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"Victory and fame, and that more quick delight "Of the rich prize for which he was to fight. 935 "Tow'rds Gath he went, and in one month (so

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"A fatal and a willing work is done!)

"A double dower, two hundred foreskins, brought "Of choice Philistian knights with whom he fought, "Men that in birth and valour did excel, 940 "Fit for the cause and hand by which they fell. "Now was Saul caught; nor longer could delay "The two resistless lovers' happy day. [slow, "Though this day's coming long had seem'd and "Yet seem'd its stay as long and tedious now; 945 "For, now the violent weight of eager love "Did with more haste so near its centre move, "He curs'd the stops of form and state, which lay "In this last stage, like scandals, in his

way.

"On a large gentle hill crown'd with tall wood, "Near where the regal Gabaah proudly stood, 951 "A tent was pitch'd, of green wrought damask made, "And seem'd but the fresh forest's natural shade; "Various and vast within, on pillars borne "Of Shittim-wood, that usefully adorn. "Hither, to grace the nuptial-feast, does Saul "Of the twelve tribes th' elders and captains call: "And all around the idle, busy crowd

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"With shouts and blessings tell their joy aloud. "Lo! the press breaks, and from their several homes "In decent pride the bride and bridegroom comes. "Before the bride, in a long double row "With solemn pace thirty choice virgins go,

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"And make a moving galaxy on earth; "All heavenly beauties, all of highest birth; "All clad in liveliest colours, fresh and fair "As the bright flowers that crown'd their brighter "hair;

"All in that new-blown age which does inspire “Warmth in themselves, in their beholders fire. "But all this, and all else the sun did e'er, "Or fancy see, in her less-bounded sphere, "The bride herself outshone; and one would say

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They made but the faint dawn to her full day. "Behind a numerous train of ladies went,

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"Who on their dress much fruitless care had spent: "Vain gems, and unregarded cost, they bore, 975 "For all men's eyes were ty'd to those before. "The bridegroom's flourishing troop fill'd next the "place,

"With thirty comely youths of noblest race,
"That march'd before; and Heaven around his
"head

"The graceful beams of joy and beauty spread.
"So the glad star, which men and angels love,
"Prince of the glorious host that shines above
"(No light of heaven so cheerful or so gay),
"Lifts up his sacred lamp, and opens day.
"The king himself, at the tent's crowned gate,
"In all his robes of ceremony' and state,

"Sate to receive the train; on either hand

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"Did the high-priest and the great prophet stand: "Adriel behind, Jonathan, Abner, Jesse, "And all the chiefs in their due order press.

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"First Saul declar'd his choice, and the just cause "Avow'd by' a general murmur of applause; "Then sign'd her dower; and in few words he pray'd, "And bless'd, and gave the joyful, trembling maid 995 "Ther lover's hands; who, with a cheerful look "And humble gesture, the vast present took. "The nuptial-hymn straight sounds, and musicks play, "And feasts and balls shorten the thoughtless day "To all but to the wedded; till at last 1000 "The long-wish'd night did her kind shadow cast: "At last th' inestimable hour was come "To lead his conquering prey in triumph home. "Ta palace near, drest for the nuptial bed, "(Part of her dower) he his fair princess led; "Saul, the high-priest, and Samuel, here they leave, "Who, as they part, their weighty blessings give. "Her vail is now put on; and at the gate "The thirty youths and thirty virgins wait "With golden lamps, bright as the flames they bore, "To light the nuptial pomp, and march before; 101-1 "The rest bring home in state the happy pair "To that last scene of bliss, and leave them there "All those free joys insatiably to prove,

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"With which rich Beauty feasts the glutton Love.1015 "But scarce, alas! the first seven days were past, "In which the public nuptial triumphs last, "When Saul this new alliance did repent"(Such subtle cares his jealous thoughts torment!) "He envy'd the good work himself had done; 1020 "Fear'd David less, his servant than his son.

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"No longer his wild wrath could he command ; "He seeks to stain his own imperial hand

"In his son's blood; and, that twice cheated too, "With troops and armies does one life pursue. 1025 "Said I but one? His thirsty rage extends "To th' lives of all his kindred and his friends; "Ev'n Jonathan had dy'd for being so,

"Had not just God put by th' unnatural blow. "You see, Sir, the true cause which brings us here: "No sullen discontent, or groundless fear;

"No guilty act or end calls us from home;

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Only to breathe in peace awhile we come;

Ready to serve, and in mean space to pray

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"For you who us receive, and him who drives away.”

NOTES.

THE PRAISE OF PINDAR.-PAGE 137.

This ode is in the number of those, which Mr. Cowley calls, Pindaric: an exquisite sort of poetry, to which his style was very ill suited; being, for the most part, careless, and sometimes, affectedly vulgar.-The ideas, in this ode, are from Horace; but the spirit and the expression, are the writer's own.

PAGE 138.

Among the stars he sticks his name.

"Stellis inferere, et concilio Jovis."

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The Theban swan does upward bear. Mr. Gray calls him, the Theban eagle; but the imagery of both poets is much

the same.

"tho' he inherit

"Nor the pride, nor ample pinion,

"That the Theban eagle bear,

"Sailing with supreme dominion

"Thro' the azure deep of air."

PAGE 139.

Progress of Poetry.

For little drops of honey flee. The proper word had been fly, if the rhyme would have given leave. To flee, is properly to move with speed out of the way of danger; to fly, to move with speed on WINGS.

TO MR. HOBBES.-PAGE 145.

Mr. Hobbes was, at this time, the philosopher in fashion:

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