Classic Poem

LXI .

That which true worth most honour hath to use,
When this great Hebrews hand to tosse began,
Which onely cuts, where other weapons bruise,
Of armes the glory, ornament of man;
A storme of stroaks, in foes did feare infuse,
Which there wrought wonders, fame for ever wanne:
 His face seem'd clad with flames, th' eyes lightned so,
 Starres to his owne, and comets to his foe.

LXII .

Couragious Abner courted glories love,
No rash director, but to action swift,
That even his place pale envy did approve,
As his desert, and not his soveraignes gift;
It seem'd a thousand hands his sword did move,
His minde so high a generous rage did lift:
 At heart, or eye, which should the first arrive,
 The lightning glance, and thund'ring blow did strive.

LXIII .

Like Autumns spoyls a publike prey which fall,
When low stretch'd out lay Ammons loftie brood,
It did their king amaze, but not appall,
Though in their wounds acknowledging his blood,
Yet he (whose strength was lessened in them all)
A while relenting (as distracted) stood:
 But when weake passions urg'd the us'd releefe,
 Rage in their fountains dry'd the streames of griefe.

LXIV .

The foaming tyrant, swolne with high disdaine,
(What had cool'd some, him further did enflame;)
To bound at once, state, fortune, life, and raigne;
Not victory, no, vengeance was his ayme:
A glorious life not hoping more to gaine,
He thought by death to frustrate threatned shame,
 But, of foes kill'd, would first a mount have made,
 Where (as in triumph) he might lye, when dead.

LXV .

I know not if more bent to give, or take,
That which (well weigh'd) is an indifferent thing,
The raging Pagan , thus his people spake,
What poore life can not, liberall death doth bring,
And you (though subjects) may my equals make,
Loe, without treason you may match your king:
 Crowne, throne, or scepter, fates no more allow,
 And by the sword all may be soveraignes now.

LXVI .

As two great torrents striving for one way,
Raise mounts of sand, raze heights, spoile tree and town,
And (that th' ones name the other swallow may)
What ever doth resist, beare thence, or drowne;
So, of their fury what the course did stay,
Sauls matchlesse sonne, and Ammons lord beat downe,
 Th' eyes earnest gave, whil'st they at distance stay'd,
 That, by their hands, the rest should straight be pay'd.

LXVII .

When Israels gallant had beheld a space,
The fierce Barbarian opening up the throng,
He cry'd to all aloud, give place, give place,
Let none usurpe what doth to me belong;
This man my life, and I his death must grace,
Who marre the match would but to both do wrong:
 A vulgar hand must not his end procure,
 He stands too glorious to fall downe obscure.

LXVIII .

Some drawn by feare, and some by reverence mov'd,
The distance twixt them vanish'd soone away;
Like rivall bulls which had one heifer lov'd,
And through the flocks with brandish'd hornes did stray,
Whil'st th' one resolv'd, and th' other desp'rate prov'd,
Both with great fury did enforce their way,
 Whose troups enflam'd by hearing their high words,
 Did in their action emulate their lords.

LXIX .

Those two transported, did together rinne,
As if both hoasts did onely in them fight,
They with short processe, ground did lose and winne,
Vrg'd, shunn'd, forc'd, fayn'd, bow'd, rais'd, hand, leg, left, right,
Advanc'd, retir'd, rebated, and gave in,
With reason fury, courage joyn'd with flight:
 So earnest mindes and bended bodies press'd,
 That, then the blowes, the ayming more distress'd.

LXX .

To sell his life the Ethnicke onely sought,
But valu'd it so much, though but in vaine,
That clouds of darts, and swords too few were thought
To force the fortresse where it did remaine,
So that, (by one to last extreames thus brought,)
His fury was converted to disdaine;
 Shame joyning with despaire, death did impose,
 Ere more, then crowne or life, he liv'd to lose.

LXXI .

By blowes redoubled charging every way,
Whilst he but wish'd who did him kill, to kill,
Bloud leaving him, his danger did betray,
Which rage in vaine, would have dissembled still,
And th' other storm'd so long with one to stay,
Who might elsewhere, fields with dead bodies fill;
 Iust indignation all his strength did bend,
 The heart conjuring hands to make an end.

LXXII .

The Hebrew us'd at once both strength and art;
Th' one hand did ward, a blow the other gave,
Which hit his head (the marke of many a dart)
Whose batt'red temples fearefull sense did leave;
The treacherous helmet tooke the strongest part,
And bruis'd those braines which it was set to save;
 Yet dying striking, last he th' earth did wound,
 Whose fall (as some great oakes) made it rebound.

LXXIII .

His eyes againe began to gather light,
And Ionathan (when victor) to relent,
But straight just hate presented, as in sight,
His barbarous actions, and abhorr'd intent;
How (vainely vaunting of a victors right)
That all his thoughts to cruelty were bent:
 Whose raging minde, on captives strangely strict,
 Then bondage, spoyle, or death would more inflict.

LXXIV .

Thou tyrant, thou (said he) who didst devise,
Else farre from fame, for ill to be renown'd,
Those halfe-blinde Hebrews whom thou did'st despise,
They vengeance urge, they, they, give thee this wound;
With that, by his right eye (who striv'd to rise,)
The flaming sword amidst his braynes he drown'd:
 Whose guilty ghost, where shadowes never end,
 With indignation, grudging did descend.

LXXV .

As if hells furies had thy sprite inspir'd,
Prodigious creature, monster inhumane,
Loe, what have all thy cruelties acquir'd,
Which thus with interest Time returnes againe,
But hell, when hence, and here, whence now retir'd,
That thy remembrance odious may remaine:
 Yet with this comfort, thou abandon'st breath,
 The hand of Ionathan adorn'd thy death.

LXXVI .

As some fierce lyon raging through the fields,
(Which of beasts kill'd, contemnes the tasted bloud)
Doth hunt another, when another yeelds,
Yet, wanton, riots, as for sport, not food;
So Iacebs gallant (breaching many shields).
Bent for more prey, with him no longer stood,
 And till their chiefe, his followers follow'd too,
 Nought did seeme done, whilst ought remain'd to do.

LXXVII .

All Israels squadrons circling Ammon in,
Straight at his center, threatning were to meet,
Which poynt (the last man kill'd) all march to winne,
Where halfe-dead bodies made a breathing street,
All striv'd to end, as lately to begin,
Whilst dust did dry what bloud and sweat made weet;
  Mars courting courage, first shin'd bright about,
 But then with horrour turn'd his inside out.

LXXVIII .

Saul as ov'r bodies then did raigne in hearts,
O how farre chang'd from what he first had been!
And by plaine valour, scorning usuall arts,
The emulous Abner , eminent was seene;
These three, at first which charg'd from divers parts,
Seem'd foes oppos'd, their foes, as chanc'd between:
 Whom (from encountring, that them nought might stay)
 They but beat downe, to make a patent way.

LXXIX .

When hopes on doubts no longer did depend,
Whilst Israels colours, victory did beare,
Some seem'd to grieve that warre so soone would end,
And striv'd in time, what trophees they might reare;
Whilst flattring glory, lofty thoughts to bend,
In gorgeous robes, did whisper in each eare,
 What brave man now my beauties will embrace,
 To breed (Fames minions) an immortall race?

LXXX .

When through the camp, their soveraigns death was known,
A sad confusion seaz'd on Ammons brood,
Then lords of none, no, no, nor yet their owne,
As strangers stray'd, they all distracted stood,
And ere by foes, ev'n by themselves o're-thrown,
An ycie coldnesse did congeale their bloud:
 “None fully vanquish'd are, till first they yeeld,
 “And, till first left, doe never lose the field.”