270

"Ere my full loins discharg'd this numerous race, "This lucklefs tribe, ev'n crown'd to their disgrace! "Ah, Saul! thy fervant's vaffal must thou live? "Place to his harp must thy dread sceptre give? "What wants he now but that? canft thou forget 265 "(If thou be'ft man thou canst not) how they met "The youth with fongs? alas! poor monarch! you "Your thousand only, he ten thousand, flew ! "Him Ifrael loves, him neighbouring countries fear; "You but the name and empty title bear. "And yet the traitor lives, lives in thy court; "The court that must be his; where he fhall sport "Himself with all thy concubines, thy gold, "Thy coftly robes, thy crown. Wert thou not told "This by proud Samuel, when at Gilgal he 275 "With bold falfe threats from God affronted thee? "The dotard ly'd; God said it not, I know; "Not Baal or Moloch would have us'd thee fo. "Was not the choice his own? did not thy worth "Exact the royal lot, and call it forth?

Haft thou not fince (my best and greatest son!) "To him, and to his perishing nation, done "Such lasting benefits as may justly claim

"A fceptre as eternal as thy fame ?

280

"Poor prince! whom madmen, priests, and boys, invade; "By thine own flesh, thy ungrateful fon, betray'd! "Unnatural fool! who can thus cheated be

"By friendship's name, against a crown and thee! "Betray not too thyfelf; take courage, call

"Thy' enchanted virtues forth, and be whole Saul. 290

3

"Lo!

"Lo! this great cause makes thy dead fathers rife, "Breaks the firm feals of their clos'd tombs and eyes. "Nor can their jealous ashes, whilst this boy "Survives, the privilege of their graves enjoy. "Rife quickly, Saul! and take that rebel's breath, 295 "Which troubles thus thy life, and ev'n our death: "Kill him, and thou 'rt fecure; 'tis only he "That's boldly interpos'd 'twixt God and thee, "As earth's low globe robs the high moon of light; "When this eclipfe is paft, thy fate 's all bright. 300 "Trust me, dear fon! and credit what I tell ; "I've seen thy royal stars, 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 305 One of her worst, her beft-beloved fnakes: "Softly, dear worm ! foft and unfeen," said she, "Into his bosom steal, and in it be

"My viceroy." At that word fhe took her flight,
And her loose shape dissolv'd into the night.

Th' infected king leapt from his bed amaz'd,
Scarce knew himself at first, but round him gaz'd;
And started back at piec'd-up shapes, which fear
And his distracted fancy painted there:
Terror froze up his hair, and on his face
Showers of cold sweat roll'd trembling down apace.
Then knocking with his angry hands his breast,
Earth with his feet, he cries, "Oh! 'tis confeft;
"I've been a pious fool, a woman-king;
"Wrong'd by a feer, a boy, every thing.
VOL. II.

G

310

315

320

"Eight

Eight hundred years of death is not so deep, "So unconcern'd, as my lethargic sleep. "My patience even a facrilege becomes, "Difturbs the dead, and opes their facred tombs. "Ah! Benjamin, kind father! who for me "This curfed world endur'ft again to fee! "All thou haft faid, great vifion! is fo true,

325

330

"That all which thou command'ft, and more, I'll do: "Kill him! yes, mighty ghost! the wretch fhall die, "Though every star in heaven fhould it deny ; "Nor mock th' affault of our juft wrath again, "Had he ten times his fam'd ten thousand flain. "Should that bold popular madman, whose design "Is to revenge his own difgrace by mine, "Should my ungrateful fon oppofse th' intent, "Should mine own heart grow fcrupulous and relent, "Curse me, just Heaven! (by which this truth I swear) "If I that feer, my fon, or self, do spare. "No, gentle ghoft! return to thy ftill home; "Thither, this day, mine and thy foe fhall come. 340 "If that curst object longer vex my fight,

335

"It must have learnt t' appear as thou to-night."
Whilft thus his wrath with threats the tyrant fed,
The threaten'd youth slept fearless on his bed;
Sleep on, reft quiet as thy confcience take,

For, though thou fleep'ft thyself, thy God 's awake.

Above the fubtle foldings of the sky;

Above the well-fet orbs' foft harmony;

Above thofe petty lamps that gild the night;
There is a place o'erflown with hallow'd light;

345

350 Where

Where heaven, as if it left itself behind,

355

Is ftretch'd-out far, nor its own bounds can find:
Here peaceful flames fwell up the facred place,
Nor can the glory contain itself in th' endless space ;
For there no twilight of the fun's dull ray
Glimmers upon the pure and native day;
No pale-fac'd moon does in stol'n beams appear,
Or with dim taper scatters darkness there;
On no smooth sphere the restless seasons slide,
No circling motion doth swift time divide;
Nothing is there to come, and nothing past,
But an eternal Now does always last.
There fits th' Almighty, First of all, and End;
Whom nothing but himself can comprehend;
Who with his word commanded all to be,
And all obey'd him, for that word was He :
Only he spoke, and every thing that is

360

365

From out the womb of fertile nothing ris'.

Oh, who shall tell, who fhall defcribe thy throne,

Thou great Three-One !

370

There thou thyself doft in full presence show,

Not abfent from these meaner worlds below;
No, if thou wert, the elements' league would cease,
And all thy creatures break thy Nature's peace;
The fun would stop his course, or gallop back,
The stars drop out, the poles themselves would crack;
Earth's ftrong foundations would be torn in twain,
And this vaft work all ravel out again

To its first nothing: for his fpirit contains

375

The well-knit mafs; from him each creature gains 380

Being and motion, which he still bestows;
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 praise,
And with fix'd eyes drink-in immortal rays:
Of thefe he call'd-out one; all heaven did shake,
And filence kept whilst its Creator fpake.

"Are we forgotten then fo foon? can he "Look on his crown, and not remember me

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390

That gave it can he think we did not hear "(Fond man!) his threats? and have we made the ear, "To be accounted deaf? No, Saul! we heard; "And it will coft thee dear: the ills thou'ft fear'd, "Practis'd, or thought on, I'll all double fend; 395 Have we not spoke it, and dares man contend ? "Alas, poor dust ! didft thou but know the day When thou muft lie in blood at Gilboa,

"Thou, and thy fons, thou would'st not threaten ftill; "Thy trembling tongue would ftop against thy will. 400 Then fhall thine head fix'd in curft temples be, "And all their foolish gods fhall laugh at thee. "That hand which now on David's life would prey, * Shall then turn just, and its own master flay; "He whom thou hat'ft, on thy lov'd throne shall fit, 405 And expiate the difgrace thou dost to it.

"Hafte then; tell David what his king has sworn, "Tell him whofe blood muft paint this rifing morn; "Yet bid him go fecurely, when he fends;

"Tis Saul that is his foe, and We his friends : 410

"The