ELEGY Upon the death of SAUL and JONATHAN 2 Sam. 1. Considera Israel pro hiis qui mortui I. ISRAELS delight the glory of our Land How are the Mighty overthrown Before their Enemies Swords they could not stand Nor conquer'd fall by any but their own In Thy High-places Israel both did fall A publick Victim for their Land in view of all II. Let not in Gath the mournful News be known Nor in Philistia publish it Stop the Report e're it reach Ascalon Nor let our Captive names their Arches fit Lest fearful Women whom they left at Home With Songs to share the Spoil and meet their Triumph come III. And ye Gilboas Mounts may never Rain Or fertile Showres descend on you But on your Heads let there abide that stain Which Seas should they pour down would but renew Let the curst Earth no more an Offering yield Nor God expect his First-fruits from the empty Field IV. 'T was there the valiant Saul resign'd his Breath And there his Shield was thrown away Never was such a Trophy rear'd to Death Nor ever sacred arms so scattered lay The valiant Saul's as if he ne're had been The Lord 's Anointed or his Chosen Peoples King V. From the pursuit the Bow of Jonathan Some Regal Spoil did daily bring Destruction after his fleet arrows ran And at the Wounds they made Death entred in The Sword of Saul did never empty come But a new Purple from the Blood of Kings brought home VI. Alike in Life in Death alike they were Not more in Blood ally'd than Mind Themselves alone you with them could compare Who none their equals saw or left behind And on their arms there hung such Victory That Men they only seem'd because they both could die VII For as the Eagle to her Prey does haste And hovering o're the Quarry flies Or the fierce Lion having once a taste Of Blood does all the Shepherds noise despise And at their Slings no shew of fear does make Like Lions they o're-came like Eagles did o're-take VIII And you O Daughters of so great a King Our Tribes support his Death lament Whose Victories you before were wont to Sing And clad in Scarlet to adorn them went Now put on Mourning to attend his Hearse Sad as your own complaints and mournful as my Verse IX For Lo the Glories of our State and Land Lo how the Mighty are o're-thrown Before their Enemies Swords they could not stand Tho Saul by none could perish but his own In thy High-places Jonathan thou didst fall A publick Victim where thou shouldst have reigned o're all X. For thee my Brother 't is for thee I grieve The best of Friends as well as Men In whose Death I that fatal Wound receive Which clos'd will ne're be till we meet again And in the Mansions of the Saints above Enjoy what here we vow'd our more than mortal love XI Israels Delight the Glory of our Land How are the Mighty overthrown Before his Enemies Sword one could not stand Nor th' other fall by any but his own In thy High-places Israel both did fall A publick Victim for their Land in view of all DAVID's Thansgiving and Prayer Ingressus est autem Rex David sedit coram Domino dixit Quis ego sum Domine quae I. WHO am I Lord and what 's my Family The youngest House of the Jessean Race In all things little but that Grace Which Thou on us hast shour'd but most on me Who am I that Thou hitherto Hast brought me Lord Thy Bounty and Thy Power to show II. Hitherto Thou hast brought me and that Hand Which for a Sling and Sheephook was design'd A nobler Service is enjoyn'd And Men instead of Flocks are my command Israel the Flock and care Divine And my exalted Name does midst rich Trophies shine III. Like the great Mens of th' Earth Thou ' hast made my Name And yet as if all this were not enough And thousand Pledges more of Love But the foundation only of that Frame Thou in Thy mind hadst cast to raise Of future Glories Thou foretell'st and growing Praise IV. Of Times to come Thou ' hast told long hence to come And that my House and Throne upheld shall be Like a Prince born Thou ' hast treated me As having what Thou ' art making for me room And are Men Lord thus wont to do Who rather than exalt the Poor will keep them low V. Yet thus Thou ' hast done and what can I say more Or greater for Thy Honour Lord or mine Which both here equal issues joyn That all who th' Work admire may Thee adore Greater I 'd say Thou knowst full well And more but what I know not how I cannot tell VI. Unless I add that for Thy great Words sake Thou didst it that Thou mightst at once fulfil The secret Counsels of Thy Will And what they were known to Thy People make For Thine own sake my God and mine For Thou thy Servant knowst and that his will is Thine VII Great art Thou Lord and wondrous are Thy Ways The best and greatest the only God alone Beside or like whom there is none Glorious in Holiness fearful in Praise Thus sing we who did first receive The Truth from our Fore-fathers but seeing now believe VIII For what one Nation as from them of Old We ' have often heard with Israel can compare For whom Himself God did not spare But came from Heav'n in Person to behold The Mise'ries they did undergo And not to see alone but to Revenge them too IX From Heav'n he came from Heav'n himself came down All cloath'd in Tempest and sulphureous Flame To get Himself the greater Name And do what by His Word He might have done That thus from Egypts Gods set free Himself he might declare His Peoples God to be X. This our Fore-fathers told us but we ' have seen Our selves as mighty Wonders of Thy Love Nor need we fetch from them our Proof Who ' our selves as mighty Wonders oft have been Confirm'd by Thy after vast expence And more 's to come to be Thy great Inheritance XI And now my God the Word which Thou hast said Th' irrevocable Word concerning me Let it for ever stablisht be And stablisht be that House which Thou hast made Thy Servant David thus approv'd Establish with his House nor let them be remov'd XII So shall Thy Word and Name be ever prais'd And Israels Holy God shall Israel sing Is God alone and Israel's King He His Anointeds Horn on high has rais'd Of David and his House approv'd David and ' his House establisht ne're to be remov'd XIII Not that I 'm worthy Thou shouldst hear my Vows Only Thy self was pleas'd the Word to pass Lord since I ' have with Thee found this Grace To be assur'd Thou It build Thy Servants House Another Grace turn not away Which in my Heart I since have found even thus to pray XIV Thy Promise 't is this
and a Prey Wherewith and with his Pride he so did swell That tho he after had not much to tell Nor much to boast more during his whole Reign Eluded was he judg'd the Oracle Nor could there for him ought behind remain But what He thus had got as happ'ly to maintain XIII This Salomons youth did easily perswade David's next Successor who tho most wise Love of the Wisest ne're was yet afraid Had other Grandures which might chance to rise Higher in Loves account well plac'd than his Infinite Riches Peaceful Government The Necks and Pleasures of his Enemies And what then these was more a mind intent Of Folly and of Love to make th' Experiment XIV He made it and in making it was caught To his Lands baleful Ruine and his own And both by him that he by Love ill taught As from a Precipice together thrown Ne're stopt till come to th' bottom Head-long down Unhappy Prince who could not single fall Whose smiles appear'd more fatal than his frown The Kingdoms Laws this for the Criminal But bad example those which further reacht to all XV. And now if ever Love to the' top was got Of his unmeasurable Soveraigntie So far above his Hope and deepest Plot That scarce could he believe what he did see And almost trembled in those heights to be Compar'd with which the Honours he had gain'd In the World Heathen were a low degree For there he o're the brutish only reign'd The Noblest and the Wisest here to ' his Lore were train'd XVI Ev'n God himself most High to serve was made And his first Institution Marriage Cement of holy Love so base allay'd That it degen'rated to Bestial rage And more divided than it did engage To mutual Amours and joyn'd Hearts consent Madness before begun but which this Age With ancient Rites indulg'd long not content Perfected by a new and wild Establishment XVII Of sharers infinite in the Marriage Bed By this false Loves prime Ministers brought in With Artifice at first close palliated The New-made World which was but peopled thin To stock amain and plausibly begin Hence Bigamy and then Polygamy Divorce next to them near of kin On every small dislike did multiply And Children reck'ned were of Loves huge Family XVIII And so it stood even in the Holy Race From the Beginning tho it were not so For many Ages of permissive Grace But more of Hardness that i th' Heart did grow Of those who no delight in One would know And whom Variety would only please Yet God at first but One design'd to show His and the pow'r of Love and if Disease Abus'd 't should after be its Remedy and Ease XIX For more if more are sought the drought to allay But like strange waters to th' Hydropic prove And frequent draughts which in the Bowels stay And nor the Thirst nor the Disease remove And such is Change to him who Change does love The more the worse He drinks and thirsts again And still the more he drinks does more improve His Thirst the very remedy is pain Yet neither can shake off of neither but complain XX. And that Disease 't would prove in his Foresight Abus'd once the Almighty knew and thence To 'a single Circle bound the subtile Sp'rit Who one transgrest was Proof against all fence And easi'ly could with Just and Fit dispense One Partner in Chast Nuptials as enough Their Ornament to be and their Defence By Sin prevented all that was above Or two or more or many came from this False Love XXI From him they came All but successively And even the Many yet were but a Few Compar'd with that excess which grown most high In Salomon's Reign no limits had or knew And into th' Band not One but Hundreds drew Seven hundred Wives Three hundred Concubins Whom the Uxorious King did close pursue A Female Army under Love's Ensigns With Treasure infi'nit drein'd and with exausted Loins XXII Prodigious Astoreth be ' it an He or She Or both or neither an opprobrious Stock For Sex in Idols is a Nicetie Unknown to th' Makers whom it ne're did choque To stile as they should please the sensless Block Tho if they call'd it by a Female Name More Folly and less Power they if ere did yoke And if need serv'd a Male the God became Their own to ' attemper and expose the Votaries shame XXIII Be it prodigious therefore and a She And a She this Mock-Love if so it please Prodigious Astoreth and prodigious He Who was her Slave and Slave to 'a thousand Shee s On the Rack put by ' his Lusts or Marriages And if 't is true that each a Body makes And true it is how monstrous with all these Must his appear who has so different stakes Where each with only ' him he with each and all partakes XXIV With all partook he and made up with all One monstrous Body which did all contain All Lands and Languages from the huge Wall Of Babylon to where Nile bedds the Main Lusty in Egypts Spoils with Pompous Train No Country was there but sent in some Love No Love but did its Countries Gods retain All which he serv'd if he were Service-proof Enough to satiate not to satify enough XXV Marriage perverted thus from its design Love to enhance and raise an Holy Seed To hinder Whoredoms and the Rage confine Of an unruly Passion which did need More Reins than Spurs and of Hells fiercest breed But above all nobly to typify The Mystic Union which shall intercede 'Twixt Christ holy Church Man th' Most High All Mischiefs thence brake in and all Idolatry XXVI Thence Whoredoms Fornications thence brake in And which the Holy People did or'eflow Rapes Incests and than Incest worse the Sin Confusion call'd foul Sod'omy and a row Of bestial Vices which 't were guilt to know But more to tell The ' unwary Course some take Lust to perstringe by action or by show But teaching more what does no teaching lack And those whose Ign'orance their whole Innocence does make XXVII Yet Israel acted all and did out-do Well thew'd in Villanies their Teachers skill And Men with Men with Women Women too All Shame put off and did both parts fulfil With Sexes counterfeited every Hill And Grove with Humane Beasts and mingled Blood Promiscuous cast replenisht thick the while Brutes themselves as less salvage wondring stood Man o're them made to reign should with them change Manhood XXVIII No wonder thus debas'd new Gods they chose Gods like themselves and they new Gods did chuse Prodigious as their Lusts on whom they'impose Horrors the Beast would if it could refuse Design'd for Service and a nobler use Baalim and Astaroth or what-ever name Those Generals include bleeding Thamuze Dagon and Moloch Kemos Moabs shame And thousand others which into the Bead-roll came XXIX All which they worship'd and did lowly bow Before their Altars lowest bow'd their King Who Temples made them and did first allow Their
Debora awake And from this hint fresh vigour take Encourage and provoke Thy Lyre Till all its speaking Chords conspire And with Thy Voice a perfect Concert make Up Barak at th' harmonious Sound Abinoams warlike Sâ—n arise Lo Thy Captivity stands in Fetters bound To be Thy valours early Prize And dreadfully adorn Thy entrance with its Exequies Lead on Great Prince by God ordain'd To be Thy Nations Glory and this Days Who hast Thy self the heat of th' War sustain'd Tho Women with Thee share divided Praise And all the while Thou dost the sacred Mount ascend Boldly Thy Ransom'd Peoples shouts attend The Bays Thou wearest will Thy Head defend Yea speak Thy self how God made Thee The Captain of his Armies be And when retir'd Thou long hadst lain at Home How forth he call'd Thee to o'recome The strange deliv'erance by Thy Hands he wrought And how to mine he Judgment gave And let the Tribes which with us fought A just Memorial in our Triumphs have VI. Ex Ephraim delevit eos Place Ephraim here Ephraim whose Fortitude In Amaleks first overthrow was try'd When stoutly he th' Uncircumcis'd defi'd And with unerring Shafts their flying Troops pursu'd Benjamin with his Squadron follow'd close And his scorn'd Life more nobly to expose The Tribe he dearest lov'd for witness of his Courage chose From Machir Princes to the Battel came And Counsellors from Zabulon Who to encrease the glory of their Name Kept by the Sword what by the Pen they won Then Issachar and Napthali By Debora that and this by Barak led Both valiant Tribes and both resolv'd to die Or conquer with so brave an Head But had you seen the Emulation there And how they strove each other to out-fight You would have thought them arm'd with Heav'nly Might And all so terrible they did appear Such Trophies of Mail'd Corps did round them rear That every Israâ—elite a destroying Angel were VII Diviso contra se Ruben Ruben the while did with his Flocks abide And blest the Flood whose streams the parted Land divide Careless of what his Brethr'en thought And what the fears his cold indiffernce wrought Strange and distracted fears his cold indifference brought But why O Ruben why didst thou refuse An Enterprize so great and good Was it to hear thy bleating Ews Or could thy Honour be so little understood That their plain Fleeces thou shouldst chuse Before a Robe di'd Purple in thine Enemies blood This cold indifference Ruben lost thee more Than ever thou in Arms hadst gain'd before Ah! hadst thou been alone but far behind By thy example Gilead stai'd On Shipboard Dan drove on his Trade And Asser that he might be signally unkind Tho of pale Death too Womanly affraid Rather than yield his aid Watcht on his naked Beaches torn with Seas and Wind. Unlike to Zabulon and Nepthali Who best knew how to Live yet fear'd the least to Die VIII Zabulon vero Nepthali c. Thither my Song behold their Ensigns spred On the High-places and how equally endu'd With Learning and with Conduct too they shew'd That never friendlier those best gifts inhabited And softer thoughts designs more noble bred The Cananitish Kings approacht the Hill Tabor by their defeat to be renown'd But fearful to ascend its top did fill The Plains of Tanaach with their Camps around And lowd Megiddos Waters with their shoutings drown'd They came and fought but Heav'n that took our part Bore the first shock and on them turn'd the War A mortal shaft was sent from every Star Which sank like Lead into the Spoilers Heart No Gain or Pay the Sacred Legions took But to the Service arm'd in Diamond marcht on And whom they spar'd Kison that ancient Brook Kison in its swoln Torrent carri'd down In vain the Horse assay'd the Flood to stem Which hurld their Riders with them down the rapid stream IX Conculca Anima mea robustos Enough my Soul enough the chase give o're Those Enemies thou hast seen thou shalt behold no more Stop for at length the War is done And thou in Blood I know tak'st no delight Sound a Retreat the Day 's thine own And so shall Sisera too e're Night Finding the Death he 'd shun by an inglorious flight But first confirm a Curse was laid By our God's Angel and a Charge divine Curse ye Meros the Angel said Curse Meros bitterly and join Yours to Jehovah's Curse and mine Curse all who dwell there and be this their Doom Who like them to th' Almighty's â—tandard will not come But blessed above Women be Israels and Hebers Ornament Jabel above all Women blest i th' Tent. And let this Song preserve her Memory Never was greater Name Recorded i th' Eternal Monuments of Fame X. Aquam petenti lac dedit To her on foot Sisa'ra his flight addrest The courteous Wife to meet him went The courteous Wife invited him into her Tent And future Joys with thoughtful Cares supprest He askt her Water and she ran in haste To execute her own and to prevent his Wish And pour'd him Milk into a Royal Dish A ready and a quick repast And having give'n the fatal Bait Humbly at his Feet did wait And smil'd to see how greedily he drank and slept his last Sleep Tyrant sleep she said And up a Nail and Hammer took The Nail into his Temples struck And with his own unbloody Sword smote off his Head He bowd he fell and at her Feet he lay Down at her Feet he bow'd fell groan'd his Soul away Where he bow'd there he fell down dead XI Per fenestram respiciens Out at a Window his blith Mother gaz'd And waiting there his coming cry'd Why lies the Dust so long unrais'd Nor Sisara yet with Captives by his side Exalted high in his triumphal Chariot ride Her Ladies answer'd her Those Ora'cles of the Court Yea to her self she made her own report Have they not sped have they not gain'd the Day Have they not shar'd the Israelitish Prey To every Man a Dame or two To Sisara as the General 's due Choice of rich Slaves and choice of Garments too A curious Vest with Needles wrought With curious Needles wrought on either side And all in Royal Colours dy'd By th' Hebrews of their Neighbour Tyrians bought And only sit the Victors bloody arms to hide So Lord may all Thine Enemies die So Conquer and be Conquered so When such as on Thy Power relie In Heav'n alone their equals know And like the Sun which triumphs there Crown'd with illustrious Beams and robe'd in Light appear Comiato To the Reverend the now Dr. James Gardiner Sub-Dean of Lincoln SONG in the Country little understood For my dear Gardiner at the Town inquire And all thy heat into his gen'rous Brest inspire To mingle with a nobler Fire Which lies at present smouldring in his Blood Perchance thou may'st effectual prove To make that upward tow'rds its Center move And him in softest lays rehearse the HOLIEST LOVE 1668. David's