(Should fleeting Vict'ry to the vanquish'd go, • Would one, alas! repeat me good or great, Or, march'd I chain'd behind the hoftile car, • The victor's paftime, and the sport of war, Would one, would one his pitying forrow lend, • Or be fo poor, to own he was my friend? • Avails it then, O Reason, to be wise ? Let us revolve, that roll with stricteft eye • Adam, great type, for whom the world was made, • The fairest bleffing to his arms convey'd, A charming wife! and air, and fea, and land, • Destin'd the next his journey to pursue, • Where wounding thorns and curfed thiftles grew. • Ere Ere yet he earns his bread, a-down his brow, • Of Heav'n, when firft it thunder'd; oft his view • Becomes nor man nor angel to enquire. • Each age finn'd on, and guilt advanc'd with time; • Till God arofe; and, great in anger, faid, • Mean time his Providence to Noah gave The guard of all that he design'd to fave: Exempt from gen'ral doom the patriarch food, ⚫ Contemn'd the waves, and triumph'd o'er the flood. • The winds fall filent, and the waves decrease; • The dove brings quiet, and the olive peace: Yet ftill his heart does inward forrow feel, Which faith alone forbids him to reveal. } • If on the backward world his views are caft, In chains of craggy hill, or lengths of dreary coast? While to high heav'n his pious breathings turn'd, Weeping he hop'd, and facrificing mourn'd; • When of God's image only eight he found • Snatch'd from the watʼry grave, and fav'd from nations drown'd; And of three fons, the future hopes of earth, The feed whence empires must receive their birth, • One he forefees excluded heav'nly grace, • And mark'd with curfes fatal to his race. Abraham, potent prince, the friend of God! ⚫ Of human ills muft bear the destin❜d load; By blood and battles muft his pow'r maintain, • Mofes beheld that God; but how beheld? While prefent, too fevere for human fight, His youth with wants and hardfhips muft engage ; < Plots and rebellions must disturb his age: } • Some Some Corah ftill arofe, fome rebel flave, That what the Godhead wrote the prophet broke. Forbid to tread the promis'd land he faw. My father's life was one long line of care ; A fcene of danger, and a state of war. Alarm'd, expos'd; his childhood muft engage • The bear's rough gripe, and foaming lion's rage: By various turns his threaten'd youth muft fear • Goliah's lifted fword, and Saul's emitted fpear. Forlorn he muft, and perfecuted, fly, ⚫ Climb the steep mountain, in the cavern lie; And often afk, and be refus'd to die. 1 • For ever from his manly toil are known The weight of pow'r, and anguish of a crown. • What tongue can speak the restlefs monarch's woes, When God and Nathan were declar'd his foes? • When ev'ry object his offence revil'd; The husband murder'd, and the wife defil'd, * The parent's fins imprefs'd upon the dying child? • What heart can think the grief which he sustain'd, • When the king's crime brought vengeance on the land; And the inexorable prophet's voice • Gave famine, plague, or war, and bid him fix his choice. • It's pois'nous venom on the royal dead. } } • Young Young as I was, I hafted to fulfil • The cruel dictates of my parent's will: Could follow him where'er he stray'd from good, Paths open to deceit, and track'd with blood. • With smiles I could betray, with temper kill; • Soon in a brother could a rival view, • Watch all his acts, and all his ways pursue: In vain for life he to the altar fled; • Ambition and Revenge have certain speed. • E'en there, my foul, e'en there he should have fell, • But that my int'reft did my rage conceal. Doubling my crime, I promife and deceive, Purpose to flay, whilft fwearing to forgive. Treaties, perfuafions, fighs, and tears, are vain • With a mean lye curs'd vengeance I sustain, Join fraud to force, and policy to pow'r, • In folemn state to parricide I rife, And, as God lives, this day my brother dies. * In vain I would forget, in vain excuse } • Nor |