1075 1085 Was acting then, till, faint and out of breath, "He grew half-dead with toil of giving death. "What could his crime in this condition be, "Excus'd by ignorance and neceffity? " Yet the remorseless king--who did disdain "That man should hear him swear or threat in vain, "Though 'gainst himself; or fate a way should fee "By which attack'd and conquer'd he might be; "Who thought compaffion female weakness here, "And equity injustice, would appear " In his own cause; who falsely fear'd, beside, "The folemn curse on Jonathan did abide, "And, the infected limb not cut away, "Would like a gangrene o'er all Ifrael stray;ー "Prepar'd this god-like sacrifice to kill, " And his rash vow more rashly to fulfil. "What tongue can th' horror and amazement tell "Which on all Ifrael that fad moment fell! "Tamer had been their grief, fewer their tears, "Had the Philiftian fate that day been theirs. "Not Saul's proud heart could master his swoln eye; "The Prince alone stood mild and patient by; 1095 "So bright his fufferings, so triumphant, show'd, "Less to the best than worst of fates he ow'd. "A victory now he o'er himself might boast; "He conquer'd now, that conqueror of an hoft. "It charm'd through tears the sad spectator's fight, "Did reverence, love, and gratitude, excite, "And pious rage; with which inspir'd, they now "Oppose to Saul's a better public vow. They "They all confent all Israel ought to be "Accurs'd and kill'd themselves, rather than he. 1005 "Thus with kind force they the glad king withstood, "And fav'd their wondrous saviour's sacred blood!" Thus David spoke; and much did yet remain 1110 Behind, th' attentive prince to entertain; 1115 END. OF THE DAVIDEIS.. A DISCOURSE, BY WAY OF VISION, CONCERNING THE GOVERNMENT OF OLIVER CROMWELL. I 1 T was the funeral day of the late man who made himself to be called protector. And though I bore but little affection, either to the memory of him, or to the trouble and fully of all public pageantry, yet I was forced by the importunity of my company to go along with them, and be a spectator of that folemnity, the expectation of which had been so great, that it was faid to have brought some very curious persons (and no doubt fingular virtuosos) as far as from the Mount in Cornwall, and from the Orcades. I found there had/ been much more cost bestowed than either the dead man, or indeed death itself, could deserve. There was a mighty train of black afsistants, among which, too, divers princes in the perfons of their ambassadors (be ing infinitely afflicted for the loss of their brother) were pleased to attend; the hearse was magnificent, the idol crowned, and (not to mention all other cere monies which are practifed at royal interments, and.. therefore by no means could be omitted here) the wast multitude of spectators made up, as it uses to do, no small part of the spectacle itself. But yet, I know not how, the whole was so managed, that, methought, it somewhat represented the life of him for whom it VOL. II. P was was made; much noise, much tumult, much expence, much magnificence, much vain-glory; briefly, a great show, and yet, after all this, but an ill fight. At last (for it seemed long to me, and like his short reign too, very tedious) the whole scene passed by; and I retired back to my chamber, weary, and I think more melancholy than any of the mourners; where I began to reflect on the whole life of this prodigious man: and sometimes I was filled with horror and detestation of his actions, and sometimes I inclined a little to res verence and admiration of his courage, conduct, and success, till, by these different motions and agitations of mind, rocked as it were asseep, I fell at last into this vision; or if you please to call it but a dream, I shall not take it ill, because the father of poets tells us, even dreams, too, are from God. But fure it was no dream; for I was suddenly tranfported afar off (whether in the body, or out of the body, like St. Paul, I know not) and found myself on the top of that famous hill in the island Mona, which has the profpect of three great, and not-long-fince most happy, kingdoms. As soon as ever I looked on them, the "not-long-fince" struck upon my memory, and called forth the sad representation of all the sins, and all the miseries, that had overwhelmed them these twenty years. And I wept bitterly for two or three hours; and, when my present stock of moisture was all wasted, I fell a fighing for an hour more; and, as foon as I recovered from my passion the use of speech and reafon, I broke forth, as I remember (looking upon Eng land) into this complaint : Ah, Ah, happy ifle, how art thou chang'd and curs'd, When all the riches of the globe beside Flow'd in to thee with every tide; When all the liquid world was one extended Thames: When plenty in each village did appear, And bounty was its steward there; Had face and substance with her voice, i Like Echo (once a Nymph) turn'd only into noise: When men to men, respect and friendship bore, And God with reverence did adore; |