Who with a loyalty that did excel, Brought all the' endowments of Achitophel. But Israel's sanctions into practice drew; Than Sheva none more loyal zeal have shown, Wakeful as Judah's Lion for the crown; Who for that cause still combats in his age, For which his youth with danger did engage. In vain our factious priests the cant revive, In vain seditious scribes with libel strive To'enflame the crowd, while he, with watchful eye, Observes, and shoots their treasons as they fly; Their weekly frauds his keen replies detect; He undeceives more fast than they infect. So Moses, when the pest on legions prey'd, Advanc'd his signal, and the plague was stay'd. Once more, my fainting Muse, thy pinions try, And strength's exhausted store let love supply. What tribute, Asaph, shall we render thee? We'll crown thee with a wreath from thy own tree! Thy laurel grove not envy's flash can blast; The song of Asaph shall for ever last. With wonder late posterity shall dwell Thy strains shall be our slumbering prophets' dream, How fierce his satire, loos'd! restrain'd, how tame! How tender of the' offending young man's fame! How well his worth and brave adventures stil'd, Just to his virtues, to his error mild. No page of thine that fears the strictest view, What praise for such rich strains shall we allow ? Curs'd Sodom's doom for ever fix the tide Nor let Gath's daughters triumph in our woe! Calm were the' elements, Night's silence deep, The waves scarce murmuring, and the winds asleep; Yet Fate for ruin takes so still an hour, And treacherous sands the princely bark devour; And dying, e'en o'er that they triumph too; And such to Israel's crown the godlike David came. What sudden beams dispel the clouds so fast, Whose drenching rains laid all our vineyards waste? The Spring, so far behind her course delay'd, On the' instant is in all her bloom array'd; The winds breathe low, the element serene, Yet mark what motion in the waves is seen! Thronging and busy as Hyblæan swarms, Or straggled soldiers summon'd to their arms, See where the princely bark in loosest pride, With all her guardian fleet, adorns the tide : High on her deck the Royal lovers stand, Our crimes to pardon e'er they touch'd our land. Welcome to Israel and to David's breast! Here all your toils, here all your sufferings, rest. This year did Ziloah rule Jerusalem, And boldly all Sedition's syrtes stem, Howe'er incumber'd with a viler pair Than Ziph or Shimei to assist the chair: Yet Ziloah's loyal labours so prevail'd That Faction at the next election fail'd, When e'en the common cry did Justice sound, And Merit by the multitude was crown'd: With David then was Israel's peace restor'd, Crowds mourn'd their crror, and obey'd their lord. THE MEDAL. A SATIRE AGAINST SEDITION. 1681. EPISTLE TO THE WHIGS: FOR to whom can I dedicate this Poem with so much justice as to you? It is the representation of your own hero; it is the picture drawn at length, which you admire and prize so much in little '. None of your ornaments are wanting; neither the landscape of the Tower, nor the Rising Sun; nor the anno domini of your new sovereign's coronation. This must needs be a grateful undertaking to your whole party, especially to those who have not been so happy as to purchase the original. I hear the graver has made a good market of it: all his kings are bought up already; or the value of the remainder so enhanced, that many a poor Polauder 2, who would be glad to worship the 1 On the Jury's refusing to find a bill against Lord Shaftesbury for high-treason in Nov. 1681, a medal was struck to commemorate the event, which gave occasion to Dryden's satire. 2 Shaftesbury was said to entertain hopes that he should be elected King of Poland. |