son
of the Earl of Northampton.
Sanhedrim-Parliament.
Saul-Oliver Cromwell.
Sheva-Sir Roger Lestrange.
Shimei-Slingsby Bethel, Sheriff of
London in 1680.
Sion-England.
Solymaan Rout-London Rebels.
Tyre-Holland.
Uzza-Jack Hall.
Zadoc-Sancroft, Archbishop of
Canterbury.
Zaken-A Member of the House of
Commons.
Ziloah-Sir John Moor, Lord Mayor
in 1682.
Zimri-Villiers, Duke of Buckingham.
A SATIRE AGAINST SEDITION.
For to whom can I dedicate this poem with so much justice as to you? It is the representation of your own hero: it is the picture drawn at length, which you admire and prize so much in little. None of your ornaments are wanting; neither the landscape of your Tower, nor the rising sun; nor the Anno Domini of your new sovereign's coronation. This must needs be a grateful undertaking to your whole party; especially to those who have not been so happy as to purchase the original. I hear the graver has made a good market of it all his kings are bought up already; or the value of the remainder so enhanced, that many a poor Polander, who would be glad to worship the image, is not able to go to the cost of him, but must be content to see him here. I must confess I am no great artist; but sign-post painting 1 The Medal:' see Life.'
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