Whom faithful Abraham due time fhall call
A fon, and of his fon a grand-child leaves;
Like him in faith, is wisdom, and renown.
The grand-child with twelve fons increas'd
departs

From Canaan, to a land hereafter call'd
Egypt, divided by river Nile:

155

Seere where it flows, disgorging at feven

mouths

Into the fea! To fojourn in that land
He comes, invited by a younger fon
In time of dearth; a fon, whofe worthy

deeds

160

Raife him to be the fecond in that realm
Of Pharaoh: there he dies, and leaves his

race

Growing into a nation: and now grown, Sufpected to a fequent king, who seeks 165 To ftop their overgrowth, as inmade guests Too numerous; whence of guests he makes them flaves

. Inhofpitably; and kills their infant males: Till by two brethren, thofe two brethren call Mofes and Aaron, fent from God fo claim 170. His people from inthralment, they return With glory and fpoil back to their promis'd land.

But first the lawlefs tyrant, who denies
To know their God, or meffage to regard,

G

Must be compell'd by fings and judgment

dire:

175

To blood unfhed the rivers must be turn'd;
Frogs, lice, and flies, must all his palace fill
With loath'd intrufion, and fill all the land:
His cattle must of rot and murren die:

Botches and blains muft all his flesh im-
180

bofs,

And all his people! thunder mix'd with hail, Hail mix'd with fire, must rend th' Egyptian fky,

And wheel on th' earth, devouring where it
rolls,

What it devours not, herb, or fruit, or grain,
A darkfome cloud of locufts fwarming

down

185

Muft eat, and on the ground leave nothing

green:

Darkness muft overfhadow all his bounds,
Palpable darkness! and blot out three days:
Laft, with one midnight stroke, all the first-
born

Of Egypt must lie dead. Thus with ten

wounds

The river dragon tam'd at length submits

igo

To let his fojourners depart; and oft
Humbles his ftubborn heart: but ftill as ice
More harden'd after thaw: till in rage.
Pursuing whom he late dismiss'd, tho fea 195

Swallows him with his hoft; but them lets . pals

As on dry land between two chryftal walls; Aw'd by the rod of Mofes so to stand Divided, till his rescu'd gain their shore: Such wondrous pow'r God to his faint will

Through present in his Angel, who fhall go
Before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire,
By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire;
To guide them in their journey, and remove
Behind them, while th' obdurate king pur-

All night he will purfue, put his approach Darkness defends between till morning

watch:

Then through the fiery pillar and the cloud God looking forth will trouble all his hoft, And craze their chariot - wheels: when by command

210

Mofes once more his potent rod extends
Over the fea, the fea his rod obeys:
On their imbattled ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war! The race elect,
Safe towards Canaan from the fhure ad-

vance

215 Through the wild defert'; not the readieft

way,

Left entring on the Canaanite alarm'd

1310110

Passau

Staat!

G 2

War terrify them inexpert, and fear
Return them back to Aegypt, chufing rather
Inglorious life with fervitude: for life,

220

To noble and ignoble is more sweet Untrain'd in arms, where rafhness leads

not on.

This alfo fhall they gain by their delay

In the wide wilderness: there they fhall

found

Their government, and their great fenate

choofe

215

Thro' the twelve tribes, to rule by laws.or

dain'd.

God from the mount of Sinai, whofe gray top
Shall tremble, he defcending, will himself.
In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets
found

Ordain them laws: part fuch as appertain 230
To civil juftice: part religious rites
Of facrifice: informing them by types,

And fhadows, of that deftin'd feed to bruise
The fer ent, by what means he fhall atchieve
Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of

To mortal ear is dreadful! They befeech, That Moles might report to them his will, And terror ceafe; He grants, what they be

fought

Inftructed that to God is no access

1

Without mediator, whofe high office now 240
Mofes in figure bears, to introduce

One greater, of whofe day he shall foretell,
And all the prophets in their age the times
Of Great Mefliah fhall fing. Thus laws and
rites

250

Established, such delight had God in men 245
Obedient to his will, that he vouchsafes,
Among them to fet up his tabernacle:
The holy One with mortal men to dwell.
By his prefcript a Sanctuary is fram'd
Of cedar, overlaid with gold, therein.
An ark, and in the ark his testimony,
The records of his cov'nant; over these
A mercy-feat of gold between the wings
Of two bright Cherubim: before him burn'
Seven lamps as in a zodiac, representing 255
The heav'nly fires: over the tent a cloud

Shall reft by day, a fiery glam by night,

Save when they journey: and a length they

come,

Conducted by his Angel to the land

Promis'd to Abraham and his feed

reft

The

260

Were long to tell, how many battles fought, How many Kings deftroy'd, and kingdoms

won,

Or how the Sun fhall in mid Heav'n ftand