Wafte, rapine, fpuil, without, th' affault begin,
And our mad tribes fupplant the fence within.
Since then their good they will not understand,
'Tis time to take the monarch's power in hand;
Authority and force to join with kill,

And fave the lunatics against their will.

The fame rough means that fwage the crowd, appease
Our fenates raging with the crowd's difeafe.
Henceforth unbiafs'd measures let them draw
From no falfe glofs, but genuine text of law;
Nor urge thofe crimes upon religion's score,
Themfelves fo much in Jebufites abhor.
Whom laws convict, and only they, fhall bleed,
Nor pharifees by pharifets be freed.

Impartial justice from our throne shall shower,
All fhall have right, and we our sovereign power.
He faid, th' attendants heard with-awful joy,
And glad prefages their fix'd thoughts employ ;
From Hebron now the fuffering heir return'd,
A realm that long with civil difcord mourn'd;
Till his approach, like fome arriving God,
Compos'd and heal'd the place of his abode;
The deluge check'd that to Judea spread,
And stopp'd sedition at the fountain's head.
Thus in forgiving David's paths he drives,
And, chas'd from Ifrael, Irael's peace contrives.
The field confefs`d his power in arms before,
And feas proclaim'd his triumphs to the thore;
As nobly has his fway in Hebron thown, -
How fit t' inherit godlike David's throne.

Through

Through Sion's streets his glad arrival 's spread,
And confcious faction fhrinks her fnaky head;
His train their fufferings think o'erpaid, to fee
The crowd's applaufe with virtue once agree.
Succefs charms all, but zeal for worth distrest
A virtue proper to the brave and best;
'Mongst whom was Jothran, Jothran always bent
To serve the crown, and loyal by descent,
Whose conftancy fo firm, and conduct just,
Deferv'd at once two royal masters trust;
Who Tyre's proud arms had manfully withstood
On feas, and gather'd laurels from the flood;
Of learning yet, no portion was deny'd,
Friend to the Mufes and the Muses' pride,
Nor can Benaiah's worth forgotten lie,
Of steady foul when public ftorms were high ;
Whofe conduct, while the Moor fierce onfets made,
Secur'd at once our honour and our trade.

Shch were the chiefs who moft his fufferings mourn'd,
And view'd with filent joy the prince return'd;
While thofe that fought his abfence to betray,
Prefs first their naufeous false respects to pay;
Him ftill th' officious hypocrites moleft,
And with malicious duty break his reft.
While real tranfports thus his friends employ,
And foes are loud in their diffembled joy,
His triumphs fo refounded far and near,
Mifs'd not his young ambitious rival's ear;
And as when joyful hunters clamourous train
Some flumbering lion wakes in Moab's plain,

Who

Who oft had forc'd the bold affailants yield,
And scatter'd his purfuers through the field,
Difdaining, furls his mane and tears the ground,
His eyes enflaming all the defart round,
With roar of feas directs his chafers way,
Provokes from far, and dares them to the fray;
Such rage ftorm'd now in Abfalom's fierce breaft,
Such indignation his fir'd eyes confest;
Where now was the inftructor of his pride?
Slept the old pilot in fo rough a tide ?

Whofe wiles had from the happy fhore betray'd,
And thus on fhelves the credulous youth convey'd;
In deep revolving thoughts he weighs his ftate,
Secure of craft, nor doubts to baffle fate,

At least, if his ftorm'd bark must go adrift,
To baulk his charge, and for himself to shift,
In which his dextrous wit had oft been fhown,
And in the wreck of kingdoms fav'd his own;
But now with more than common danger preft,
Of various refolutions ftands poffeft,

Perceives the crowd's unftable zcal decay,
Left their recanting chief the cause betray,
Who on a father's grace his hopes may ground,
And for his pardon with their heads compound.
Him therefore, ere his fortune flip her time,
The ftatefman plots t' engage in fome bold crime
Paft pardon, whether to attempt his bed,
Or threat with open arms the royal head,
Or other daring method, and unjust,
That may confirm him in the people's truft.

But

But failing thus t'enfnare him, nor fecure
How long his foil'd ambition may endure,
Plots next to lay him by as paft his date,
And try fome new pretender's luckier fate;
Whofe hopes with equal toil he would pursue,
Nor cares what claimer 's crown'd, except the true.
Wake, Abfalom, approaching ruin fhun,
And fee, O fee, for whom thou art undone !
How are thy honours and thy fame betray'd,
The property of desperate villains made?

Loft power and confcious fears their crimes create,
And guilt in them was little lefs than fate;
But why shouldst thou, from every grievance free,
Forfake thy vineyards for their formy fea?
For thee did Canaan's milk and honey flow,
Love drefs'd thy bowers, and laurels fought thy brow,
Preferment, wealth, and power, thy vaffals were,
And of a monarch all things but the care.

Oh fhould our crimes again that curfe draw down,
And rebel-arms once more attempt the crown,
Sure ruin waits unhappy Absalom,

Alike by conqueft or defeat undone ;

Who could relentlefs fee fuch youth and charms,
Expire with wretched fate in impious arms?

A prince fo form'd with earth's and heaven's applause,
To triumph o'er crown'd heads in David's cause :
Or grant him victor, ftill his hopes must fail,
Who conquering would not for himself prevail;
The faction whom he trufts for future fway,

Him and the public would alike betray;

Amongst

Amongst themselves divide the captive state,

And found their hydra-empire in his fate!
Thus having beat the clouds with painful flight,
The pity'd youth, with scepters in his fight,
So have their cruel politics decreed,

Muft, by that crew that made him guilty, bleed!
For could their pride brook any prince's sway,
Whom but mild David would they chufe t' obey?
Who once at fuch a gentle reign repine,
The fall of monarchy itfelf defign;

From hate to that their reformations spring,
And David not their grievance, but the king.
Seiz'd now with panic fear the faction lies,
Left this clear truth ftrike Abfalom's charm'd eyes,
Left he perceive, from long enchantment free,
What all befide the flatter'd youth muft fee.
But whate'er doubts his troubled bofom fwell,
Fair carriage ftill became Achitophel.
Who now an envious feftival enftals,

And to furvey their strength the faction calls,
Which fraud, religious worship too must gild;
But oh how weakly does fedition build?
For lo! the royal mandate iffues forth,
Dashing at once their treafon, zeal, and mirth
So have I feen difaftrous chance invade,
Where careful emmets had their forage laid,
Whether fierce Vulcan's rage the furzy plain
Had feiz'd, engender'd by fome careless swain ;
Or fwelling Neptune lawless inroads made,
And to their cell of ftore his flood convey'd ;

The