Classic Poem

LXXXI .

Hopes (though once high) then faln down in their feet,
No way was left for a secure retreat;
To flye was shamefull, yet to live, was sweet,
And they themselves more lov'd, then foes did hate;
Them death (still sterne) wherever turn'd, did meet:
Each swords bright glance, seem'd summons from their fate:
 O how base feare doth make some sprights to faile,
 Heart faint, hands weake, eyes dimme, the face grows pale.

LXXXII .

Of broken bands the trouble was extreme,
Who felt ils worst, and yet imagin'd more:
Spoile, danger, bondage, feare, reproach and shame,
Did still encroach beside, behinde, before;
And yet their hearts (if hearts they had) did dreame,
Those in one masse, and all confusions store:
 They, wishing death, although they fear'd to dye,
 First from themselves, then from all else did flye.

LXXXIII .

The slaughter then all measure did surpasse;
Whilst victors rag'd, bloud from each hand did raine;
The liquid rubies dropping downe the grasse,
With scarlet streames the fatall fields did staine;
Till they, with dust congeal'd (a horrid masse)
(By bodies stop'd) a marrish did remaine,
 Through which who waded, wounded did appeare,
 And loath'd that bloud which once was held so deare.

LXXXIV .

They who, when strong, their neighbours did deride,
And (then of ruine, dreaming nothing lesse)
Would warre with God, and in the height of pride,
His chosen people labour to oppresse;
They now, all kill'd, else scattered on each side,
Felt what they threatned, bondage and distresse:
 “Thus oft they fall, who others doe pursue,
 “Men drinke the dregs of all the ils they brew.”

LXXXV .

Though Israell thus had Ammon quite o're-throwne,
Saul , nor his sonne, did not insult the more;
No pompe through Iabesh past with trumpets blowne,
The pointed captives fettred them before,
So, first when victors, eminently showne,
That their new state a triumph might decore,
 Whilst two-fold glory, just applauses claym'd,
 A king and conquerour both at once proclaim'd.

LXXXVI .

No, no, their breasts such fancies fond not bred,
As if themselves had their delivery wrought;
By piety, not by ambition led,
Farre from vaine praise, they Israels safety sought;
Charg'd by Gods hand, they knew that Ammon fled,
And from his favour derogating nought,
 Where tumid Gentiles would have bragg'd abroad,
 Their glory was to glorifie their God.

LXXXVII .

Whilst joyfull Iabesh opened up her ports,
Sweet freedomes treasure did enrich their eyes;
Men, women, children, people of all sorts,
With voyces, as distracted, pierc'd the skyes;
O how each one of them the rest exhorts,
To sound his praise who pittied had their cryes!
 And (as wrong founded,) any joy was griefe,
 Save for Gods glory more then their reliefe.

LXXXVIII .

Wives forth with haste did to their husbands rinne,
Who told to them (describing dangers past,)
Hence Saul first charg'd, there Abner entred in,
Here we about them did a compasse cast;
There Ionathan with Nahas did beginne,
And kill'd him here, where, loe, he lyes at last:
 But forward kindnesse this discourse doth stay,
 Th' ones lips must point that which anothers say.

LXXXIX .

Troops call'd alow'd (mov'd by this battell much)
Where are they now who ask'd if Saul should raigne?
Let swords (yet smoking) purge the land of such,
Who from base envy bursted out disdaine;
Yet them milde Saul would suffer none to touch,
But said, no cloud so cleare a day should staine:
 And since the Lord all Israel had releev'd,
 None should be kill'd for him, no, nor yet griev'd.

XC .

Ere flames yet hot, extinguish'd were againe,
The Lords great prophet will'd them all to go
To Gilgall straight, there to confirme his raigne,
In that new state grown fearfull to each foe;
Where sacred offrings liberally were slaine,
The late delivery to acknowledge so:
 As bloud from beasts, praise flow'd from gratefull minds,
 Each one himselfe for further service binds.

XCI .

By sacrifice the kingdomes right renu'd,
This speech to Israel , matchlesse Samuel made,
Loe, granted is all that for which you su'd,
There stands the king, who should your squadrons leade:
My sonnes are here, time hath my strength subdu'd;
Age crown'd with white, triumphs upon my head;
 Eyes dimme, legges weake, (infirmities growne rife)
 Death hath besieg'd the lodging of my life.

XCII .

Though all my dayes in charge, I challenge you,
Let each man speake (as he hath reason) free,
Before the Lord, and his anointed now;
No crimes conceale, I come accus'd to be,
What bragge, or bribe, hath made my judgement bow?
Whose oxe, or asse, hath taken beene by me?
 Whom have I harm'd, or wrong'd, in goods, or fame?
 I stand to satisfie who ever claime.

XCIII .

The people straight (applauding) did reply,
With heart, and hands still pure, thou didst the best;
For witnesses, then, both, who loud did cry,
With his lievtenant, did great God attest:
O happy iudge, who well did live, and dye,
Still prais'd on th' earth! in heaven with glory rest;
 At that great day, whom all with Christ shall see,
 To judge those iudges who not follow'd thee.

XCIV .

Then (said the prophet) since by all approv'd,
I must with you, before that God contend,
Who from Caldea, Israels syre remov'd,
And highly honour'd, as his speciall friend;
Who sav'd milde Isaac , holy Iacob lov'd,
And in all countries did him still attend:
 (A covenant contriv'd, with all his race)
 Who multiply'd them much, in little space.

XCV .

From rigorous Ægypts more then burthenous yoke,
When taught by wonders to admire his might,
He led them forth, free from each stumbling block,
In deserts wilde, him to contemplate right;
And did give laws, as of that state the stock,
A rare republike, at perfections height;
 The lord (great generall of those chosen bands)
 Took townes, gain'd battels, and did conquer lands.

XCVI .

But when he once had stablish'd well their state,
(All those great works remembred then no more)
Your fathers, false, apostates, and ingrate,
(Abhomination) idols did adore,
So that (incens'd with indignation great)
Their jealous God would them protect no more;
 Who, that they so might humbled be againe,
 To bondage base abandon'd did remaine.

XCVII .

With hearts brought low, and souls rais'd up aloft,
When godly griefe dissolv'd it selfe in groans,
The Lord, first mov'd with sighs, with teares made soft,
Charm'd with the musicke of their pretious moans,
For their delivery sent great captaines oft,
Who, did their state restore, bruis'd strangers thrones:
 Till successe did to all the world make knowne,
 That, save by sinne, they could not be o're-throwne.

XCVIII .

Gainst Aram , Moab , and, Canaan , foes,
Proud Midians , Ammons , and Philistines lands,
Brave Othniel , Ehud , and Debora rose,
Then Iphte , Gideon , Sampson , strong of hands,
Whil'st God the Generall, his lievtenants those,
Oft (few in number) thundred downe great bands;
 And by weake meanes oft thousands fled from one,
 A cake, an oxen goad, an asses bone.

XCIX .

From dangers oft, though wonderfully sav'd,
Whil'st Israels scepter God did onely sway,
Yet (as stray'd fancies fondly had conceiv'd)
When Ammons ensignes Nahas did display,
Straight, as without a Lord, a king you crav'd,
As th' abject Gentiles , basely to obey:
 With trust in princes, and in mortall strength,
 Which lodg'd in nostrils, must dislodge at length.

C .

Yet if your king, and you, do serve him right,
The Lord, of both will highly blesse the state;
And, if prophanely walking in his sight,
Will visit both in wrath, with vengeance great,
And that you may behold your sinne, his might,
Too haughty minds by terrour to abate:
 You shall (though of such change no signe there be,
 Straight clad with clouds, heavens indignation see.

CI .

Heavens, must'ring horrour in a dreadfull forme,
His beams drawn back, pale Phœbus did retyre;
As the worlds funerals threatning to performe,
Some flames flash'd forth, not lights, but sparks of yre,
And in ambushment layd behinde a storme,
Colds interchoaking, did grosse engines fire
 To batter th' earth, which planted there by wrath,
 From clouds vast concaves thund'red bolts of death.

CII .

This signe so full of terrour thus procur'd,
A generall feare each minde with griefe did sting,
Till all cry'd out that they had beene obdur'd,
And highly sinn'd in seeking of a king;
The Lord, they said (his light from heaven obscur'd)
Might for their o're-throw armies justly bring;
 Then Samuel urg'd to mediate their peace,
 Avoyding vengeance, and entreating grace.

CIII .

The holy man who view'd them thus to smart,
Did aggravate how farre they first did faile,
Yet them assur'd, when flowing from the heart,
That true repentance would with God prevaile;
From whom he wish'd that they would not depart,
To trust in trifles which could not availe:
 Since he, when pleas'd, in mercies did abound,
 And with a frowne might all the world confound.

CIV .

The Lord (he said) who did them first affect
Them (from his law if they did not remove)
By hoasts of heaven, and wonders would protect,
By promise bound, and by his boundlesse love,
Lest strangers spoyling whom he did elect,
Weake, or inconstant, he might seeme to prove:
 Then he to God for them did, earnest, call,
 And with their king, when blest, dismist them all.

CV .

Saul thus when seiz'd of Israels regall seat,
Whom God chose, Samuel did anoint, all serve,
From private thoughts estrang'd, in all growne great,
Though first elected, studied to deserve;
His owne no more, since sacred to the state,
He sought how it to free, to rule, preserve:
 For which, retyr'd, what course was fit, he dream'd,
 Save when in action, as of sight asham'd.