Court These for their Countries Right their Votes still pass Mov'd like the Water in a Weather-glass Higher or lower as the powerful Charm O th' Soveraign Hand is either cool or warm Here must th'Attacque be made for well we know Reason and Titles from one Fountain flow Whilst Favour Men no less than Fortunes builds And Honour ever Moulds as well as Guilds Honour that still does even new Souls inspire Honour more powerful than the Heav'n-stoln Fire These must be wrought to Absolons Defence For though to baffle the whole Sanedrims Sence T' attempt Impossibles would be in vain Yet 't is enough but to Divide and Raign Here though small Force such easie Converts draws Yet 't is thought fit in glory to their Cause Some learned Champion of prodigious Sense With Mighty and long studyed Eloquence Should with a kind of Inspiration rise And the unguarded Sanedrim surprize And such resistless conquering Reasons press To charm their vanquisht Souls that the Success Might look like Conscience though 't is nothing less For this Design no Head nor Tongue so well As that of the profound Achitophel How great Achitophel his Hand his Tongue Babylons Mortal Foe he who so long With haughty Sullenness and scornful Lowr Had loath'd false Gods and Arbitrary pow'r 'Gainst Baal no Combatant more fierce than he For Israels asserted Liberty No Man more bold with generous Rage enflam'd Against the old eâ—snaring Test declaim'd Besides he bore a most peculiar Hate To sleeping Pilots all Earth-clods of State None more abhorr'd the Sycophant Buffoon And Parasite th'excrescence of a Throne Creatures who their creating Sun disgrace A Brood more abject than Niles Slime-born Race Such was the Brave Achitophel a Mind If but the Heart and Face were of a kind So far from being by one base Thought deprav'd That sure half ten such Souls had Sodom sav'd Here Baals Cabal Achitophel survey'd And dasht with wonder half despairing said Is this the Hand that Absolon must Crown The Founder of his Temples Palace Throne This This the mighty Convert we must make Gods h' has a Soul not all our Arts can shake At this a Wiser graver Head stept out And with this Language chid their groundless Doubt For shame no more what is 't that frights you thus Is it his Hatred of our God and us Makes him so formidable in your Eye Or is 't his Wit Sense Honour Bravery Give him a thousand Virtues more and plant Them round him like a Wall of Adamant Strong as the Gates of Heaven we 'll reach his Heart Cheer cheer my Friends I 've found one Mortal part For he has Pride a vast insatiate Pride Kind Stars he 's vulnerable on that side Pride that made Angels fall and Pride that hurl'd Entayl'd Destruction through a ruin'd World Adam from Pride to Disobedience ran To be like Gods made a lost wretched Man There there my Sons let our pour'd strength all fly For some bold Tempter now to rap him high From Pinnacles to Mountain Tops and show The gaudy Glories of the World below At which the Consult came to this Design To work him by a kind of Touch Divine To raise some holy Spright to do the Feat Nothing like Dreams and Visions to the Great Did not a little Witch of Endor bring A Visionary Seer t' a cheated King And shall their greater Magick want Success Their more Illustrious Sorceries do less This final Resolution made at last Some Mystick words and invocations past They call'd the Spirit of a late Court-Scribe Once a true Servant of the Plotting Tribe When both with Forreign and Domestick Cost He plaid the feasted Sanedrims kind Host. H 'had scribbled much and like a Patriot bold Bid high for Israels Peace with Egypts Gold But since a Martyr Why as Writers think His Masters Hand had over-gall'd his Ink. And by protesting Absoloms wise care Popt into Brimstone ere he was aware Him from the Grave they rais'd in ample kind His sever'd Head to his seer Quarters joyn'd Then cas'd his Chin in a false Beard so well As made him pass for Father Samuel Him thus equipt in a Religious Cloak They thus his new-made Reverence bespoke Go awful Spright hast to Achitophel Rouze his great Soul use every Art Charm Spell For Absolom thy utmost Rhetorick try Preach him Succession roar'd Succession cry Succession drest in all her glorious pride Succession Worshipt Sainted Deâ—fy'd Conjure him by Divine and Humane Pow'rs Convince Convert Confound make him but ours That Absolon may mount on Iudahs Throne Whilst all the World before us is our own The forward Spright but few Instructions lackt Strait by the Moons pale light away he packt And in a trice his Curtains open'd wide He sate him by Achitophels Bed-side And in this style his artful Accents ran Hear Israels Hope thou more than happy Man Beloved on high witness this Honour done By Father Samuel and believe me Son 'T is by no common Mandate of a God A Soul beatifyed the blest Abode Thus low deserting quits Immortal Thrones And from his Grave resumes his sleeping Bones But Heaven 's the Guide and wondrous is the way Divine the Embassie hear and obey How long Achitophel and how profâ—â—nd A Mist of Hell has thy lost Reason drown'd Can the Apostacy from Israels Faith In Israels Heir deserve a murmuring Breath Or to preserve Religion Liberty Peace Nations Souls is that a Cause so high As the Right Heir from Empire to debar Forbid it Heav'n and guard him every Star Alas what if an Heir of Royal Pâ—ace Gods Glory and his Temples will deface And make a prey of your Estates Lives Laws Nay give your Sons to Molocks burning paws Shall you exclude him hold that Impious Hand As Abraham gave his Son 〈◊〉 Gods Command Think still he does by Divine Right 〈◊〉 God bids Him Reign and you should bid Them Bleed 'T is true as Heav'ns Elected Flock you may For his Conversion and your Safety pray But Pray'rs are all To Disinherit him The very Thought nay Word it self a Crime For that 's the MEANS of Safety but forbear For Means are Impious in the Sons of Pray'r To Miracles alone your Safety owe And Abrahams Angel wait to stop the Blow Yes what if his polluted Throne be strowd With Sacriledge Idolatry and Blood And 't is you mount him there you 're innocent still For he 's a King and Kings can do no ill Oh Royal Birthright 't is a Sacred Name Rowze then Achitophel rowze up for shame Let not this Lethargy thy Soul benum But wake and save the Godlike Absolom And to reward thee for a Deed so great Glut thy Desires thy full-crown'd wishes meet Be with accumulated Honours blest And grasp a STAR t' adorn thy shining Crest Achitophel before his Eyes could ope Dreamt of an Ephod Mitre and a Cope Those visionary Robes t' his Eyes appear'd For Priestly all was the great Sense he heard But Priest or Prophet Right Divine or all
Ty'd to the Girdle of a Priest so fast And yet Religious only to the wast But Constancy atoning Constancy Where that once raigns Devotion may lye by T'espouse the Churches Cause lyes in Heav'ns road More than obeying of the Churches God And he dares fight for Faith is more renown'd A Zealot Militant than Martyr crown'd Here the Arch-Priest to that Ambition blown Pull'd down Gods Altars to erect his own For not content to publish Heav'ns command The Sacred Law penn'd by th' Almighty Hand And Moses-like 'twixt God and Israel go Thought Sinai's Mount a Pinacle too low So charming sweet were Incense fragrant Fumes So pleas'd his Nostrils till th' Aspirer comes From offering to receiving Hecatombs And ceasing to adore to be ador'd So fell Faiths guide so loftily he towr'd Till like th' Ambitious Lucifer accurst Swelâ—'d to a God into a Fiend he burst But as great Lucifer by falling gain'd Dominion and ever in Damnation reign'd And though from Lights blest Orb for ever driven Yet Prince o'th'Air h 'had that vast Scepter giv'n T' have Subjects far more numerous than Heav'n And thus enthron'd with an infernal spight The genuine Malice of the Realms of night The Paradise he lost blasphemes abhors And against Heav'n proclaims Eternal Wars No Arts untry'd no hostile steps untrod Both against Truths Adorers and Truths God So Faiths faln Guide now Baals great Champion raign'd Wide was his Sway and Mighty his Command Whilst with implacable Revenge he burn'd And all his Rage against Gods Israel turn'd Here his invenom'd Souls black gall he flings Spots all his Snakes and points his Scorpions stings Omits no Force or Treacherous Designe Blest Israel to assault or undermine But the first Sword did his keen Malice draw Was aim'd against the God-like Deborah Deborah the matchless pride of Iudah's Crown Whose Female hand Baal's impious Groves cut down His banisht Wizards from her Israel thrust And pounded all their Idols into dust Her Life with indefatigable pain By Daggers long and poysons sought in vain At length they angry Iabins Rage enflam'd Hazors proud King for Iron Chariots fam'd A Warriour powerful whose most dreadful Hoast Proclaim'd Invincible were humane Boast Infallible by haughty Sisera led 'Gainst Deborah their bloody Banners spread Here Deborah her Barak calls to War Barak the Suns fam'd fellow-traveller Who wandring o're the Earths surrounded Frame Had travell'd far as his great Mistress Fame Here Barak did with Deborah's vengeance fly And to that swift prodigious Victory So much by Humane Praises undefin'd That Fame wants Breath and Wonder lags behind To Heav'ns high Arch her sounding Glories rung Whilst thus great Deborah and Barak sung HEar oh ye Princes oh ye Kings give Ear And Israels great Avengers honour hear When God of Hosts thou Israels Spear and Shield Wentst out of Seir and marched'st from Edoms field Earth trembled the Heaven 's drop'd the Clouds all pour'd The Mountains melted from before the Lord Even thy own Sinai melted into streams At Israels dazling Gods refulgent Beams In Shamgar and in Jael's former days The wandring Traveller walk'd through by-ways They chose new Gods No Spear nor Sword was found To have Idolatry depos'd Truth Crown'd Till I alone against Jehovahs Foes I Deborah I Israels Mother rose Wake Deborah wake raise thy exalted Head Rise Barak and Captivity Captive lead For to blest Deborah belov'd of Heav'n Over the Mighty is Dominion given Great Barak leads and Israels Courage warms Ephraim and Benjamin march down in Arms Zebulon and Nepthali my Thunder bore Dan from her Shipâ— and Asher on the Shore Behold Megiddoes waves and from afar See the fierce Jabins threatning storm of War But Heav'n 'gainst Sisera fought and the kind Stars 〈◊〉 their embattel'd Fires for Deborah's Wars Shot down their Vengeance that miraculous day When Kishons Torrents swept their Hosts away But curse ye Meroz curse 'em from on high Did the denouncing voice of Angels cry Accurst be they that went not out t' oppose The Mighty Deborah's God's and Israel's Foes Victorious Judah Oh my Soul th' hast trod Trod down their strengths So fall the Foes of God But they who in his Sacred Laws delight Be as the Sun when he sets out in might Thus sung thâ—â— conquer'd Deborah thus fell Hers and Heav'ns Foes But no Defeat tames Hell By Conquest overthrown but not dismay'd 'Gainst Israel still their private Engines play'd And their dire Machinations to fulfil Their stings torn out they kept their poyson still And now too weak in open force to joyn In close Cabals they hatcht a damn'd Design To light that Mine as should the world amaze And set the ruin'd Israel in a blaze When Iudahs Monarch with his Princes round Amidst his glorious Sanedrim sate Crown'd Beneath his Throne a Cavern low and dark As their black Souls for the great 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 yoâ— aethereal 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 'T is 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'Empyraean 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 Iudah'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 slew 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
sight glads the blest Summers Sun And at his feet proud Iordans Waters run A Cell there 〈◊〉 by Piâ—â—â— Founders rais'd Both for its Wealth and Learned Rabbins prais'd To this did an Ambitious Bard aspire To be no less than Lord of â—hat blest Quire Till Wisdom deem'd so Sacred a Command A Prize too â—â—eat for his unhallow'd Hand Besides lewd Fame had told his plighted Vow To Laura's cooing Love percht on a dropping Bough Laura in faithful Constancy confin'd To Ethiops Envoy and to all Mankind Laura though Rotten yet of Mold Divine He had all her Claps and She had all his Coine Her Wit so far his Purse and Sense could drain Till every Pox was sweeth'd to a Strain And if at last his Nature can reform 〈◊〉 weary grown of Loves tumultuous storm 'T is Ages Fault â—ot Pâ—is of pow'r bereft He left not Whoring out of that was left But wandring 〈…〉 thy flagging Wing To thy more glorious Theme return and sing Brave Iothaâ—ms Worth Impartial Great and Just Of unbrib'd Faith had of unâ—â—aken Trust Once Geshurs Lord their Throne so nobly fill'd As if to th' borrow'd Scepter that he held Th' inspiring David yet more generous grew And lent him his Imperial Genius too Nor has he worn the Royal Image more In Israels Viceroy than Embassador Witness his Gallantry that resolute hour When to uphold the Sacred Pride of Pow'r His stubborn Flags from the Sydonian shore The angry storms of Thundring Castles bore But these are Virtues Fame must less admire Because deriv'd from that Heroick Sire Who on a Block a dauntless Martyr dy'd With all the Sweetness of a Smiling Bride Charm'd with the Thought of Honours Starry Pole With Joy laid down a Head to mount a Soul Of all the Champions rich in Honours Scarrs Whose Loyalty through Davids ancient Wars In spight of the triumphant Tyrants pride Was to his lowest Ebb of Fortune ty'd No â—â—ink more strong in all that Chain of Gold Then Amasai the Constant and the Bold That Warlike General whose avenging Sword Through all the Battles of his Royal Lord Pour'd all the Fires that Loyal Zeal could light No brighter Star in the lost Davids night No less with Laurels Ashurs Brows adorn That mangâ—led Braveâ— who with Tyres Thunder torm Brought a dismember'd Load of Honour home And lives to make both th' Earth and Seas his Tomb. With Reverence the Religious Helon treat Refin'd from all the looseness of the Great Halon who â—eâ—s his Line of Virtueâ— run Beyond 〈◊〉 â—enter of his Grave his own Unfinisht Luster sparkling in his Son A Son so high in Sanedrims renown'd In Israels Intrest strong in Sense profound Under one Roof here Truth a Goddess dwells The Pious Father builds her Shrines and Cells And 〈◊〉 the Son she speaks her Oracles In the same list young Adriels praise record Adriel the Academick Neighbour Lord Adriel ennobled by a Grandfather And Unkle both those Glorious Sons of War Both Generals and both Exiles with their Lord Till with the Royal Wanderer restored They lived to see his Coronation Pride Then surfeiting on too much Transport dy'd O're Adriels Head these Heroes Spirits shine His Soul with so much Loyal Blood fenc'd in Such Native Virtues his great Mind adorn Whilst under their congenial Influence born In this Record let Camries Name appear The Great Barzillais Fellow Sufferer From unknown Hands of unknown Crimes accus'd Till th'hunted Shadow lost his Chains unloos'd Now to the Sweet-tongu'd Aâ—raâ—â— praise be just Once the State-Advoâ—ate that Wealthy Trust Till Flattery the price of dear-bought Gold His Innocence for Pallaceâ— unsold To Naked Truths more shining Beauties true Th'Embroiderd Manâ—le from his Neck he threw Next Hothriel write Baals watchful Foe and late Ierusalems protecting Magistrate Who when false Iurâ—rs were to Frenzy Charm'd And against Innocence even Tribunals arm'd Saw deprav'd Justies ope her Ravenous Jaw And timely broke her Canine Teeth of Law Amongst th'Asserters of his Countries Cause Give the bold Micah his deserv'd Applause The Grateful Sanâ—drims repeated Choice Of Three Great Councels the Successive Voice Of 〈◊〉 hardy Tribe of Israel borne Fear their Disdain and Flattery their Scorne Too proud to tâ—ckle and too Tough to bend Of the same Tribe was Hâ—â—anâ— Ithâ—eams Friend From that fam'd Sire the Long Robes Glory sprung In Sanedrims his Countries Pillar long Long had he fadom'd all the Depths of State Could with that strength that ponderous Sense debate As turn'd the Scale of Nations with the weight Till subtley made by Spightful Honour Great Prefer'd to Israels Chief Tribunal Seat Made in a higher Orb his Beams dispense To hush his Formidable Eloquence But Israels numerous Worthies are too long And Great a Theam for one continued Song Yet These by bold flagitious Tongues run down Made all Conspirers against Davids Crown Nay and there was a Time had Hell prevail'd Nor Perjury and Subornation fail'd When a long â—ist of Names for Treason doom'd Had Israels Patriots in one Grave entomb'd A List with such fair Loyal Colours laid Even to no less than Royal Hands convey'd And the great Mover in this pious Fraud A Dungeon Slave redeem'd byâ— a Midnight Bawd Then made by Art a Swearer of Renown Nurst and embrac'd by th' Heir of Iudahs Crown Encourag'd too by Pension for Reward With his forg'd Scrowls for Guiltless Blood prepaid Poor Engine for a greatness so sublime But oh a Cause by which their Baal must climb Ennobles both the Actor and the Crime Yet This and all Things else now quite blown o're And Absolom his Israels Fear no more Luster and Pride shall hem his radiant Brow All Knees shall fall and prostrate Nations bow By Heav'ns he is he will he must he shall Be Israels Heroe Friend Saint Idol all What though provok'd withall the crying sins Of Murmuring Slaves excluding Sanedrins By profane Crowds in dirt his Prophets spurnâ—d And ev'n his Gods in mock Processions burn'd Himself from Israel into Hebron sent And doom'd to little less than Banishment In spight of all his Scrowls to Babylon And all the promis'd Wonders to be done When Egypts Frogs should croak on Iudahs Throne Though of a Faith that propagates in Blood Of Passions unforgiving less withstood Then Seas and Tempesta and as Deaf as they Yet all Divine shall be his Godlike Sway And his calm Reign but one long Halcyon Day And this Great Truth he 's damn'd that daâ—es deny 'Gainst Absolom even Oracles would lye Though Sense and Reason Preach 't is Blasphemy Then let our dull Mistaken Terrour cease When even our Comets speak all Health and Peace FINIS ERRATA THE Reader is desired to Correct these following Mistakes Page 1. 〈◊〉 1â— for Ibid read 〈◊〉 p. 4. l. 22. r. Ships ibid. l. 26. for Kindl'd r. 〈◊〉 ibid. l. â—2 â— the Mighty ibid. l. 37. for they r. thus p. 7. l. 18. for poor r. weak p. 9. l. 3. 4. for his r. â— l. 6. for the r. ye ibid. l. â—0 r. Walls the Billows pour p. â—â— l. 〈◊〉 lov'd Israelâ— p. 19. l. 27. for lo◠◠〈◊〉 p. â—2 l. â—â—â— Excluding