Anti-Achitophel | Page 7

Work they mark.?In this lone Cell their Midnight-Hands bestow'd?A _Stygian_ Compound, a combustive load?Of Mixture wondrous, Execution dire,?Ready the Touch of their Infernal Fire.?Have you not seen in yon ?thereal Road,?How at the Rage of th'angry driving God,?Beneath the pressure of his furious wheels?The Heav'ns all rattle, and the Globe all reels??So does this Thunder's Ape its lightning play,?Keen as Heav'ns Fires, and scarce less swift than they.?A short-liv'd glaring Murderer it flies, } In Times least pulse, a Moments wing'd surprize; } 'Tis born, looks big, talks lowd, breaths death, and dies. } This Mixture was th'Invention of a Priest;?The Sulphurous Ingredients all the best?Of Hells own growth: for to dire Compounds still?Hell finds the Minerals, and the Priest the Skill.
From this curst Mine they had that blow decreed,?A Moments dismal blast, as should exceed?All the Storms, Battles, Murders, Massacres,?And all the strokes of Daggers, Swords, or Spears,?Since first _Cain's_ hand at _Abels_ Head was lift:?A Blow more swift than Pestilence, more swift?Than ever a destroying Angel rod,?To pour the Vial of an angry God.
The Train was laid, the very Signal giv'n;?But here th'all-seeing, _Israels_ Guardian, Heav'n?Could hold no longer; and to stop their way,?With a kind Beam from th'Empyr?an Day,?Disclos'd their hammering Thunder at the Forge;?And made their Cyclops Cave their Bolts disgorge.
Discover'd thus, thus lost, betray'd, undone,?Yet still untir'd, the Restless Cause goes on;?And to retrieve a yet auspicious day,?A glowing spark even in their Ashes lay,?Which thus burst out in flames. In _Geshur_ Land,?The utmost Bound of _Israels_ Command,?Where _Judah's_ planted Faith but slowly grew,?A Brutal Race that _Israels_ God n'er knew:?A Nation by the Conquerors Mercy grac'd,?Their Gods preserv'd, and Temples undefac'd;?Yet not content with all the Sweets of Peace,?Free their Estates, and free their Consciences;?'Gainst _Israel_ those confederate Swords they drew,?Which with that vast Assassination flew?Two hundred thousand Butcher'd Victims shar'd?One common doom: No Sex nor Age was spar'd:?Not kneeling Beauties Tears, not Virgins Cries,?Nor Infants Smiles: No prey so small but dies.?Alas, the hard-mouth'd Blood-hound, Zeal, bites through;?Religion hunts, and hungry Jaws pursue.?To what strange Rage is Superstition driven,?That Man can outdo Hell to fight for Heav'n!?So Rebel _Geshur_ fought: so drown'd in gore,?Even Mother Earth blusht at the Sons she bore;?And still asham'd of her old staining Brand,?Her Head shrinks down and Quagmires half their Land.?Yet not this blow _Baals_ Empire could enlarge?For _Israel_ still was Heav'ns peculiar charge:?Unshaken still in all this Scene of Blood,?Truths Temple firm on Golden Columns stood.?Whilst _Sauls_ Revenging Arm proud _Geshur_ scourg'd,?From their rank soyl their _Hydra's_ poyson purg'd.
Yet does not here their vanquish'd spleen give o're,?But as untir'd, and restless as before,?Still through whole waiting Ages they outdo?At once the Chimists pains and patience too.?Who though he sees his bursting Limbecks crack,?And at one blast, one fatal Minutes wrack,?The forward Hopes of sweating years expire;?With sad, yet painful hand new lights his Fire:?Pale, lean, and wan, does Health, Wealth, all consume;?Yet for the great Elixir still to come,?Toyls and hopes on. No less their Plottings cease;?So hope, so toyl, the foes of _Israels_ peace.
When lo, a long expected day appears,?Sought for above a hundred rowling years;?A day i'th' register of Doom set down,?Presents 'em with an Heir of _Israels_ Crown.?Here their vast hopes of the rich _Israels_ spoils,?Requites the pains of their long Ages Toyls.?_Baals_ Banners now i'th' face of day shall march,?With Heav'ns bright Roof for his Triumphal Arch.?His lurking Missioners shall now no more?From Forreign Schools in borrow'd shapes come o're;?Convert by Moon-light, and their Mystick Rites?Preach to poor Female half-Soul'd Proselytes.?An all-commanding Dragon now shall soar,?Where the poor Serpents onely crawl'd before.?_Baals_ Restoration, that most blest Design, }?Now the great work of Majesty, shall shine, }?Made by his consecrating hand Divine. }?He shall new plant their Groves with each blest Tree,?A graft of an Imperial Nursery.?In the kind Air of this new _Eden_ blest,?Percht on each bough, and Palaces their nest;?No more by frighting Laws forc'd t'obscure flight,?And gloomy walks, like obscene Birds of Night;?Their warbling Notes like _Philomel_ shall sing,?And like the Bird of _Paradise_ their 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