"All their wild lusts they force her to sustain, "Till by shame, sorrow, weariness, and pain, "She midst their loath'd and cruel kindness dies; "Of monstrous lust the innocent sacrifice. "This did, 't is true, a civil war create

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"(The frequent curse of our loose-govern'd state); "All Gibeah's and all Jabesh' blood it cost; "Near a whole tribe, and future kings, we lost. "Firm in this general earthquake of the land, 100 "How could Religion, its main pillar, stand? "Proud and fond man his Father's worship hates, Himself, God's creature, his own god creates ! "Hence in each household several deities grew, "And when no old one pleas'd, they fram'd a new: "The only land which serv'd but One before, 106 "Did th' only then all nations' gods adore.

They serv'd their gods at first, and soon their kings "(Their choice of that this latter slavery brings); "Till special men, arm'd with God's warrant, broke "By justest force th' unjustly-forced yoke; 111 "All matchless persons, and thrice worthy they

"Of power more great, or lands more apt t' obey. "At last the priesthood join'd, in Ithamar's son, "More weight and lustre to the sceptre won; 116 "But, whilst mild Eli and good Samuel were "Busied with age, and th' altar's sacred care, "To their wild sons they their high charge commit, "Who' expose to scorn and hate both them and it. "Eli's curs'd house th' exemplar vengeance bears "Of all their blood, and all sad Israel's tears; 121

"His sons abroad, himself at home lies slain; "Israel's captiv'd, God's ark and law are ta’en. "Thus twice are nations by ill princes vex'd, "They suffer By them first, and For them next. 125 "Samuel succeeds;-since Moses, none before "So much of God in his bright bosom bore. "In vain our arms Philistian tyrants seiz'd; "Heaven's magazines he open'd when he pleas'd: "He rains and wind for auxiliaries brought; "He muster'd flames and thunders when he fought. "Thus thirty years with strong and steady hand "He held th' unshaken balance of the land; "At last his sons th' indulgent father chose

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"To share that state which they were born to lose: "Their hateful acts that change's birth did haste, "Which had long grown i' th' womb of ages past. "To this (for still were some great periods set, "There's a strong knot of several causes met) The threats concurr'd of a rough neighbouring

66 war;

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"A mighty storm long gathering from afar; "For Ammon, heighten'd with mix'd nations' aid, "Like torrents swoln with rain, prepar'd the land "t'invade.

"Samuel was old, and, by his sons' ill choice, "Turn'd dotard in th' unskilful vulgar's voice; 145 "His sons so scorn'd and hated, that the land "Nor hop'd, nor wish'd, a victory from their hand. "These were the just and faultless causes why "The general voice did for a Monarch cry;

"But God ill grains did in this incense smell; 150 "Wrapp'd in fair leaves he saw the canker dwell: "A mutinous itch of change; a dull despair "Of helps divine, oft prov'd; a faithless care "Of common means; the pride of heart and scorn "Of th' humble yoke under low Judges borne. 155 "They saw the state and glittering pomp which bless'd "In vulgar sense the sceptres of the East; "They saw not power's true source, and scorn'd "t' obey

"Persons that look'd no dreadfuller than they ;

They miss'd courts, guards, a gay and numerous

"train160 "Our Judges, like their laws, were rude and plain:"On an old bench of wood, her seat of state "Beneath the well-known palm, wise Deborah sate; "Her maids with comely diligence round her spun, "And she too, when the pleadings there were done: "With the same goad Shamgar his oxen drives "Which took, the sun before, six hundred lives "From his sham'd foes: he midst his work dealt

"laws;

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"And oft was his plough stopp'd to hear a cause: "Nor did great Gideon his old flail disdain, "After won fields, sack'd towns, and princes slain; "His sceptre that, and Ophra's threshing-floor "The seat and emblem of his justice bore. "What should I Jair, the happiest father, name? "Or mournful Jephtha, known no less to fame 175 "For the most wretched? Both at once did keep "The mighty flocks of Israel and their sheep.

"Oft from the field in haste they summon'd were "Some weighty foreign embassy to hear;

They call'd their slaves, their sons, and friends,

" around,

180

"Who all at several cares were scatter'd found;

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'They wash'd their feet, their only gown put on, "And this chief work of ceremony was done. "These reasons, and all else that could be said, "In a ripe hour by factious eloquence spread 185 Through all the tribes, make all desire a king; "And to their Judge selected deputies bring

"This harsh demand; which Nacol for the rest (A bold and artful mouth) thus with much grace express'd :

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195

"We're come, most sacred Judge, to pay th'arrears "Of much-ow'd thanks, for the bright thirty years "Of your just reign; and at your feet to lay "All that our grateful hearts can weakly pay "In unproportion'd words; for you alone "The not unfit reward, who seek for none. "But, when our forepast ills we call to mind, "And sadly think how little 's left behind "Of your important life, whose sudden date "Would disinherit th' unprovided state; "When we consider how unjust 't is, 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 66 grave);

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"When we behold by Ammon's youthful rage, "Proud in th' advantage of your peaceful age, 205

"And all th' united East, our fall 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; "Midst these new fears and ills we're forc'd to fly "T" a new, and yet unpractis'd, remedy;

"A new one, but long promis'd, and foretold

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By Moses, and to Abraham shown of old;

"A prophecy long forming in the womb

211

"Of teeming years, and now to ripeness come. 215 "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 musick 's tun'd, no doubt, by hand divine: ""Tis God alone speaks a whole nation's voice; 220 "That is his publick 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. 225 "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, 230 "That more of care than passion did descry,

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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. 235