Her mind to-morrow points; a thousand hands To-night employ'd, obey the king's commands. Upon the watery beach an artful pile

Of planks is join'd, and forms a moving isle,
A golden chariot in the midst is set,
And silver signets seem to feel its weight.
Abra, bright queen, ascends her gaudy throne,
In semblance of the Grecian Venus known:
Tritons and sea-green Naïads round her move,
And sing in moving strains the force of love;
Whilst as th' approaching pageant does appear,
And echoing crowds speak mighty Venus near,
I, her adorre, too devoutly stand

Fast on the utmost margin of the land,
With arms and hopes extended, to receive
The fancied goddess rising from the wave.

O subject reason! O imperious love!
Whither yet further would my folly rove?
Is it enough that Abra should be great
In the wall'd palace, or the rural seat?
That masking habits, and a borrow'd name,
Contrive to hide my plenitude of shame?
No, no Jerusalem combin'd must see
My open fault, and regal infamy.
Solemn a month is, destin'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 phoenix 'scapes

The men their lyres, the maids their voices raise,
To sing my happiness, and Abra's praise.

And slavish bards our mutual loves rehearse
In lying strains, and ignominious verse:
While, from the banquet leading forth the bride,
Whom prudent love from public eyes should hide,
I show her to the world, confess'd and known
Queen of my heart, and partner of my throne.

And now her friends and flatterers fill the court;
From Dan and from Beersheba they resort:
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 secure ;
And in my pleasure make my ruin sure.
They gave, and she transferr'd the curs❜d advice,
That monarchs should their inward soul disguise,
Dissemble and command, be false and wise;
By ignominious arts for servile ends
[friends.
Should compliment their foes, and shun their
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 partners 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; Miscreants 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 power, my scandal still increas'd; Justice submitted to what Abra pleas'd:

Her will alone could settle or revoke;
And law was fix'd by what she latest spoke.
Israel neglected, Abra was my care:

I only acted, thought, and liv'd for her.
I durst not reason with my wounded heart;
Abra possess'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 dissembled mother's tongue
Had cunning art, and sly 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 destin'd child
Or slain, or sav'd, as Abra frown'd, or smil'd.
Unknowing to command, proud to obey,
A lifeless king, a royal shade I lay.
Unheard the injur'd orphans now complain:
The widow's cries address the throne in vain.
Causes unjudg'd disgrace the loaded file;
And sleeping 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 Moses govern'd, and how David fought,

Loose and undisciplin'd the soldier lay;
Or lost in drink and game the solid day :
Porches and schools, design'd for public good,
Uncover'd, and with scaffolds cumber'd stood,
Or nodded, threatening ruin-

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

The wise and great deplor'd their monarch's fate, And future mischiefs of a sinking state.

Is this, the serious said, is this the man
Whose active soul through every science ran?
Who, by just rule and elevated skill
Prescrib'd the dubious bounds of good and ill?
Whose golden sayings, and immortal wit,
On large phylacteries expressive writ,
Were to the forehead of the rabbins tied,
Our youth's instruction, and our age's pride?
Could not the wise his wild desires restrain ?
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 superior to their master's fame:
Laughing, some praise the king, who let 'em see,
How aptly luxe and empire night agree:

Some gloss'd, how love and wisdom were at strife ;
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 curse,
To Abra yields could I, or thou do worse?
Our looser lives let chance or folly steer:
If thus the prudent and determin'd err.
Let Dinah bind with flowers her flowing hair,
And touch the lute, and sound the wanton air:
Let us the bliss without the sting receive,
Free, as we will, or to enjoy, or leave.

Pleasures on levity's smooth surface flow: [woe.
Thought brings the weight, that sinks the soul to
Now be this maxim to the king convey'd,
And added to the thousand he has made.

Sadly, O reason, is thy power 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 tried,
Forsakes his joy, to vindicate his pride;
And changing sorrows, I am only found
Loos'd from the chains of love, in thine more
strictly bound!

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;