Davideis (Cowley)

"I sing the Man who Judahs Scepter bore In that right hand which held the Crook before; Who from best Poet, best of Kings did grow; The two chief gifts Heav'n could on Man bestow."

"Ev'en Thou my breast with such blest rage inspire, As mov'd the tuneful strings of Davids Lyre"

"Lo, this great work, a Temple to thy praise, On polisht Pillars of strong Verse I raise! A Temple, where if Thou vouchsafe to dwell, It Solomons, and Herods shall excel. Too long the Muses-Land have Heathen bin; Their Gods too long were Dev'ils, and Vertues Sin; But Thou, Eternal Word, hast call'd forth Me Th' Apostle, to convert that World to Thee;"

"Well did he know how Palms by oppression speed, Victorious, and the Victors sacred Meed! The Burden lifts them higher. Well did he know, How a tame stream does wild and dangerous grow By unjust force; he now with wanton play, Kisses the smiling Banks, and glides But his known Channel stopt, begins to roare, And swell with rage, and buffet the dull shore. His mutinous waters hurry to the War, And Troops of Waves come rolling from afar. Then scorns he such weak stops to his free source, And overruns the neighboring fields with violent course."

"Beneath the mighty ocean's wealthy caves; Beneath the eternal fountain of the waves, Where their vast court the mother-waters keep, And undisturb'd by moons in silence sleep."

"Here no dear glimpse of the sun's lovely face Strikes through the solid darkness of the place."

"Here Lucifer the mighty Captive reigns; Proud, 'midst his Woes, and Tyrant in his Chains."

"Unable to corrupt, seek to destroy; And where their Poysons miss, the Sword employ."

"He saw the beauties of his shape and face, His female sweetness, and his manly grace"

"Nothing is there to come, and nothing past, But an eternal now does always last."

"Such was Gods Poem, this Worlds new Essay; So wild and rude in its first draught it lay; Th' ungovern'd parts no Correspondence knew, An artless war from thwarting Motions grew; Till they to Number and fixt Rules were brought By the eternal Minds Poetique Thought. Water and Air he for the Tenor chose, Earth made the Base, the Treble Flame arose, To th' active Moon a quick brisk stroke he gave, To Saturns string a touch more soft and grave. The motions Strait, and Round, and Swift, and Slow, And Short, and Long, were mixt and woven so, Did in such artful Figures smoothly fall, As made this decent measur'd Dance of All."

"When Israel was from bondage led, Led by the Almighty's hand From out of foreign land, The great sea beheld and fled."

"In him he all things with strange order hurl'd; In him, that full abridgement of the world."

"An harmless flaming meteor shone for hair, And fell adown his shoulders with loose care."

"A mighty man, had not some cunning sin, Amidst so many virtues crowded in."

"Thus each extreme to equal danger tends, Plenty, as well as Want, can separate Friends."

"Were ill obey'd whil'st Living, and at death, Their Rules and Pattern vanisht with their breath."

"Firm in this general Earthquake of the Land, How could Religion, its main pillar, stand? Proud, and fond Man, his Fathers worship hates, Himself, Gods Creature, his own God Creates."

"For Ammon, heightned with mixt Nations aid, Like Torrents swoln with Rain prepar'd the land t'invade."

"We' are come, most sacred Judge, to pay th'Arrears Of much-ow'd thanks for the bright thirty years Of your just Reign; and at your feet to lay All that our grateful hearts can weakly pay In unproportion'd words; for you alone The not unfit Reward, who seek for none. But when our forepast ills we call to mind, And sadly think how Little's left behind Of your important Life, whose sudden date Would disinherit th'unprovided State. When we consider how unjust 'tis, you, Who nere of Power more than the Burden knew, At once the weight of that and Age should have; Your stooping days prest doubly towards the grave. When we behold by Ammons youthful rage, Proud in th' advantage of your peaceful age, And all th'united East our fall conspir'd; And that your Sons, whom chiefly we desir'd As Stamps of you, in your lov'd room to place, By unlike acts that noble Stamp deface: Midst these new fears and ills, we're forc'd to fly To' a new, and yet unpractis'd Remedy; A new one, but long promis'd and foretold, By Moses, and to Abraham shown of old. A Prophesie long forming in the Womb Of teeming years, and now to ripeness come. This Remedy's a King; for this we all With an inspir'd, and zealous Union call. And in one sound when all mens voices join, The Musick's tun'd (no doubt) by hand divine."

"Cheat not your selves with words: for though a King Be the mild Name, a Tyrant is the Thing. Let his power loose, and you shall quickly see How mild a thing unbounded Man will be. He'll lead you forth your hearts cheap blood to spill, Where e're his Guidless Passion leads his Will. Ambition, Lust, or Spleen his wars will raise, Your Lives best price his thirst of Wealth or Praise. Your ablest Sons for his proud Guards he'll take, And by such hands your yoke more grievous make. Your Daughters and dear Wives he'll force away, His Lux'ury some, and some his Lust t'obey. His idle friends your hungry toils shall eat, Drink your rich Wines, mixt with your Blood and Sweat. Then you'll all sigh, but sighs will Treasons be; And not your Griefs themselves, or Looks be free."

"          'Tis true, Sir, he replies; Yet men whom age and action renders wise, So much great changes fear, that they believe All evils will, which may from them arrive."

"With humble Knees, and humbler Hearts, Lo, here, Blest Abrah'ams Seed implores thy gracious Ear. Hear them, great God, and thy just will inspire; From Thee, their long-known King, they'a King desire. Some gracious signs of thy good pleasure send, Which, lo, with Souls resign'd we humbly here attend."

"You were not made for him, but he for you, And both for God."