17 Till Seon drave them beyond Arnons flood,
And their sad bounds markt deep in their own blood.
18 In Hesbon his triumphant Court he plac'ed,
Hesbon by Men and Nature strangely grac'ed.
A glorious Town, and fill'ed with all delight
Which Peace could yield, though well prepared for fight.
But this proud City and her prouder Lord
Felt the keen rage of Israels Sacred Sword,
Whilst Moab triumpht in her torn estate,
To see her own become her Conqu'erers fate.
Yet that small remnant of Lots parted Crown
Did arm'ed with Israels sins pluck Israel down,
Full thrice six years they felt fierce Eglons yoke,
Till Ebuds sword Gods vengeful Message spoke ;
Since then their Kings in quiet held their owne,
Quiet the good of a not envy'd Throne.
And now a wise old Prince the Scepter sway'd,
Well by his Subjects and Himself obey'd.
Onely before his Fathers Gods he fell;
Poor wretched Man, almost too good for Hell!
Hither does David his blest Parents bring,
With humble greatness begs of Moabs King,
A safe and fair abode, where they might live,
Free from those storms with which himself must strive.
The King with chearful grace his suit approv'd,
19 By hate to Saul, and love to Virtue mov❜d.
Welcome great Knight, and your fair Troop (said he)
Your Name found welcome long before with me.
20 That to rich Ophirs rising Morn is knowne,
And stretcht out far to the burnt swarthy Zone.
21 Swift Fame, when her round journey she does make,
Scorns not sometimes Us in her way to take.
Are you the man, did that huge Gyant kill?
22 Great Bâal of Phegor! and how young he's still!
From Ruth we heard you came; Ruth was born here,
In Judah sojourn'd, and (they say) matcht there
To one of Bethlem; which I hope is true;
Howe're your Virtues here entitle you.
Those have the best alliance always bin,
To Gods as well as Men they make us Kin.
He spoke, and straight led in his thankful Guests, To'a stately Room prepar'ed for Shows and Feasts. The Room with golden Tap'estry glister'ed bright, At once to please and to confound the sight, 23 Th' excellent work of Babylonian hands; 24 In midst a Table of rich Iv'ory stands,
By three fierce Tygers, and three Lyons born,
Which grin, and fearfully the place adorn.
Widely they gape, and to the eye they roare,
As if they hunger'd for the food they bore.
25 About it Beds of Lybian Citron stood,
26 With coverings dy'ed in Tyrian Fishes blood,
They say, th' Herculean art; but most delight
27 Some Pictures gave to Davids learned sight.
Here several ways Lot and great Abram go,
Their too much wealth, vast, and unkind does grow.
Thus each extream to equal danger tends,
Plenty as well as Want can separate Friends;
Here Sodoms Towers raise their proud tops on high;
The Towers as well as Men outbrave the sky.
By it the waves of rev'erend Jordan run,
Here green with Trees, there gilded with the Sun.
Hither Lots Houshould comes, a numerous train,
And all with various business fill the plain.
Some drive the crowding sheep with rural hooks,
They lift up their mild heads, and bleat in looks.
Some drive the Herds; here a fierce Bullock scorns
Th' appointed way, and runs with threatning 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 ly.
Upon tall Camels the fair Sisters ride,
And Lot talks with them both on either side.
Another Picture to curst Sodom brings
28 Elams proud Lord, with his three servant Kings:
They sack the Town, and bear Lot bound away;
Whilst in a Pit the vanquisht Bera lay,
Buried almost alive for fear of Death.
29 But heav'ens just vengeance sav'ed as yet his breath.
Abraham pursues, and slays the Victors Hoast,
Scarce had their Conquest leisure for a boast.
Next this was drawn the reckless Cities flame,
30 When a strange Hell pour'd down from Heaven there came.
Here the two Angels from Lots window look
With smiling anger; the lewd wretches, strook
With sudden blindness, seek in vain the dore,
31 Their Eyes, first cause of Lust, first Vengeance bore.
Through liquid Air, heav'ns busie Souldiers fly,
And drive on Clouds where seeds of Thunder ly.
Here the sad sky gloes red with dismal streaks,
Here Lightning from it with short trembling breaks.
Here the blew flames of scalding brimstone fall,
Involving swiftly in one ruine all.
The fire of Trees and Houses mounts on high,
And meets half way new fires that showre from sky.
Some in their arms snatch their dear babes away;
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'en there.
Men thought, so much a Flame by Art was shown,
The Pictures self would fall in ashes down.
Afar old Lot to'ward little Zoar hyes,
And dares not move (good man) his weeping eyes.
32 Behind his Wife stood ever fixt alone;
No more a Woman, not yet quite a Stone.
A lasting Death seiz'd on her turning head;
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.
One eye was clos'ed, surpris'ed by sudden night,
The other trembled still with parting light.
The wind admir'ed which her hair loosely bore,
Why it grew stiff, and now would play no more.
To heav'en she lifted up her freezing hands,
And to this day a Suppliant Pillar stands.
She try'ed her heavy foot from ground to rear,
And rais'd the Heel, but her Toe's rooted there :
Ah foolish woman! who must always be,
A sight more strange then that she turn'd to see!
Whilst David fed with these his curious eye, The Feast is now serv'ed in, and down they lye. Moab a goblet takes of massy gold,
33 Which Zippor, and from Zippor all of old Quaft to their Gods and Friends
; an Health
In the brisk grape of Arnons richest ground.
34 Whilst Melchor to his harp with wondrous skill
35 (For such were Poets then, and should be still)
His noble verse through Natures secrets lead;
He sung what Spirit, through the whole Mass is spread,
Every where All; how Heavens Gods Law approve,
And think it Rest eternally to Move.
How the kind Sun usefully comes and goes,
Wants it himself, yet gives to Man repose.
How his round Journey does for ever last,
36 And how he baits at every Sea in haste.
He sung how Earth blots the Moons gilded Wane,
37 Whilst foolish men beat sounding Brass in vain,
Why the Great Waters her slight Horns obey,
Her changing Horns, not constanter than They;
38 He sung how grisly Comets hang in ayr,
Why Sword and Plagues attend their fatal hair.
Gods Beacons for the world, drawn up so far,
To publish ills, and raise all earth to war.
39 Why Contraries feed Thunder in the cloud,
What Motions vex it, till it roar so loud.
40 How Lambent Fires become so wondrous tame,
And bear such shining Winter in their Flame.
41 What radiant Pencil draws the Watry Bow:
What tyes up Hail, and picks the fleecy Snow.
What Palsie of the Earth here shakes fixt Hills,
From off her brows, and here whole Rivers spills.
Thus did this Heathen Natures Secrets tell,
And sometimes mist the Cause, but sought it Well.
Such was the sawce of Moabs noble feast,
Till night far spent invites them to their rest.
Only the good old Prince stays Joab there,
And much he tells, and much desires to hear.
He tells deeds antique, and the new desires;
Of David much, and much of Saul enquires.
Nay gentle Guest (said he) since now you're in,
The story of your gallant friend begin.
His birth, his rising tell, and various fate,
And how he slew that man of Gath of late,
What was he call'd? that huge and monstrous man?
With that he stopt, and Joab thus began:
His birth, great Sir, so much to mine is ty'd,
That praise of that might look from me like pride.
Yet without boast, his veins contain a flood
42 Of the old Judæan Lyons richest blood.
From Judah Pharez, from him Esrom came
Ram, Nashon, Salmon, Names spoke loud by Fame.
A Name no less ought Boaz to appear,
By whose blest match we come no strangers here.
From him and your fair Ruth good Obed sprung,
From Obed fesse, Jesse whom fames kindest tongue,
Counting his birth, and high nobility, shall
Not Jesse of Obed, but of David call,
David born to him sev'enth; the six births past
Brave Tryals of a work more great at last.
Bless me how swift and growing was his wit?
The wings of Time flag'd dully after it.
Scarce past a Child, all wonders would he sing
Of Natures Law, and Pow'er of Natures King.
His sheep would scorn their food to hear his lay,
And savage Beasts stand by as tame as they.
The fighting Winds would stop there, and admire ;
Learning Consent and Concord from his Lyre.
Rivers, whose waves roll'd down aloud before;
Mute, as their Fish, would listen to'wards the shore.
'Twas now the time when first Saul God forsook,
God Saul; the room in's heart wild Passions took;
Sometimes a Tyrant-Frensie revell'd there,
Sometimes black sadness, and deep, deep despair.
No help from herbs or learned drugs he finds,
They cure but sometime Bodies, never Minds.
Musick alone those storms of Soul could lay;
Not more Saul them, then Musick they obey.
Davia's now sent for, and his Harp must bring;
His Harp that Magick bore on ev'ery string.
Gen. 49-9. 1 Chr. 2.
Mat. I.
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