No minute's reft, no fwifteft thought, they fold
To that beloved plague of mankind, gold;
Gold, for which all mankind with greater pains
Labour tow'rds hell, then those who dig its veins.
Their wealth was the contempt of it; which more
They valued than rich fools the fhining ore. 860
The filk-worms' precious death they scorn'd to wear,
And Tyrian dye appear'd but fordid there.
Honour, which fince the price of fouls became,
Seem'd to these great-ones a low idle name.
Instead of down, hard beds they chose to have,
Such as might bid them not forget their grave.
Their board difpeopled no full element,
Free Nature's bounty thriftily they spent,
And spar'd the stock; nor could their bodies fay
We owe this crudeness t' excefs yesterday.
Thus fouls live cleanly, and no foiling fear,
But entertain their welcome Maker there;
The fenfes perform nimbly what they 're bid,
And honeftly, nor are by Reafon chid;
And, when the down of fleep does foftly fall,
Their dreams are heavenly then, and mystical;
With hafty wings time prefent they outfly,
And tread the doubtful maze of destiny;
There walk, and fport among the years to come,
And with quick eye pierce every caufe's womb.
Thus thefe wife faints enjoy'd their little all,
Free from the fpite of much-mistaken Saul:
For, if man's life we in just balance weigh,
David deferv'd his envy lefs than they.
Of this retreat the hunted Prince makes choice,
Adds to their choir his nobler lyre and voice.
But long unknown ev'n here he could not lie;
So bright his luftre, fo quick Envy's eye!
Th' offended troop, whom he efcap'd before,
Purfue him here, and fear mistakes no more :
Belov'd revenge fresh rage to them affords;
Some part of him all promise to their fwords.
They came, but a new fpirit their hearts poffeft,
Scattering a facred calm through every breast:
The furrows of their brow, fo rough erewhile,
Sink down into the dimples of a smile;
Their cooler veins fwell with a peaceful tide,
And the chafte streams with even current glide;
A fudden day breaks gently through their eyes,
And morning-blufhes in their cheeks arise :
The thoughts of war, of blood, and murther, cease;
In peaceful tunes they' adore the God of peace!
New meffengers twice more the tyrant fent,
And was twice more mock'd with the fame event:
His heighten'd rage no longer brooks delay;
It fends him there himfelf: but on the way
His foolish anger a wife fury grew,
And bleffings from his mouth unbidden flew :
His kingly robes he laid at Naioth down,
Began to understand, and scorn, his crown;
Employ'd his mounting thoughts on nobler things,
And felt more folid joys than empire brings;
Embrac'd his wondering fon, and on his head,
The balm of all paft wounds, kind tears, he shed.
So covetous Balaam, with a fond intent Of curfing the bleft feed, to Moab went : But as he went, his fatal tongue to fell,
His afs taught him to fpeak, God to speak well. "How comely are thy tents, oh Israel!”
Thus he began) "what conquests they foretel! 920 "Lefs fair are orchards in their autumn pride, "Adorn'd with trees on fome fair river's fide; "Lefs fair are vallies, their green mantles fpread! "Or mountains with tall cedars on their head!
'Twas God himself (thy God who must not fear?) "Brought thee from bondage to be master here. "Slaughter fhall wear out these, new weapons get, “And death in triumph on thy darts shall fit. "When Judah's lion ftarts up to his prey,
"The beasts shall hang their ears, and creep away; "When he lies down, the woods fhall filence keep, “And dreadful tigers tremble at his fleep.
"Thy curfers, Jacob! fhall twice curfed be; And he shall blefs himself that bleffes thee !"
CONTENT S.
The friendship betwixt Jonathan and David; and upon that occafion a digreffion concerning the nature of Love.. A difcourfe between Jonathan and David; upon which the latter abfents himself from court, and the former goes thither, to inform himself of Saul's refolution. The feaft of the New-Moon; the manner of the celebration of it; and therein a digreffion of the hiftory of Abraham. Saul's fpeech upon David's absence from the feast, and his anger. against Jonathan. David's refolution to fly away; he parts with Jonathan, and falls afleep under a tree. A description of Phansy; an angel makes up a vi̟fion in David's head; the vifion itself, which is, a prophecy of all the fucceffion of his race till Chrift's time, with their most remarkable actions. At his awaking, Gabriel affumes an human shape, and confirms to him the truth of his vifion.
UT now the early birds began to call
The morning forth; up rofe the fun and Saul; Both, as men thought, rofe fresh from sweet repofe; But both, alas! from reftlefs labours rofe:
For in Saul's breast, envy, the toil fome fin,
Had all that night active and tyrannous been :
She expell'd all forms of kindness, virtue, grace;
Of the paft day no footstep left or trace;
The new-blown sparks of his old rage appear,
Nor could his love dwell longer with his fear.
So near a storm wife David would not stay,
Nor truft the glittering of a faithless day;
He faw the fun call in his beams apace,
And angry clouds march up into their place;
The fea itself fmooths his rough brow awhile,
Flattering the greedy merchant with a smile;
But he, whofe fhipwreck'd bark it drank before,
Sees the deceit, and knows it would have more.
Such is the fea, and fuch was Saul.
But Jonathan, his fon, and only good,
Was gentle as fair Jordan's useful flood;
Whofe innocent ftream, as it in filence goes,
Fresh honours and a fudden fpring beftows,
On both his banks, to every flower and tree;
The manner how lies hid, th' effect we see.
But more than all, more than himself, he lov'd
The man whofe worth his father's hatred mov'd;
For, when the noble youth at Dammin stood,
Adorn'd with fweat, and painted gay with blood,
Jonathan piere'd him through with greedy eye,
And understood the future majesty
Then deftin'd in the glories of his look;
He faw, and ftrait was with amazement ftrook,
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