Ille autem, tanto quanquam dignatus honore,
Quot volvit cafus, quæ pertulit aspera rerum
A cunis ufque ad tumulum! Jam tum invida nudum
Pauperies puerum primis invafit ab annis:
Oppreffere fenem infidiæ, atque adverfa malorum
Agmina; furrexitque cohors ftudiofa labores
Fruftrari egregios: quin afpera Turba furore
Sic Vatem incendit, tabulas ut frangeret amens,
Quas ipfa æterni fignârat Dextra JEHOVA.
Effrænefque Viros cum jam per mille labores
Duxerat, armorumque vices, perque extera regna;
Promiffa en! tandem fato divifus acerbo
Littora, jam moriens, heu non fua littora, vidit.
Davidis in vitâ, ut curis longo ordine curæ Succedunt! quot iniqua pericula, quotque tumultus! Mollis adhuc, tenerâque virens ætate, leoni Concurrit rabido, & torvæ ruit obvius urfæ. Nondum annis maturum immanis dextra Golia Aggreditur, tacitique petunt tela invida Sauli: Saulo urgente, fugit fuper avia luftra ferarum, Arduaque afcendit montis juga, seque fub antro Occulit, & mortis nequicquam munera pofcit. Tandem Ipfe ad regni furgens faftigia, magnum
The following Days, and Months, and Years decreed To fierce Encounter, and to toilfome Deed.
His Youth with Wants and Hardships muft engage:
Plots and Rebellions must disturb his Age.
Some CORAH ftill arose, fome Rebel Slave,
Prompter to fink the State, than He to fave:
And ISRAEL did his Rage fo far provoke,
That what the God-head wrote, the Prophet broke.
His Voice scarce heard, his Dictates scarce believ'd,
In Camps, in Arms, in Pilgrimage, He liv'd;
And dy'd obedient to fevereft Law,
Forbid to tread the promis'd Land, He faw.
My Father's Life was one long Line of Care,
A Scene of Danger, and a State of War. --
Alarm'd, expos'd, his Childhood must engage
The Bear's rough Gripe, and foaming Lion's Rage.
By various Turns his threaten'd Youth muft fear
GOLIAH's lifted Sword, and SAUL'S emitted Spear.
Forlorn He muft, and perfecuted fly;
Climb the steep Mountain, in the Cavern lye;
And often ask, and be refus'd to dye.
For ever, from His manly Toils, are known
Exftitit exemplum, quàm fævo pondere fudet
Majeftas, quantofque ferat Diadema labores.
O qui torquebant ardentia corda dolores,
Cum gravis hoftiles aperiret Numinis iras
Nuntius! Ut diverfa animum exagitabat Imago;
Trifte Viri funus, violatæ injuria Sponfæ,
Et Puer heu patrium ob crimen nece raptus iniquâ!
Ut fecum horrenda ingemuit, cum regia cladem
Intulit impietas populis, juffitque Propheta
Eligere, an peftem cœlo deducere mallet,
An tolerare famem, aut fævi difcrimina Martis!
Occubuit tandem Genitor: precor, offa quiefcant; Nulla facrum fædâ violare ærugine nomen
Lingua aufit: quanquam ô, luctantem pectore in ægro,
Hunc faltem liceat verbis vulgare dolorem :
Me moriens curis auxit, fcelerifque paterni
Hæredem inftituit; juffis me vinxit iniquis
Devotum mactare caput, cæfoque meorum
Principe, decreto nova tingere fceptra cruore.
Nec mora; continuò juvenili fanguine fervens Dira fequor præceps crudelis juffa Parentis. Virtutes patrias celeri vix lumine luftro;
The Weight of Pow'r, and Anguish of a Crown. What Tongue can speak the restless 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 Sins imprefs'd upon the dying Child? What Heart can think the Grief which He fuftain'd; When the King's Crime brought Vengeance on the Land; And the inexorable Prophet's Voice
Gave Famine, Plague,orWar; and bid Him fix his Choice?
He dy'd; and Oh! may no Reflection shed
It's poys'nous Venom on the Royal Dead:
Yet the unwilling Truth must be exprefs'd,
Which long has labor'd in this penfive Breast:
Dying He added to my Weight of Care:
He made Me to his Crimes undoubted Heir:
Left his unfinish'd Murder to his Son,
And Jo AB's Blood intail'd on JUDAH's Crown.
Young as I was, I hafted to fulfill
The cruel Dictates of my Parent's Will.
Of his fair Deeds a diftant View I took;
In vitiis intento oculo juvat ufque morari:
Nec memini, primis ut vitæ prodigus annis
Protegeret patriam! ut leges venerandaque jura
Servaret conftans! Lætâ fed mente revolvo
Nequitiis fractum affiduis, turpique folutum
Pellicis amplexu: fugienda exempla fecutus
Abripior, fcelerumque feror declivia præceps
Per loca, perque atro rorantes fanguine calles.
Fraudibus affuetus, tranquillo fallere vultu
Jam potui, mortifque atrocia tela ferenus
Dirigere; hinc oculo fratrem fpeculatus iniquo,
Omnia facta viri veftigiaque omnia scrutor,
(Ambitione odii ftimulos acuente) fugamque
Quærentem fruftra tangentemque infequor aras.
Hic, etiam hic, ipfas (fateor) cecidiffet ad aras,
Ni Timor obftiterat, tumidamque reprefferat iram.
Quin do fponte fidem, certus violare; benignè
Polliceor veniam, atque odiis fimul acribus uror.
Nil lacrymæ gemitufque valent, nil vota precefque;
Sævus adhuc, tacitumque premens fub corde furorem,
Blanda malus loquor, & fictâ pace ora fereno:
Dum tandem prædæ, vi, fraude, potitus, ad aras
Accedo, teftorque DEI venerabile numen,
Sæva palam intentans delufo funera fratri.
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