E'ER ſince the time that monarchies began,
And monarchs claim'd dominion over man,
Princes who aim'd at arbitrary ſway,
And meant to make their villains all obey;
Have brib'd an hireling prieſthood firſt to blind
The human conſcience, and debaſe the mind:
For ev'ry tyrant, if he looſe his purſe.
Will find ſome Balaam ready with a curſe;—
Chearful to liſten to his Lord's command,
To ſcatter heaven's vengeance through the land;
Falſe prophets, Hannaniah like, to tell
When every thing is wrong, that all is well.—
[12]Whoſe power of face, and vileſt impudence,
Exceed the utmoſt bounds of all pretence.
They think no ſhame to tell the groſſeſt lies,
And publiſh fictions for true prophecies.
E'en when an hoſt advances in array,
Will gravely ſwear they ſaw them run away:
Make ign'rant fools believe (for there are fools
At all times ready to be great men's tools)
That if they bow their heads or bend the knee,
In formal, feigned, vile hypocriſy,
With baſhful looks conceal the worſt intents,
That then they keep divine commandements.
When Zedekiah erſt o'er Judah reign'd,
And God's own people all his laws profan'd;
Falſe prophets then▪ as well as prophets ſince,
Told lies and flattery to that weak prince:
They augur'd all things as the courtiers will'd,
But never found their prophecies fulfil'd.
E'en thoſe who truſted to their prophecies,
In ſad experience found them all prove lies.
When Salem's ſtately towers and walls around,
In ruins lay quite level with the ground;
The temple ſack'd, and its foundation till'd,
Then were their godly prophecies fulfil'd.
Their haughty monarch, whoſe perverted mind,
To truth and all true diſcipline was blind;
Who to his flatt'ring ſycophants gave ear,
For his credulity he ſoon paid dear:
He ſaw his kingdom loſt, his city ta'en,
His deareſt offspring in his preſence ſlain;
[13]What now he ſaw was all foretold before,
He ſaw it true; alas, he ſaw no more!
The cruel Chaldean then put out his eyes,
And in his blindneſs prov'd the prophecies.
Helkiah's ſon, of Aaron's ſacred line,
Of Anathoth, by augury divine,
In ſtrongeſt emblems ſhew'd his diſmal fate;
At laſt hew ſaw the truth; but ah! too late.
When Babel's warlike ſons approached near,
And fill'd the tribes of Judah all with fear;
The wiſe foreſaw the land's approaching doom,
And trembled for their miſeries to come.
But Azur's faithleſs ſon, an augur baſe,
Who yet at court paſs'd for a child of grace,
Brib'd by the miniſtry to publiſh lies,
Came forth with aſſes loads of prophecies.
Preach'd final conqueſt over every foe,
His lying paſquils o'er the country go,
Induſtrious ſpread by miniſterial tools,
To gull th' unwary and to flatter fools.
Full fifty thouſand in a month were ſold,
From Salem to Beerſheba I am told:
And when the faithleſs people would not buy,
The courtiers gave them out of courteſy.
So ſanguine they to blind the people's eyes,
They turned pedlars of falſe prophecies.
And Shephatiah, D—h I would ſay,
As Balaam preach'd and publiſh'd, he did pay;
The old falſe prophet in his chariot flew,
And every lie he catch'd he dreſs'd it new;
[14]Curs'd as he went, and as his curſes flow'd,
Held up his hands, and turn'd his eyes to God.
His ſanctimonious phiz and ſly grimace
Paſs'd among partizans for ſigns of grace;
So reverend like he vamped all his lies,
That groſſeſt falſehoods paſs'd for prophecies.
Thus courtiers prais'd him, and the venal tribes,
Who judge a cauſe by int'reſt, truth by bribes;—
Who rights divine or human will not ſee,
Unleſs unlock'd by int'reſt's golden key.
Harden'd in ſin, and vainly puff'd with praiſe,
He ſhew'd ſome marks which were not ſigns of grace;
For which th' Almighty gave him in his ire,
Nor ſon nor daughter to ſucceed their ſire
*.
While things turn'd worſe, and worſe, and ev'ry day
Brought ſtill new tidings of ſome freſh diſmay,
The king alarm'd, and rous'd through fear, at laſt,
Turn'd firſt devote, and then proclaim'd a faſt.
He call'd the prieſts and prophets to prepare
A ſcheme of faſting, and a form of prayer,
To try if heav'n would grant him power to kill,
All thoſe that were not ſubject to his will.
Court, prieſts, and prophets, when that ſov'reign's cry
Run at their call, and at their nod draw nigh;
For royal mandates have a powerful zeſt,
And like a mighty loadſtone draw a prieſt.
Even biſhops feel their ſympathetic force,
And all who have their feelings in their purſe.
[15]From Jearim to Beerſheba all obey'd,
Even judges faſted and attornies pray'd;
One would have thought all Judah were ſincere,
For nought was heard but mighty peals of prayer;
Like Ahab's prieſts they would not be ſaid nay,
Though God refus'd to hear, yet ſtill they pray.
Than Hananiah none ſhew'd more zeal,
In fervent faſting for the commonweal;
With labour'd ſuits he pray'd, and while he cry'd,
The very God of battles he defy'd.
Of Jewiſh valour vauntingly he ſpoke,
And with a ſymbol brake the Chaldean yoke
*;
Made all the tribes believe their foes would run
Like bats and owls before th' approaching ſun.
He prov'd ſtill more, that on that fatal day,
When Nergal
† conquer'd, that he ran away.
Him fools believ'd, and liv'd in hope to ſee
The Jews victorious and the Chaldeans flee:
So ſtrong their faith, they boaſt how ev'ry Jew
Had conquer'd ſquadrons, told they legions ſlew;
At their approach their foes ſtill run away,
And yet the conquering tribes ſtill loſt the day.
When heav'n's ang'ry frowns their hopes beguil'd,
Then Hananiah ſwore Jehovah ſmil'd;
Told how their foes were blaſted ſince that day,
The guilty Jews began to faſt and pray.
Yet ev'ry poſt brought tidings worſe and worſe,
Oft' times the foot were ſlain, ſometimes the horſe:
[16]All this was prov'd a victory complete,
And thoſe who vanquiſhed were aye defeat.
Such power has faſting in the hands of kings,
It changes nature, and the cauſe of things.
Even ſins are ſanctified when princes pray,
And light turns darkneſs, darkneſs ſhines like day.
All this a venal prieſthood will declare,
And conſecrate plain murder lawful war.
Even ſo it was in Ahab's pious reign,
Baal's prophets pray'd till Naboth he was ſlain.
Whate'er the prince deſir'd, with one accord,
The prieſts inſur'd him always from the Lord.
Four hundred prophets in a luſty ring,
As they obſequiouſly ſtood round the king,
With roſy gills in cringing accents bleſs,
And ſwore that Ramoth Gilead ſure was his.
But ſhall I proſper, the vain prince reply'd,
They all ſaid proſper; but the prophets ly'd.
With hieroglyphic horns (vain ſymbols thoſe)
To ſhew how wicked men would puſh their foes,
Theſe lying prophets, with a ſolemn farce,
Made fooliſh Ahab think himſelf was Mars;
But when the awful day of battle came,
He found their words and deeds were not the ſame.
'Tis vain to faſt and pray while men remain
Reſolv'd to hold, and all their ſins retain.
They can't be humble who reſolve to ſin,
Nor are they pure who lodge vile thoughts within.
'Tis no hard matter for to faſt till four,
Then feaſt on turtle when the faſt is o'er.
[17]Where envy rules, or proud ambition reigns,
Religion's ſelf is fetter'd faſt in chains.
Howe'er abſtemious envious mortals are,
With God and man they wage eternal war.
Whole chapels crowded full of envious men,
Are but an image of that dreary den,
Envy's dark cave, which erſt the virgin found
In a dark vale, and deep below the ground.
Where Envy, ſeated in her dark abode,
Defil'd with ropy gore and clots of blood;
Shut from the wind and from the wholeſome ſkies,
In a deep vale the dreary dungeon lies;
Diſmal and cold, where not a ray of light
Invades the winter, or diſturbs the night.
A poiſ'nous morſel in her teeth ſhe chew'd,
And gorg'd the fleſh of vipers for her food.
Minerva, loathing, turn'd away her eye,
The hideous monſter, riſing heavily,
Came ſtalking forward, with a ſullen pace,
And left her mangled offals on the place.
Soon as ſhe ſaw the goddeſs gay and bright,
She fetch'd a groan at ſuch a chearful ſight.
Livid and meagre were her looks, her eye
In foul diſtorted glances turn'd awry;
A hord of gall her inward parts poſſeſs'd,
And ſpread a greenneſs o'er her cancer'd breaſt;
Her teeth were brown with ruſt, and from her tongue
In dangling drops the ſtringy poiſon hung.
She never ſmiles but when the wretched weep,
Nor lulls her malice with a moment's ſleep;
[18]Reſtleſs in ſpite, while watchful to deſtroy,
She pines and ſickens at another's joy;
Foe to herſelf, diſtreſſing and diſtreſs'd,
She bears her own tormentor in her breaſt.
She takes her ſtaff hung round with wreaths of thorn,
And ſails along, in howling tempeſts born,
O'er fields and flowery meadows; where ſhe ſteers
Her baneful courſe, a mighty blaſt appears,
Mildews and blights; the meadows are defac'd,
The fields and flow'rs and the whole year laid waſte.
On mortals next, and peopled towns ſhe falls,
And breathes a burning plague among their walls.
Though men may faſt, and with much fervour pray,
Malice and envy ſoon will guilt betray.
He who commits a crime will quickly find
The preſſing guilt lie heavy on his mind,
Though bribes or favour ſhould aſſert his cauſe,
Pronounce him guiltleſs, and elude the laws.
None quits himſelf; his own impartial thought
Will damn, and conſcience will record the fault.
Each as his hands in guilt have been embru'd,
By helliſh horror ever is purſu'd,
A virtuous heart, and unſtain'd innocence
Is man's beſt ſecond guard, and ſure defence.
But hear with patience a fam'd heathen's word,
It may do good even to a faſting lord,
Who faſts for power, and when he faſts will pray
For might to make reluctant lands obey;
And flimſy patriots, if they will, may hear
Some wholeſome leſſons for a patriot's ear.
[19]That man's a Siſyphus whom noiſe and ſtrife
Seduce from all the ſoft retreats of life;
To vex the government, diſturb the laws,
Drunk with the fumes of popular applauſe,
He courts the giddy crowd to make him great,
And ſweats and toils to mount the ſov'reign ſeat.
For ſtill to aim at power and ſtill to fail,
Ever to ſtrive and never to prevail;
What is it? but, in reaſon's true account
To heave the ſtone againſt the riſing mount:
Which urg'd with labour, and forc'd up with pain,
Recoils, and rolls impetuous down the plain.
But mark him down a ſlave, who, humbly proud,
With preſents begs preferment from the crowd;
That early ſuppliant, who ſalutes the tribes,
And ſets the mob to ſcramble for his bribes.
That ſome old dottard, ſitting in the ſun,
On holidays may tell what fates were done.
But ye proud chiefs, that thirſt for ſov'reign ſway,
Hear what an ancient Heathen bard doth ſay.
'Some aſk for envy'd pow'r, which public hate
'Purſues and hurries headlong to their fate;
'Down go their titles, and their ſtatues crown'd
'Are by baſe hands in the next river drown'd;
'The guiltleſs horſes, and the chariot wheel,
'The ſame effects of vulgar fury feel.
'The ſmith prepares his hammer for the ſtroke,
'While belching bellows hiſſing fire provoke.
[20]'Sejanus
*, almoſt firſt of Roman names,
'The great Sejanus crackles in the flames.
'Form'd in the forge, the pliant braſs is laid
'On anvils, and of head and limbs are made
'Pans, cans, and piſs-pots, and ſuch kitchen ſtuff;
'Nor did their mean revenge think this enough:
'They drag the image through the ſtreets, and loud
'Sound welcome to the gazing gath'ring crowd.
"Adorn your doors with laurels, and a bull
"Milk white and large, lead to the capitol;
"Sejanus with a rope is dragg'd along,
"The ſport and laughter of the giddy throng.'
'Good Lord, they cry, what blackmoor lips he has,
'How foul a ſmock, and what a hanging face!
'By Heav'n, I never could endure his ſight;
'But ſay, How came his monſtrous crimes to light?
'What is the charge, and who the evidence?
'There muſt be ſtriking proofs of his offence.
'Nothing at all of this; but Caeſar ſent
'A threat'ning letter to the Parliament:
'Nay, Sirs, if Caeſar writ, I aſk no more;
'He's guilty—and the queſtion's out of door.'
Now, with Sejanus wouldſt thou change thy fate,
To be like him, firſt miniſter of ſtate?
To have thy levees crowded with reſort
Of a depending, gaping, ſervile court;
[21]Diſpoſe all honours of the ſword and gown,
Raiſe with a nod, and ruin with a frown;
To hold thy prince in pupilage and ſway
The monarch whom the conquer'd world obey:
Yes, I believe thou would'ſt be great as he;
For every man's a fool to that degree.
All wiſh the dire prerogative to kill,
Even they would have the power that want the will.
But would'ſt thou have thy wiſhes underſtood,
To take the bad together with the good?
Would'ſt thou not rather chooſe the ſmall renown,
To be the mayor of ſome poor paltry town?
Bigly to look and barbarouſly to ſpeak,
To pound falſe weights, and ſcanty meaſures break;
Than be Sejanus, ſo advanc'd in place,
Then tumbled headlong to ſuch mean diſgrace.
Great Hannibal within the balance lay
And tell how many pounds his aſhes weigh;
Him Afric was not able to contain,
Whoſe length runs level with the Atlantic main,
And weakens fruitful Nilus to convey
His ſun-beat waters by ſo long a way.
Spain firſt he won, the Pyrenaeans paſt,
And frozen Alps, the mounds that nature caſt;
And with corroding juices, as he went,
A paſſage through the living rocks he rent.
Though Italy was conquer'd and o'er-run,
Uneaſy ſtill, he cry'd, there's nothing done;
Till level with the ground their gates are laid,
And punic flags on Roman towers diſplay'd.
[22]But what's his end, O charming glory! ſay
What rare fifth act to crown this huffing play?
In one deciding battle overcome,
He flies, is baniſh'd from his native home.
Theſe heathen hints, in an auſpicious hour,
May warning give to ſuch as pray for power.