Which march'd, and often glifter'd, through a wood,
That on right-hand of her fair palace stood;
She faw them; and cry'd out, “ They 're come to kill
"My dearest lord; Saul's spear pursues thee still.
"Behold his wicked guards! hafte quickly, fly! 560
"For Heaven's fake, hafte! my dear lord, do not die!
« Ah, cruel father! whofe ill-natur'd rage
"Neither thy worth, nor marriage, can affuage!
"Will he part those he join'd so late before?
"Were the two-hundred foreskins worth no more? 565
"He fhall not part us;" (then fhe wept between).
"At yonder window thou may'ft "scape unseen;
"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 Scarce fpoke, fhe ftops his anfwer with a kiss; "Throw not away, ," faid fhe, " thy precious breath; "Thou stay'st too long within the reach of death.” Timely he' obeys her wife advice; and ftrait 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?” said she, "will they not give "That freedom, who so fear left he should live? "Ev'n Fate does with your cruelty conspire, 580 "And fpares your guilt, yet does what you defire. "Must he not live? for that ye need not fin;
My much-wrong'd hufband fpeechlefs lies within, "And has too little left of vital breath
"To know his murderers, or to feel his death.
"One hour will do your work
Here her well-govern'd tears dropp'd down apace :
Beauty and forrow mingled in one face
Has fuch refiftlefs charms, that they believe,
And an unwilling aptnefs find to grieve
At what they came for. A pale ftatue's head,
In linen wrapp'd, appear'd on David's bed;
Two fervants mournful stand, and filent, by,
And on the table medicinal relics lie;
In the close room a well-plac'd taper's light
Adds a becoming horror to the fight:
And for th' impreffion God prepar'd their sense;
They faw, believ'd all this, and parted thence.
How vain attempts Saul's unblest anger tries,
By his own hands deceiv'd, and fervants' eyes!
"It cannot be," faid he, "no, can it? fhall
"Our great ten-thousand-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 strength and well-set harmony "As the fresh body of the first-made man "Ere fin, or fin's juft meed, Disease, began! "He will be elfe too finall for our vast hate; "And we must share in our revenge with Fate. "No; let us have him whole ; we elfe may "To 'ave fnatch'd away but fome few days from him, "And cut that thread which would have dropp'd in
"Will our great anger learn to ftoop so low?
"I know it cannot, will not; him we prize "Of our just wrath the folemn facrifice,
"That must not blemish'd be; let him remain "Secure, and grow up to our stroke again.
""Twill be some pleasure then to take his breath,
"When he shall strive and wrestle with his death; 620 "Go, let him live- And yet
"So long? good and great actions hate delay.
Some foolish piety perhaps, or he
"That has been still mine honour's enemy,
"Samuel, may change or cross 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 should miss;
"Mifs! can we mifs again? Go bring him ftrait,
"Though gasping out his foul; if the wish'd date 630
"Of his accurfed life be almost past,
"Some joy 'twill be to fee him breathe his last."
The troop return'd, of their fhort virtue' afham'd,
Saul's courage prais'd, and their own weakness blam'd;
But when the pious fraud they understood,
Scarce the respect due to Saul's facred blood,
Due to the facred beauty in it reign'd,
From Michal's murder their wild rage restrain'd.
She 'alleg'd the holiest chains that bind a wife,
Duty and love; he alleg'd that her own life,
Had the refus'd that fafety to her lord,
Would have incurr'd just 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; 645
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,
Efpies out from afar fome well-fed beast,
And brustles up, preparing for his feast;
If that by fwiftnefs 'fcape his gaping jaws,
His bloody eyes he hurls round, his sharp paws
Tear up the ground; then runs he wild about,
Lashing his angry tail, and roaring out;
Beafts creep into their dens, and tremble there;
Trees, though no wind stirring, shake with fear;
Silence and horror fill the place around;
Echo itfelf dares fcarce repeat the found.
"Midft a large wood, that joins fair Rama's town
(The neighbourhood fair Rama's chief renown)
A college ftands, where at great Prophets' feet
The Prophets' Sons with filent diligence meet;
By Samuel built, and moderately endow'd,
Yet more to his liberal tongue than hands they ow'd;
There himself taught, and, his bless'd voice to hear,
Teachers themselves lay proud beneath him there.
The house was a large fquare, but plain and low;
Wife Nature's ufe Art ftrove not to outgo:
An inward fquare by well-rang'd trees was made;
And, midst the friendly cover of their fhade,
pure, well-tasted, wholesome fountain rose ; Which no vain coft of marble did enclose;
Nor through carv'd shapes did the forc'd waters pass,
Shapes gazing on themselves i' th' liquid glass;
Yet the chaste stream, that 'mong loose pebbles fell,
For cleanness, thirst, religion, serv'd as well.
The scholars, doctors, and companions, here,
Lodg'd all apart in neat small chambers were,
Well-furnish'd chambers; for in each there stood
A narrow couch, table, and chair of wood;
More is but clog, where ufe does bound delight;
And thofe are rich whose wealth 's proportion'd right
To their life's form : more goods would but become
A burden to them, and contract their room.
A fecond court, more facred, stood behind,
Built fairer, and to nobler use defign'd :
The hall and schools one fide of it poffeft;
The library and fynagogue the rest.
Tables of plain-cut fir, adorn'd the hall;
And with beafts' skins the beds were cover'd all.
The reverend doctors take their feats on high,
Th' elect companions in their bofoms lie;
The scholars far below, upon the ground,
On fresh-strew'd rushes, place themselves around.
With more respect the wife and ancient lay;
But eat not choicer herbs or bread than they,
Nor purer waters drank, their constant feast;
But by great days, and facrifice encreas'd.
The schools, built round and higher, at the end
With their fair circle did this fide extend;
To which their fynagogue, on th' other fide,
And to the hall their library reply'd.
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