Anti-Achitophel | Page 8

wing.
Thus _Israels_ Heir their ravisht Souls all fired;

For all things to their ardent hopes conspired.
His very youth a Bigot Mother bred,
And tainted even the Milk on
which he fed.
Him onely of her Sons design'd for _Baals_
Great
Champion 'gainst _Jerusalems_ proud Walls;
Him dipt in _Stygian_
Lake, by timely craft,
Invulnerable made against Truths pointed shaft.

But to confirm his early poyson'd Faith,
'Twas in the cursed
Forreign Tents of _Gath_,
'Twas there that he was lost. There
_Absolon_
By _Davids_ fatal Banishment undone,
Saw their false
Gods till in their Fires he burn'd,
Truths Manna, for _Egyptian_
Fleshpots, scorn'd.
Not _David_ so; for he Faiths Champion Lord,

Their Altars loath'd, and prophane Rites abhorr'd:

Whilst his firm
Soul on wings of _Cherubs_ rod,
And tun'd his Lyre to nought but
_Abrahams_ God.
Thus the gay _Israel_ her long Tears quite dry'd,

Her restor'd _David_ met in all her Pride,
Three Brothers saw by

Miracle brought back,
Like _Noahs_ Sons sav'd from the worlds
great wrack;
An unbelieving _Ham_ graced on each hand,
'Twixt
God-like _Shem_, and pious _Japhet_ stand.
'Tis true, when _David_, all his storms blown o're,
Wafted by
Prodigies to _Jordans_ shore,
(So swift a Revolution, yet so calm)

Had cur'd an Ages wounds with one days Balm;
Here the returning
_Absolon_ his vows
With _Israel_ joyns, and at their Altars bows.

Perhaps surpriz'd at such strange blessings showr'd,
Such wonders
shewn both t'_Israels_ Faith, and Lord,
His Restoration-Miracle he
thought
Could by no less than _Israels_ God be wrought.
Whilst the
enlightened _Absolon_ thus kneels,
Thus dancing to the sound of
_Aarons_ Bells,
What dazling Rays did _Israels_ Heir adorn,
So
bright his Sun in his unclouded Morn!
'Twas then his leading hand in
Battle drew
That Sword that _Davids_ fam'd ten thousand slew:

_Davids_ the Cause, but _Absolons_ the Arm.
Then he could win all
Hearts, all Tongues could charm:
Whilst with his praise the ecchoing
plains all rung,
A thousand Timbrels play'd, a thousand Virgins sung;

And in the zeal of every jocund Soul,
_Absolons_ Health with
_Davids_ crown'd one Bowl.
Had he fixt here, yes, Fate, had he fixt here,
To Man so Sacred, and to
Heav'n so dear,
What could he want that Hands, Hearts, Lives could
pay,
Or Tributary Worlds beneath his feet could lay?
What Knees,
what Necks to mount him to his Throne;
What Gems, what Stars to
sparkle in his Crown?
So pleas'd, so charm'd, had _Israels_ Genius
smil'd;
But oh the Pow'rs, by treacherous snakes beguil'd,
Into a
more than _Adams_ Curse he run,
Tasting that Fruit has _Israels_
World undone.
Nay, wretched even below his falling state,
Wants
_Adams_ Eyes to see his _Adams_ Fate.
In vain was _Davids_ Harp
and _Israels_ Quire;
For his Conversion all in vain conspire:
For
though their influence a while retires,
His own false Planets were
th'Ascendant Fires.
Heav'n had no lasting Miracle design'd;
It did a

while his fatal Torrent bind.
As _Joshua's_ Wand did _Jordan's_
streams divide,
And rang'd the watry Mountains on each side.
But
when the marching _Israel_ once got o're, }
Down crack the Chrystal
Walls the Billows pow'r, }
And in their old impetuous Channel
roar. }
At this last stroke thus totally o'rethrown,
Apostasie now seal'd him
all her own.
Here ope'd that gaping Breach, that fatal door,
Which
now let in a thousand Ruines more.
All the bright Virtues, and each
dazling Grace,
Which his rich Veins drew from a God-like Race;

The Mercy, and the Clemency Divine,
Those Sacred Beams which in
mild _David_ shine;
Those Royal Sparks, his Native Seeds of Light,

Were all put out, and left a Starless Night.
A long farewel to all
that's Great and Brave:
Not Cataracts more headstrong; as the Grave

Inexorable; Sullen and Untun'd
As Pride depos'd; scarce _Lucifer_
dethron'd
More Unforgiving; his enchanted Soul
Had drank so deep
of the bewitching Bowl,
Till he whose hand, with _Judahs_ Standart,
bore
Her Martial Thunder to the _Tyrian_ shore,
Arm'd in her Wars,
and in her Laurels crown'd;
Now all forgotten at one stagg'ring
wound,
Falling from _Israels_ Faith; from _Israels_ Cause,
Peace,
Honour, Int'rest, all at once withdraws:
Nor is he deaf t'a Kingdoms
Groans alone,
But could behold ev'n _Davids_ shaking Throne;

_David_, whose Bounty rais'd his glittering Pride,
The Basis of his
Glories Pyramide.
But Duty, Gratitude, all ruin'd fall:
Zeal blazes,
and Oblivion swallows all.
So _Sodom_ did both burnt and drown'd
expire;
A poyson'd Lake succeeds a Pile of Fire.
On this Foundation _Baals_ last Hope was built,
The sure Retreat for
all their Sallying Guilt:
A Royal Harbour, where the rowling Pride

Of _Israels_ Foes might safe at Anchor ride;
Defie all Dangers, and
even Tempests scorn,

Though _Judahs_ God should Thunder in the
Storm.
Here _Israels_ Laws, the dull Levitick Rolls,
At once a clog to

Empire, and to Souls,
Are the first Martyrs to the Fire they doom,

To make great _Baals_ Triumphant Legends room.
But ere their
hands this glorious work can Crown,
Their long-known Foe the
Sanedrin must down;
Sanedrins the Free-born _Israels_ Sacred Right,

That God-like Ballance of Imperial Might;
Where Subjects are
from Tyrant-Lords set free,
_From that wild Thing unbounded man
would be_;
Where Pow'r and Clemency are poys'd so even,
A
Constitution that resembles Heav'n.
So in th'united great
THREE-ONE we find
A Saving with a Dooming Godhead joyn'd.

(But why, oh why! if such restraining pow'r
Can bind Omnipotence,
should Kings wish