Here Michal first an armed troop espies 555 (So faithful and so quick are loving eyes!) "kill They're come to My dearest lord; Saul's spear pursues thee still. "Behold his wicked guards! haste quickly, fly! 560 "For Heaven's sake, haste! my dear lord, do not "die! "Ah, cruel father! whose ill-natur'd rage "Neither thy worth, nor marriage, can assuage! "Will he part those he join'd so late before? 564 "Were the two-hundred foreskins worth no more? "He shall not part us;" (then she wept between). "At yonder window thou mayst 'scape unseen; "This hand shall let thee down! stay not, but haste; ""T is not my use to send thee hence so fast." 575 "Best of all women!" he replies-and this 570 Scarce spoke, she stops his answer with a kiss ; "Throw not away," said she, " thy precious breath; "Thou stay'st too long within the reach of death." Timely he' obeys her wise advice; and straight To unjust force she' opposes just deceit : She meets the murderers with a virtuous lye, And good dissembling tears; "May he not die "In quiet then?" said she, "will they not give "That freedom, who so fear lest he should live ? "Ev'n Fate does with your cruelty conspire, 580 "And spares your guilt, yet does what you desire. "Must he not live? for that ye need not sin; "My much-wrong'd husband speechless lies within, "And has too little left of vital breath "To know his murderers, or to feel his death. 585 "One hour will do your work Here her well-govern'd tears dropp'd down apace: At what they came for. A pale statue's head, 590 595 And for th' impression God prepar'd their sense; They saw, believ'd all this, and parted thence. How vain attempts Saul's unblest anger tries, By his own hands deceiv'd, and servants' eyes! 600 "It cannot be," said he, "no, can it? shall "Our great ten-thousand-slayer idly fall? "The silly rout thinks God protects him still; "But God, alas! guards not the bad from ill. "Oh may he guard him! may his members be 605 "In as full strength and well-set harmony "As the fresh body of the first-made man "Ere sin, or sin's just meed, Disease, began! "He will be else too small for our vast hate; "And we must share in our revenge with Fate. 610 "No; let us have him whole; we else may seem "To 'ave snatch'd away but some few days from “ him, "And cut that thread which would have dropp'd "in two; "Will our great anger learn to stoop so low? 615 "I know it cannot, will not; him we prize "Of our just wrath the solemn sacrifice, "That must not blemish'd be; let him remain "Secure, and grow up to our stroke again. ""T will be some pleasure then to take his breath, "When he shall strive and wrestle with his death; "Go, let him live-And yet-shall I then "stay "So long? good and great actions hate delay. "Some foolish piety perhaps, or he "That has been still mine honour's enemy, 621 "Samuel, may change or cross my just intent, 625 "And I this formal pity soon repent: "Besides, Fate gives him me, and whispers this, "That he can fly no more, if we should miss ; "Miss! can we miss again? Go bring him straight, "Though gasping out his soul; if the wish'd date "Of his accursed life be almost past, 631 "Some joy 't will be to see him breathe his last." The troop return'd, of their short virtue' asham'd, Saul's courage prais'd, and their own weakness blam'd; But when the pious fraud they understood, 635 Due to the sacred beauty in it reign'd,. From Michal's murder their wild rage restrain❜d. She 'alleg'd the holiest chains that bind a wife, Duty and love; she 'alleg'd that her own life, 640 Had she refus'd that safety to her lord, Would have incurr'd just danger from his sword. Now was Saul's wrath full-grown; he takes no rest; A violent flame rolls in his troubled breast, 650 And in fierce lightning from his eye does break; 645 660 Midst a large wood that joins fair Rama's town (The neighbourhood fair Rama's chief renown) A college stands, where at great Prophets' feet The Prophets' Sons with silent diligence meet; By Samuel built, and moderately endow'd, 665 Yet more to❜his liberal tongue than hands they ow'd; There himself taught, and, his blest voice to hear, 686 The hall and schools one side of it possess'd; 690 Tables of plain-cut fir adorn'd the hall; And with beasts' skins the beds were cover'd all. The reverend doctors take their seats on high, Th' elect companions in their bosoms lie; 695 On fresh-strew'd rushes, place themselves around. |