Nor cou'd fo gen'rous and fo great a Mind, In his own Court or Kingdom reft confin'd: Ev'n Ammon's diftant Fields it reach'd, and sent To Hanun a condoling Compliment ;

Whofe Father once receiv'd with Royal State
That exil'd Chief, but now had paid his Debt to

Fate:

The jealous Lords their eafie Prince perfuade,
Twas all Defign, and he'd his Land invade:
Against the Faith and Law of Nations us'd
His Embafie, affronted and abus'd;
The Men to Jericho with Shame return'd,
Nor David this, who with juft Anger burn'd;
Foab and all his Hoft Revenge prepare,
Nor confcious Ammon flow to meet the War
Of Zobah, Rebob, Ifrael's ancient Foes,
Their ftrong auxiliary Troops compose;
Themselves diftinct, their trusty Walls were nigh,
If worsted in the Fight, and forc'd to fly;
The Cherethites undaunted Joab led,
Who never yet in Battel fhrunk or fled,
The reft did brave Abifhai's Virtue head:
When Forb thus--- If Syrian Arms prevail,
And push the Guards, tho' never us'd to fail,
You from your Wing fhall fpeedy Succours fend,
As I to yours, if you to Ammon bend:
We for our Hearths and Holy Altars fight,
And Piety and Nature here unite:

Like Men let's Conquer, or like Men let's die,
And leave the Event to him who rules the Skye
Fir'd with his Words his Army breaks away,
Nor for the Trumpets tardy Signal ftay:
The Syrians to fuperior Virtue yield,

}

Dishearten'd Ammon fees, and quits with fhame the

Field.

ร

CXLVIII.

David and Bathsheba.

vain a Thing is Man! the Great and

How Brave,

How often fome inferior Paffions slave!

Too bad the best, by native Bent inclin'd:
---O why was Pow'r beftow'd on human kind,
A harmful Pow'r to make themselves unblest ?
---But vainly we with righteous Heav'n conteft:
Man were not Man unless indulg'd Free-will,
And uncontroll'd in Choice of Good or Ill.
The Mind can no exteriour Force control,
When Beauty thro' the Body wounds the Soul:
Had David clos'd his Eyes, the fatal Dart
From Bathsheba had never reach'd his Heart;
Vain of her Form, tho' fhe th' occafion gave,
And proud to have a Monarch call'd her Slave.
That Virtue which fo many Storms cou'd bear,
Relax'd with Eafe, grew fick in milder Air;
Loofe from his Couch with the declining Sun,
He rofe, and came, and faw, and was undone :
Her Bofom the polluted crystal laves,

How wild a Flame fhot upward from the Waves is
Th unguarded King beheld, review'd, admir'd,
Th' unknown forbidden Beauty he defir'd,
He bluf'd and trembled, and her Name enquir'd,
Which his officious Courtiers foon declare,
Her Lord detain'd in Ammon's dubious War:
Seduc'd with ease the willing Prey they bring,
His Blot, his Shame, his Curfe to Judah's King:
In vain awhile their lawless Loves conceal'd,
Firft by th' Effects, and then the Punishment re-
veal'd.
CXLVIII,

:

CXLVIII.

2 SAMUEL, Chap. XI to Ver. 5.

299

Ver. 2. It came to pass in an evening-ride, that David arofe from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's houfe: and from the roof he faw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3. And David Sent and enquired after the woman: and one faid, Is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4. And David fent messengers, and took her; and fhe came unto him, and he lay with her.

How long the Sting, and Shame, and Pain endures!
From Ill to Ill our wand'ring Nature slides,
When Piety, no more, and Virtue guides:
To cloak Adult'ry Murther muft fucceed,
And by bafe Treason brave Uriah bleed ;
Tho' milder Methods firft the Monarch tries,
And wou'd in vain their Guilt and Shame Disguise:
Bathshebah! for thy injur'd Lord he sends,
Who with Dispatches from the Camp attends;
But with the Pelethites the Guard he kept,
Nor in his violated Manfion flept:

He fcorn'd of Eafe and foft Repofe to taste,
While in the Fields their Nights the Army pafs'd
Tho' twice the confcious Monarch vainly tries
To hide their Shame; the golden Goblet plies:
Well-warm'd the Warrior from his Prefence fends,
And much of Kindness and of Love pretends:
The Chief perfifts; how dear his Firmness coft!
His Life by Murther and by Treafon loft:
He to the Camp the fatal Letters bears,
Which to the Gen'ral David's Will declares:

Too

CXLIX.

2 SAMUEL, Chap. XI. from Ver. 14. to the End.

301

Ver. 14.

David wrote a letter to Joab, and

fent it by the band of Uriah.

15. And he wrote in the letter, Saying, Set ye Uriah in the fore-frent of the hottest battel, and retire ye from him, that he may be fmitten, and die.

16. And it came to pass when Joab obferved the city, that be affigned Uriah unto a place where be knew that 17. And then men were. men of the city went out and fought with Joab: and there fell fome of the people of the fervants of David, and Uriah the Hittite died alfo.