poefy, and the effects of it in curing Saul's malady. The Phi iflines' army encamped at Dammin; the defeription of Goliah and bis arms; bis challenge to the Ifraclites: David's coming to the camp; bis fpeech to Saul, to defire leave to fight with Goliab: feveral Speeches upon that occafion. The combat and flaughter of Goliah, with the defeat of the Philiflines' army. Saul's envy to David. The characters of Merab and Michal The love between David and Michal: bis fing at her window; bis expedition against the Philifines, and the dowry of two hundred forefkins for Michal, with whom he is married. The foLemnities of the wedding. Saul's relapfe, and the caufes of David's flight into the kingdom of Moab. RAIS'D with the news he from high Heaven receives, Strait to his diligent God just thanks he gives; To divine Nobe directs then his flight, A small town, great in fame, by Levi's right; Is there, with fpritely wines and hallow'd bread, 5' (But what's to hunger hallow'd?) largely fed. The good old prieft welcomes his fatal gueft, And with long talk prolongs the hafty feaft: He lends him vain Goliah's facred fword (The fittest help juft Fortune could afford); A fword whofe weight without a blow might flay, Able unblunted to cut hofis away; ΤΟ A fword fo great, that it was only fit To take-off his great head who came with it. Thus he arms David: "I your own reftore, 15 "Take it," faid he, " and ufe it as before; "I faw you then, and 'twas the braveft fight "That ere thefe eyes ow'd the difcovering light: "When you ftep'd forth, how did the monfter rage, "In fcorn of your foft looks and tender age! 20 "Some your high spirit, did mad prefumption "call, 30 "Some pitied that fuch youth fhould idly fall; 41 On him he feizes; whom they all had fear'd, 45 Had the bold youth in his own fhape appear'd. 2 And now this wifh'd-for, but yet dreadful, prey 'To Achis' court they led in hafte away, With all unmanly rudenefs which does wait Upon th' immoderate vulgar's joy and hate. so His valour now and ftrength muft ufeless lie, And he himself muft arts unusual try: Sometimes he rends his garments, nor does fpare The goodly curls of his rich yellow hair; Sometimes a violent laughter fcrew'd his face, 55 And fometimes ready tears drop'd down apace; Sometimes he fix'd his staring eyes on ground, And fometimes in wild manner hurl'd them round. More full revenge Philiftians could not with: But call t the juftice of their mighty Fifh. They now in height of anger let him live; And freedom too, t' encrease his fcorn, they give: He, by wife madnefs freed, does homeward flee, And rage makes them all that he feem'd to be. Near to Adullam, in'an aged wood, 6 An hill, part earth, part rocky ftone, there ftond He faw a lion, and leapt down to it; As eafily there the royal beast he tore, Swift as the darts they fling through yielding air, And hardy all as the ftrong fteel they bear: A lion's noble rage fits in their face, Terribly comely, arm'd with dreadful grace! Th`undaunted Prince, though thus well-guarded here, 125 130 Yet his ftout foul durft for his parents fear; He fecks for them a fafe and quiet feat, Nor trufts his fortune with a pledge fo great. So, when in hoftile fire rich Afia's pride For ten years' fiege had fully fatisfy'd, Eneas frole an act of higher fame, And bore Anchifes through the wondering flame; A nobler burden, and a richer prey, Than all the Grecian forces bore away! Go, pious Prince! in peace, in triumph go; 135 Enjoy the conqueft of thine overthrow; To have fav'd thy Troy would far lefs glorious be; By this thou overcom'ft their victory. Mcab next Judah, an old kingdom, lies; Jordan their touch, and his curs'd fea denies: 140 They fee North-ftars from o'er Amoreus' ground, Edom and Petra their South part does bound: Eastwards the lands of Cufh and Ammon lie, The morning's happy beams they first espy; The region with fat foil and plenty's bleft, A foil too good to be of old poffeft 145 By monitrous Emins; but Lot's offspring came, In Hebon, his triumphant court he plac'd, But this proud city, and her prouder lord, 155 yoke, 161 166 Tail Ehud's fword God's vengeful meffage fpoke; Since then their kings in quiet held their own, Quiet, the good of a not-envy'd throne! And now a wife old prince the fceptre fway'd, Well by his fubjects and himself obey'd; Only before his father's gods he fell; Poor wretched man! almott too good for hell! Hither does David his bleit parents bring; With humble greatnefs begs of Moab's king 170 A fafe and fair abode, where they might live, Free from thofe forms with which himself muft trive. "To one of Bethlem; which I hope is true: 185 "Howe'er, your vir.ues here entitle you: "Thofe have the best alliance always been; "To gods as well as men they make us kin." He spoke, and trait led in his thankful guests, T'a ftately room prepar'd for fhows and feafts: The room with golden tapestry glitter'd bright, At once to pleafe, and to confound, the fight, Th' excellent work of Babylonian hands! In midft a table of rich ivory ftands, By three fierce tigers, and three lions borne, 195 Which grin, and fearfully the place adorn; Widely they gape, and to the eye they roar, As if they hunger'd for the food they bore, About it beds of Libyan citron ftood, With coverings dy'd in Tyrian fishes' blood 200 (They fay, th' Herculean art): but most delight Some Pictures gave to David's learned fight. Here feveral ways Lot and great Abram go, Their too-much wealth vaft and unkind does grow; 205 Thus each extreme to equal danger tends, (The towers, as well as men, outbrave the sky); 210 215 Th' appointed way, and runs with threatening horns; In vain the herdman calls him back again; 226 Buried almost alive, for fear of death; Abraham pursues, and flays the victor's host, Here the two angels from Lot's window look 240 Here the blue flames of fcalding brimftone fall, The fire of trees and houses mounts on high, Some in their arms fnatch their dear babes away; He fung how earth blots the moon's gilded wand Such was the fauce of Moab's noble feaft, "The ftory of your gallant friend begin; With that he stopp'd, and Joab thus began:- 31 "Yet, without boaft, his veins contain a flood "A name no lefs ought Boaz to appear, Behind his wife stood, ever fix'd alone; 32 By whofe bleft match we come no strange "here: "From him and your fair Ruth good Obed sprun "From Obed Jeffe, Jeffe, whom Fame's kinde "tongue, "Counting his birth, and high nobility, shall ga In the brifk grape of Arnon's richest ground. " Sometimes a tyrant-Frenfy revel'd there, "Sometimes black Sadnefs, and deep, deep Despair. "No help from herbs, or learned drugs he finds, They cure but fometime bodies, never minds : "Malic alone thofe ftorms of foul could lay; 345 "Not more Saul them, than mufic they, obey. "David's now fent for, and his harp must bring; "His harp, that magic bore on every string: "When Saul's rude paffions did moft tumult keep, "With his foft notes they all dropp'd down 46 afleep: 350 "When his dull spirits lay drown'd in death and night, "He with quick ftrains rais'd them to life and "Thus chear'd he Saul, thus did his fury 'fwage, "Back to his rural care young David goes; "He knew not what his hand in war could do, "Nor thought his fword could cure men's mad"nefs too. "Brafs was his helmet, his boots brafs; and o'er "Th' huge iron head fix hundred fhekels weigh'd, 411 "To try his ftrength and fate with me in fight: 415 "At this he paus'd awhile: Strait, I defy 360" "Now Dammin's deftin'd for this fcene of blood; "On two near hills the two proud armies flood, Between, a fatal valley ftretch-out wide, ' And death feem'd ready now on either fide; "When lo! their hoft rais'd all a joyful shout. And from the midft an huge and monftrous "man ftepp'd out. "Aloud they fhouted at each step he took; 365 We, and the earth itfeif beneath him, fhook, Vaft as the hill, down which he march'd, he' " appear'd; Amaz'd all eyes, nor was their army fear'd. 370 young tall 'fquire (though then he feem'd not fo) Ꭺ 66 Did from the camp at first before him go; At first he did, but fearce could follow strait, Sweating beneath a fhield's unruly weight, "On which was wrought the gods' and giants' 66 « fight, 375 Rare work! all fill'd with terror and delight. Here a vaft hill 'gainst thundering Baal was "thrown, "Trees and beafts on't fell burnt with lightning "down; "One flings a mountain, and its river too, "sky; "This he believ'd, and on his shield he bore, "And prais'd their ftrength, but thought his 16 own was more. "The valley now this monster feem'd to fill ; 385 "And we, methoughts, look'd up t' him from our hill. All arm'd in brafs, the richest drefs of war (A difmal glorious fight !) he fhone afar; "The fun himself started with fudden fright, To fee his beams return so dismal bright: 390 "Go back for fhame, and Egypt's flavery bear, Spears in your hands and manly fwords are "vain; "Through this whole act) such sacred terror fent "Much the rewards propos'd his spirit enflame, Saul's daughter much, and much the voice of "Fame. "These to their juft intentions ftrongly move, "But chiefly God, and his dear country's love. 460 "Refolv'd for combat, to Saul's tent he's brought, "Where thus he spoke, as boldly as he fought: "Henceforth no more, great Prince, your facred "breaft "With that huge talking wretch of Gath, moleft; "This hand alone fhall end his curfed breath; 465 "Fear not, the wretch blafphemes himself to "death, "And, cheated with falfe weight of his own might, 66 "Has challeng'd Heav'n, not us, to fingle figh "Forbid it, God! that, where thy right is try'd, "The ftrength of man fhould find juft caufe "for pride! 470 "Firm like fome rock, and vaft, he seems to stand, "But rocks we know were op'd at thy command: "That foul, which now does fuch large members fway, "Through one fmall wound will creep in hafte "away; "And he who now dares boldly Heaven defy,475 "To every bird of heaven a prey shall lie: "For 'tis not human force we ought to fear; "Did that, alas! plant our forefathers here? "Twice fifteen kings did they by that fubdue? By that whole nations of Goliahs flew? "The wonders they perform'd may still be done; "Mofes and Jofhua is, but God's not, gone. "We'ave loft their rod and trumpet, not their "fkill; "The lion's royal whelp does not at first "For blood of Bafan bulls or tigers thirst; "In timorous deer he hanfels his young paws, "And leaves the rugged bear for firmer claws. "So vaft thy hopes, fo unproportion'd, be, 505 "Fortune would be afham'd to fecond thee. "He faid, and we all murmur'd an affent; "But nought moves David from his high intent. "It brave to him, and ominous, does appear, "To be oppos'd at first, and conquer here; 510 "Which he refolves. Scorn not, faid he, mine age; 66 480" But thofe light-arms of Spirit and Innocence, "No good in fight of that gay burden knows, "But fears his own arms' weight more than his "foes. "Prayers and belief are as ftrong witchcraft ftill: "Thefe are more tall, more giants far,than he, 485 "Can reach to heaven, and thence pluck victory. "Count this, and then, Sir, mine th' advantage is; "He's ftronger far than I, my God than his. "Amazement feiz'd on all, and flame, to fee "Their own fears fcorn'd by one fo young as "he. 490 "Brave youth, replies the king, whofe daring mind, "Ere come to manhood, leaves it quite behind; "Referve thy valour for more equal fight, "And let thy body grow up to thy fprite. "Thou'rt yet too tender for fo rude a foe, 495 "Whofe touch would wound thee more than "him thy blow: "Nature his limbs only for war made fit, "In thine as yet nought befide love the 'has writ. "With fome lefs for thy unficfh'd valour try; "This moniler can be no first victory. 500 "He loft himself in that difguife of war, “And guarded seems as men by prisons are; 540 "He therefore, to exalt the wondrous fight, Prepares now, and difarms himself for fight, "'Gainft fhield, helm, breaft-plate; and, inftead "of thofe, 544 "Five fharp fmooth ftones from the next brook "he chofe. "And fits them to his fling; then marches down; "For fword, his enemy's he efteem'd his own. "We all with various paflions ftrangely gaz'd, "Some fad, fome fham d, fome angry; all amaz'd. "Now in the valley 'he ftands; through's youth"ful face "Wrath checks the beauty, and sheds manly grace, 550 "Both in his looks fo join'd, that they might |
