Les ún the repeated wars of Tyre,

sem's avenging fire; pare terror these our state o'er-ran, Lace car evidencing days began! 7k a pale confufion fat,

ar beyond the worst of fate!

- no more; art, fcience, uftlefs made;
tions left but Corah's trade.
at guard on modeft Corah wait,
for tv, needful yet for state.

deem each peerand prince hisflave, er the tribes which he could fave: anem was virtue-what fad fate

onefty had feiz'd our ftate!
at tyranny had we been curft,
Lever prov'd a villain firft!

his knowledge of th' intrigue in
las! to our deponent's lofs: [grofs,
td Levite had th' experience got,
well, and make the beft of 's plot;
fore, like an evidence of skill,
⚫treterves fecur'd his penfion ftill;
e of future pow'r himleif bereft,
arge for unbelievers left.

And ifth'imagin'd guilt thuswound mythought,
What will it when the tragic fcene is wrought?
Dire war must first be conjur'd from below,
The realm we'd rule we first muit overthrow;
And when the civil furies are on wing,
Thatblindandundiflinguifh'd flaughters fling,
Who knows what impious chance may reach
the king?

Oh! rather let me perish in the strife,
Than have my crown the price of David's life!
Or, if the tempeft of the war he ftand,
In peace, fome vile officious villain's hand
His foul's anointed temple may invade;
Or, prefs'd by clam'rous crowds, myself be made
His murderer-rebellious crowds, whofe guilt
Shall dread his vengeance till his blood be spilt.
Which if my filial tenderness oppose,
Since to the empire by their arms I rofe,
Thofe very arms on me fhall be employ'd,
A new ufurper crown'd, and I destroy'd.
The fame pretence of public good will hold,
And new Achitophels be found as bold
To urge the needful change, perhaps the old.

He faid: the ftatefman with a smile replies, is writ iuch reverence had got, A fmile that did his rifing fpleen disguise: wre than plotting to fufpect his plot. My thoughts prefum'd our labours at an end, well convinc'd, they made no doubt And are we fill with ccnfcience to contend, e. to help the founder'd fwearers out. Whofe want in kings as needful is allow'd their fente impos'd on by their fear, As 'tis for them to find it in the crowd? *fe interest fake believe and fwear: Far in the doubtful paffage you are gone, theight with fome the phrenzy grew, And only can be fafe by preffing on. tfind their danger not prove true. The crown's true heir, a prince fevere and wife, all thefe a viler crew remain, Has view'd your motions long with jealous eyes; Acaitopnel the cry maintain; Your perfon's charms, your more prevailing arts, poly tear, nor thro' mifguided fenfe- And mark'd your progrefs in the people's hearts, ditarving need had fome pretence-Whole patience is the effect of ftinted pow'r, good old caufe that did excite But treasures vengeance for the fatal hour; bel's wiles-revenge and fpite. And, if remote the peril he can bring, the plot to have the fcandal thrown Your prefent danger's greater from the king. ight fucceffor of the crown, Let not a parent's name deceive your fenfe, e with fuch wrongs they hadpursued, Nor truft the father in a jealous prince! all hope of pardon to exclude. Your trivial faults if he could fo refent, e on private ends their zeal is built, To doom you little less than banishment, ted crowd applaud and fhare their guilt. What rage muft your prefumption fince infpire! practices as thefe, too grofs to lie Againft his orders you return from Tyre. wbery'd by each difcerning eye, Nor only fo, but with a pomp more high, And open court of popularity,

dicious Ifraelites unfpell'd, thi the charm the giddy rabble held. Attalom, amidst the dazzling beams

t, and ambition's flatt'ring dreams,

the plot, too foul to be excus'd, deigns, no lefs pernicious, us'd:

a fenfe yet ftriving in his breast,

to Achitophel his doubts exprefs'd:

are my thoughts upon a crown employ'd,
once obtain'd can be but half enjoy'd?
when virtue did my arms require,
tomy father's wars I flew entire.

pow'r how will my foes refent, Ielf have fcarce my own confent! Teaton's unblemish'd truth again,

the parks of duty that remain. et to force a throne that legions guard me; to prove unjuft, Low hard!

The factioustribes-And this reproof from thee?
The prince replies, O ftatefman's winding skill!
They firft condemn that first advis'd the ill!
Illuftrious youth, return'd Achitophel,
Mifconftrue not the words that mean you well.
The course you fteer I worthy blame conclude,
But 'tis because you leave it unpursued.
A monarch's crown with fate furrounded lies;
Who reach, lay hold on death that miss the prize.
Did you for this expose yourself to fhow,
And to the crowd bow popularly low?
For this your glorious progrefs next ordain,
With chariots, horfemen, and a numerous train;
With fame before you like the morning ftar,
And fhouts of joy faluting from afar?
Oh,fromtheheightsyou've reach'dbut takeaview,
Scarce leading Lucifer could fall like you!

And

And must I here my fhipwreck'd arts bemoan? For if fucceffion once to nought they b
Have I for this fo oft made Ifrael groan?
Your fingle int'reft with the nation weigh'd;
And turn'd the fcale where your defires were laid?
Even when at helm a courte fo dang'rous mov'd
To land your hopes as my removal prov'd?

I not difpute, the royal youth replies,
The known perfection of your policies;
Nor in Achitophel yet grudge or blame
The privilege that ftateimen ever claim;
Who private int'reft never yet purfued,
But ftill pretended 'twas for others' good:
What politician yet e'er fcap'd his fate,
Who faving his own neck not fav'd the ftate?
From hence on ev'ry humorous wind that
veer'd,

With fhifted fails a feveral courfe you steer'd.
What from a fway did David e'er purfue,
That feem'd like abfolute, but fprung from you?
Who at your inftance quifh'd each penal law,
That kept diffenting factious Jews in awe;
And who fufpends fix'd laws, may abrogate;
That done, form new, and fo enflave the ftate.
Even property, whofe champion now you ftand,
And feem for this the idol of the land,
Did ne'er fuftain fuch violence before,
As when your counfel fhut the royal store ;
Advice, that ruin to whole tribes procur'd,
But fecret kept till your own banks fecur'd.
Recount with this the triple cov❜nant broke,
And Ifrael fitted for a foreign yoke;
Nor here your counfel's fatal progrefs ftaid,
But fent our levied pow'rs to Pharaoh's aid.
Hence Tyre and Ifrael low in ruins laid,
And Egypt, once their fcorn, their common
terror made,

Even yet of fuch a feafon can we dream,
When royal rights you made your darlingtheme,
For pow'r unlimited could reafons draw,
And place prerogative above the law;
Which on your fall from office grew unjuft,
The laws made king, the king a flave in truft:
Whom with ftate-craft, to int'reft only true,
You now accufe of ills contriv'd by you.

To this hell's agent-Royal youth, fix here,
Let int'reft be the ftar by which you fteer;
Hence to repose your truft in me was wife,
Whofe int'reft molt in your advancement lies:
A tie fo firm as always will avail,
When friendship, nature, and religion, fail.
On ours the safety of the crowd depends;
Secure the crowd, and we obtain our ends;
Whom I will caufe fo far our guilt to thare,
Till they are made our champions by their fear.
What oppofition can your rival bring,
While fanhedrims are jealous of the king?
His strength as yet in David's friendship lies,
And what can David's felf without fupplies?
Who with exclufive bills must now difpenfe,
Debar the heir, or ftarve in his defence;
Conditions which our elders ne'er will quit,
And David's juftice never can admit.
Or forc'd by wants his brother to betray,
To your ambition next he clears the way;

Their next advance removes the prefent
Perfifting elfe his fenates to diffolve,
In equal hazard fhall his reign involve.
Our tribes, whomPharaoh'spow'rfomuch al
Shall rife without their prince t'oppofe his
Nor boots it on what caufe at first they jo
Their troops once up are tools for our det
At leaft fuch fubtile cov'nants shall be m
Till peace itfelf is war in mafquerade.
Affociations of myfterious fenfe,
Against, but feeming for, the king's def
E'en on their courts of justice fetters dra
And from our agents muzzle up their las
By which a conqueft if we fail to make,
'Tis a drawn game at worst, and we fecur
stake.

He faid; and for the dire fuccefs depen
On various fects, by common guilt made
Whofe heads, tho' ne'er fodift ring intheir
I' th' point of treafon yet were well agre
Mongft thefe, extorting Ithban firft appe
Purfued by mengie troops of bankrupt he
Blett times, when Ithban, he whofe occur
So long has been to cheat, reforms the nati
Ifhban of confcience fuited to his trade,
As good a faint as ufurer ever made.
Yet Mammon has not so engrofs'd him qu
But Belial lays as large a claim of fpite;
Who,for thofe pardons from his prince he d
Return reproaches, and cries up the caule.
That year in which the city he did sway,
He left rebellion in a hopeful way.
Yet his ambition once was found so bold,
To offer talents of extorted gold;
Could David's wants have fo been brib
fhame

And fcandalize our peerage with his name
For which, his dear fedition he'd forfwear,
And ev'n turn loyal to be made a peer.
Next him, let railing Rabfheka have place,
So full of zeal he has no need of grace;
A faint that can both flesh and fpirit ule,
Alike haunt conventicles and the stews:
Of whom the queftion difficult appears,
If moft i' th' preacher's or the bawd's arre
What caution could appear too much in
That keeps the treasure of Jerufalem!
Let David's brother but approach the town
Double our guards, he cries, we are und
Protetting that he dares not fleep in sh
Left he should rife next morn without he

"Next thefe, a troop of bufy spirits pr.
Of little fortunes, and of confcience lets;
With them the tribe, whofe luxury had d
Their banks, in former fequeftratiers get
Who rich and great by pait rebellions gre
And long to fith the troubled itreams antw
Some future hopes,fonie prefent payment de
To fell their confcience and efpoule the c
Such ftipends thofe vile hirelings belt betit.
Priefts without grace, and poets without w
Shall that falfe Hebronite elcape our curie,
Judas that keeps the rebels' penfive purse;

Jus that pays the treason-writer's fee,
Jades the well deferves his namesake's tree;
Wa Jerufalem's own gates erects
Hage for a nursery of fects;

Young prophets with an early care fecures,
Ast with the dung of his own arts manures?
What have the men of Hebron here todo?
Wat part in Ifrael's promis'd land have you?
Hat Phile the lay-Hebronite is come,
Ce like the reft he could not live at home;
Was from his own poffeffions could not drain
Ameen of Hebronitish grain,
Habit like a patriot, and talks high
Orai fubjects, alter d property:

en of that buzzing infect juft, Thats the wheel, and thinks the raifes duft. Cady bones live? or skeletons produce eval warmth of cuckoldizing juice? Paleg could, and at the table fed, n'd the grateful product to the bed. A waiting man to travelling nobles chofe, own laws would faucily impofe; bafinadoed back again he went, Talarn thofe manners he to teach was fent. C'd he ought to have retreated home; reads politics to Abfalom.

Which, if he jumbles to one line of fenfe,
Indict him of a capital offence.

In fire-works give him leave to vent his fpite,
Thofe are the only ferpents he can write;
The height of his ambition is, we know,
But to be mafter of a puppet-fhow;
On that one stage his works may yet appear:
And a month's harvest keeps him all the year.
Now ftop your nofes, readers, all and fonie,
For here's a tun of midnight-work to come,
Og from a treafon-tavern rolling home.
Round as a globe, and liquor'd ev'ry chink,
Goodly and great he fails behind his link;
With all this bulk there's nothing loft in Og;
For every inch that is not fool, is rogue:
A monftrous mafs of foul corrupted matter,
As all the devils had fpew'd to make the batter.
When wine has given him courage to blafpheme,
He curfes God, but God before curs'd him;
And, if man could have reafon, none has more,
That made his paunch so rich, and him to poor.
With wealth hewas not trufted, for Heaven knew
What 'twas of old to pamper up a Jew;
To what would he on quail and pheafant fwell,
That e'en on tripe and carrion could rebel?
But tho' Heaven made him poor, with rev'rence
fpeaking,

The wife and rich for purfe and council broug
The fools and beggars for their numbers forg
Who yet not only on the town depends,
For ev'n in court the faction had its friends
Thete thought the places they poffefs'd too in
And in their hearts with'd court and king to f
Whofe name the Muse disdaining,holds i'th'd.
Thruit in the villain herd without a mark;
With parafites and libel-pawning imps,
Intriguing fops, dull jefters, and worie pin
Difdan the rafcal rabble to purfue,
Their let cabals are yet a viler crew:
See where involv'd in common smoke they
Some for our mirth, fome for our fatire fit:
Thefe gloomy, thoughtful, and on mifchief be
While thote for mere good fellowship frequ
The' appointed club, can let fedition pais,
Senfe, no fenfe, any thing, t' employ the gla
And who believe in their dull honeft hearts
The reft talk treafon but to fhew their parts
Who ne'er had wit or will for mischief yet,
But pleas'd to be reputed of a fet.

But, in the sacred annals of our plot,
Induttrious Arod never be forgot;
The labours of this midnight magiftrate
May vie with Corah's to preferve the state,
In fearch of arms he fail'd not to lay hold
He never was a poet of God's making, On war's most pow'rful, dangerous weapon, g
The midwife laid her hand on his thick skull, And laft, to take from Jebusites all odds,
With this prophetic blefling-"Be thou dull; Their altars pillag'd, ftole their very gods.
Drink, fwear, and roar; forbear no lewd delight Oft would he cry, when treasure he furpris
Fit for thy bulk; do any thing but write: 'Tis Baalith gold in David's coin difguis'd:
Thou art of lafting make, like thoughtless men; Which to his houfe with richer relics came,
A ftrong nativity-but for the pen!
While lumber idols only fed the flame:
Eat opium, mingle arfenic in thy drink, For our wife rabble ne'er took pains to enq
Still thou may ft live, avoiding pen and ink: What 'twas he burnt, fo't made a roufing
I fee, I fee, 'tis counfel given in vain,
With which our elder was enrich'd no more
For treafon botch'd in rhyme will be thy bane: Than falfe Gehazi with the Syrian's store;
Rhyme is the rock on which thou art to wreck, So poor, that when our choosing tribes were
'Tis fatal to thy fame and to thy neck: Ev'n for his ftinking votes he ran in debt;
Why thould thy metre good king David blast ? For meat the wicked, and, as authors think,
A pfalm of his will furely be thy laft.
The faints he chous'd for his electing drink
Dar't thou prefaire in verfe to meet thy foes,Thus ev'ry shift and fubtle method past,
Thou whom the penny pamphlet foil'd in profe? And all to be no Zaken at the kit,

Doeg, whom God for mankind's inirth has made,
O'ertops thy talent in thy very trade:
Doeg to thee, thy paintings are fo coarfe,
A poet is, tho' he 's the poet's horfe.
A double noofe thou on thy neck dost pull
For writing treafon, and for writing dull :
To die for f&tion is a common evil;
But to be fring'd for nonfente is the devil.
Had thou the glories of thy king expref
Thy praifes had been fatire at the buit;
But thou in clumfy verte, unlick'd, un
Haft framefully defied the Lord's ano`ed:
I will not take the dunghill of thy crimes,
Forwho would read thy site that reads thy rhymes:
But of king David's foes be this the doom,
May all be like the young man Abfalom
And for my foes, may this their bletling be,
To talk like Doeg, and to write like thee!"
Achitophel each rank, degree, and age,
For various ends neglects not to engage

.ced.

Now, rais'd on Tyre's fad ruins, Pharao!

pride

Soar'd high, his legionsthreat'ning far and wi
As when a battering form engender'd high,
By winds upheld, hangs hovering in the iky,
Is gaz'd upon by ev'ry trembling fwain;
This for his vineyard fears, and that his grai
For blooming plints, and flow'rs now openi
theft,

For lambs yean'd lately, and far-labouring be
To guard his stock each to the gods does Co
Uncertain where the fire-charg'd ouds will
Fen fo the doubtful nations watch his ar
With terror each expecting his alarms.
Where, Judah, where was now the lion's T
Thon only couldit the captive lands restore.
But thou, with inbred roils and faction pret,
From Egypt need it a guardian' with the ret
Thy prince from fanhedrims no cruft allow d
Too much the reprefenters of the crowd,

F

Who for their own defence give no fupply,
Be who the crown's prerogative mulk buy:
As monarch's right to violate
Mareful were, than to preferve the state!
pat dangers they divert their care,
their fears are of the royal heir;
now the reigning malice of his foes,
wouldfentence, and ere crown'd depofe;
on the pretence, but their decree

Eign, whate'er his faith fhall be ! abes and clam'rous crowds thus preft, Was rent the righteous David's breaft! To not how t' oppofe or to comply, gant, and dang`rous to deny !

this dark junéture Ifrael's fate, one fole expedient could create, id to extremest virtue did require, prince whofe downfall theyconfpire! dence David does with tears advise

e their rage: undaunted he complies. who, prodigal of blood and ease, te expos'd to winds and feas, contending with the waves and fire, ing danger in the wars of Tyre, ts now forlakes his native fand, ke an exile, quits the promis'd land! rach fearce from preffing tears refrains, unfully his royal ftate maintains; Lembracing on th' extremest shore revokes what he enjoin'd before: ades at last more truft to be allow'd and feas than to the raging crowd! er, rath Mule, the parting fcene to draw, ce charm'd is deep as theirs that faw! our attending nobles weep,

ailors fwell with tears the deep! train'd her courfe, and more amaz'd dars on the royal brothers gaz'd: The fole fear

ale to our fuffering hero bring,

the popular rage opprefs the king! ng, each for th other's danger griev'd, or the king, and feas the prince receiv'd. ard hero, while propitious gales, "thy confort's breath, infpire thy fails; y he tuft her beauties on a flood, thy triumphant fleets fo oft have rode! thy breast reclin'd her reft be deep,

All facred names of most divine esteem,
And to perfection all sustain’d by him;
Wife, juft, and conftant, courtly without art,
Swift to difcern and to reward defert;
No hour of his in fruitlefs eafe destroy'd,
But on the nobleft fubjects till employ'd:
Whofe fteady foul ne'er learnt to feparate
Between his monarch's int'reft and the state;
But heaps thofe bleffings on the royal head,
Which he well knows must be on fubjects fhed.
On what pretence could then the vulgar rage
Against his worth and native rights engage i
e?
Keligious fears their argument are made,
Religious fears his facred rights invade!
Of future fuperftition they complain,
And Jebufitic worship in his reign:
With fuch alarms his foes the crowd deceive,
With dangers frightwhichnot themselves believe.

[yield

Since nothing can our facred rights remove,
Whate'er the faith of the fucceffor prove:
Our Jews their ark fhall undisturb'd retain,
At least while their religion is their gain;
Who know, by old experience, Baal's commands
Not only claim'd their confcience but their lands;
TheygrudgeGod's tithes, howtherefore fhall they
An idol full poffeffion of the field?
Grant fuch a prince enthron'd, we must confels
The people's fufferings than that monarch's lefs,
Who muft to hard conditions still be bound,
And for his quiet with the crowd compound;
Or, fhould his thoughts to tyranny incline.
Where are the means to compafs the defign?
Our crown's revenues are too short a ftore,
And jealous fanhedrims would give no more.

As vain our fears of Egypt's potent aid,
Not fo has Pharaoh learnt ambition's trade;
Nor ever with fuch measures can comply,
As fhock the common rules of policy,
None dread like him the growth of Ifrael's king,
And he alone fufficient aids can bring ;
Who knows that prince to Egypt can give law;
That on our ftubborn tribes his yoke could draw,
At fuch profound expence he has not food,
Nor dyed for this hi. hands fodeep inblood; [take,
Would ne'er thro' wrong and right his progrefs
Grudge his own reft, and keep the world awake,
To fix a lawlefs prince on Juda's throne,
First to invade our rights, and then his own:
His dear-gain'd conquefts cheaply to defpoil,
Aud reap the harvests of his crimes and toil.
We grant his wealth vast as our ocean's fand,
And curfe its fatal influence on our land,
Which our brib'd Jews fo nun'rously partake,
That ev'n an hot his pentioners would make;
From thefe deceivers our divifions fpring,
Our weaknefs, and the growth of Egypt's king;
Thefe, with pretended friendship to the state,
Our crowd's fufpicion of their prince create ;
Both pleas'd and frighten'd with the fpecious cry,
in the worst of men the nobleft parts
To guard their facred rights and property;
To ruin thus the chofen flock are fold,
and he triumphs in their hearts, While wolves are ta'en for guardians of the fold;
bp, foldier, kinfman, prince, and friend. And loath the manna of a gentle reign:
sking the best refpects commend Seduc'd by these we groundlessly complain,

ke a Nereid by waves all p; apicit dreams her fancy entertain, **Liyuan fields convert the main!

44 hero, while the fhores of Tyre
pach fo fent fhall admire,
aythunder fill their thoughts employ,
thy landing with a trembling joy.
es thus the prophet's fate is thrown,
y ev'ry nation but their own;
factions Jews his worth deny,
ng confcience gives their tongue the

,

X 2

Thus