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While he withdrawn at their mad labours fmiles,
And fafe enjoys the fabbath of his toils.

These were the chief, a finall but faithful band
Of worthies, in the breach who dar'd to stand,
And tempt th' united fury of the land,

With grief they view'd fuch powerful engines bent,
To batter down the lawful government.

A numerous faction, with pretended frights,
In fanhedrims to plume the regal rights;
The true fucceffor from the court remov'd;
The plot, by hircling witneffes, improv'd.
Thefe ills they faw, and, as their duty bound,
They fhew'd the king the danger of the wound;
That no conceffions from the throne would please,
But lenitives fomented the disease:

That Abfalom, ambitious of the crown,

Was made the lure to draw the people down:
That falfe Achitophel's pernicious hate
Had turn'd the plot to ruin church and state :
The council violent, the rabble worse :
That Shimei taught Jerufalem to curfe.
With all these loads of injuries oppreft,
And long revolving in his careful breaft
Th' event of things, at laft his patience tir'd,
Thus, from his royal throne, by heaven infpir'd,
The god-like David fpoke; with awful fear
His train their Maker in their mater hear.

Thus long have I, by native mercy fway'd,
My wrongs diffembled, my revenge delay'd:

}

. So

So willing to forgive th' offending age;
So much the father did the king affuage.
But now fo far my clemency they flight,
Th' offenders queftion my forgiving right,
That one was made for many, they contend;
But 'tis to rule; for that's a monarch's end.
They call my tenderness of blood, my fear;
Though manly tempers can the longest bear.
Yet, fince they will divert my native course,
'Tis time to fhew I am not good by force.
Thofe heap'd affronts that haughty fubjects bring,
Are burdens for a camel, not a king.
Kings are the public pillars of the state,
Born to fuftain and prop the nation's weight:
If my young Samfon will pretend a call
To fhake the column, let him fhare the fall:
But oh, that yet he would repent and live!
How eafy, 'tis for parents to forgive!
With how few tears a pardon might be won
From nature, pleading for a darling fon!
Poor, pitied youth, by my paternal care,
Rais'd up to all the height his frame could bear!
Had God ordain'd his fate for empire born,
He would have given his foul another turn:
Gull'd with a patriot's name, whose modern sense
Is one that would by law fupplant his prince;
The people's brave, the politician's tool;
Never was patriot yet, but was a fool.
Whence comes it, that religion and the laws
Should more be Abfalom's than David's cause ?

His old inftructor ere he loft his place,

Was never thought indued with so much grace.
Good heavens, how faction can a patriot paint!
My rebel ever proves my people's faint.
Would they impose an heir upon the throne,
Let fanhedrims be taught to give their own.
A king's at least a part of government :
And mine as requifite as their confent:
Without my leave a future king to chufe,
Infers a right the prefent to depofe.

True, they petition me t' approve their choice:
But Efau's hands fuit ill with Jacob's voice.
My pious fubjects for my fafety pray ;

Which to fecure, they take my power away.
From plots and treasons heaven preserve my years,
But fave me moft from my petitioners.

Unfatiate as the barren womb or grave;

God cannot grant fo much as they can crave.
What then is left, but with a jealous eye
To guard the fmall remains of royalty?
The law fhall ftill direct my peaceful sway,
And the fame law teach rebels to obey :
Votes fhall no more establish'd power controul,
Such votes as make a part exceed the whole.
No groundless clamours fhall my friends remove,
Nor crowds have power to punish ere they prove;
For Gods and god-like kings their care express,
Still to defend their fervants in diftrefs.
Oh, that my power to faving were confin'd!
Why am I forc'd, like heaven, against my mind,
To make examples of another kind ?

}

Muft

Muft I at length the sword of justice draw?

Oh curft effects of neceffary law!

How ill my fear they by my mercy scan!
Beware the fury of a patient man.

Law they require, let law then shew her face;
They could not be content to look on grace,
Her hinder parts, but with a daring eye
To tempt the terror of her front and die.
By their own arts 'tis righteously decreed,
Thofe dire artificers of death fhall bleed.
Against themselves their witneffes will fwear,
Till, viper-like, their mother plot they tear;
And fuck for nutriment that bloody gore,
Which was their principle of life before.
Their Belial with their Beelzebub will fight:
Thus on my foes, my foes fhall do me right.
Nor doubt th' event: for factious crowds engage,
In their firft onfet, all their brutal rage.

Then let them take an unrefifted course :

Retire, and traverse, and delude their force :
But when they stand all breathlefs, urge the fight,
And rife upon them with redoubled might:

For lawful power is ftill fuperior found;

When long driven back, at length it ftands the ground.
He faid: Th' Almighty nodding gave confent;
And peals of thunder fhook, the firmament.
Henceforth a series of new time began,

The mighty years in long proceffion ran :
Once more the god-like David was restor'd,
And willing nations knew their lawful lord.

ABSA

ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL.

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PART II.

Si quis tamen hæc quoque, fi quis

"Captus amore leget-"

Το THE

READER.

N the year 1680 Mr Dryden undertook the poem

IN

of

Abfalom and Achitophel, upon the defire of king Charles the fecond. The performance was applauded by every one; and feveral perfons preffing him to write a fecond part, he, upon declining it himself, fpoke to Mr. Tate to write one, and gave him his advice in the direction of it; and that part beginning with

"Next thefe, a troop of bufy fpirits prefs,"

and ending with

"To talk like Doeg, and to write like thee."

containing near two hundred verses, were entirely Mr. Dryden's compofition, befides fome touches in other places. The preceding lines, upwards of three hundred in number, were written by Mr. Tate. The poem is here printed compleat.

ABSA

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