None from his hand did vain or innocent flee,
Scarce Love or Fate could aim fo well as he.
Many of Judah took wrong'd David's fide,
And many of old Jacob's youngest tribe;
But his chief strength the Gathite foldiers are,
Each fingle man able t' o'ercome a war!

Swift as the darts they fling through yielding air,
And hardy all as the strong steel they bear:

A lion's noble rage fits in their face,

Terrible comely, arm'd with dreadful grace!

115

120

Th' undaunted Prince, though thus well-guarded here, Yet his ftout foul durft for his parents fear;

He feeks for them a fafe and quiet feat,
Nor trufts his fortune with a pledge fo great.
So, when in hoftile fire rich Afia's pride
For ten years' fiege had fully fatisfy'd,
Æneas ftole an act of higher fame,

And bore Anchifes through the wondering flame;
A nobler burden, and a richer prey,
Than all the Grecian forces bore away!
Go, pious Prince! in peace, in triumph go;
Enjoy the conqueft of thine overthrow;

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135

To have fav'd thy Troy would far iefs glorious be;
By this thou overcom'ft their victory.

Moab next Judah, an old kingdom, lies;

Jordan their touch, and his curs'd fea denies :
They fee North-stars from o'er Amoreus' ground,
Edom and Petra their South part does bound:
Eastwards the lands of Cush and Ammon lie,
The morning's happy beams they first espy;

140

The

The region with fat foil and plenty 's bleft,
A foil too good to be of old poffeft

By monstrous Emins; but Lot's offspring came,
And conquer'd both the people and the name;
Till Seon drave them beyond Arnon's flood,

245

And their sad bounds mark'd deep in their own blood.
In Hesbon, his triumphant court he plac'd,
Hesbon, by Men and Nature strangely grac'd;

A glorious town, and fill'd with all delight
Which peace could yield, though well prepar'd for

fight.

155

But this proud city, and her prouder lord,
Felt the keen rage of Ifrael's facred sword;
Whilft Moab triumph'd in her torn estate,
To fee her own become her conqueror's fate:
Yet that small remnant of Lot's parted crown
Did, arm'd with Ifrael's fins, pluck Ifrael down: 160
Full thrice fix years they felt fierce Eglon's yoke,
Till Ehud's fword God's vengeful message spoke ;
Since then their kings in quiet held their own,
Quiet, the good of a not-envy'd throne !
And now a wife old prince the fceptre fway'd,
Well by his subjects and himself obey'd;
Only before his father's gods he fell;
Poor wretched man! almost too good for hell!
Hither does David his bleft parents bring;
With humble greatness begs of Moab's king
A fafe and fair abode, where they might live,
Free from those storms with which himself must strive.

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170

The king with chearful grace his fuit approv'd, By hate to Saul, and love to Virtue, mov'd. "Welcome great Knight, and your fair Troop," faid he, 175

"Your name found welcome long before with me; "That to rich Ophir's rifing morn is known, "And ftretch'd-out far to the burnt fwarthy zone: "Swift Fame, when her round journey the does make, "Scorns not fometimes us in her way to take,

"Are you the man did that huge giant kill,

180

"Great Baâl of Phegor? and how young he 's still!

"From Ruth we heard you came; Ruth was born here,

184

"In Judah fojourn'd, and (they fay) match'd there
"To one of Bethlem; which I hope is true;
"Howe'er, your virtues here entitle you:
"Those have the best alliance always been;
"To gods as well as men they make us kin."

He spoke, and strait led in his thankful guests,
T'a stately room prepar'd for shows and feasts:
The room with golden tapestry glifter'd bright,
At once to please, and to confound, the fight,
Th' excellent work of Babylonian hands!
In midst a table of rich ivory stands,

By three fierce tigers, and three lions borne,
Which grin, and fearfully the place adorn
Widely they gape, and to the eye they roar,
As if they hunger'd for the food they bore.
About it beds of Libyan citron stood,
With coverings dy'd in Tyrian fishes' blood

190

393

200

(They

(They fay, th' Herculean art): but most delight
Some Pictures gave to David's learned fight.
Here feveral ways Lot and great Abram go,
Their too-much wealth vaft and unkind does grow;
Thus each extreme to equal danger tends,

Plenty, as well as Want, can separate friends.
Here Sodom's towers raise their proud tops on high
(The towers, as well as men, outbrave the fky);
By it the waves of reverend Jordan run,

Here green with trees, there gilded with the fun; 210
Hither Lot's houfehold comes, a numerous train,
And all with various business fill the plain :
Some drive the crowding fheep with rural hooks;
They lift
up their mild heads, and bleat in looks?
Some drive the herds; here a fierce bullock scorns 215
Th' appointed way, and runs with threatening horns.
In vain the herdman calls him back again;
The dogs stand off afar, and bark in vain :
Some lead the groaning waggons, loaded high
With stuff, on top of which the maidens lie:
Upon tall camels the fair fifters ride,

And Lot talks with them both on either fide.

Another picture to curft Sodom brings

220

Elam's proud lord, with his three fervant-kings: They fack the town, and bear Lot bound away; 225 Whilst in a pit the vanquish'd Bera lay,

Buried almoft alive, for fear of death;

But Heaven's juft vengeance fav'd as yet his breath: Abraham purfues, and flays the victor's hoft,

Scarce had their conqueft leifure for a boast,

230

Next this was drawn the reckless city's flame,

When a strange hell pour'd down from heaven there

came.

235

Here the two angels from Lot's window look
With fmiling anger; the lewd wretches, ftrook
With fudden blindness, seek in vain the door;
Their eyes, first cause of lust, first vengeance bore.
Through liquid air Heaven's busy foldiers fly,
And drive-on clouds where feeds of thunder lie:
Here the fad sky glows red with dismal streaks,
Here lightning from it with short trembling breaks;
Here the blue flames of fcalding brimstone fall,
Involving swiftly in one ruin all:

The fire of trees and houses mounts on high,

And meets half-way new fires that shower from sky.
Some in their arms fnatch their dear babes away; 245
At once drop down the fathers' arms and they :
Some into waters leap with kindled hair,
And, more to vex their fate, are burnt ev'n there.
Men thought (fo much a flame by art was shown)
The picture's felf would fall in ashes down.

Afar old Lot toward little Zoar hies,

250

And dares not move (good man!) his weeping eyes: Behind his wife ftood, ever fix'd alone;

No more a woman, not yet quite a stone:
A lafting death feiz'd on her turning head;

255

One cheek was rough and white, the other red,
And yet a cheek: in vain to speak she strove ;
Her lips, though stone, a little seem'd to move :

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