Is it enough, that Abra should be great
In the wall'd palace, or the rural feat?
That masking habits, and a borrow'di name
Contrive to hide my plenitude of shame?
No, no: Jerufalem combin'd must see
My open fault, and regal infamy,
Solemn a month is deftin'd for the feast:
Abra invites: the nation is the guest.
To have the honour of each day sustain❜d,
The woods are travers'd: and the lakes are drain'd:
Arabia's wilds, and Egypt's, are explor❜d :

The edible creation decks the board:
Hardly the Phenix 'scapes

The men their lyres, the maids their voices raife,
To fing my happiness, and Abra's praise;
And flavish bards our mutual loves rehearse
In lying ftrains, and ignominious verse:
While from the banquet leading forth the bride,
Whom prudent love from publick eyes fhould hide;
I show her to the world, confefs'd and known
Queen of my heart, and part'ner of my throne.

And now her friends and flatt'rers fill the court:
From Dan, and from Beersheba they refort:
They barter places, and dispose of grants,
Whole provinces unequal to their wants.
They teach her to recede, or to debate ;
With toys of love to mix affairs of state;
By practis'd rules her empire to fecure;
And in my pleasure make my ruin fure.
They gave, and she transfer'd the curs❜d advice,
That monarchs should their inward foul disguise,
Diffemble and command, be falfe and wife;
By ignominious arts for fervile ends

Should compliment their foes, and shun their friends.

And now I leave the true and just supports
Of legal princes, and of honest courts,
Barzillai's, and the fierce Benaiah's heirs ;

Whose Sires, great part'ners in my father's cares,
Saluted their young king at Hebron crown'd,
Great by their toil, and glorious by their wound.
And now, unhappy council, I prefer

Those whom my follies only made me fear,
Old Corah's brood, and taunting Shimei's race;
Mifcreants who ow'd their lives to David's grace;

Tho' they had spurn'd his rule, and curs'd him to his face.

Still Abra's pow'r, my scandal still increas'd;

Juftice fubmitted to what Abra pleas'd:

Her will alone could fettle or revoke ;
And law was fix'd by what she latest spoke.
Ifrael neglected, Abra was my care:
I only acted, thought, and liv'd for her.
I durft not reason with my wounded heart.
Abra poffefs'd; she was its better part.
O! had I now review'd the famous cause,
Which gave my righteous youth so just applause;
In vain on the diffembl'd mother's tongue
Had cunning art, and fly persuasion hung;
And real care in vain, and native love

In the true parent's panting breast had strove;
While both deceiv'd had seen the deftin'd child
Or flain, or fav'd, as Abra frown'd, or fmil'd.
Unknowing to command, proud to obey,
A life-less king, a royal shade I lay.
Unheard the injur'd orphans now complain:
The widow's cries addrefs the throne in vain.
Caufes unjudg'd difgrace the loaded file;
And fleeping laws the king's neglect revile.

}

No more the elders throng'd around my throne,
To hear my maxims, and reform their own.
No more the young nobility were taught,
How Mofes govern'd, and how David fought.
Loofe and undifciplin'd the foldier lay;

Or loft in drink and game the folid day:
Porches and schools, defign'd for public good,
Uncover'd, and with scaffolds cumber'd stood,
Or nodded, threatning ruin-

Half pillars wanted their expected height;
And roofs imperfect prejudic'd the fight.
The artists grieve; the lab'ring people droop:
My father's legacy, my country's hope,
God's temple lie unfinish'd-

The wife and grave deplor'd their monarch's fate, And future mischiefs of a finking state.

Is this, the serious faid, is this the man,

Whose active foul thro' ev'ry science ran?
Who by just rule and elevated skill

Prefcrib'd the dubious bounds of good and ill?
Whofe golden fayings, and immortal wit,
On large Phylacteries expreffive writ,
Were to the forehead of the Rabbins ty'd,
Our youth's inftruction, and our age's pride?
Could not the wife his wild defires reftrain?
Then was our hearing, and his preaching vain!
What from his life and letters were we taught,
But that his knowledge aggravates his fault?

In lighter mood the humorous and the gay
(As crown'd with roses at their feasts they lay)
Sent the full goblet, charg'd with Abra's name,
And charms fuperior to their master's fame:
Laughing fome praise the king, who let 'em fee,
How aptly luxe and empire might agree:

VOL. II.

Some glofs'd, how love and wisdom were at ftrife;
And brought my proverbs to confront my life.
However, friend, here's to the king, one cries:
To him who was the king, the friend replies.
The king, for Judah's, and for wisdom's curfe,
To Abra yields: could I, or thou do worse?
Our loofer lives let chance or folly steer:
If thus the prudent and determin'd err.

Let Dinah bind with flow'rs her flowing hair:
And touch the lute, and found the wanton air:
Let us the blifs without the fting receive,

Free, as we will, or to enjoy, or leave.
Pleasures on levity's smooth surface flow:

Thought brings the weight, that finks the foul to woe.
Now be this maxim to the king convey'd,

And added to the thousand he has made.

Sadly, O Reason, is thy pow'r express'd,
Thou gloomy Tyrant of the frighted breast!
And harsh the rules, which we from thee receive;
If for our wisdom we our pleasure give;
And more to think be only more to grieve.
If Judah's king at thy tribunal try'd,
Forfakes his joy, to vindicate his pride;

And changing forrows, I am only found

Loos'd from the chains of love, in thine more strictly
But do I call thee tyrant, or complain,

How hard thy laws, how absolute thy reign?
While thou, alas! art but an empty name,
To no two men, who e'er discours'd, the same;
The idle product of a troubled thought,

In borrow'd shapes, and airy colours wrought;
'A fancy'd line, and a reflected shade;

A chain which man to fetter man has made,
By artifice impos'd, by fear obey'd.

[bound.

}

Yet, wretched name, or arbitrary thing,
Whence ever I thy cruel effence bring,
I own thy influence; for I feel thy fting.
Reluctant I perceive thee in my foul,
Form'd to command, and destin'd to controul.
Yes; thy infulting dictates fhall be heard:
Virtue for once fhall be her own reward:
Yes; rebel Ifrael, this unhappy maid
Shall be dismiss'd: the crowd fhall be obey'd:
The king his paffion, and his rule shall leave,
No longer Abra's, but the people's flave.
My coward foul fhall bear its wayward fate:
I will, alas! be wretched, to be great,
And figh in royalty, and grieve in state.

I faid: refolv'd to plunge into my grief
At once so far, as to expect relief
From my defpair alone-

I chose to write the thing I durft not speak,
To her I lov'd; to her I must forfake.
The harsh epistle labour'd much to prove,
How inconfiftent majesty, and love.
I always fhould, it said, esteem her well;
But never fee her more: it bid her feel
No future pain for me; but inftant wed
A lover more proportion'd to her bed;
And quiet dedicate her remnant life
To the juft duties of an humble wife.

She read; and forth to me fhe wildly ran,

To me, the ease of all her former pain.

She kneel'd, intreated, ftruggl'd, threaten'd, cry'd,
And with alternate paffion liv'd, and dy'd:

'Till now deny'd the liberty to mourn,
And by rude fury from my prefence torn,

}

}