With sudden blindness, seek in vain the door; 235
Their eyes, first cause of lust, first vengeance bore.
Through liquid air Heaven's busy soldiers fly,
And drive-on clouds where seeds of thunder lie:
Here the sad sky glows red with dismal streaks,
Here lightning from it with short trembling breaks
Here the blue flames of scalding brimstone fall,
Involving swiftly in one ruin all:

The fire of trees and houses mounts on high,

And meets half-way new fires that shower from sky.
Some in their arms snatch their dear babes away;
At once drop down the fathers' arms and they :
Some into waters leap with kindled hair,
And, more to vex their fate, are burnt ev❜n there.
Men thought (so much a flame by art was shown)
The picture's self would fall in ashes down.

Afar old Lot toward little Zoar hies,

250

And dares not move (good man!) his weeping eyes:
Behind his wife stood, ever fix'd alone;

No more a woman, not yet quite a stone:
A lasting death seiz'd on her turning head;
One cheek was rough and white, the other red,
And yet a cheek: in vain to speak she strove;
Her lips, though stone, a little seem'd to move:
One eye was clos'd, surpris'd by sudden night,
The other trembled still with parting light:
The wind admir'd, which her hair loosely bore,
Why it grew stiff, and now would play no more:
To heaven she lifted up her freezing hands,
And to this day a suppliant pillar stands:

255

260

She try'd her heavy foot from ground to rear, 265
And rais'd the heel, but her toes rooted there:
Ah, foolish woman! who must always be

A sight more strange than that she turn'd to see!
Whilst David fed with these his curious eye,
The feast is now serv'd-in, and down they lie. 270
Moab a goblet takes of massy gold,

Which Zippor, and from Zippor all of old

Quaff'd to their gods and friends: an health goes round

In the brisk grape of Arnon's richest ground.
Whilst Melchor to his harp with wondrous skill 275
(For such were poets then, and should be still)
His noble verse through Nature's secrets led:
He sung what spirit through the whole mass is spread,
Every-where All; how heavens God's law approve,
And think it rest eternally to move;

How the kind sun usefully comes and goes,
Wants it himself, yet gives to man repose;
How his round journey does for ever last,
And how he baits at every sea in haste :

280

He sung how earth blots the moon's gilded wane, 285
Whilst foolish men beat sounding brass in vain;
Why the great waters her slight horns obey,
Her changing horns, not constanter than they :
He sung how grisly comets hang in air;

Why sword and plagues attend their fatal hair; 290
God's beacons for the world, drawn up so far,

To publish ill, and raise all earth to war:

Why contraries feed thunder in the cloud;
What motions vex it, till it roar so loud:

How lambent fires become so wondrous tame, 295
And bear such shining winter in their flame :
What radiant pencil draws the watery bow:
What ties up hail, and picks the fleecy snow:
What palsy of the earth here shakes fix'd hills
From off her brows, and here whole rivers spills. 300
Thus did this Heathen Nature's secrets tell,
And sometimes miss'd the Cause, but sought it well.
Such was the sauce of Moab's noble feast,
Till night far spent invites them to their rest;
Only the good old Prince stays Joab there,
And much he tells, and much desires to hear:
He tells deeds antique, and the new desires;
Of David much, and much of Saul, inquires.
"Nay, gentle guest!" said he, "since now you're in,
"The story of your gallant friend begin;

\ 305

310

"His birth, his rising, tell, and various fate, "And how he slew that man of Gath of late, "What was he call'd? that huge and monstrous

66 man !"

With that he stopp'd, and Joab thus began :

"His birth, great Sir! so much to mine is ty'd, "That praise of that might look from me like pride: "Yet, without boast, his veins contain a flood "Of th' old Judæan lion's richest blood.

"From Judah Pharez, from him Esrom, came,

"Ram, Nashon, Salmon, names spoke loud by fame:

"A name no less ought Boaz to appear,

66

By whose blest match we come no strangers here: "From him and your fair Ruth good Obed sprung, "From Obed Jesse, Jesse, whom Fame's kindest

tongue,

"Counting his birth, and high nobility, shall 325 "Not Jesse of Obed, but of David, call,

330

"David, born to him seventh; the six births past "Brave trials of a work more great at last. "Bless me! how swift and growing was his wit! "The wings of Time flagg'd dully after it. "Scarce past a child, all wonders would he sing "Of Nature's law, and power of Nature's king. "His sheep would scorn their food to hear his lay, "And savage beasts stand by as tame as they ; "The fighting winds would stop there, and admire, Learning consent and concord from his lyre; 336 "Rivers, whose waves roll'd down aloud before, "Mute as their fish, would listen towards the shore. ""I was now the time when first Saul God for

"sook,

"God Saul; the room in 's heart wild passions took: "Sometimes a tyrant-Phrensy revel'd there, 34 L "Sometimes black Sadness, and deep, deep Despair. "No help from herbs or learned drugs he finds, 66 They cure but sometime bodies, never minds: "Musick alone those storms of soul could lay; 345 "Not more Saul them, than musick they, obey. "David's now sent for, and his harp must bring; "His harp, that magick bore on every string:

"When Saul's rude passions did most tumult keep, "With his soft notes they all dropp'd down asleep : "When his dull spirits lay drown'd in death and

rage.

351

355

"He with quick strains rais'd them to life and light. "Thus cheer'd he Saul, thus did his fury 'swage, "Till wars began, and times more fit for "To Helah plain Philistian troops are come, "And war's loud noise strikes peaceful musick dumb. "Back to his rural care young David goes; "For this rough work Saul his stout brethren chose: "He knew not what his hand in war could do, "Nor thought his sword could cure men's madness

360.

❝ too. "Now Dammin's destin'd for this scene of blood; "On two near hills the two proud armies stood, "Between, a fatal valley stretch'd-out wide, "And death seem'd ready now on either side; "When, lo! their host rais'd all a joyful shout, 365 "And from the midst an huge and monstrous man stepp'd out.

66

"Aloud they shouted at each step he took;

"We, and the earth itself beneath him, shook, "Vast as the hill, down which he march'd, he' ap" pear'd ;

"Amaz'd all eyes, nor was their army fear'd. 370 "A young tall'squire (though then he seem'd not so) "Did from the camp at first before him go; "At first he did, but scarce could follow straight, “Sweating beneath a shield's unruly weight,