And may thy labours to the Mufe impart
Some emanation from her fifter art,

To animate the verfe, and bid it shine

In colours eafy, bright, and strong, as Thine.
Supine on earth an awful figure lies,
While fofteft flumbers feem to feal his eyes;
The hoary fire Heav'ns guardian care demands,
And at his feet the watchful angel stands.
The form auguft and large, the mien divine

*

Betray the founder of Meffiah's line.

Lo! from his loins the promis'd stem ascends,
And high to Heaven its facred boughs extends:
Each limb productive of some hero fprings,
And blooms luxuriant with a race of kings.
Th' eternal plant wide spreads its arms around,
And with the mighty branch the mystic top is

crown'd.

And lo! the glories of th' illuftrious line At their first dawn with ripen'd fplendors shine, In DAVID all exprefs'd; the good, the great, The king, the hero, and the man compleat. Serene he fits, and sweeps the golden lyre, And blends the prophet's, with the poet's fire. See! with what art he ftrikes the vocal strings, The God, his theme, infpiring what he fings! Hark- ----or our ears delude us----from his tongue Sweet flows, or feems to flow, fome heav'nly fong.

Oh! could thine art arreft the flitting found,

And paint the voice in magic numbers bound;
Could the warm fun, as erft when Memnon play'd,
Wake with his rifing beam the vocal shade :
Then might He draw th' attentive angels down,
Bending to hear the lay, fo fweet, fo like their own,
On either fide the monarch's offspring shine,
And some adorn, and some disgrace their line.
Here Ammon glories; proud, incestuous lord!
This hand fuftains the robe, and that the sword.
Frowning and fierce, with haughty ftrides he tow'rs,
And on his horrid brow defiance low'rs.
There Abfalom the ravish'd fceptre sways,
And his ftol'n honour all his fhame displays:
The base ufurper Youth! who joins in one
The rebel fubject, and th' ungrateful fon.
Amid the royal race fee Nathan stand:
Fervent he seems to speak, and lift his hand;
His looks th' emotion of his foul disclose,
And eloquence from every gesture flows.
Such and fo ftern he came, ordain'd to bring
Th' ungrateful mandate to the guilty King:
When, at his dreadful voice, a fudden smart
Shot thro' the trembling Monarch's conscious heart;
From his own lips condemn'd; fevere decree!
Had his God prov'd fo ftern a Judge as He.
But man with frailty is allay'd by birth;
Confummate purity ne'er dwelt on earth:

.

Thro' all the foul tho' virtue holds the rein,
Beats at the heart, and springs in ev'ry vein :
Yet ever from the clearest fource have ran
Some grofs allay, fome tincture of the man.

But who is he?----deep-musing----in his mind,
He seems to weigh, in reason's feales, mankind;
Fix'd contemplation holds his steady eyes----
I know the * fage, the wifeft of the wise.
Bleft with all man could wifh, or prince obtain,

Yet his great heart pronounc'd those bleffings vain.
And lo! bright glitt'ring in his facred hands,
In miniature the glorious temple stands.
Effulgent frame! ftupendous to behold!

Gold the strong valves, the roof of burnish'd gold.
The wand'ring ark, in that bright dome enfhrin'd,
Spreads the strong light, eternal, unconfin'd!
Above th' unutterable glory plays

Prefence divine! and the full streaming rays
Pour thro' reluctant clouds intolerable blaze.
But ftern oppreffion rends Reboam's reign;
See the gay prince, injurious, proud and vain!
Th' imperial fceptre totters in his hand,
And proud rebellion triumphs in the land.
Curs'd with corruption's ever-fruitful spring,
A beardless Senate and a haughty King.
There Afa, good and great, the fceptre bears,
Juftice attends his peace, fuccefs his wars:

While virtue was his fword, and heav'n his shield,
Without controul the warrior fwept the field;
Loaded with spoils, triumphant he return'd,
And half her fwarthy Sons fad Ethiopia mourn'd.
But fince thy flagging piety decay'd,

And barter'd God's defence for human aid;
See their fair laurels wither on thy brow,
Nor herbs, nor healthful arts avail thee now,
Nor is heav'n chang'd, apoftate prince, but Thou.
No mean attonement does this lapse require;
But fee the Son, you must forgive the Sire:
He, the just prince----with ev'ry virtue bless'd,
He reign'd, and goodness all the man possess'd,
Around his throne fair happiness, and peace
Smooth'd ev'ry brow, and fmil'd in ev'ry face.

*

As when along the burning wafte he stray'd, Where no pure ftreams in bubbling mazes play'd, Where drought, incumbent on the thirsty ground, Long fince had breath'd her fcorching blafts around; The† Prophet calls, th' obedient floods repair To the parch'd fields, for Jofaphat was there. The new-fprung waves, in many a gurgling vein, Trickle luxurious through the fucking plain; Fresh honours the reviving fields adorn, And o'er the defart plenty pours her horn.

*

JOSAPHAT.

+ ELISHA.

D

So, from the throne his influence he sheds,
And bids the virtues raise their languid heads :
Where'er he goes, attending Truth prevails,
Oppreffion flies, and Juftice lifts her fcales.
See, on his arm the royal eagle ftand,
Great type of conqueft, and fupreme command;
Th' exulting bird distinguish'd triumph brings,
And greets the Monarch with expanded wings.
Fierce Moab's fons prevent th' impending blow,
Rush on themselves, and fall without the foe.
The pious hero vanquish'd Heaven by pray'r;
His faith an army, and his vows a war.
Thee too, Ozias, fates indulgent bleft,
And thy days fhone, in fairest actions drest;
Till that rafh hand, by fome blind frenzy fway'd,
Unclean, the facred office durft invade.
Quick, o'er thy limbs the scurfy venom ran,
And hoary filth befprinkled all the man.

Tranfmiffive worth adorns the pious * Son,
The father's virtues with the father's throne.
Lo! there he ftands: he, who the rage fubdu'd
Of Ammon's fons, and drench'd his fword in blood.
And doft thou, Ahaz, Judah's fcourge, difgrace,
With thy bafe front, the glories of thy race?