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Yet oh that fate propitiously inclin'd,
Had rais'd my birth, or had debas'd
my mind;
To my large foul not all her treasure lent,
And then betray'd it to a mean defcent!
I find, I find my mounting fpirits bold,
And David's part difdains my mother's mould.
Why am I fcanted by a niggard birth?
My foul difclaims the kindred of her earth;
And made for empire whifpers me within,
Defire of greatnefs is a god-like fin.

Him ftagg'ring fo, when hell's dire agent found,
While fainting virtue fcarce maintain'd her ground,
He pours fresh forces in, and thus replies:
Th'eternal God, fupremely good and wife,
Imparts not thefe prodigious gifts in vain :
What wonders are referv'd to bless your reign ?
Against your will your arguments have shown,
Such virtue's only giv'n to guide a throne.
Not that your father's mild nefs I contemn;
But manly force becomes the diadem.
'Tis true he grants the people all they crave;
And more perhaps, than fubje&ts ought to have:
For lavish grants fuppofe a monarch tame,
And more his goodnefs than his wit proclaim.
But when fhould people ftrive their bonds to break,
If not when Kings are negligent or weak?
Let him give on 'till he can give no more,
The thrifty fanhedrim fhall keep him poor;
And every fhekel, which he can receive,
Shall coft a limb of his prerogative.

To ply him with new plots fhall be my care;
Or plunge him deep in fome expensive war;
Which when his treafure can no more fupply,
le mut, with the remains of kingship, buy
Elis faithful friends, our jealoufies and fears
Cal Jebules, and Pharaoh's penfioners ;

Whom

Whom when our fury from his aid has torn,
He shall be naked left to public fcorn.
The next fucceffor, whom I fear and hate,
My arts have made obnoxious to the state;
Turn'd all his virtues to his overthrow,
And gain'd our elders to pronounce a foe.
His right, for fums of neceffary gold,
Shall firft be pawn'd, and afterwards be fold;
'Till time fhall ever-wanting David draw,
To pafs your doubtful title into law;
If not, the people have a right fupreme
To make their kings; for kings are made for them.
All empire is no more than pow'r in truft,
Which, when refumed, can be no longer just.
Succeffion, for the general good defign'd,
In its own wrong a nation cannot bind:
If altering that the people can relieve,

Better one fuffer than a nation grieve.

The Jews well know their pow'r : ere Saul they chose,
God was their King, and God they durft depofe.
Urge now your piety, your filial name,

A father's right, and fear of future fame ;
The publick good, that univerfal call,
To which e'en heav'n fubmitted, anfwers all.
Nor let his love enchant your generous mind;
'Tis nature's trick to propagate her kind.
Our fond begetters, who would never die,
Love but themselves in their pofterity.
Or let his kindness by th' effects be try'd,
Or let him lay his vain pretence afide.
God faid, he lov'd your father; could he bring
A better proof, than to anoint him King?
It furely fhew'd he lov'd the fhepherd well,
Who gave so fair a flock as Ifrael.

Would David have you thought his darling fon?

What means he then to alienate the crown ?

The

The name of godly he may blush to bear:

Is't after God's own heart to cheat his heir?
He to his brother gives fupreme command,
To you a legacy of barren land;

Perhaps th' old harp, on which he thrums his lays,
Or fome dull Hebrew ballad in your praife.
Then the next heir, a prince fevere and wife,
Already looks on you with jealous eyes;
Sees through the thin difguifes of your arts,
And marks your progrefs in the people's hearts;
Though now his mighty foul its grief contains:
He meditates revenge who leaft complains;
And like a lion, flumb'ring in the way,

Or fleep diffembling, while he waits his prey,
His fearless foes within his distance draws,
Conftrains his roaring, and contracts his paws;
'Till at the last his time for fury found,

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He shoots with fudden vengeance from the ground;
The proftrate vulgar paffes o'er and spares,
But with a lordly rage his hunters tears.
Your cafe no tame expedients will afford:
Refolve on death, or conqueft by the fword,
Which for no lefs a take than life you draw
And felf-defence is nature's eldest law,
Leave the warm people no confid'ring time:
For then rebellion may be thought a crime.
Avail yourfelf of what occafion gives,
But try your title while your father lives:
And that your arms may have a fair pretence,
Proclaim you take them in the King's defence;
Whofe facred life each minute would expofe
To plots, from feeming friends, and fecret foes.
And who can found the depth of David's foul?
Perhaps his fear his kindness may controul.
He fears his brother, tho' he loves his fon,
For plighted vows too late to be undone.

If fo, by force he wishes to be gain'd:
Like women's leachery to feem conftrain'd.
Doubt not: but, when he most affects the frown,
Commit a pleafing rape upon the crown.
Secure his perfon to fecure your caufe:
They who poffefs the prince poffefs the laws.
He faid, and this advice above the reft,
With Abfalom's mild nature fuited beft;
Unblam'd of life, ambition fet afide,

Not ftain'd with cruelty, nor puft with pride.
How happy had he been, if destiny

Had higher plac'd his birth, or not so high!
His kingly virtues might have claim'd a throne,
And bleft all other countries but his own.
But charming greatness fince fo few refufe,
"Tis jufter to lament him than accufe.
Strong were his hopes a rival to remove,
With blandifhments to gain the publick love:
To head the faction while their zeal was hot,
And popularly profecute the plot.

To further this, Achitophel unites

The malcontents of all the Ifraelites:

Whofe diff'ring parties he could wifely join,
For feveral ends, to ferve the fame defign.
The beft, and of the princes fome were fuch,
Who thought the pow'r of monarchy too much;
Mistaken men, and patriots in their hearts;
Not wicked, but feduc'd by impious arts.
By these the fprings of property were bent,
And wound fo high, they crack'd the government.
The next for int'reft fought t' embroil the state,
To fell their duty at a dearer rate;

And make their Jewish markets of the throne;
Pretending publick good to ferve their own.
Others thought kings an ufelefs heavy load,
Who coft too much, and did too little good.
VOL. I.

K

-Thefe

These were for laying honeft David by,

On principles of pure good husbandry.

With them join'd all th' haranguers of the throng,
That thought to get preferment by the tongue.
Who follow next a double danger bring,
Not only hating David, but the king;
The Solymaan rout; well vers'd of old,
In godly faction, and in treafon bold;
Cowring and quaking at a conqu’ror's fword,
But lofty to a lawful prince reftor'd;
Saw with disdain an Ethnick plot begun,
And fcorn'd by Jebufites to be outdone.
Hot Levites headed thefe; who pull'd before
From th' ark, which in the judges days they bore,
Refum'd their cant, and with a zealous cry,
Purfu'd their old belov'd theocracy:

Where fanhedrim and priest enflav'd the nation,
And juftified their spoils by inspiration:
For who fo fit to reign as Aaron's race,
If once dominion they could found in grace?
These led the pack; tho' not of fureft fcent,
Yet deepest mouth'd against the government.
A numerous hoft of dreaming faints fucceed,
Of the true old enthufiaftick breed:
'Gainft form and order they their pow'r employ,
Nothing to build, and all things to destroy.
But far more numerous was the herd of fuch,
Who think too little, and who talk too much.
These out of mere inftinct, they knew not why,
Ador'd their fathers God and property;
And by the fame blind benefit of fate,
The devil and the Jebufite did hate:
Born to be fav'd, ev'n in their own despite,
Because they could not help believing right.
Such were the tools: but a whole Hydra more
Remains of sprouting heads too long to fcore.

Some

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