of Peace new Troubles would create And for their private Gain embroyl the State And some perhaps there were who thought a King To be of Charge and but an useless thing Some idle Fops who publickly debate To shew their Parts the deep Intrigues of State These and some others for a Common-wealth Among the Herd unseen might hide by stealth But it would strange to common Justice seem For some few bad the sound Flock to condemn Like Goats among the Sheep well known these bleat And are like Darnel 'mong the purest Wheat These not as Friends but Enemies to the Throne Good Patriots and good Subjects did disown And Azaria tho they us'd his name Disdain'd their Friendship with a loyal shame But he beheld appearing on his side Princes whose Faith and Loyalty were try'd Such as no base or sordid ends could move Who did hls Father and their Country love In the first rank of these did Nashon stand None nobler or more loyal in the Land Under the King he once did Edom sway And taught that Land the Iews good Laws t' obey True to his Word and of unspotted Fame Great both in Parts in Vertue and in Name His Faith ne'r touch'd his Loyalty well known A friend both to his Country and the Throne Base ends his great and noble Soul did scorn Of loyal high and noble Parents born His Father with renown and great Applause For Ioash di'd and suffer'd for his Cause Of great Aminadab who would not sing Whose glory shin'd next to the martyr'd King From him his Son true Loyalty understood Imprest on 's Soul seal'd with his Father's Blood The grave religious wise rich Helon too Much honoured by every zealous Iew Appear'd a Patriot to his Country true In the Iews Laws and strict Religion bred And Baal's curst Rites did much abhor and dread His Son Eliab in the Sanhedrim With courage had oppos'd Eliakim A man whose many Vertues and his Parts Had won upon the sober Peoples hearts From every Faction and from Envy free Lov'd well the King but hated Flatterie Kept Moses's Laws yet was no Pharisee He went not to their Synagogues to pray But to the Holy Temple every day With piercing Judgment saw the Lands Disease And labour'd only for the Kingdoms Peace Loyal and honest was esteem'd by all Excepting those who strove to set up Baal For an ill Action he ne'r stood reprov'd But 's King his Country aud Religion lov'd No Taint ere fell upon Eliab's name Nor Hell it self found cause to spot his Fame Pagiel with honour loaded and with years Among this Loyal Princely Train appears None Pagiel tax'd for no one never knew That he to Amazia was untrue A â—â—me unspotted he might truly boast Yet he had Foes and his gain'd Favours lost 〈◊〉 a sober and a vertuous Prince Who never gave least cause of an offence Elishama at once both sage and young From noble and from loyal Fathers sprung Shone bright among this sober Princely throng Enan a Prince of very worthy Fame Great in deserved Title Bloud and Name Elizur too who number'd with the best In Vertue scorn'd to lag behind the rest Abidon and Gamaliel had some sway Both loyal and both zealous in their way And now once more I will invoke my Muse To sing brave Ashur's praise who can refuse Sprung from an ancient and a noble Race With Courage stampt upon his manly face Young active loyal had through Dangers run And with his Sword abroad had Honours won Well-spoken bold free generous and kind And of a noble and discerning mind Great ones he scorn'd to court nor fools would please But thought it better for to trust the Seas He thought himself far safer in a Storm And should receive from raging Seas less harm Than from those dangerous men who could create A Storm at Land with Envie and with Hate And now got free from all their Trains and Wiles He at their hateful Plots and Malice smiles Plowing the Ocean for new honour toils These were the chief a good and faithful Band Of Princes who against those men durst stand Whose Counsel sought to ruine all the Land With grief they saw the cursed Baalites bent To batter down the Iewish Government To pull their Rights and true Religion down By setting up a Baalite on the Throne These wisely did with the Sanhedrim joyn Which Council by the Iews was thought divine The next Successour would remove 't is true Onely because he was a Baalite Jew Ills they foresaw and the great danger found Which to the King as by their Dutie bound They shew'd and open laid the bleeding Wound But such who had possest his Royal Ear Had made the King his Loyal Subjects fear Did their good Prince with causeless terrour fright As if these meant to rob him of his Right Said They with other Rebels did combine And had against his Crown some ill designe That the wise Hushai laid a wicked Train And Azaria sought in 's stead to reign That the old Plot to ruine Church and State Was born from Hushai's and the Levite's Pate That Pharisees were bold and numerous grown And sought to place their Elders in his Throne No wonder then if Amazia thought These Loyal Worthies did not as they ought That they did Duty and Obedience want And no Concessions from the Throne would grant They who in Amazia's favour grew Themselves obnoxious to the People knew Some were accused by the Sanhedrim Most Friends and Allies to Eliakim For his Succession eagerly they strove And him the rising Sun adore and love When Doeg who with Egypt did combine And to enslave Iudea did designe Accus'd of Treason by the Sanhedrim Kept in the Tower of Ierusalem The Object prov'd of fickle Fortunes sport And lost the Honours he possest at Court Elam in favour grew out stript by one And seem'd a Prop to Amazia's Throne He had in foreign parts been sent to School And did in Doeg's place the Kings thin Treasure rule He to Eliakim was neer alli'd What greater parts could he possess beside For the wise Iews believ'd the King did run Some hazard if he prov'd his Father's Son But now alas th' Exchequer was grown poor The Coffers empty which did once run o're The bounteous King had been so very kind That little Treasure he had left behind Elam had gotten with the empty Purse For his dead Father's sake the Peoples Curse For they believ'd that no great good could spring From one false to his Country and his King Iotham the fickle Shuttle-cock of Wit Was bandied several ways to be made fit Unconstant he all ways for Honour tri'd At last laid hold upon the rising side If Wit he had 't was thought by not a few He a better thing did want and VVisdom too Then Amiel would scarce give place to him VVho once the chief was of the Sanhedrim He then appeared for the Crowns defence But spoke his own and not the Nations sense And tho he
AZARIA AND HUSHAI A POEM Quod cuique visum est sentiant The Second Edition Revised and Amended LONDON Printed for Charles Lee AN. DOM. 1682. TO THE READER I Shall not go about either to excuse or justifie the Publishing of this Poem for that would be much more an harder Task than the Writing of it But however I shall say in the words of the Author of the incomparable Absalom and Achitophel That I am sure the Design is honest If Wit and Fool be the Consequence of Whig and Tory no doubt but Knave and Ass may be Epithets plentifully bestowed upon me by the one party whilst the other may grant me more favourable ones than perhaps I do deserve But as very few are Iudges of Wit so I think much fewer of honesty since Interest and Faction on either side prejudices and blinds the Iudgment and the violence of Passion makes neither discernible in an Adversary i I know not whether my Poem has a Genius to force â—ts way against prejudice Opinion sways much in the World and he that has once gained it writes securely I speak not this any ways to lessen the merits of an Author whose Wit has deservedly gained the Bays but in this I have the advantage since as I desire not Glory or vain applause I can securely wrap my self in my own Cloud and remain unknown whilest he is exposed through his great Lustre I shall never envy what I desire not nor am I altogether so doting as to believe the Issues of my own Brain to exceed all others and to be so very fond of them as most Authors especially Poets are as to think them without fault or be so blinded as not to see their blemishes and that they are excelled by others yet since Poems are like Children it may be allowed me to be naturally inclined to have some good Opinion of my own and not to believe this Poem altogether despicable or ridiculous The Ancients say that every thing hath two handles I have laid bold of that opposite to the Author of Absalom As to Truth who has the better hold let the World judge and it is no new thing for the same Persons to be ill or well represented by several parties I hope then I may be excused as well as another since I have told my Dreams with the same Liberty for the fancies of Poets are no more than waking Dreams and never imposed as dogmatical precepts which are more agreeable to truth or falshood or according to the Poets Language which proceed from the Horny or Ivory Port will be sentenced according to the Humour and Interest of several Parties who in spite of our Teeth will be our judges Where I have been satyrical 't is without Malice or Revenge and though I brag not of my Talent therein I could have said much worse of some Enemies to our Jewish Heroe He that will lash others ought not to be angry if the like be returned to himself Lex talionis is a general and natural Law I call not this an Answer to Absalom I have nothing to do with him he was a Rebel to his Father my Azaria a good Son influenced by a worthy and Loyal Counsellor and Achitophel and Hushai were men of contrary Opinions and different Principles And if Poets as it is often brought for their excuse when they vary from known History ought to represent Persons as they ought to be I have not transcurred the Precepts of Poetry and Absalom is not so good a Poem because his Character is not so agreeable to the virtue of an Heroe as this of Azaria is But certainly when Poetry and Truth are joâ—ned together and that the Persons are truly what they are represented and liv'd their Character the glory is double both to the Heroe and the Poet And I could wish that the same Hand that drew the Rebellious Son with so much Iâ—genuity and Skill would out do mine in shewing the virtues of an obedient Son and loyal Counsellor since he may have as much Truth for a Foundation to build upon the Artful Structure of the Heroes Glory with his own Fame and Immortality AZARIA AND HUSHAI A POEM IN Impious times when Priest-craft was at height And all the Deadly Sins esteemed light When that Religion onely was a Stale And some bow'd down to God and some to Baal When Perjury was scarce esteem'd a Sin And Vice like flowing Tides came rowling in When Luxury Debauch and Concubine The sad effects of Women and of Wine Rag'd in Iudaea and Ierusalem And Amazia of great Davids Stem God-like and great in peace did rule that Land And all the Iews stoop'd to his just Command Long now in Sion had he Peace enjoy'd After that civil Broils the Land destroy'd Plenty and Peace attended on his Reign And Solomons Golden days return'd again When the old Canaanites who there did lurk Began to find both God and King new work For Amazia though he God did love Had not cast out Baal's Priests and cut down every Grove Too oft Religion's made pretence for Sin About it in all Ages Strife has been But Interest which at bottom doth remain Which still converts all Godliness to Gain What e'er pretence is made is the true cause That moves the Priest and like the Loadstone draws The Canaanites of old that Land possess'd And long therein Idolatry profess'd Till Sins of Priests and of the common Rout Caus'd God and his good Kings to cast them out Their Idols were pull'd down their Groves destroy'd Strict Laws against them and their Worship made The Heathen Priests were banish'd from the Land Of Baal no Temple suffer'd was to stand And all succeeding Kings made it their care They should no more rear up their Altars there If some mild Kings did wink at their abode They to the Iews still prov'd a pricking Goad Growing more bold they Penal Laws defied And like tormenting Thorns stuck in their side The busie Priests had lost their gainful Trade Revenge and Malice do their hearts invade And since by force they can't themselves restore Nor gain the sway they in Iudaea bore With Hell they joyn their secret Plots to bring Destruction to Iudaea and its King The Chemarims the learnedst Priests of all The numerous Swarms which did belong to Baal Bred up in subtil Arts to Iews well known And fear'd for bloudy Morals of their own Who in the cause of Baal no one would spare But for his sake on all Mankind make war Counting it lawful sacred Kings to smite Who favour'd not their God or was no Baalite These were the Idol's known and great Support Who in disguise creep into every Court Where they soon Faction raise and by their Arts Insinuate into the Princes Hearts Wriggle themselves into Intrigues of State Sweet Peace destroy and Bloudy War create Unwearied still they deep designs pursue What can't a Chemarim and Belzebub do For cunning Plot Trepan for Oaths and Sham The Devil must
give place to Chemarim These subtil Priests in Habit black and grave Each man a Saint in shew in heart a Knave Did in Iudea swarm grew great withall And like th' Egyptian Frogs to Court they crawl Where like them too they never are at rest But Bed and Board of Kings with Filth infest To every shape they could themselves transform Angels could seem but still their aim was Harm They all the Sects among the Iews could ape And went about disguis'd in every shape One imitates the Zealous Pharisee The Essens this the Damme Sadduce he And such their ready and their subtil Wit For every Trade and every Science fit They Credit got and stole into the Heart And from their God did many Souls pervert Who seeming Iews or what they were before In secret did the Idol Baal adore Whose false Religion was but loose and few Could bear the righteous strictness of the true Thus these Disciples of the Hellish Brood Disguis'd among the Iews themselves intrude And with the purer Wheat their Tares they sow Saw their bad Crop near to an Harvest grow And hop'd that they again should rule the State For e'er the days of good Iehosaphat Through all the Land Baal's Worship was allow'd And King and People to gross Idols bow'd The Priests like bloudy Tyrants did command They and their Gods did wholly rule the Land And every one who would not bow to Baal Fled thence or else by Fire or Sword did fall But that good King a Reformation made Their Idols and their Groves he quite destroy'd In every place their Altars overthrew And Chemâ—â—rims he banished or slew Since whâ—n except in Athaliah's Reign Who for a space set Idols up again Tormenting those to death who would not turn And did the Iewish Rabbins slay or burn These crafty Priests by Plots did never cease To spoil the beauty of Iudaea's Peace Whilest Ioash reign'd 〈◊〉 sly and subtil Arts They first estrang'd from him his Peoples hearts Saw Faction's Sparks and unseen blew the Fire Till Rebells 'gainst that good King did conspire Then cursed Zabed of proud Ammons Line And Moabitish Iehozabad joyn And to their side some Pharisees they drew Ioash did to their Sect no favour shew And th' Essens who then daily numerous grew Rebell and their good King like Murderers slew Then Amazia over Iordan fled Till God had struck the Tyrant Zabed dead When all his Subjects who his fate did moan With joyful hearts restor'd him to his Throne Who then his Fathers Murderers destroy'd And a long happy peaceful Reign enjoy'd Belov'd of all former 〈◊〉 was he Like God in the Superlative Degree The Iewish Sects he did not seek to quell Yet Laws he made they might no more rebell Wisely about them made of Laws a Fence Yet kind would not oppress their Conscience The Pharisees a very numerous Sect Above the rest were in their Worship strict In their own Synagogues he let them pray And worship God after their stricter way In peace all liv'd and former strife forgot Till Chemarims and Hell had hatch'd a Plot A Plot form'd in the deep Abyss below Law and Religion both to overthrow The King was by their bloudy Swords to fall That all Iudaea might submit to Baal Great were their Hopes and deep was their Design The Train already laid to spring their Mine Not dreaming Heaven could their Plots betray They onely waited an auspicious day Nor fail'd their Plot for want of common sense As some endeavour'd to persuade the Prince For with much art great industry and care They all things for their black Design prepare Nor hatch'd by common Brains nor men of Earth Nor was 't the Issue of a sudden birth But long designing and well laid it seems By Baal's Archpriests and subtil Chemarims The Canaanites dispersed through the Land O'er whom Baal's Priests had absolute command Were bound with Oaths the Priests Religious Charms To Secresie and furnished with Arms. Heads they had got as well as Hands to fight Some zealous Princes of the Canaanites Who ready were to guide the common Rout As soon as their Conspiracy broke out Aegypt of Warlike Iews was still afraid Lest as of old they should that Land invade To further this Design had promis'd Aid Thus on a firm foundation they had wrought Their great Design well built to Human thought Though nothing that weak Mortals e'er design'd But Folly seems to the Eternal Mind Who blasting Mans vain Projects lets him know He sits above sees and rules all below This wicked Plot the Nations Bane and Curse So bad no man can represent it worse Wan't onely Amazia to destroy But that they might the Rites of Baal enjoy For the good Amazia being gone They had design'd a Baalite for the Throne Of all their Hopes and Plots here lay the store For what Encouragement could they have more When they beheld the Kings own Brother fall From his Religion and to worship Baal The Priest well knew what Power and what Controul He had usurp'd o'er every Baalites Soul That such a Prince must their Gods Cause pursue And do whatever they would have him do Else from his Throne he should be curs'd and damn'd For Baal's Highpriest a right t' all Crowns had claim'd An Article 't is of a Baalites Faith That o'er Crown'd Heads a Sovereignty he hath Thus on a sure foundation as they thought They had their Structure to perfection wrought When God who shews regard to Sacred Kings The Plot and Plotters to confusion brings And in a moment down their Babel flings A Levite who had Baalite turn'd and bin One of the Order of the Chemerim Who in the Plot had deeply been concern'd And all their horrid Practices had learn'd Smote in his Conscience with a true remorse From King and Land diverts the threatning Curse Libni I think they call'd the Levites Name Which in Iudaea still will be of fame Since following Heavens Impulse and high Command He prov'd a glorious Saviour of the Land By him the deep Conspiracy's o'erthrown The Treason and the Traytors all made known Foe which from Baalites he had Curses store But by the Iews loaded with Blessings more The Hellish Plotters were then seiz'd upon And into Gaols and Iron Fetters thrown From whence to lawful Tryals they were born Condemn'd for Traytors and hang'd up with scorn Yet Chemarims with matchless Impudence With dying breath avow'd their Innocence So careful of their Order they still were Lest Treason in them Scandal should appear That Treason they with Perjury pursue Having their Archpriests Licence so to do They fear'd not to go perjur'd to the Grave Believing their Archpriest their Souls could save For all Gods Power they do on him bestow And call him their Almighty God below To whom they say three powerful Keys are given Of Hell of Purgatory and of Heaven No wonder then if Baalites this believe They should with their false Oaths try to deceive And gull the People with