Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A36581
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Absalom and Achitophel a poem.; Absalom and Achitophel
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Dryden, John, 1631-1700.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing D2214; ESTC R1552
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18,435
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34
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ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL A POEM Si Propius stes Te Capiet Magis The Second Editon Augmented and Revised TO THE READER 'T is not my intention to make an apology for my Poem Some will think it needs no excuse and others will receive none The design I am sure is honest but he who draws his Pen for one party must expect to make enemies of the other 〈◊〉 Wit and Fool are consequents of Whig and Tory and every man is a Knave or an Ass to the contrary side There 's a treasury of Merits in the â—hanatick Church as well as in the Papist and a Pennyworth to be had of Saintship Honesty and Poetry for the Loud the Factious and the Blockheads But the longest Chapter in Deuteronomy has 〈◊〉 Curses enow for an Anti Bromingham My comfort is their manifest prejudice to my Cause will render their judgement of less Authority against me Yet if a Poem have a Genius it will force its own reception in the World For there 's a sweetness in good Verse which tickles even while it hurts And no man can be heartily angry with him who pleases him against his will The commendation of Adverversaries is the greatest triumph of a Writer because it never comes unless extorted But I can be satisfied on more easy terms If I happen to please the more moderate sort I shall be sure of an honest party and in all probability of the best Judges for the least concerned are commonly the least corrupt And I confess I have laid in for those by rebating the Satyre where Justice would allow it from carrying too sharp an edge They who can criticize so weakly as to imagine I have done my worst may be convinc'd at their own cost that I can write severely with more ease than I can gently I have but 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 mens Follies when I coud have declaim'd against their 〈◊〉 and other mens Vertues I have commended as freely as I have 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 And now if you are a malicious Reader I expect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 return upon me that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am But if men are not to be judg'd by their Professions God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common-wealths-men for professing so plausibly for the Government 〈◊〉 cannot be so unconscionable as to charge me for not 〈◊〉 of my name for that would reflect too grossly upon your own party who never dare though they have the advantage of a Jury to secure them If you like not my Poem the fault may possibly be in my writing though 't is hard for an Author to judge against himself But more probably 't is in your Morals which cannot bear the truth of it The violent on both sides will condemn the character of Absalom as either too favourably or too hardly drawn But they are not the violent whom I desire to please The fault on the right hand is to Extenuate Palliate and Indulge and to confess freely I have endeavoured to commit it Besides the respect which I owe his Birth I have a greater for his Heroick Vertues and David himself could not be more tender of the Young man's Life than I would be of his Reputation But since the most excellent Natures are always the most easy and as being such are the soonest perverted by ill Counsels especially when baited with Fame and Glory 't is no more a wonder that he withstood not the temptation of Achitophel than it was for Adam not to have resisted the two Devils the Serpent and the Woman The conclusion of the Story I purposely forbore to prosecute because I could not obtain from my self to shew Absalom unfortunate The Frame of it was cut out but for a Picture to the wast and if the Draught be so far true 't is as much as I design'd Were I the Inventer who am only the Historian I should certainly conclude the Piece with the reconcilement of Absalom to David And who knows but this may come to pass Things were not brought to an extremity where I left the Story there seems yet to be room left for a Composure hereafter there may only be for Pity I have not so much as an uncharitable wish against Achitophel but am content to be accâ—s'd of a good natur'd Error and to hope with Origen that the Devil himself may at last be saved For which reason in this Poem he is neither brought to set his House in order nor to dispose of his Person afterwards as he in wisdom shall think sit God is infinitely merciful and his Vicegerent is only not so because he is not Infinite The true end of Satyre is the amendment of Vices by correction And he who writes honestly is no more an enemy to the Offender than the Physitian to the Patient when he prescribes harsh Remedies to an inveterate Disease for those are only in order to prevent the Chirurgeon's work of an Ense Rescindendum which I wish not to my very enemies To conclude all If the Body Politick have any Analogy to the Natural in my weak judgment an Act of Oblivion were as necessary in a Hot distemper'd State as an Opiate would be in a raging Fever To the unknown Author of this Admirable Poem I Thought forgive my sin the boasted fire Of Poets Souls did long ago expire Of Folly or of Madness did accuse The Wretch that thought himself possest with Muse Laugh't at the God within that did inspire With more than humane thoughts the tuneful Quire But sure 't is more than Fancy or the Dream Of Rhimers slumbring by the Muses stream Some livelier spark of Heav'n and more refin'd From earthly dross fills the great Poet's mind Witness these mighty and immortal lines Thro each of which th' informing Genius shines Scarce a Diviner flame inspir'd the King Of whom thy Muse does so sublimely sing Not David's Self could in a Nobler Verse His gloriously offending Son rehearse Tho in his Brest the Prophet's fury met The Father's Fondness and the Poet 's Wit Here all consent in Wonder and in Praise And to the unknown Poet Altars raise Which thou must needs accept with equal joy As when Aeoenas heard the Wars of Troy Wrapt up himself in darkness and unseen Extoll'd with Wonder by the Tyrian Queen Sure thou already art secure of Fame Nor want'st new Glories to exalt thy Name What Father else woud have refus'd to own So great a Son as God-like Absalon To the unknown Author of this Excellent Poem TAke it as earnest of a Faith renew'd Your Theme is vast your Verse divinely good Where tho the Nine their beauteous strokes repeat And the turn'd lines on golden Anvils beat It looks as if they strook 'em at a heat So all serenely great so just refin'd Like Angels love to humane seed enclin'd It starts a Giant and exalts the kind 'T is spirit seen whose fiery Atomes roul So brightly fierce each syllable's a Soul T is minature of man but he 's all heart T is what
delight Good gracious just observant of the Laws And Heav'n by wonder has espous'd his cause Whom has he wrong'd in all his Peaceful Reign Who sues for Justice to his Throne in vain What millions has he pardon'd of his Foes Whom just revenge did to his wrath expose Mild easy humble studious of our good Enclin'd to mercy and averse from blood If mildness ill with stubborn Israel suit His crime is God's beloved Attribute What could he gain his peopâ—e to betray Or change his right for arbitrary sway Let haughty Pharaoh curse with such a Reign His fruitful Nile and yoke a servile Train If David's Rule Ierusalem displease The Dog-star heats their brains to this disease Why then shoud I encoâ—raging the bad Turn Rebel and run popularly mad Were he a Tyrant who by lawless Might Opprest the Jews and rais'd the Iebusite Well might I mourn but Natures hely bands Woud curb my spirits and restrain my hand The people might assert their liberty But what was â—ight in them were crime in me His â—avour 〈◊〉 me nothing to require Prevents my wishes and out-runs desire What 〈…〉 I expect while David lives All but 〈…〉 Diadem he gives And that But there he paus'd then sighing said Is 〈…〉 for a worthier Head For when my Father from his toyls shall rest And 〈…〉 the number of the blest 〈…〉 shall the Throne ascend Of 〈…〉 Line where that shall end His Brother though opprest with vulgar spight Yet dauntless and secure of native right Of every Royal Vertue stands possest Still Dear to all the Bravest and the Best His Courage Foes his Friends his Truth Proclaim His Loyalty the King the World his Fame His mercy ev'n th'offending Crowd will find For sure he comes of a forgiving kind Why should I then repine at Heavens decree Which gives me no pretence to Royalty Yet oh that Fate propitiously enclin'd Had rais'd my Birth or had debas'd my mind To my large Soul not all her treasure lent And then betray'd it to a mean Descent I find I find my mounting spirits bold And David's part disdains my Mothers mold Why am I scanted by a niggard Birth My Soul disclaims the kindred of her Earth And made for Empire whispers me within Desire of Greatness is a Godlike sin Him staggering so when Hells dire Agent found While fainting Vertue scarce maintain'd her ground He pours fresh Forces in and thus replies Th' Eternal God supreamly good and wise Imparts not these prodigious Gifts in vain What wonders are reserv'd to bless your Reign Against your will your Arguments have shown Such Vertue 's only giv'n to guide a Throne Not that your Father's mildness I contemn But manly force becomes the Diadem 'T is true he grants the people all they crave And more perhaps than Subjects ought to have For lavish grants suppose a Monarch tame And more his Goodness than his Wit proclaim Bâ—t when should people strive their Bonds to break 〈◊〉 not when Kings are negligent or weak 〈◊〉 him give on till he can give no more The thriâ—ty Sanhedrin shall keep him poor And every 〈◊〉 which he can receive Shall cost a â—imb of his Prerogative To ply him with new Plots shall be my care Or plunge him deep in some expensive war Which when his Treasure can no more supply He must with the remains of Kingship buy His faithful Friends our jealousies and fears Call Iebusites and Pharaoh's Pentioners Whom when our fury from his aid has torn He shall be naked left to publick scorn The next Successor whom I fear and hate My arts have made obnoxious to the State Turn'd all his Vertues to his overthrow And gain'd our Elders to pronounce a foe His Right for sums of necessary Gold Shall first be pawn'd and afterwards be sold Till time shall ever-wanting David draw To pass your doubtful Title into Law If not the people have a Right supreme To make their Kings for Kings are made for them All Empire is no more than Pow'r in trust Which when resum'd can be no longer just Succession for the general good design'd In its own wrong a Nation cannot bind If altering that the people can relieve Better one suffer than a Nation grieve The Iews well knew their pow'r e'r Saul they chose God was their King and God they durst depose Urge now your Piety your Filial Name A Father's right and fear of future Fame The publick good that universal call To which ev'n Heaven submitted answers all Nor let his Love enchant your generous mind T is Natures trick to propagate her kind Our fond Begetters who would never die Love but themselves in their posteritie Or let his kindness by th' effects be tri'd Or let him lay his vain pretence aside God said he lov'd your Father coud he bring A better proof than to Anoint him King It surely shew'd he lov'd the Shepherd well Who gave so fair a Flock as Israel Woud David have you thought his Darling Son What means he then to Alienate the Crown The name of Godly he may blush to bear 'T is after God's own heart to cheat his Heir He to his Brother gives Supreme Command To you a Legacy of Barren Land Perhaps th' old Harp on which he thrums his Layes Or some dull Hebrew Ballad in your praise Then the next Heir a Prince severe and wise Already looks on you with jealous eyes Sees through the thin disguises of your arts And marks your progress in the peoples hearts Though now his mighty Soul its grief contains He meditates revenge who least complains And like a Lion slumb'ring in the way Or sleep-dissembling while he waits his prey His fearless Foes within his distance draws Constrains his roaring and contracts his paws Till at the last his time for fury found He shoots with sudden vengeance from the ground The prostrate Vulgar passes o'r and spares But with a Lordly rage his Hunters tears Your case no tame expedients will afford Resolve on death or conquest by the Sword Which for no less a Stake than Life you draw And Self-defence is Natures eldest Law Leave the warm people no considering time For then Rebellion may be thought a crime Prevail your self of what occasion gives But try your Title while your Father lives And that your Arms may have a fair pretence Proclaim you take them in the King's defence Whose sacred Life each minute woud expose To Plots from seeming friends and secret foes And who can sound the depth of David's Soul Perhaps his fear his kindness may controul He fears his Brother though he loves his Son For plighted Vows too late to be undone If so by force he wishes to be gain'd Like womens leachery to seem constrain'd Doubt not but when he most affects the Frown Commit a pleasing Rape upon the Crown Secure his Person to secure your Cause They who possess the Prince possess the Laws He said and this Advice above the rest With Absalom's mild nature suited best Unblam'd