Send the fucceffive ills thro' ages down, The child to whofe fuccefs thy hope is bound, 735 (That curfed poifon to the prince's mind !) Pining incline their fickly leaves, and shed Shall from the victor and the vanquifh'd fear, 740 745 750 Shall caft his weary'd limbs on Jordan's flood, [blood. By brothers arms difturb'd, and ftain'd with kindred Hence lab'ring years fhall weep their deftin'd race, Charg'd with ill omens, fully'd with difgrace Time, by neceffity compell'd, fhall go Thro' fcenes of war, and epochas of woe: : Indulge thy tears; the Heathen shall blafpheme; Thy captive fons fhall leave the promis'd land; 756 760 765 Thefe pointed fpires that wound the ambient sky, Inglorious change shall in deftruction lie Low, levell'd with the duft, their heights unknown, Or measur'd by their ruin. Yonder throne, 771 775 780 785 799 Twice fourteen ages fhall their way complete; Empires by various turns fhall rife and fet, While thy abandon'd tribes fhall only know A diff'rent mafter and a change of woe; With downcaft eyelids, and with looks aghaft, Shall dread the future or bewail the past. Afflicted Ifrael shall fit weeping down, Faft by the ftreams where Babel's waters run, Their harps upon the neighb'ring willows hung, Nor joyous hymn encouraging their tongue, Nor cheerful dance their feet; with toil oppreft, Their weary'd limbs afpiring but to rest. In the reflective stream the fighing bride, Viewing her charms impair'd, abash'd shall hide Her pentive head, and in her lanquid face The bridegroom fhall forefee his fickly race, While pond'rous fetters vex their clofe embrace With irkfome anguifh then your priests fhall mourn Their long-neglected feasts defpair'd return. And fad oblivion of their folemn days: Thenceforth their voices they fhall only raife, Louder to weep. By day your frighted feers Shall call for fountains to express their tears, And with their eyes were floods: by night, from dreams Of opening gulfs, black ftorms, and raging flames, 795 801 805 Starting amaz'd, shall to the people flow woe. 810 815 820 The captives, as their tyrant fhall require That they should breathe the f ng and touch the lyre, Shall fay, can Jacob's fervile race rejoice, Untun'd the music, and difus'd the voice? What can we play, (they fhall difcourfe) how fing In foreign lands, and to a barb'rous king? We and our fathers, from our childhood bred To watch the cruel victor's eye, to dread The arbitrary lafh, to bend, to grieve, (Outcaft of mortal race) can we conceive Image of ought delightful, soft, or gay? Alas! when we have toil the longfome day, The fulleft blifs our hearts afpire to know, Is but fome interval from active woe; In broken rest and startling fleep to mourn, Till morn the tyrant and the fcourge return: Bred up in grief, can pleasure be our theme? Our endlefs anguifh does not nature claim? Reafon and forrow are to us the fame. Alas! with wild amazement we require If idle Folly was not Pleasure's fire ? 825 830 Madness, we fancy, gave an ill-tim`d birth To grinning Laughter and to frantic Mirth. Which thou, alas! and thine, are born to know. $35 View not what Heav'n ordains with reafon's eye; Too bright the object is, the diftance is too high. $40 Thy fum of life muft his decrees fulfil ; 845 Remark what I, God's meffenger, aver From him who neither can deceive nor err. 850 The land, at length redeem'd, shall cease to mourn, Shall from her fad captivity return : Sion fhall raife her long-dejected head,` And in her courts the law again be read: Again the glorious temple fhall arife, 855 And with new luftre pierce the neighb'ring skies: Cover the mountain and command the plain; Now, Solomon, rememb'ring who thou art, 860 865 Go forth; be ftrong; with patience and with care Perform and fuffer; to thyfelf severe, 870 Gracious to others, thy defires fuppreft, 875 880 Enthron'd in light and immortality, Whom no man fully fees, and none can fee! Since that I live, and that I think, is thine; 885 890 |