"The glory of our wrath to him afford ?

"Are we not Furies ftill, and you our lord?

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“At thy dread anger the fix'd world shall shake, "And frighted Nature her own laws forfake: "Do thou but threat, loud ftorms fhall make reply, 175 "And thunder echo 't to the trembling sky; "Whilft raging feas fwell to fo bold an height, "As fhall the fire's proud element affright: "Th' old drudging fun from his long-beaten way "Shall at thy voice start, and mifguide the day; 180 “The jocund orbs shall break their measur'd pace, "And stubborn poles change their allotted place; "Heaven's gilded troops shall flutter here and there, "Leaving their boafting fongs tun'd to a fphere; "Nay, their God too—for fear he did, when we "Took noble arms against his tyranny, "So noble arms, and in a cause fo great, "That triumphs they deserve for their defeat. "There was a day! oh might I see 't again, "Though he had fiercer flames to thrust us in! "And can fuch powers be by a child withstood? "Will flings, alas! or pebbles, do him good? "What th' untam'd lion, whet with hunger too, "And giants, could not, that my word fhall do: "I'll foon diffolve this peace; were Saul's new love "(But Saul we know) great as my hate shall prove, "Before their fun twice more be gone about, "I and my faithful fnakes would drive it out. "By me, Cain offer'd up his brother's gore, "A facrifice far worse than that before ;

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"I faw him fling the ftone, as if he meant "At once his murder and his monument, "And laugh'd to fee (for 'twas a goodly show) “The earth by her first tiller fatten’d so: "I drove proud Pharaoh to the parted fea ; "He and his hoft drank up cold death by me: "By me rebellious arms fierce Corah took, "And Mofes (curse upon that name!) forfook; "Hither (ye know) almost alive he came "Through the cleft earth; ours was his funeral flame : "By me--but I lose time, methinks, and should "Perform new acts whilft I relate the old. "David 's the next our fury muft enjoy :

"'Tis not thy God himself shall save thee, boy! "No, if he do, may the whole world have peace; 215 "May all ill actions, all ill fortune, cease, "And, banish'd from this potent court below, "May I a ragged, contemn'd Virtue grow!” She spoke; all star'd at first, and made a pause; But ftrait the general murmur of applause

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Ran through Death's courts; fhe frown'd ftill, and begun
To envy at the praise herself had won.

Great Beelzebub starts from his burning throne
To 'embrace the Fiend, but fhe, now furious grown
To act her part; thrice bow'd, and thence she fled;
The fnakes all hifs'd, the fiends all murmured.
It was the time when filent night began
T'enchain with fleep the bufy fpirits of man;
And Saul himself, though in his troubled breast
The weight of empire lay, took gentle reft;

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So

So did not Envy; but with hafte arose;

"Shine on" fays fhe,

And, as through Ifrael's ftately towns the goes,
She frowns, and shakes her head;
"Ruins ere long fhall your fole monuments be."
The filver moon with terror paler grew,

And neighbouring Hermon sweated flowery dew;
Swift Jordan started, and strait backward fled,
Hiding among thick reeds his aged head:
Lo, at her entrance Saul's ftrong palace shook;
And nimbly there the reverend shape she took
Of Father Benjamin; fo long her beard,
So large her limbs, fo grave her looks, appear'd,
Just like his ftatue, which beftrid Saul's gate,
And feem'd to guard the race it did create.

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In this known form fhe' approach'd the tyrant's fide; And thus her words the facred form bely'd:

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"Arife, loft king of Ifrael! canft thou lie "Dead in this fleep, and yet thy last so nigh? "If king thou be'ft, if Jeffe's race as yet "Sit not on Ifrael's throne! and shall he fit? "Did ye for this from fruitful Egypt fly? "From the mild brickhill's nobler slavery? "For this, did feas your powerful rod obey ? "Did wonders guide, and feed, you on your way? "Could ye not there great Pharaoh's bondage bear, 255 "You who can ferve a boy, and minstrel, here ?

Forbid it, God! if thou be'st just; this shame "Caft not on Saul's, on mine, and Ifrael's, name! "Why was I elfe from Canaan's famine led?

Happy, thrice happy, had I there been dead,

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"Ere my full loins discharg'd this numerous race, "This lucklefs tribe, ev'n crown'd to their disgrace! "Ah, Saul! thy fervant's vaffal must thou live? "Place to his harp muft thy dread sceptre give? "What wants he now but that? canft thou forget 265

(If thou be'ft man thou canst not) how they met "The youth with fongs? alas ! poor monarch! you "Your thousand only, he ten thousand, flew ! "Him Ifrael loves, him neighbouring countries fear; "You but the name and empty title bear. "And yet the traitor lives, lives in thy court; "The court that must be his; where he shall sport "Himself with all thy concubines, thy gold,

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66 Thy coftly robes, thy crown. Wert thou not told
"This by proud Samuel, when at Gilgal he
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"With bold falfe threats from God affronted thee?
"The dotard ly'd; God said it not, I know;
"Not Baal or Moloch would have us'd thee fo.
"Was not the choice his own? did not thy worth
"Exact the royal lot, and call it forth?

"Haft thou not fince (my best and greatest son!)
"To him, and to his perishing nation, done
"Such lafting benefits as may justly claim

"A fceptre as eternal as thy fame ?

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"Poor prince! whom madmen, priests, and boys, invade; "By thine own flesh, thy ungrateful fon, betray'd! "Unnatural fool! who can thus cheated be

"By friendship's name, against a crown and thee! "Betray not too thyfelf; take courage, call

"Thy' enchanted virtues forth, and be whole Saul. 290

"Lo! this great cause makes thy dead fathers rife, “Breaks the firm feals of their clos'd tombs and eyes. "Nor can their jealous ashes, whilst this boy "Survives, the privilege of their graves enjoy. "Rife quickly, Saul! and take that rebel's breath, 295 "Which troubles thus thy life, and ev'n our death: "Kill him, and thou 'rt fecure; 'tis only he "That's boldly interpos'd 'twixt God and thee, "As earth's low globe robs the high moon of light; "When this eclipfe is paft, thy fate 's all bright. 300 "Trust me, dear fon! and credit what I tell ; "I've feen thy royal ftars, and know them well. "Hence, fears and dull delays! is not thy breast "(Yes, Saul, it is) with noble thoughts poffeft?

May they beget like acts!" With that she takes 305 One of her worst, her beft-beloved fnakes:

Softly, dear worm! foft and unfeen," said she, "Into his bofom steal, and in it be

My viceroy." At that word fhe took her flight, And her loose shape diffolv'd into the night.

Th' infected king leapt from his bed amaz`d, Scarce knew himself at first, but round him gaz'd; And started back at piec'd-up shapes, which fear And his distracted fancy painted there:

Terror froze up his hair, and on his face

Showers of cold sweat roll'd trembling down apace.
Then knocking with his angry hands his breast,
Earth with his feet, he cries, "Oh! 'tis confeft;
"I've been a pious fool, a woman-king;
"Wrong'd by a feer, a boy, every thing.

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"Eight