For who so fit to reign as Aaron's race,
If once dominion they could find in grace'
These led the pack, though not of surest scent,
Yet deepest mouth'd against the government.
A num'rous host of dreaming saints succeed,
Of the true old enthusiastic breed ;

Let friendship's holy band some namés assure ;
Some their own worth, and some let scorn

secure.

Nor shall the rascal rabble here have place,
Whom kings no title gave, and God no grace :
Not bull-fac'd Jonas, who could statutes draw

'Gainst form and order they their pow'r em- To mean rebellion, and make treason law.

२

ploy,
Nothing to build, and all things to destroy.

But far more num'rous was the herd of such
Who think too little, and who talk too much;
These out of mere instinct, they know not
why,

Ador'd their fathers' God, and property;
And, by the same blind benefit of fate,
The devil and the Jebusite did hate :
Born to be say'd, ev'n in their own despite,
Because they could not help believing right.
Such were the tools: but a whole bydra more
Remains of sprouting heads too long to score.
Some of their chiefs were princes of the land:
In the first rank of these did Zimri stand;
A man so various that he seemed 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 chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon; ||
Then all for women, painting, rhyming,
drinking,

But he, though bad, is follow'd by a worse,
The wretch who Heaven's anointed dar'd to
curse;

Shimei, whose youth did early promise bring
Of zeal to God, and hatred to his king,
Did wisely from expensive sins refrain,
And never broke the Sabbath but for gain :
Nor ever was he known an oath to vent,
Or curse, unless against the government.
Thus heaping wealth by the most ready way
Among the Jews, which was to cheat and pray;
The city, to reward his pious hate
Against his master, cho e him magistrate.
His hand a vase of justice did uphold;
His neck was loaded with a chain of gold;
During his office treason was no crime ;
The sons of Baliul had a glorious time;
For Shimei, though not prodigal of pelf,
Yet lov'd his wicked neighbour as himself.
When two or three were gather'd to declaim
Against the monarch of Jerusalem,
Shimei was always in the midst of them;
And, if they curs'd the king when he was by,

Besides ten thousand freaks that died in Would rather curse than break good company;

thinking.

Blest madman! who could every hour employ,
With something new to wish, or to enjoy.
Railing and praising were his usual themes:
And, both to shew his judgment, in extremes:
So over-violent, or over-civil,

That ev'ry man with him was God or devil.
In squandering wealth was his peculiar art:
Nothing went unrewarded, but desert;
Beggar'd by fools, whom still he found too
late;

He had his jest, and they had his estate.
He laugh'd himself from court; then sought
relief

By forming parties, but could ne'er be chief ;
For spite of him, the weight of business fell
On Absalom and wise 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 verse.

If any durst his factious friends accuse,
He pack`d a jury of dissenting Jews,
Whose fellow-feelings in the god-like cause
Would free the suff'ring saint from human

laws.

For laws are only made to punish those
Who serve the king, and to protect his foes.
If any leisure time he had from pow'r,
Because 'ts sin to misemploy an hour,
His business was, by writing to persuade
That kings were useless, and a clog to trade:
And, that his noble style he might refine,
No Rechabite more shuun'd the fumes of
wine.

Chaste were his cellars, and his shrieval board
The grossness of a city feast abhorr'd;

His cooks, with long disuse their trade forgot;
Cool was his kitchen, though his brains were
hot.

Such frugal virtue malice may accuse;
But sure 'twas necessary to the Jews:

Wits, warriors, commonwealths-men, were the For towns, once burnt, such magistrates re

best:

Kind husbands and mere nobles all the rest.
And therefore, in the name of dulness, be
The well-hung Balaam and cold Caleb free:
And canting Nadab let oblivion dama,
Who made new porridge for the pascal lamb.

quire

As dare not tempt God's providence by fire.
With spiritual food he fed his servants well,
But free from flesh that made the Jews rebel :
And Moses' laws he held in more account,
For forty days of fasting in the Mount.