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To ply him with new Plots, fhall be my care;
Or plunge him deep in fome Expensive War;
Which when his Treasure can no more fupply,
He muft, with the Remains of Kingship, buy ;
His faithful Friends, our Jealousies and Fears
Call Jebusites, and Pharaoh's Penfioners:
Whom, when our Fury from his Aid has torn,
He fhall 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 Foe.
His Right, for Sums of neceflary Gold,
Shall firft be pawn'd, and afterwards be Sold;
Till time fhall 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 Truft:
Which when refum'd, can be no longer Juft.
Succeffion, for the general Good defign'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 Saul 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 fubmitted, answers all.
Nor let his Love Enchant your generous Minds
"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?

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It furely fhew'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 Difguifes of your Arts,
And marks your Progress in the Peoples Hearts.
Though now his mighty Soul its Grief contains;
He meditates Revenge who leaft complains.
And like a Lion, Slumbring in the way,

Or Sleep diffembling, while he waits his Prey,
His fearless Foes within his diftance draws;
Conftrains his Roaring, and Contracts his Paws:
Till at the laft, his time for Fury found,

He shoots with fudden Vengeance from the Ground:
The Proftrate Vulgar paffes o'er, and fpares,
But with a Lordly Rage his Hunters tears.
Your Cafe no tame Expedients will afford :
Resolve on Death, or Conqueft by the Sword,
Which for no less a Stake than Life, you draw;
And Self-defence is Nature's Eldeft Law.
Leave the warm People no Confidering time:
For then Rebellion may be thought a Crime.
Prevail your felf 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:
Whofe Sacred Life each minute would expofe
To Plots, from feeming Friends, and fecret Foes.
And who can found the depth of David's Soule
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 Perfon to fecure your Caufe;
They who poffefs the Prince, poffefs the Laws.
He faid, and this Advice above the reft,
With Abfalom's Mild Nature fuited beft;
Unblam'd of Life (Ambition fet afide,)
Not ftain'd with Cruelty, nor puft with Pride.
How happy had he been, if Destiny

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Had higher plac'd his Birth, or not fo high!
His Kingly Virtues might have claim'd a Throne;
And bleft all other Countries but his own.
But charming Greatnefs fince fo few refufe;
'Tis jufter to Lament him, than Accufe.
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 profecute the Plot.

To further this, Achitophel Unites

The Male-contents of all the Ifraelites:
Whose differing Parties he could wifely Join,
For feveral Ends, to ferve the fame Design.
The Beft, and of the Princes fome were fuch,
Who thought the pow'r of Monarchy too much :
Miftaken Men, and Patriots in their Hearts;
Not wicked, but feduc'd by impious Arts.
By these the Springs of Property were bent,
And wound fo high, they crack't the Government.
The next for Int'reft fought t'embroil the State,
To fell their Duty at a dearer rate;

And make their Jewish Markets of the Throne ;.
Pretending Publick Good, to ferve their own.
Others thought Kings an useless heavy Load,
Who cost too much, and did too little Good

Thefe were for laying honeft David by,

On Principles of pure good Husbandry.

With them join'd all th' Haranguers of the Throng,
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 fcorn'd by Jebusites to be Out-done.
Hot Levites Headed thefe; who pull'd before-
From th' Ark, which in the Judges days they bore
Refum'd their Cant, and with a Zealous Cry,
Purfu'd their old belov'd Theocracy.

Where Sanhedrin and Priest enflav'd the Nation,
And justifi'd their Spoils by Inspiration:
For who fo fit for Reign as Aaron's Race,
If once Dominion they could found in Grace?
These led the Pack; though not of fureft fcent,
Yet deepest mouth'd against the Government.
A numerous Hoft of dreaming Saints fucceed,
Of the true old Enthufiaftick Breed:
'Gainft Form and Order they their Pow'r employ,
Nothing to Build, and all things to Destroy..
But far more numerous was the Herd of fuch,
Who think too little, and who talk too much.
Thefe out of mere inftina, 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 fav'd, even in their own defpight;
Because they could not help believing right.
Such were the Tools; but a whole Hydra more
Remains, of fprouting heads too long to score...
Some of their Chiefs were Princes of the Landa
In the fuft Rank of these did Zimri ftand

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A man fo 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 courfe of one revolving Moon,
Was Chymift, Fidler, Starefman and Buffoon:
Then all for Women, Painting, Rhiming, Drinking:
Befides ten thoufand Freaks that dy'd in thinking.
Bleft Madman, who cou'd every hour employ,
With fomething New to with, or to enjoy!
Railing and prailing were his ufual Themes;
And both (to fhew 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 Eftare.

He laugh'd himself from Court; then fought Relief
By forming Parties, but could ne'er be Chief:
For, fpight of him, the weight of Bufinefs 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 rehearfe
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 fhall 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,

LA

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