When we consider how unjust 'tis, you,
Who ne'er of power more than the burthen knew,
At once the weight of that and age should have,
(Your stooping days press'd doubly towards the
grave);

When we behold by Ammon's youthful rage,
Proud in th' advantage of your peaceful age,
And all th' united East, our fali conspir'd;
And that your sons, whom chiefly we desir'd
As stamps of you, in your lov'd room to place,
By unlike acts that noble stamp deface;

But why this yoke on your own necks to draw?
Why man your God, and passion made your law?”
"Methinks" (thus Moab interrupts him here)
"The good old seer 'gainst kings was too severe.
"Tis jest to tell a people that they're free:
Who, or how many, shall their masters be
Is the sole doubt; laws guide, but cannot reign;
And, though they bind not kings, yet they re-
strain.

I dare affirm (so much I trust their love)
That no one Moabite would his speech approve.

Midst these new fears and ills we're forc'd to fly But, pray go on."-"Tis true, sir," he replies,

T'a new, and yet unpractis'd, remedy:
A new one, but long promis'd, and foretold
By Moses, and to Abraham shown of old;
A prophecy long forming in the womb
Of teeming tears, and now to ripeness come,
This remedy's a king; for this we all
With an inspir'd and zealous union call:
And, in one sound when all men's voices join,
The music's tun'd, no doubt, by hand divine:
'Tis God alone speaks a whole nation's voice;
That is his public language; but the choice
Of what peculiar head that crown must bear,
From you, who his peculiar organ are,
We expect to hear: the people shall to you
Their king, the king his crown and people, owe.
To your great name what lustre will it bring
T have been our judge, and to have made our
king!

"He bow'd and ended here; and Samuel straight,
Pausing awhile at this great question's weight,
With a grave sigh, and with a thoughtful eye,
That more of care than passion did descry.
Calmly replies- You 're sure the first,' said he,
"Of freeborn men that begg'd for slavery,
I fear, my friends, with heavenly manna fed,
(Our old forefathers' crime) we lust for bread.
Long since by God from bondage drawn, I fear,
We build anew th' Egypt an brick-kiln here.
Cheat not yourselves with words; for, though a
king

Be the mild name, a tyrant is the thing.

Let his power loose, and you shall quickly see
How mild a thing unbounded man will be.
He'll lead you forth your hearts' cheap blood to
spill,

Where'er his guideless passion leads his will:
Ambition, lust, or spleen, his wars will raise;
Your lives' best price his thirst of wealth or praise:
Your ablest sons for his proud guards he 'll take,
And by such hands your yoke more grievous

inake:

Your daughters and dear wives he'll force away;
His luxury some, and some his lust, t' obey,
His idle friends your hungry toils shall cat,
Drink

your rich wines, mix'd with your blood
and sweat,

Then you'll all sigh, but sighs will treasons be;
And not your griefs themselves, or looks, be free:
Robb'd ev'n of hopes, when you these ills sus-
tain,

Your watery eyes you 'll then turn back in vain
On your old judges, and perhaps on me,
Nay, ev'n my sons, howe'er they unhappy be
In your displeasure now; not that I'd clear
Their guilt, or mine own innocence endear:
Witness th' unutterable Name, there's nought
Of private ends into this question brought.

"Yet men whom age and action render wise
So much great changes fear, that they believe
All evils will, which may, from them arrive.
On men resolv'd these threats were spent in vain;
All that his power or eloquence could obtain
Was, to inquire God's will ere they proceed
T' a work that would so much his blessing need.
A solemn day for this great work is set,
And at th' anointed tent all Israel met
Expect th' event; below, fair bullocks fry
In hallow'd flames; above, there mount on high
The precious clouds of incense; and, at last,
The sprinkling, prayers, and all due honours,

|

past,

Lo we the sacred bells o' th' sudden hear,
And in mild pomp grave Samuel does appear.
His ephod, mitre, well-cut diadem, on;
Th' oraculous stones on his rich breast-plate
shone.

Tow'rds the blue curtains of God's holiest place
(The temple's bright third Heaven) he turned his
face;

Thrice bow'd he, thrice the solemn music play'd,
And at third rest thus the great prophet pray'd:-

'Almighty God, to whom all men that be
Owe all they have, yet none so much as we;
Who, though thou fill'st the spacious world alone,
Thy too-small court, hast made this place thy
throne;

With humble knees, and humbler hearts, lo! here,
Blest Abraham's seed implores thy gracious ear;
Hear them, great God! and thy just will inspire;
From thee, their long-known King, they a king
desire.

Some gracious signs of thy good pleasure send;
Which lo! with souls resign'd, we humbly here
attend."

"He spoke, and thrice he bow'd, and all about
Silence and reverend horrour sciz'd the rout;
The whole tent shakes, the flames on th' altar by
In thick dull rolls mount slow and heavily;
The seven lamps wink; and, what does most dis-

Two wounds our prince receiv'd and Ammon three,
Which he, enrag'd to feel, and sham'd to see,
Did his whole strength into one blow collect;
And as a spaniel, when we our aim direct
To shoot some bird, impatiently stands by
Shaking his tail, ready with joy to fly,
Just as it drops, upon the wounded prey :
So waited Death itself to bear away
The threaten'd life; did glad and greedy stand
At sight of mighty Ammon's lifted hand.
Our watchful prince by bending sav'd the wound :
But Death in other coin his reckoning found;
For whilst th' immoderate stroke's miscarrying
force

Had almost borne the striker from his horse,
A nimble thrust his active enemy made; [blade,
'Twixt his right ribs deep pierc'd the furious
And opened wide those secret vessels, where
Life's light goes out, when first they let in air.
He falls! his armour clanks against the ground,
From his faint tongue imperfect curses sound.
His amaz'd troops straight cast their arms away;
Scarce fled his soul from thence more swift than
they.

As when two kings of neighbour hives, (whom rage
And thirst of empire in fierce wars engage,
Whilst each lays claim to th' garden as his own,
And seeks t'usurp the bordering flowers alone)
Their well armed troops drawn boldly forth to
fight,

In th' air's wide plain dispute their doubtful
If by sad chance of battle either king [right;
Fall wounded down, strook with some fatal sting,
His army's hopes and courage with him die;
They sheathe up their faint swords, and routed
fly.

On th' other sides at once, with like success,.
Into the camp great Saul and Abner press;
From Jonathan's part a wild mix'd noise they hear,
And, whatsoe'er it mean, long to be there;
At the samne instant from glad Jabesh' town
The hasty troops march loud and cheerful down;
Some few at first with vain resistance fall,
The rest is slaughter and vast conquest all.
The fate by which our host thus far had gone,
. Our host with noble heat drove farther on;
Victorious arms through Ammon's land it bore ;
Ruin behind, and Terrour march'd before: [sight,
Where'er from Rabba's towers they cast their
Smoke clouds the day, and flames make clear the
night.

This bright success did Saul's first action bring;
The oil, the lot, and crown, less crown'd, him
The happy, all men judge for empire fit, [king:
And none withstands where Fortune does submit.
Those who before did God's fair choice withstand,
Th' excessive vulgar now to death demand;
But wiser Saul repeal'd their hasty doom;
Conquest abroad, with mercy crown'd at home;
Nor stain'd with civil slaughter that day's pride,
Which foreign blood in nobler purple dy'd.
Again the crown th' assembled people give,
With greater joy than Saul could it receive;
Again th' old judge resigns his sacred place
(God glorify'd with wonders his disgrace);
With decent pride, such as did well befit
The name he kept, and that which he did quit :
The long past row of happy years he show'd
Which to bis heavenly government they ow'd;

How the torn state his just and prudent reign
Restor❜d to order, plenty, power, again;
In war what conquering miracles he wrought ;-
God, then their King, was General when they
fought;
[he,
Whom they depos'd with him-' And that,' said
'You may see God concern'd in t' more than me,
Behold how storms his angry presence shroud!
Hark how his wrath in thunder threats aloud!'
"Twas now the ripen'd summer's highest rage;
Which no faint cloud durst meditate to assuage;
Th' Earth hot with thirst, and hot with lust for
rain,

Gap'd and breath'd feeble vapours up in vain,
Which straight were scatter'd or devour'd by th'
Sun;

When, lo! here scarce the active speech was done,
A violent wind rose from his secret cave,
And troops of frighted clouds before it drave:
Whilst with rude haste the confus'd tempest
crouds,

Swift, dreadful flames shot through th' encoun-
tring clouds,
[broke,
From whose torn womb th' imprison'd thunder
And in dire sounds the prophet's sense it spoke;
Such an impetuous shower it downwards sent,
As if the waters 'bove the firmament
Were all let loose; horrour and fearful noise
Fill'd the black scene; till the great prophet's
voice,

Swift as the wings of Morn, reduc'd the day;
Wind, thunder, rain, and clouds, fled all at once
away.
[moves,
'Fear not,' said he; God his fierce wrath re-
And, though this state my service disapproves,
My prayers shall serve it constantly. No more,
I hope a pardon for past sins t' implore;
But just rewards from gracious Heaven to bring
On the good deeds of you, and of our king.
Behold him there! and as you see, rejoice
In the kind care of God's impartial choice.
Behold his beauty, courage, strength, and wit!
The honour Heaven has cloathed him with, sits
And comely on him ; since you needs must be [fit
Rul'd by a king, you're happy that 'tis he.
Obey him gladly; and let him to know
You were not made for him, but he for you,
And both for God;

Whose gentlest yoke if once you cast away,
In vain shall he command, and you obey;
To foreign tyrants both shall slaves become,
Instead of king and subjects here at home.'

"The crown thus several ways confirm'd to Saul,
One way was wanting yet to crown them all;
And that was force, which only can maintain
The power that Fortune gives, orWorth does gain.
Three thousand guards of big bold men he took;
Tall, terrible, and guards ev'n with their look :
His sacred person two, and throne, defend;
The third, on matchless Jonathan attend;
O'er whose full thoughts honour, and youthful

heat,

Sate brooding, to hatch actions good and great.
On Geba first, where a Philistian band
Lies, and around torments the fetter'd land.
He falls, and slaughters all; his noble rage
Mix'd with design his nation to engage
In that just war, which from them long in vain,
Honour and Freedom's voice had strove t' obtain.

Th' accurs'd Philistian, rous'd with this bold [ To kingly power, in all that plenteous land,

blow,

All the proud marks of enrag'd power does show ;
Raises a vast, well-arm'd, and glittering host:
If human strength might authorize a boast,
Their threats had reason here; for ne'er did we
Ourselves so weak, or foe so potent, see.
Here we vast bodies of their foot espy,
The rear out-reaches far th' extended eye;
Like fields of corn their armed squadrons stand;
As thick and numberless they hide the land.
Here with sharp neighs the warlike horses sound,
And with proud prancings beat the putrid ground;
Here with worse noise three thousand chariots
pass,

With plates of iron bound, or louder brass;
About it forks, axes, and scythes, and spears,
Whole magazines of death each chariot bears;
Where it breaks in, there a whole troop it mows,
And with lopp'd panting limbs the field be-

strow's:

Alike, the valiant and the cowards die;
Neither can they resist, nor can these fly.
In this proud equipage, at Macmas they,
Saul in much different state at Gilgal, lay;
His forces seem'd no army, but a crowd,
Heartless, unarm'd, disorderly, and loud.

Where all things else submit to his command.
And, as fair Eden's violated tree
T'immortal man brought in mortality:

So shail that crown, which God eternal meant,
From thee,'said he, 'and thy great house be rent;
Thy crime shall death to all thine honours send,
And give thy immortal royalty an end.

Thus spoke the prophet; but kind Heaven, we
hope,

(Whose threats and anger know no other scope,
But man's amendment) does long since relent,
And, with repentant Saul, itself repent.
Howe'er (though none more pray for this than we,
Whose wrongs and sufferings might some colour be
To do it less) this speech we sadly find
Still extant, and still active in his mind;
But then a worse effect of it appear'd―
Our army, which before modestly fear'd,
Which did by stealth and by degrees decay,
Disbanded now, and fled in troops away:
Base fear so bold and impudent does grow,
When an excuse and colour it can show!
Six hundred only (scarce a princely train)
Of all his host with distress'd Saul remain;
Of his whole host six hundred; and ev'n those
(So did wise Heaven for mighty ends dispose!

In that great gift it did for one prepare)
Arm'd not like soldiers marching in a war,
But country-hinds alarmed from afar

By wolves' loud hunger, when the well-known
sound

Raises th' affrighted villages around.
Some goads, flails, plow-shares, forks, or axes,
bore,

The quick contagion, Fear, ran swift through all, Nor would that useless multitudes should share
And into trembling fits the infected fall,
Saul and his son (for no such faint disease
Could on their strong complexion'd valour seize)
In vain all parts of virtuous conduct show'd,
And on deaf Terrour generous words bestow'd :
Thousands from thence fly scatter'd every day,
Thick as the leaves that shake and drop away,
When they th' approach of stormy winter find,
The noble tree all bare expos'd to th' wind.
Some to sad Jordan fly, and swim 't for haste,
And from his farther bank look back at last :
Some into woods and caves their cattle drive;
There with their beasts on equal terms they live,
Nor deserve better: some in rocks on high,
The old retreats of storks and ravens, lie;
And, were they wing'd like them, scarce would
they dare

To stay, or trust their frighted safety there.
As th' host with fear, so Saul disturb'd with care,
Tavert these ills by sacrifice and prayer,
And God's blest will t' inquire, for Samuel sends;
Whom he six days with troubled haste attends;
But, ere the seventh unlucky day (the last
By Samnel set for this great work) was past,
Saul (alarm'd hourly from the neighbouring foe;
Impatient, ere God's time, God's mind to know;
Sham'd and enrag'd to see his troops decay;
Jealous of an affront in Samuel's stay;
Scoring that any's presence should appear
Needful besides, when he himself was there;
And, with a pride too natural, thinking Heaven
Had given him all, because much power 't had
given)

Himself the sacrifice and offerings made;

Himself did the high selected charge invade :
Himself inquir'd of God; who then spake nought;
But Samuel straight his dreadful answer brought:
For straight he came, and, with a virtue bold
As was Saul's sin, the fatal message told;
His foul ingratitude to Heaven he chid,
To pluck that fruit, which was alone forbid

Made for life's use and better ends before;
Some knotted clubs, and darts, or arrows dry'd
I' th' fire, the first rude arts that Malice try'd
Ere man the sins of too much knowledge knew,
And Death by long experience witty grew.
Such were the numbers, such the arms, which we
Had by Fate left us for a victory
O'er well-arm'd millions; nor will this appear
Useful itself when Jonathan was there.

""Twas just the time when the new ebb of night
Did the moist world unvail to human sight;
The prince, who all that night the field had beat
With a small party and no enemy met,
(So proud and so secure the enemy lay,
And drench'd in sleep th' excesses of the day !)
With joy this good occasion did embrace,
With better leisure, and at nearer space,
The strength and order of their camp to view:
Abdon alone his generous purpose knew ;
Abdon, a bold, a brave, and comely youth,
Well-born, well-bred, with honour fill'd and
truth;

Abdon, his faithful squire, whom much he lov'd,
And oft with grief his worth in dangers prov'd;
Abdon, whose love t' his master did exceed
What Nature's law, or Passion's power, could
Abdon alone did on him now attend, [breed;
His humblest servant, and his dearest friend.
"They went, but sacred fury, as they went,
Chang'd swiftly, and exalted his intent.
'What may this be!' (the Prince breaks forth) I
find

God, or some powerful spirit, invades my mind.