But, with a joyful, louder noise,
Answer their distant fellows' voice,

And haste to meet them make,
As several troops do all at once a common signal

take. What tongue the’ amazement and the' affright can

tell Which on the Chamian army fell, When on both sides they saw the roaring main

Broke loose from his invisible chain !
They saw the monstrous death and watery war
Come rolling down loud ruin from afar!
In vain some backward and some forwards fly

With helpless haste; in vain they cry
To their celestial Beasts for aid;

In vain their guilty king they' upbraid;
In vain on Moses he, and Moses' God, does call,

With a repentance true too late ; They're compass'd round with a devouring fate, That draws, like a strong net, the mighty sea

DAVID EIS,

a Sacred Poem

OF THE TROUBLES OF DAVID,

IN FOUR BOOKS,

“ Me verò primùm dulces ante omnia Masæ, Quarum sacra fero ingenti percussus amore, Accipiant, Cælique vias ac Sidera monstrent.”

VIRG. Georg. II.

DAVID EIS.

BOOK I.

The argument. The Proposition--The Invocation-- The entrance into the

history from a new agreement betwixt Saul and DavidA description of hell The Devil's speech-Envy's reply to him-Her appearing to Saal in the shape of BenjaminHer speech, and Saul's to himself after she was vanishedA description of heaven-God's speech : he sends an Angel to David : the Angel's message to him-David sent for, to play before Saul-- A Digression concerning music-David's psalm-Saul attempts to kill him-His escape to his own house, from whence being pursued by the king's guard, by the artifice of his wife Michal he escapes and Hies to Naioth, the Prophets' college at Ramab-Saul's speech, and rage at bis escape-A long digression describing the Prophets' college, and their manner of life there, and the ordinary subjects of their Poetry–Saul's guards pursue David thither, and prophesy-Saul among the prophets—He is compared to Balaam, whose song concludes the book.

I sing the man who Judah's sceptre bore
In that right hand which held the crook before;
Who from best poet, best of kings did grow;
The two chief gifts Heaven could on man bestow.
Much danger first, much toil did he sustain,
Whilst Saul and Hell cross'd his strong fate in vain.