Give me a Son's unblemisht Truth again,
Or quench the Sparks of Duty that remain.

How flight to force a Throne that Legions guard
The Task to me; to prove Unjust, how hard!

And if th' imagin'd Guilt thus wound my Thought, -
What will it when the Tragick Scene is wrought?
Dire War must first be conjur'd from below,
The Realm we'd Rule, we first muft Overthrow; ~
And when the Civil Furies are on wing

That blind and undistinguisht Slaughters Aing,
Who knows what impious chance may reach the
King?

Oh! rather let me Perish in the Strife,

Than have my Crown the Price of David's Life!
Or if the Tempeft of the War he stand,
In Peace, fome vile officious Villain's Hand
His Soul's anointed Temple may invade,

2

Or, preft by clamorous Crowds, my Self be made:
His Murtherer; rebellious Crowds, whofe Guilt
Shall dread his Vengeance-till his Blood be spilt. -
Which if my Filial Tenderness oppose, -
Since to the Empire by their Arms I rofe,
Those very Arms on me fhall be employ'd,
A new Ufurper Crown'd, and I Destroy'd :
The fame Pretence of Publick Good will hold,
And new Achitophels be found as bold:
To urge the needful Change, perhaps the Old.
He faid. The Statesman with a Smile replies,
(A Smile that did his rifing Spleen disguise)
My Thoughts prefum'd our Labours at an End,
And are we ftill with Confcience to contend?..
Whose Want in Kings, as needful is allow'd, -
As 'tis for them to find it in the Crowd. -
Far in the doubtful Paffage you are gone;
And only can be fafe by preffing on.

S

The Crown's true Heir, a Prince fevere and wife, Has view'd your Motions long with jealous Eyes: Your Person's Charms, your more prevailing Arts, And mark'd your Progrefs in the Peoples Hearts,

Whofe Patience is th' effect of ftinted Pow'r,
But treasures Vengeance for the fatal Hour,
And if remote the Peril he can bring,
Your prefent Danger's greater from the King.
Let not a Parent's Name deceive your Senfe,
Nor truft the Father in a jealous Prince!
Your trivial Faults if he could fo refent,
To doom you little lefs than Banishment,
What Rage muft your Prefumption fince infpire?
Against his Orders your Return from Tyre?
Nor only fo, but with a Pomp more high,
And open Court of Popularity,

The Factious Tribes----And this Reproof from thee?
(The Prince replies) O Statefman's winding Skill,
They firft condemn that first advis'd the Ill!
Illuftrious Youth (return'd Achitophel)

Misconftrue not the Words that mean you well.
The Courfe you fteer I worthy Blame conclude,
But tis because you leave it unpurfu'd.

A Monarch's Crown with Fate furrounded lies,
Who reach, lay hold on Death that mifs the Prize.
Did you for this expose your self to show,

And to the Crowd bow popularly low!

For this your glorious Progrefs next ordain,
With Chariots, Horfemen, and a numerous Train.
With Fame before you like the Morning Star,
And Shouts of Joy faluting from afar?

Oh from the Heights you've reach'd but take a View,
Scarce leading Lucifer cou'd fall like you!
And muft I here my Ship-wrackt Arts bemoan?
Have I for this fo oft made Ifrael groan!
Your fingle Intereft with the Nation weigh'd,
And turn'd the Scale where your Defires were laid!
Ev'n when at Helm a Course fo dang'rous mov'd
To Land your Hopes, as my Removal prov'd.
I not difpute (the Royal Youth replies)
The known Perfection of your Policies,
Nor in Achitophet yet grudge or blame,
The Privilege that Statefinen ever claim ;

Who private Intereft never yet pursu’d,
But ftill pretended 'twas for others good:
What Politician yet e'er fcap'd his Fate,
Who faving his own Neck not fav'd the State ?
From hence on ev'ry hum'rous Wind that veer'd,
With fhifted Sails a fev'ral Course you steer'd.
What Form of Sway did David e'er purfue,
That feem'd like Abfolute, but fprung from you?
Who at your Inftance quasht each penal Law,
That kept diffenting Factious Jews in awe;
And who fufpends fixt Laws, may abrogate,
That done, form New, and fo enflave the State.
Ev'n Property, whofe Champion now you fand,
And feem for this the Idol of the Land,
Did ne'er fuftain fuch Violence before,

As when your Counsel fhut the Royal Store;
Advice, that Ruine to whole Tribes procur'd,
But fecret kept till your own Banks fecur'd.
Recount with this the tripple Cov'nant broke,
And Ifrael fitted for a Foreign Yoke;
Nor here your Counsels fatal Progress staid,
But fent out levied Powers to Pharaoh's Aid.
Hence Tyre and Ifrael, low in Ruins laid,

And Egypt once their Scorn, their common Terrour
Ev'n yet of fuch a Seafon we can dream,

[made,

When Royal Rights you made your darling Theme.
For Pow'r unlimited cou'd Reasons draw,
And place Prerogative above the Law;

Which on your fall from Office grew Unjuft,
The Laws made King, the King a Slave in Trust:
Whom with State-craft (to Int'reft only true)
You now accufe of Ills contriv'd by you.

To this Hell's Agent-----Royal Youth, fix here,
Let Int'reft be the Star by which you steer.
Hence to repofe your Truft in me was wife,
Whose Int'reft moft in your Advancement lyes.
A Tye fo firm as always will avail,

When Friendship, Nature and Religion fail;

On ours the Safety of the Crowd depends,
Secure the Crowd, and we obtain our Ends,
Whom I will caufe fo far our Guilt to share,
Till they are made our Champions by their Fear
What Oppofition can your Rival bring,
While Sanhedrims are jealous of the King?
His Strength as yet in David's Friendship lyes,
And what can David's Self without Supplies ?
Who with Exclufive Bills muft now difpence,
Debar the Heir, or ftarve in his Defence.
Conditions which our Elders ne'er will quit,
And David's Justice never can admit.
Or forc'd by Wants his Brother to betray,
To your Ambition next he clears the way;
For if Succeffion once to Nought they bring,
Their next Advance removes the prefent King:
Perfifting else his Senates to diffolve,

In equal Hazard fall his Reign involve.,

Our Tribes, whom Pharaoh's Pow'r fo-much alarms,
Shall rife without their Prince t'oppofe his Arms;
Nor boots it on what Cause at firft they join,
Their Troops once up, are Tools for our Defign
At least fuch fubtle Covenants fhall be made,
Till Peace it felf is War in Masquerade...
Affociations of Myfterious Senfe,

Against, but seeming for, the King's Defence:
Ev'n on their Courts of Justice Fetters draw,
And from our Agents muzzle up their Law.
By which, a Conqueft if we fail to make,
"Tis a drawn Game at worst, and we fecure our Stake,
He faid, and for the dire Success depends
On various Sects, by common Guilt made Friends.
Whofe Heads, though ne'er fo diff'ring in their Creed,
I'th' point of Treafon yet were well agreed.
"Mongft thefe, extorting Ifbban first appears,
Purfu'd b'a meager Troop of Bankrupt Heirs.
Bleft Times, when Ibban, he whofe Occupation
So long has been to Cheat, Reforms the Nation!

Ifbban of Confcience fuited to his Trade,
As good a Saint as Ufurer e'er made.
Yet Mammon has not fo engroft him quite,
But Belial lays as large a Claim of Spight;
Who, for those Pardons from his Prince he draws,
Returns Reproaches, and cries up the Cause.
That Year in which the City he did sway,
He left Rebellion in a hopeful way.

Yet his Ambition once was found fo bold,

To offer Talents of Extorted Gold;

Cou'd David's Wants have fo been brib'd to shame
And fcandalize our Peerage with his Name;
For which, his dear Sedition he'd forfwear,
And e'en turn Loyal to be made a Peer.
Next him, let Railing Rabfbeka have place,
So full of Zeal he has no need of Grace;
A Saint that can both Flesh and Spirit use,
Alike haunt Conventicles and the Stews :
Of whom the Queftion difficult appears,
If moft i' th' Preachers or the Bawds Arrears..
What Caution cou'd appear too much in him
That keeps the Treasure of Jerusalem!
Let David's Brother but approach the Town,
Double our Guards (he cries) We are undone.
Protesting that he dares.not Sleep in's Bed
Left he fhou'd rife next Morn without his Head..
Next thefe, a Troop of bufie Spirits prefs,
Of little Fortunes, and of Confcience lefs;
With them the Tribe, whofe Luxury had drain'd
Their Banks, in former Sequeftrations gain'd;
Who Rich and Great by past Rebellions grew,
And long to fish the troubled Streams anew.
Some future Hopes, fome prefent Payment draws,
To fell their Conscience and espouse the Cause,
Such Stipends thofe vile Hirelings beft befit,
Priefts without Grace, and Poets without Wit.
Shall that falfe Hebronite efcape our Curfe,
•Judas, that keeps the Rebels Penfion-Purse ¿