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tinous waters hurry to the war,

ops of waves come rolling from afar : icorns he fuch weak stops to his free fource, verruns the neighbouring fields with violent courfe. 60

knew the tyrant, and this ufeful thought Wounded mind to health and temper brought. ld kind vows to David did renew,

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e conftancy, and meant his oath for true. beral joy at this glad news appear'd, David all men lov'd, and Saul they fear'd. and men did peace and David love, He did neither him nor that approve; than's agreement fierce alarms they take, iet here, does there new business make. 70 ath the filent chambers of the earth, the fun's fruitful beams give metals birthte the growth of fatal gold does fee, which above more influence has than he;the dens where unfletcht tempefts lie, 75 at winds their tender voices try; the mighty ocean's wealthy caves; eternal fountain of all waves, heir vaft court the mother-waters keep, furb'd by moons, in filence fleep; 80 sa place, deep, wondrous deep, below, genuine Night and Horror does o'erflow; d controls th' unwearied space, but hell, as thofe dire pains that in it dwell. dear glimpse of the fun's lovely face 85 through the folid darknefs of the place; ing morn dues her kind reds display; *ight weak beam would here be thought the day:

tie ftars with their fair gems of light
the tyrannous and unqueftion'd night. 90
Lucifer, the mighty captive, reigns;
midf: his woes, and tyrant in his chains;
general of a gilded host of sprites,
Hefper, leading forth the fpangled nights;
wn like lightning, which him ftruck, he

came;

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loar'd at his firft plunge into the flame: ds of fpirits fell wounded round him there; dropping lights thick fhone the finged air; when, the difmal folace of their woe rly been weak mankind to undo; fives at first against themselves they' excite, ir dearest conqueft and moft proud delight) , if thofe mines of fecret treafon fail, open force man's virtue they affail; ble to corrupt, feck to destroy, A where their poilons mifs, the fword employ. Tought the tyrant-fiend young David's fall, Against him arm'd the powerful rage of Saul: w the beauties of his fhape and face,

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male fweetnefs, and his manly grace: 110 aw the nobler wonders of his mind, Great gifts! which for great works he knew de

fign'd:

He law (t'afhame the strength of man and hell) Harwby's young hands their Gathite champion fell: He faw the reverend prophet boldly shed

gal drops round his enlarged head; A well he knew what legacy did place fed feptre in bleft Judah's race,

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From which th' eternal Shilo was to spring;
A knowledge which new hells to hell did bring!
And, tho' no lefs he knew himself too weak 121
The smallest link of strong-wrought Fate to break,
Yet would he rage and struggle with the chain;
Lov'd to rebel, though sure that 'twas in vain.
And, now it broke his form'd defign, to find 125
The gentle change of Saul's recovering mind;
He trufted 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; 130
His eyes dart forth red flames, which feare the

night,

And with worfe fires the trembling ghosts affright; A troop of ghaftly fiends compafs him round, And greedily catch at his lips' fear'd found.

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"Are we fuch Nothings then!" faid he, "our " will

135 "Croft by a shepherd's boy! and you yet still "Play with your idle ferpents here? dares none Attempt what becomes Furies? are ye grown "Benumb'd with fear, or Virtue's fpiritlefs cold, You, who were once (I'm fure) fo brave and "bold?

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"Oh

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my ill-chang'd condition! oh, my fate! "Did I lofe heaven for this?" With that, with his long tail he lafh'd his breast, And horribly spoke out in looks the reft. The quaking powers of night stood in amaze, 145. And at each other firft could only gaze; A dreadful filence All'd the hollow place, Doubling the native terror of hell's face; Rivers of flaming brimftone, which before So loudly rag'd, crept foftly by the shore; 150. No hifs of inakes, no clank of chains, was known The fouls amidst their tortures durft not groan.

Envy at laft crawls forth from that dire throng, Of all the direfull'ft; her black locks hung long, Attir'd with curling ferpents; her pale fkin 155 Was almoft dropp'd from the fharp bones within; And at her breaft ftuck 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-ftain'd in human gore, And torn by her own hands, in which the bore A knotted whip, and bowl, that to the brim Did with green gall and juice of wormwood fwim; With which, when he was drunk, fhe furious

grew,

165 And lafh'd herfelf: thus from th' accurfed crew Envy, the worst of fiends, herself prefents, Envy, good only when the 'herself torments.

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Spend not, great king! thy precious rage," faid fhe,

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"Upon fo poor a caufe; fhal! mighty we "The glory of our wrath to him afford? "Are we not Furies ftill, and you our lord? "At thy dread anger the fix'd world fhall fhake "And frighted Nature her own laws forfake: "Do thou but threat, loud ftorms fhall make reply, 175: "And thunder echo 't to the trembling sky, "Whilft raging feas fwell to fo bold an height "As fhall the fire's proud element affright

«Th' old drudging fun from his long-beaten way | "Shall at thy voice start, and mifguide the day; 180 "The jocund orbs fhall break their meafur'd pace, "And tubborn poles change their allotted place; "Heaven's gilded troops in utter here and

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"there, "Leaving their boating fongs tun'd to a fphere; "Nay, their God too-fer fear he did, when we "Took noble arms against his tyranny, "So noble arms, and in a caufe fo great, "That triumphs they deferve for their defeat. "There was a day! oh might I fee 't again, "Though he had fiercer flames to thruf us in! 190 "And can fuch powers be by a child withitood? "Will flings, alas! or pebbles, do him good? "What th' untam'd lion, whet with hunger too. "And giants, could not, that my word fall do: "I'll foon diffolve this peace; were Saul's new "love

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"(But Saul we know) great as my hate fall

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prove,

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"Before their fun twice more be gone about, "I and my faithful frakes would drive it out. "By me, Cain offer'd up his brother's gore, "A facrifice far worse than that before; "I faw him fling the ftore, as if he meant "At once his murder and his monument, "And laugh'd to fee (for 'twas a goodly fhow) "The earth by her firft tiller fatten'd fo: "I drove proud Pharaoh to the parted fea; 205 "He and his hoft drank up cold death by me: By me rebellious arms fierce Corah took, "And Mofes (curfe upon that name!) forfook; "Hither (ye know) almoft alive he came "Through the cleft earth; ours was his funeral "flame:

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"By me but I lefe time, methinks, and fhould "Perform new ads whilf 1 relate the old. "David's the next our fury must enjoy: ""Tis not thy God himfelf thall fave thee, boy! "No, if he do, may the whole world have peace; 216 May all ill actions, all ill fortune, ceafe, "And, banifh'd from this potent court below, "May I a ragged, conteme'd Virtue grow!"

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She fpoke; all flar'd at firft, and made a paufe;
But frait the general murmur of applaufe
Ran through Death's courts; fhe frown'd ftill and
begun

To envy at the praife herfelf had won.
Great Beelzebub ftarts from his burning throne
'To'embrace the Fiend, but the,now furious grown
To act her part, thrice bow'd, and thence fhe fled;
The fuakes all hifs'd, the fiends all mermured.

It was the time when filent night began
Tenchain with sleep the bufy fpirits of man;
And Saul himfelf, though in his troubled breaft
The weight of empire lay, took gentle reft: 2:0
So did not Envy; but with hafte arofe;
And, as through Ifrael's fately towns fhe goes,
She frowns, and flakes her head; "Shine on,"
fays fhe,

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"Ruins ere long fhall your fole monuments be."
The filver moon with terror paler grew,
And neighbouring Hermon fweated flowery dew;
Swift Jordan ftarted, and ftrait backward fled,
Hiding among thick reeds his aged head:

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And thus her werds the facred form bely'd: "Arife, loft king of rad! canft thou He "Dead in this fleep, and yet thy last fo nigh? If king thou be'it, if Jeff's race as y.t "Sit not on Ifrael's throne! and fhall he fit 251 "Did ye for this from fruitful Egypt fly? "From the mild brickkiln's nobler flavery?

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For this, did feas your powerful rod obey? "Did wonders guide, and feed, you on your was "Could ye not there great Inaraoh's ber "bear,

"You who can ferve a boy, and minstrel, han "Forbid it, God! if thou be'ft juft; this far "Cafl not on Saul's, on mine, and Ifrael's, nam Why was Telf: from Canaan's famine led? Happy, thrice happy, had I there been dead, 2 "Fre my full loins difcharg'd this numerous r This lucklefs tribe, ev'n crown'd to their

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"This by proud Samuel, when at Gilgal he 2 "With bold falfe threats from God affronted the "The dotard ly'd; God faid it not, I know; "Not Baal or Meloch would have us'd thee to. "Was not the choice his own? did not thy wor "Exad the royal lot, and call it forth? "Haft thou not fince (my beft and greateft fon “To him, and to his perifhing nation, done "Such lafting benefits as may justly claim "A fceptre as eternal as thy fame ? "Poor prince! whom madmen, priests, and h invade;

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"When this eclipfe is paft, thy fate's all bright. "Trait me, dear fon! and credit what I tell; 301 "I've feen thy royal fars, and know them well. Hence, fears and dull delays! is not thy breast (Yes, Saul, it is) with noble thoughts poffeft? May they beget like acts!" With that she takes One of her worit, her beft-beloved fnakes:

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Softly, dear worm! foft and unfeen," faid fhe, "Into his bofom fteal, and in it be

My viceroy." At that word fhe took her flight, And her loofe shape diffolv'd into the_night. 310 Th' infected king leapt from his bed amaz ́d, Scarce knew himself at first, but round him gaz'd; And farted back at piec'd up fhapes, which fear And his diftracted fancy painted there : Terror froze up his hair, and on his face 315 Showers of cold fweat roll'd trembling down apace.

Then knocking with his angry hands his breaft, Earth with his fect, he cries, "Oh! 'tis confeft; "I've been a pious fool, a woman-king;

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Wrong'd by a feer, a boy, every thing.

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Eight hundred years of death is not fo deep, "So unconcern'd, as my lethargic fleep.

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My patience even a facrilege becomes,

Disturbs the dead, and opes their facred tombs. Ah! Benjamin, kind father, who for me 325 "This curfed world endur'ft again to fee! "All thou hast faid, great vifion! is fo true,

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That all which thou command'it and more, "I'll do:

"Kill him! yes, mighty ghoft! the wretch fhall ❝ die,

"Tho' every ftar in heaven fhould it deny; 33 Nor mock th' affault of our just wrath again,

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No pale-fac'd moon does in ftel'n beams appear
Or with dim taper fcatters darkness there;
On no fimooth fphere the reflefs feafons flide,
No circling motion doth fwift time divide; 360
Nothing is there to coine, and nothing paft,
But an eternal Now does always laft.
There fits th' Almighty, First of all, and End;
Whom nothing but himfelf can comprehend;
Who with his word commanded all to be, 365
And all obey'd him, for that word was He:
Only he spoke, and every thing that is
From out the womb of fertile nothing ris'.
Oh, who fhall tell, who fhall defcribe thy throne,
Thou great Three-One!

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There thou thyfelf doft in full prefence fhow,
Not abfent from these meaner worlds below;
No, if thou wert, the clements' league would ceafe,
And all thy creatures break thy Nature's peace;
The fun would ftop his courfe, or gallop back, 375
The ftars drop out, the poles themfelves would
crack;

Earth's ftrong foundations would be torn in twain,
And this vait work all ravel out again
To its firft nothing: for his fpirit contains
The well-knit mafs; from him each creature gains
Being and motion, which he ftill beftows; 381
From him th' effect of our weak action flows:
Round him vaft armies of fwift angels ftand,
Which feven triumphant generals command;
They fing loud anthems of his endless praife, 385
And with fix'd eyes drink-in immortal rays:
Of thefe he call'd-out one; all heaven did fhake,
And filence kept whilt its Creator spake.

"Are we forgotten then fo foon? can he "Look on his crown, and not remember me 390 "That gave it? can he think we did not hear

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(Fond man!) his threats? and have we made

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"Yet to him go fecurely, when he fends; "'Tis Saul that is your foe, and God your friends: "The man who has his God, no aid can lack; "And he who bids thee go, will bring thee back."

Up leap'd Jeffides, and did round him ftare, 431 But could fee nought; for nought was left but air: Whilft this great vifion labours in his thought, Lo! the fhort prophecy t' effect is brought: In treacherous hafte he's fent for to the king, 435 And with him bid his charmful lyre to bring. The king, they fay, lies raging in a fit, Which does no cures but facred tunes admit; And true it was, foft mufic did appease Th' obfcure fantaftic rage of Saul's difeafe.

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Tell me, oh Muse! (for thou, or noue, canft tell, The mystic powers that in bleft numbers dwell; Thou their great nature know'ft, nor is it fit This nobleft gem of thine own crown t' omit) Tell me from whence thefe heavenly charms arife; Teach the dull world t' admire what they defpife! As first a various unform'd hint we find Rife in fome godlike poet's fertile mind, Till all the parts and words their places take, And with just marches verse and music make; 450 Such was God's poem, this world's new effay; So wild and rude in its firft draught it lay; Th' ungovern'd parts no correfpondence knew, An artless war from thwarting motions grew; Will they to number and fix'd rules were brought By the Eternal Mind's poetic thought. Water and Air he for the tenor chofe, Earth made the bafs, the treble Flame arofe: To th' active moon a quick brifk ftroke he gave, To Saturn's ftring, a touch more foft and grave. 460 The motions strait, and round, and fwift, and flow, And fhort, and long, were mix'd and woven foDid in fuch artful figures fmoothly fallAs made this decent-meafur'd Dance of All. And this is mufic: founds that charm our ears, Are but one dreffing that rich science wears. 461 Tho' no man hear 't, tho' no man it rehearse, Yet will there ftill be mufic in my verfe; In this great world fo much of it we fee, The leffer, Man, is all o'er harmony; Storchoufe of all proportions! fingle quire! Which first God's breath did tunefully infpire! From hence bleft mufic's heavenly charms arife, From fympathy, which them and man allies. Thus they our fouls, thus they our bodies win, Not by their force, but party that's within: 476 Thus the ftrange cure, on our fpilt blood apply'd, Sympathy to the diftant wound does guide:

470

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THUS fung the great Musician to his lyre;
And Saul's black rage grew foftly to retire;
But Envy's ferpent ftili with him remain'd,
And the wife charmer's healthful voice difdain'd.
Th' unthankful king cur'd truly of his fit,
Seems to lie drown'd and buried ftill in it;
From his past madnefs draws this wicked ufe,
To fin difguis'd, and murder with excufe:
For, whilft the fearless youth his cure pursues,
And the foft medicine with kind art renews, 525
The barbarous patient cafts at him his fpcar
(The ufual fceptre that rough hand did bear)
Cafts it with violent ftrength; but into th' room
An arm more strong and fure than his was come;
An Angel, whofe unfeen and easy might 530
Put-by the weapon, and misled it right.
How vain man's power is! unless God command,
The weapon difobeys his master's hand;
Happy was now the error of the blow:
At Gilboa it will not ferve him fo.
One would have thought, Saul's fudden rage t'
have feen,

535

He had himself by David wounded been :
He fcorn'd to leave what he did ill begin,
And thought his honour now engag'd i' th' fing

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540

A bloody troop of his own guards he fends
(Slaves to his will, and falfely cail'd his friends)
To mend his error by a furer blow;
So Saul crdain'd, but God ordain'd not fo.
Home flies the Prince, and to his trembling wife
Relates the new-paft hazard of his life;
Which the with decent paflion hears him tell;
For not her own fair eyes fhe lov'd fo well.
Upon their palace'-top, beneath a row

545

Of lemon-trees-which there did proudly grow, And with bright ftores of golden fruit repay 550 The light they drank from the fun's neighbouring ray

(A fmall, but artful Paradife) they walk'd, And hand in hand fad gentle things they talk'd. Here Michal firft an armed troop efpies (So faithful and fo quick are loving eyes') 555 Which march'd, and often glifter'd thro' a wood, That on right-hand of her fair palace ftood; She faw them; and cry'd out, They're come "to kill My deareft lord; Saul's fpear purfues thee ftill. "Behold his wicked guards! hafte quickly fly! "For Heaven's fake, hafte! my dear lord, do not "die!

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Ah, cruel father! whofe ill-natur'd rage

Neither thy worth, nor marriage, can affuage! "Will he part thofe he join'd fo late before? 564 Were the two-hundred forefkins worth no more? "He fhall not part us;" (then fhe wept between). "At yonder window thou may'ft 'fcape unfeen; "This hand fhall let thee down! ftay not, but

hafte;

'Tis not my ufe to fend thee hence fo faft." "Beft of all women!" he replies-and this 570 Searce fpoke, fhe ftops his anfwer with a kifs; "Throw not away," said fhe, " thy precious

breath;

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Thou ftay it too long within the reach of death." Timely he' obeys her wife advice; and strait To unjust force fhe' oppofes juft deceit : She meets the murderers with a virtuous lye, And good diffembling tears; " May he not die In quiet then?" faid fie," will they not give "That freedom, who fo fear left he should live? *Ev'n Fate does with your cruelty confpire, 580 And fpares your guilt, yet does what you defire. "Muft he not live? for that ye need not fin; My much-wrong'd husband fpeechlefs lies " within,

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606

How vain attempts Saul's unbleft anger tries, By his own hands deceiv'd, and fervants' eyes! 6c0 "It cannot be," faid he, "no, can it? fhall "Our great ten-thoufand-flayer idly fall? "The filly rout thinks God protects him ftill; "But God, alas! guards not the bad from ill. "Oh may he guard him! may his members be "In as full ftrength and well-fet harmony "As the fresh body of the firft-made man "Ere fin, or fin's juft meed, Difeafe, began! "He will be elfe too fmall for our vaft hate; "And we muft fhare in our revenge with Fate. « No; let us have him whole; we elfe may feem "To 'ave fnatch'd away but fome few days from "him,

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"And has too little left of vital breath "To know his murderers, or to feel his death. "One hour will do your work586 Here her well-govern'd tears dropp'd down apace: Beauty and forrow mingled in one face Has fuch refiftless charms, that they believe, And an unwilling aptnefs find to grieve At what they came for. A pale flatue's head, In linen wrapp'd, appear'd on David's bed; Two fervants mournful ftand, and filent, by, And on the table medicinal relics lie; in the close room a well-plac'd taper's light 595 Adds a become horror to the fight: And for th' impreffion God prepar'd their fenfe; They faw, believ'd all this, and parted thence.

"And cut that thread which would have dropp'd "in two;

"Will our great anger learn to floop fo low? "I know it cannot, will not; him we prize 615 "Of our juft wrath the folemn facrifice, "That mut not blemish d be; let him remain "Secure, and grow up to our ftroke again. "Twill be fome pleafure then to take his breath, "When he fhall ftrive and wrestle with his death; "Go, let him live-And yet-fhall I then "Stay

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"So long? good and great actions hate delay. Some foolihi piety perhaps, or he

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"That has been ftill mine honour's enemy, "Samuel, may change or croís my just intent, "And I this formal pity foon repent: "Befides, Fate gives him me, and whifpers this, "That he can fly no more, if we fhould mifs; "Mifs! can we mifs again? Go bring him ftrait, "Tho' gafping out his foul; if the wifh'd date "Of his accuried life he almoft paft, "Some joy 'twill be to fee him breathe his laft." The troop return'd, of their fhort virtue' afham'd, Saul's courage prais'd, and their own weakncís blam'd;

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But when the pious fraud they understood,
Scarce the refpect due to Saul's facred blood,
Due to the facred beauty in it reign'd,
From Michal's murder their wild rage reftrain'd.
She 'alleg'd the holieft chains that bind a wife,
Duty aud love; the alleg'd that her own life, 640
Had fhe refus'd that fafety to her lord,
Would have incurr'd juft danger from his fword.
Now was Saul's wrath full grown; he takes no
reft;

A violent flame rolls in his troubled breast,
And in fierce lightning from his eye does break;
Not his own favourites and best friends dare speak,
Or look on him; but, mute and trembling all,
Fear where this cloud will burft, and thunder fall.
So, when the pride and terror of the wood,
A lion, prick'd with rage and want of food, 650
Efpies out from afar fome well-fed beaft;
And bruftles up, preparing for his feast;
If that by fwiftnefs 'fcape his gaping jaws,
His bloody eyes he hurls round, his fharp paws
Tear up the ground; then runs he wild about, 655
Lashing his angry tail, and roaring out;
Beafts creep into their dens, and tremble there;
Trees, tho' no wind ftirring, fhake with fear;

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