To fee the strength, the feature, and the grace
Of his young limbs ; he saw his comely face,
Where love and reverence fo well mingled were;
And head, already crown'd with golden hair :
He faw what mildness his bold spirit did tame,
Gentler than light, yet powerful as a flame:
He saw his valour, by their safety prov'd;
He faw all this, and as he faw, he lov'd.
What art thou, Love! thou great myfterious thing!
From what hid ftock does thy strange nature spring?
'Tis thou that mov'st the world through every part,
And hold'st the vast frame close, that nothing ftart 45
From the due place and office first ordain'd;
By thee were all things made, and are sustain’d.
Sometimes we fee thee fully, and can fay
From hence thou took'ft thy rife, and went'ft that way;
But oftener the fhort beams of Reason's eye
See only There thou art, not How, nor Why.
How is the loadstone, Nature's fubtle pride,
By the rude iron woo'd, and made a bride?
How was the weapon wounded? what hid flame
The strong and conquering metal overcame ?
Love (this world's grace) exalts his natural state;
He feels thee, Love! and feels no more his weight.
Ye learned heads, whom ivy garlands grace,
Why does that twining plant the oak embrace?
The oak, for courtship most of all unfit,
And rough as are the winds that fight with it?
How does the abfent pole the needle move?
How does his cold and ice beget hot love?
Which are the wings of lightness to ascend?
Or why does weight to th' centre downwards bend? 65
Thus creatures void of life obey thy laws,
And seldom we, they never, know the cause.
In thy large state, Life gives the next degree,
Where Senfe, and Good Apparent, places thee;
But thy chief palace is man's heart alone,
Here are thy triumphs and full glories fhown;
Handfome Defires, and Reft, about thee flee,
Union, Inherence, Zeal, and Extasy.
Thousand with joys cluster around thine head,
O'er which a gall-lefs dove her wings does fpread; 75 A gentle lamb, purer and whiter far
Than confciences of thine own martyrs are,
Lies at thy feet; and thy right-hand does hold
The myftic fceptre of a cross of gold.
Thus doft thou fit (like men ere fin had fram'd
A guilty blush) naked, but not asham'd.
What caufe then did the fabulous ancients find,
When firft their fuperftition made thee blind?
'Twas they, alas! 'twas they who could not fee,
When they mistook that monster Luft for thee.
Thou art a bright, but not confuming flame;
Such in th' amazed bush to Mofes came;
When that fecure its new-crown'd head did rear,
And chid the trembling branches' needlefs fear.
Thy darts of healthful gold, and downwards fall,
Soft as the feathers that they 're fletch'd withal.
Such, and no other, were thofe fecret darts,
Which sweetly touch'd this nobleft pair of hearts;
Still to one end they both so justly drew,
As courteous doves together yok'd would do:
No weight of birth did on one fide prevail,
Two twins lefs even lie in Nature's scale;
They mingled fates, and both in each did share,
They both were fervants, they both princes were.
If any joy to one of them was fent,
It was moft his, to whom it least was meant;
And Fortune's malice betwixt both was croft,
For, ftriking one, it wounded th' other most.
Never did marriage fuch true union find,
Or men's defires with fo glad violence bind;
For, there is ftill fome tincture left of fin,
And ftill the fex will needs be ftealing-in.
Thofe joys are full of drofs, and thicker far;
Thefe, without matter, clear and liquid are.
Such facred love does heaven's bright Spirits fill, 110 Where love is but to understand and will
With fwift and unfeen motions; fuch as we
Somewhat exprefs in heighten'd charity.
ye bleft One! whofe love on earth became So pure that still in heaven 'tis but the fame! There now ye fit, and with mixt fouls embrace, Gazing upon great Love's mysterious face; And pity this bafe world, where friendship 's made A bait for fin, or else at best a trade.
Ah, wondrous Prince! who a true friend could'st be, 120 When a crown flatter'd, and Saul threaten'd thee ! Who held❜ft him dear, whose stars thy birth did cross! And bought'ft him nobly at a kingdom's loss!
Ifrael's bright fceptre far less glory brings;
There have been fewer friends on earth than kings. 125
To this strange pitch their high affections flew,
Till Nature's felf fcarce look'd on them as two.
Hither flies David for advice and aid,
As swift as love and danger could perfwade :
As fafe in Jonathan's trust his thoughts remain
As when himself but dreams them o'er again.
"My dearest lord, farewell!" said he, “farewell! "Heaven blefs the king! may no misfortune tell "Th' injuftice of his hate when I am dead! "They're coming now, perhaps; my guiltless head "Here in your fight, perhaps, must bleeding lie, "And scarce your own ftand fafe for being nigh. "Think me not scar'd with death, howe'er 't appear; "I know thou canst not think fo: 'tis a fear "From which thy love and Dammin speaks me free; "I've met him face to face, and ne'er could fee "One terror in his looks to make me fly "When Virtue bids me stand; but I would die "So as becomes my life, fo as may prove "Saul's malice, and at least excuse your love."
He stopt, and spoke some paffion with his eyes; "Excellent friend!" the gallant Prince replies, "Thou haft fo prov'd thy virtues, that they 're known "To all good men, more than to each his own. “Who lives in Ifrael, that can doubtful be "Of thy great actions? for he lives by thee. "Such is thy valour, and thy vaft fuccefs, "That all things but thy loyalty are lefs.
"And, fhould my father at thy ruin aim,
"'Twould wound as much his fafety as his fame: 155 "Think them not coming, then, to flay thee here, "But doubt mishaps, as little as you fear ; "For, by thy loving God, whoe'er defign "Against thy life, must strike at it through mine. "But I my royal father must acquit
"From fuch bafe guilt, or the low thought of it.
"Think on his foftness when from death he freed
"The faithlefs king of Amalek's curfed feed;
"Can he to a friend, to' a fon, fo bloody grow,
"He who ev'n finn'd but now to spare a foe? 165
"Admit he could; but with what strength or art
"Could he fo long close and feal up his heart?
"Such counfels jealous of themselves become,
"And dare not fix without confent of fome;
"Few men fo boldly ill, great fins to do,
"Till licens'd and approv'd by others too.
"No more (believe 't) could he hide this from me,
"Than I, had he discover'd it, from thee."
Here they embraces join, and almost tears;
Till gentle David thus new prov'd his fears :
"The praise you pleas'd (great Prince !) on me to fpend,
"Was all out-fpoken when you ftil'd me Friend;
"That name alone does dangerous glories bring,
"And gives excufe to th' envy of a king.
"What did his fpear, force, and dark plots, impart,
"But fome eternal rancour in his heart?
"Still does he glance the fortune of that day
"When drown'd in his own blood Goliah lay,
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