125

And, now it broke his form'd design, to find
The gentle change of Saul's recovering mind;
He trusted much in Saul, and rag'd and griev'd
(The great Deceiver !) to be himself deceiv'd.
Thrice did he knock his iron teeth, thrice howl,
And into frowns his wrathful forehead roll;
His eyes dart forth red flames, which scare the
night,

130

And with worse fires the trembling ghosts affright;
A troop of ghastly fiends compass him round,
And greedily catch at his lips' fear'd sound.

"Are we such Nothings then!" said he, "our

66 will

135

"Crost by a shepherd's boy! and you yet still
Play with
your idle serpents here? dares none
<< Attempt what becomes Furies? are ye grown
"Benumb'd with fear, or Virtue's spiritless cold,
"You, who were once (I'm sure) so brave and bold?
"Oh! my ill-chang'd condition! oh, my fate!
"Did I lose heaven for this?"

With that, with his long tail he lash'd his breast,
And horribly spoke out in looks the rest.
The quaking powers of night stood in amaze,
And at each other first could only gaze;
A dreadful silence fill'd the hollow place,
Doubling the native terror of hell's face;
Rivers of flaming brimstone, which before.
So loudly rag'd, crept softly by the shore;

145

150

No hiss of snakes, no clank of chains, was known, The souls, amidst their tortures, durst not groan.

155

Envy at last crawls forth from that dire throng, Of all the direfull'st; her black locks hung long, Attir'd with curling serpents; her pale skin Was almost dropp'd from the sharp bones within; And at her breast stuck vipers, which did prey Upon her panting heart both night and day, Sucking black blood from thence, which to repair Both night and day they left fresh poisons there. 160 Her garments were deep-stain'd in human gore, And torn by her own hands, in which she bore A knotted whip, and bowl, that to the brim Did with green gall and juice of wormwood swim; With which, when she was drunk, she furious grew, And lash'd herself: thus from th' accursed crew Envy, the worst of fiends, herself presents,

Envy, good only when she 'herself torments.

"Spend not, great king! thy precious rage," said

she,

"Upon so poor a cause; shall mighty we

"The glory of our wrath to him afford ?

170

"Are we not Furies still, and you our lord? "At thy dread anger the fix'd world shall shake, "And frighted Nature her own laws forsake: "Do thou but threat, loud storms shall make reply, "And thunder echo 't to the trembling sky; 176 "Whilst raging seas swell to so bold an height, "As shall the fire's proud element affright: "Th' old drudging sun from his long-beaten way "Shall at thy voice start, and misguide the day; 180

"The jocund orbs shall break their measur'd pace, "And stubborn poles change their allotted place; "Heaven's gilded troops shall flutter here and there, "Leaving their boasting songs tun'd to a sphere;

66

Nay, their God too-for fear he did, when we 185 "Took noble arms against his tyranny,

"So noble arms, and in a cause so great,
"That triumphs they deserve for their defeat.
"There was a day! oh might I see 't again,

Though he had fiercer flames to thrust us in! 190 "And can such powers be by a child withstood? "Will slings, alas! or pebbles, do him good? "What th' untam'd lion, wet with hunger too, "And giants, could not, that my word shall do: “I'll soon dissolve this peace; were Saul's new love "(But Saul we know) great as my hate shall prove, "Before their sun twice more be gone about, "I and my faithful snakes would drive it out. By me, Cain offer'd up his brother's gore,

"A sacrifice far worse than that before;

"I saw him fling the stone, as if he meant "At once his murder and his monument, "And laugh'd to see (for 't was a goodly show) "The earth by her first tiller fatten'd so: "I drove proud Pharaoh to the parted sea; "He and his host drank up cold death by me: "By me rebellious arms fierce Corah took, "And Moses (curse upon that name!) forsook; "Hither (ye know) almost alive he came

200

205

Through the cleft earth; ours was his funeral flame:

"By me

-but I lose time, methinks, and should

"Perform new acts whilst I relate the old.

"David's the next our fury must enjoy: ""T is not thy God himself shall save thee, boy! "No, if he do, may the whole world have peace; 215

66

May all ill actions, all ill fortune, cease,

"And, banish'd from this potent court below,

"May I a ragged, contemn'd Virtue grow

She spoke; all star'd at first, and made a pause; But straight the general murmur of applause 220 Ran through Death's courts; she frown'd still, and begun

To envy at the praise herself had won.

Great Beelzebub starts from his burning throne
To 'embrace the Fiend, but she, now furious grown
To act her part, thrice bow'd, and thence she fled;
The snakes all hiss'd, the fiends all murmured.
It was the time when silent night began
T'enchain with sleep the busy spirits of man;
And Saul himself, though in his troubled breast
The weight of empire lay, took gentle rest:
So did not Envy; but with haste arose;

230

And, as through Israel's stately towns she goes,
She frowns, and shakes her head; "Shine on," says

she,

235

"Ruins ere long shall your sole monuments be."
The silver moon with terror paler grew,
And neighbouring Hermon sweated flowery dew;
Swift Jordan started, and straight backward fled,
Hiding among thick reeds his aged head:

Lo, at her entrance Saul's strong palace shook;
And nimbly there the reverend shape she took 240
Of Father Benjamin; so long her beard,

So large her limbs, so grave her looks, appear'd,
Just like his statue, which bestrid Saul's gate,
And seem'd to guard the race it did create.
In this known form she' approach'd the tyrant's side;
And thus her words the sacred form bely'd:

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250

"Arise, lost king of Israel! canst thou lie "Dead in this sleep, and yet thy last so nigh? "If king thou be'st, if Jesse's race as yet "Sit not on Israel's throne! and shall he sit? "Did ye for this from fruitful Egypt fly? "From the mild brickkiln's nobler slavery? "For this, did seas your powerful rod obey? "Did wonders guide, and feed, you on your way? "Could ye not there great Pharaoh's bondage bear, "You who can serve a boy, and minstrel, here? 256 "Forbid it, God! if thou be'st just; this shame "Cast not on Saul's, on mine, and Israel's, name! "Why was I else from Canaan's famine led?

Happy, thrice happy, had I there been dead, 260 "Ere my full loins discharg'd this numerous race, "This luckless tribe, ev'n crown'd to their disgrace! "Ah, Saul! thy servant's vassal must thou live? "Place to his harp must thy dread sceptre give? "What wants he now but that? canst thou forget "(If thou be'st man thou canst not) how they met "The youth with songs? alas! poor monarch! you "Your thousand only, he ten thousand, slew!