To ply him with new Plots, shall be my care;
Or plunge him deep in some Expensive War;
Which when his Treasure can no more supply,
He must, with the Remains of Kingship, buy;
His faithful Friends, our Jealousies and Fears
Call Jebufites, and Pharaoh's Pensioners:
Whom, when our Fury from his Aid has tom,
He shall be naked left to publick Scorn.
The next Succeffor, whom I fear and hate,
My Arts have made obnoxious to the State;
Turn'd all his Virtues to his Overthrow,
And gain'd our Elders to pronounce a Foc.
His Right, for Sums of neceffary Gold,
Shall first be pawn'd, and afterwards be Sold;
Till time shall Ever-wanting David draw,
To pass your doubtful Title into Law:
If not; the People have a Right Supreme
To make their Kings; for Kings are made for them.
All Empire is no more than Pow'r in Trust:
Which when refum'd, can be no longer Just.
Succeffion, for the general Good design'd,
In its own wrong a Nation cannot bind:
If altering that, the People can relieve,
Better one fuffer than a Nation grieve.
The Jews well know their pow'r: e'er Sand they
God was their King, and God they durst Depose.
Urge now your Piety, your Filial Name,
A Father's Right, and Fear of future Fame;
The Publick Good, that Universal Call,
To which even Heav'n submitted, answers all.
Nor let his Love Enchant your generous Mind;:
"Tis Nature's trick to propagate her Kind.
Our fond Begetters, who would never die,
Love but themselves in their Posterity.
Or let his Kindness by th' Effects be try'd,
Or let him lay his vain Pretence afide.
God faid he lov'd your Father; could he bring
A better Proof, than to Anoint him King
It surely shew'd he lov'd the Shepherd well,
Who gave so fair a Flock as Ifrael.
Would David have you thought his Darling Son
What means he then to Alienate the Crown?
The name of Godly he may blush to bear :
'Tis after God's own heart to Cheat his Heir.
He to his Brother gives Supreme Command;
To you a Legacy of Barren Land:
Perhaps th' old Harp on which he thrums his Lays;
Or fome dull Hebrew Ballad in your Praise.
Then the next Heir, a Prince Severe and Wife,
Already looks on you with Jealous Eyes;
Sees through the thin Disguises of your Arts,
And marks your Progress in the Peoples Hearts.
Though now his mighty Soul its Grief contains;
He meditates Revenge who least complains.
And like a Lion, Slumbring in the way,
Or Sleep diffembling, while he waits his Prey,
His fearless Foes within his distance draws;
Constrains his Roaring, and Contracts his Paws:
Till at the last, his time for Fury found,
He shoots with fudden Vengeance from the Ground:
The Proftrate Vulgar passes o'er, and spares,
But with a Lordly Rage his Hunters tears.
Your Cafe no tame Expedients will afford:
Resolve on Death, or Conquest by the Sword,
Which for no less a Stake than Life, you draw;
And Self-defence is Nature's Eldest Law.
Leave the warm People no Confidering time:
For then Rebellion may be thought a Crime.
Prevail your self of what Occasion gives,
But try your Title while your Father lives:
And, that your Arms may have a fair Pretence,
Proclaim, you take them in the King's Defence:
Whose Sacred Life each minute would expose
To Plots, from seeming Friends, and secret Foes.
And who can found the depth of David's Soul!
Perhaps his fear, his kindness may Controul.
He fears his Brother, though he loves his Son,
For plighted Vows too late to be undone.
If fo, by Force he wishes to be gain'd :
Like Womens Leachery to feem constrain'd;
Doubt not: but, when he most affects the Frown,
Commit a pleasing Rape upon the Crown.
Secure his Person to secure your Cause;
They who possess the Prince, possess the Laws.
He faid, and this Advice above the rest,
With Abfalom's Mild Nature suired best;
Unblam'd of Life (Ambition set aside,)
Not stain'd with Cruelty, nor puft with Pride.
How happy had he been, if Destiny
Had higher plac'd his Birth, or not fo high!
His Kingly Virtues might have claim'd a Throne;
And blest all other Countries but his own.
But charming Greatness since so few refuse;
'Tis jufter to Lament him, than Accuse.
Strong were his hopes a Rival to remove,
With Blandishments to gain the publick Love;
To head the Faction while their Zeal was hot,
And popularly prosecute the Plot.
To further this, Achitophel Unites
The Male-contents of all the Ifraelites:
Whose differing Parties he could wisely Join,
For several Ends, to serve the same Design.
The Best, and of the Princes some were fuch,
Who thought the pow'r of Monarchy too much :
Mistaken Men, and Patriots in their Hearts;
Not wicked, but seduced by impious Arts.
By these the Springs of Property were bent,
And wound so high, they crack't the Government.
The next for Int'rest sought t'embroil the State,
To fell their Duty at a dearer rate;
And make their Jewish Markets of the Throne;
Pretending Publick Good, to serve their own.
Others thought Kings an ufeless heavy Load,
Who cost too much, and did too little Good.
These were for laying honest David by,
On Principles of pure good Husbandry.
With them join'd all th' Haranguers of the Thtong,
That thought to get Perferment by the Tongue.
Who follow next, a double danger bring,
Not only hating David, but the King;
The Solymaan Rout; well vers'd of old,
In Godly Faction, and in Treason bold;
Cowring and Quaking at a Conqu'ror's Sword,
But Lofty to a Lawful Prince Restor'd;
Saw with Difdain an Ethnick Plot begun,
And scorn'd by Jebufites to be Out-done.
Hot Levites Headed these; who pull'd before
From th' Ark, which in the Judges days they bore,
Resum'd their Cant, and with a Zealous Cry,
Pursu'd their old belov'd Theocracy.
Where Sanhedrin and Priest enslav'd the Nation,
And justifi'd their Spoils by Inspiration:
For who so fit for Reign as Aaron's Race,
If once Dominion they could found in Grace?
These led the Pack; though not of surest scent,
Yet deepest mouth'd against the Government.
A numerous Hoft of dreaming Saints succeed,
Of the true old Enthusiastick Breed:
'Gainst Form and Order they their Pow'r employ
Nothing to Build, and all things to Destroy.
But far more numerous was the Herd of such,
Who think too little, and who talk too much.
These out of mere instinct, they knew not why,
Ador'd their Father's God, and Property:
And, by the fame blind Benefit of Fate,
The Devil and the Jebufite did hate:
Born to be sav'd, even in their own despight
Because they could not help believing right.
Such were the Tools; but a whole Hydra more
Remains, of sprouting heads too long to score...
Some of their Chiefs were Princes of the Land
In the fust Rank of these did Zimri ftand:
A man so various, that he feem'd to be
Not one, but all Mankind's Epitome.
Stiff in Opinions, always in the wrong:
Was every thing by starts, and Nothing long;
But, in the course of one revolving Moon,
Was Chymist, Fidler, Statefman and Buffoon:
Then all for Women, Painting, Rhiming, Drinking:
Besides ten thousand Freaks that dy'd in thinking.
Bleft Madman, who cou'd every hour employ,
With fomething New to with, or to enjoy!
Railing and praising were his ufual Themes;
And both (to shew his Judgment) in Extremes:
So over Violent, or over Civil,
That every Man, with him, was God or Devil.
In squandring Wealth was his peculiar Art :
Nothing went unrewarded, but Defert.
Beggar'd by Fools, whom ftill he found too late:
He had his Jeft, and they had his Eftate.
He laugh'd himself from Court; then fought Relief
By forming Parties, but could ne'er be Chief:
For, spight of him, the weight of Business fell
On Abfalom, and wife Achitophel:
Thus, wicked but in Will, of Means bereft,
He left not Faction, but of That was left.
Titles and Names 'twere tedious to rehearse
Of Lords, below the dignity of Verfe.
Wits, Warriors, Common-wealths-men, were the beft:
Kind Husbands, and mere Nobles all the reft.
And therefore, in the name of Dulnefs, be
The well-hung Balaam and cold Caleb free.
And Canting Nadab let Oblivion damn,
Who made new Porridge for the Pafchal-Lamb.
Let Friendships holy Band fome Names affure :
Some their own Worth, and some let Scorn fecure.
Nor shall the Rafcal Rabble here have Place,
Whom Kings no Titles gave, and God no Grace:
Not Bull-fac'd Jonas, who cou'd Statutes draw
To mean Rebellion, and make Treafon Law.
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