66

Angels peep round to view this myftic thing, "And Halleluiah round, all Halleluiah fing."

No longer could good David quiet bear
Th' unwieldy pleasure which o'erflow'd him here:
It broke the fetters, and burst ope his eye;
Away the timorous forms together fly :
Fix'd with amaze he ftood; and time muft take,
To learn if yet he were at last awake.
Sometimes he thinks that Heaven this vifion fent,
And order'd all the pageants as they went ;
Sometimes, that only 'twas wild Phanfy's play,
The loofe and fcatter'd relics of the day.

785

790

793

When Gabriel (no bleft spirit more kind or fair) Bodies and cloaths himself with thicken'd air; All like a comely youth in life's fresh bloom; Rare workmanship, and wrought by heavenly loom! He took for skin a cloud most soft and bright, That ere the mid-day fun pierc'd through with light; Upon his cheeks a lively blush he spread, Wash'd from the morning beauties' deepest red; An harmless flaming meteor fhone for hair, And fell adown his fhoulders with loose care; He cuts out a filk mantle from the skies, Where the most spritely azure pleas'd the eyes; This he with starry vapours fpangles all,

800

805

Took in their prime, ere they grow ripe and fall :
Of a new rainbow, ere it fret or fade,

The choiceft piece took out, a fcarf is made :
Small streaming clouds he does for wings display,
Not virtuous lovers' fighs more foft than they;

810

Thofe

These he gilds o'er with the fun's richest rays,

Caught gliding o'er pure ftreams on which he plays.
Thus dreft, the joyful Gabriel posts away,

And carries with him his own glorious day,
Through the thick woods: the gloomy shades awhile
Put on fresh looks, and wonder why they fmile;
The trembling ferpents clofe and filent lie;
The birds obfcene far from his paffage fly;
A fudden spring waits on him as he goes,
Sudden as that which by creation rose :
Thus he appears to David; at first fight

All earth-bred fears and forrows take their flight.

In rushes joy divine, and hope, and rest;

820

A facred calm fhines through his peaceful breast.
“Hail, man belov'd! from highest heaven,” said he

My mighty mafter fends thee health by me.

"The things thou faw'st are full of truth and light, Shap'd in the glafs of the divine forefight:

"Ev'n now old Time is harneffing the years

"To go in order thus. Hence, empty fears!

830

Thy fate 's all white; from thy bleft feed shall spring "The promis'd Shilo, the great myftic King:

"Round the whole earth his dreaded name fhall found, "And reach to worlds hat muft not yet be found: "The Southern clime him her fole lord fhall ftyle, 835 "Him all the North, ev'n Albion's ftubborn ifle. My fellow-fervant, credit what I tell. "Strait into shapeless air unfeen he fell.”

A VIDE IS.

DAV

воок III.

CONTENT S.

David's flight to Nob, and entertainment there by the High Prieft; from thence to Gath in difguife, where he is difcovered and brought to Achis: he counterfeits himself mad, and escapes to Adullam. A short enumeration of the forces which come thither to him. A defcription of the kingdom of Moab, whither David flies; his entertainment at Moab's court: a digreffion of the hiftory of Lot, father of the Moabites, represented in picture. Melchor's fong at the feast. Moab defires Joab to relate the story of David; which he does: his extraction; his excellency in poefy, and the effects of it in curing Saul's malady. The Philiftines' army encamped at Dammin; the defcription of Goliah and his arms; his challenge to the Ifraelites: David's coming to the camp; his speech to Saul, to defire leave to fight with Goliah: feveral fpeeches upon that occafion. The combat and flaughter of Goliah, with the defeat of the Philistines' army. Saul's envy to David. The characters of Merab and Michal. The love between David and Michal :

his

his fong at her window; his expedition against the Philistines, and the dowry of two hundred foreskins for Michal, with whom he is married. The folemnities of the wedding. Saul's relapse, and the causes of David's flight into the kingdom of Moab.

Rais'd with the news he from high Heaven receives,

Strait to his diligent God just thanks he gives;

To divine Nobe directs then his flight,

A fmall town, great in fame, by Levi's right;
Is there, with spritely wines and hallow'd bread,
(But what's to hunger hallow'd?) largely fed.
The good old priest welcomes his fatal guest,
And with long talk prolongs the hafty feast:
He lends him vain Goliah's facred fword
(The fittest help juft Fortune could afford);

A fword whose weight without a blow might flay,
Able unblunted to cut hofts away;

A fword fo great, that it was only fit

To take-off his great head who came with it. Thus he arms David: "I your own restore, "Take it," said he, " and use it as before ; "I faw you then, and 'twas the bravest fight "That ere thefe eyes ow'd the discovering light: "When you step'd forth, how did the monster rage, "In fcorn of your foft looks and tender age! "Some your high spirit did mad prefumption call, "Some pitied that fuch youth fhould idly fall; "Th' uncircumcis'd fmil'd grimly with difdain; "I knew the day was yours: I faw it plain."

K 3

20

Much

Much more the reverend fire prepar❜d to fay

(Rapt with his joy); how the two armies lay;
Which way th' amazed foe did wildly flee,
All that his hearer better knew than he :
But David's hafte denies all needless stay;
To Gath, an enemy's land, he hastes away:
Not there fecure; but, where one danger 's near,
The more remote, though greater, disappear:
So, from the hawk, birds to man's fuccour flee;
So, from fir'd fhips, man leaps into the sea.-
There in disguise he hopes unknown t' abide;
Alas! in vain! what can fuch greatness hide ?
Stones of fmall worth may lie unseen by day,
But night itself does the rich gem betray.
Tagal first spy'd him, a Philistian knight,
Who erft from David's wrath by fhameful flight
Had fav'd the fordid remnant of his age;

envy

mix'd with rage.

25

30

35

40

45

Hence the deep fore of
Strait, with a band of foldiers tall and rough,
Trembling for fcarce he thought that band enough-
On him he feizes; whom they all had fear'd,
Had the bold youth in his own shape appear'd.
And now this wish'd-for, but yet dreadful, prey
To Achis' court they led in hafte away,
With all unmanly rudeness which does wait
Upon th' immoderate vulgar's joy and hate.
His valour now and ftrength muft useless lie,
And he himself must arts unusual try:
Sometimes he rends his garments, nor does fpare
The goodly curls of his rich yellow hair;

50

Sometimes