O fubject 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 deftin'd for the Feaft:
ABRA invites: the Nation is the Gueft.
To have the Honor of each Day sustain’d,
The Woods are travers'd; and the Lakes are drain'd:
ARABIA'S Wilds, and ÆGYPT's are explor'd:
The Edible Creation decks the Board:

Hardly the Phenix 'scapes

The Men their Lyres, the Maids their Voices raise,

To fing my Happiness, and ABRA's Praife.

And flavish Bards our mutual Loves rehearse

In lying Strains, and ignominious Verse:

While from the Banquet leading forth the Bride,
Whom prudent Love from publick Eyes should hide;
I show Her to the World, confess'd and known
Queen of my Heart, and Part'ner of my Throne.

And

Huc coeunt variâ Judææ ex parte frequentes,
Agmen Adulantum, quos Abra adduxit: honorum
Hi mercaturas agitant; hi munera donant,
Multa nec immodicis par eft provincia votis.

Scilicet his primùm monftrantibus Abra nocendi
Edidicit varias artes; orare, filere,

Atque leves fummis adjungere rebus amores:
Imperiumque fuum certis firmare peritè
Legibus, & dulci exitio mea fallere Corda.
Hinc etiam acceptum, miferum mihi tradidit Illa
Confilium, Regum effe animis obducere vela:
Et mala fucato celantes pectora vultu
Affiduos agitare dolos; dumque Hoftibus almi
Obfequio arrident blando, contemnere Amicos.
Mox Ego præfidia imperii certiffima fperno.
BARZILLÆ magni fobolem, atrocifque BENAIÆ
Progeniem egregiam; quorum fubiere Parentes
Davideas curas, juveni fua gaudia Regi ́
Teftantes, Sceptro cum jam donatus ad Hebrum
Fulgeret, Virtute illorum & Vulnere clarus.
Ocyus (ah triste aufpicium!) cumulantur honore,
Quos mihi reddiderat dementia noftra timendos,
Mordacis Shimeique genus, Coræque propago;
Qui turpes facilem experti funt DAVIDA, quanquam
Calcâffent leges, Regique indigna tuliffent.

Crefcit

And now her Friends and Flatt'rers fill the Court: From DAN, and from BEERSHEBA They refort:

They barter Places, and difpofe 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 fure.
They gave, and She transferr'd the curs'd Advice,
That Monarchs should their inward Soul difguife,
Diffemble and command, be false and wife;
By ignominious Arts for fervile Ends

Should compliment their Foes, and shun their Friends.
And now I leave the true and juft 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 Counfel, 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.

I

Still

Crefcit adhuc amor infelix, opprobria Regis Neglecti crescunt: subvertens fasque nefasque Fæmina dux rerum, fixit decreta refixitque, Et Nymphæ inftabiles flexit vox unica leges.

Oblitus Patriæ folâque moratus in Abra
Factaque Conceptufque Illi Vitamque dicabam :
Non potui læfo Rationem opponere cordi;
Abra ibi fe dominam afferuit, pars optima noftri.
Quod fi jam noftrum fteterat Lis ante tribunal
Inclyta, quâ tantos miræ virtutis honores
Accepi Juvenis: Simulatæ lingua parentis
Fuderat illecebras fruftrà, blandamque loquelam;
Fruftrà etiam Veræ trepidantia vifcera matris
Impulerant Pietas ardens innataque Cura;
Utrique elufæ fatum decreverat Abra

Ore potens placido fervare & perdere torvo.

Sceptra rudis moderari, amplexus vinc'la, jacebam Exanimus Princeps & magni nominis umbra. Pupillis miferis queftus funduntur inanes, Nec tangunt noftram Viduæ fufpiria mentem: Neglectæ lites pendent infamè; fupino Opprobrium injiciunt Domino ceffantia Jura.

Nec

Still ABRA's Pow'r, my Scandal ftill 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.

ISRAEL 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 it's 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 Perfuafion 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 ABR A 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.