Was it for this fhe ftretch'd her peopled reign
From far Euphrates to the western main ?
For this o'er many a hill her boughs the threw,
And her wide arms, like goodly cedars grew?
For this proud Edom Aept beneath her shade,
And o'er th' Arabian deep her branches play'd?
O feeble boast of transitory power!
Vain, fruitless truft of Judah's happier hour!
Not fuch their hope, when through the parted main
The cloudy wonder led the warrior train:
Not fuch their hope when through the fields of night
The torch of heaven diffus'd its friendly light:
Not, when fierce Conquest urg'd the onward war,
And hurl'd ftern Canaan from his iron car;
Nor, when five monarchs led to Gibeon's fight,
In rude array, the harness'd Amorite:
Yes-in that hour, by mortal accents stay'd,
The lingering Sun his fiery wheels delay'd;
The, Moon, obedient trembled at the found,
Curb'd her pale car, and check'd her mazy round!
Let Sinai tell for the beheld his might,
And God's own darkness veil'd her myftic height:
(He, cherub-born, upon the whirlwind rode,
And the red mountain, like a furnace glow'd:)
Let Sinai tell-but who fhall dare recite
His praife, his power,-eternal, infinite?—
Awe-ftruck, I cease; nor bid my strains aspire,
Or ferve his altar with unhallow'd fire.
Such were the cares that watch'd o'er Ifrael's fate,
And fuch the glories of their infant state.
Triumphant race! and did your power decay?
Fail'd the bright promise of your early day?
'No ;-by that fword, which, red with heathen gore,
A giant spoil, the stripling champion bore;
By him, the chief to furthest India known, (1)
The mighty master of the ivory throne;
In heaven's own ftrength, high towering o'er her foes
Victorious Salem's lion banner rofe:
Before her footstool proftrate nations lay,
And vassal tyrants crouch'd beneath her sway.
-And he, the warrior fage, whose restless mind
Through nature's mazes wander'd unconfin'd;
Who ev'ry bird and beast, and infect knew.
And speak of ev'ry plant that quaffs the dew;
To him were known-so Hagar's offspring tell-
The powerful figil and the starry spell;
The midnight call hell's fhadowy legions dread,
And founds that burft the flumbers of the dead.
Hence all his might; for, who could these oppofe?
And Tadmor thus, and Syrian Balbec rose. (2)
Yet e'en the works of toiling Genii fall,
And vain was Eftakhar's enchanted wall.
In frantic converfe with the mournful wind, (3)
There oft the houseless Santon refts reclin'd;
Strange shapes he views, and drinks with wond'ring ears
The voices of the dead, and fongs of other years.
1) Solomon. Ophir is by most Geogrophers placed in the Aurea Chersonesus.
2) Palmyra," Tadmor in the Desert," was really built by Solomon, 1 Kings ix. 2 Chron. viii. And universal tradition marks him out, with great probability, as the founder of Balbec. Estakhar, is also attributed to him by the Arabs.
3) The Santons are real or affected madmen, pretending to extraordinary sanctity, who wander about the country, sleeping in caves or old ruins.
Such, the faint echo of departed praise,
Still found Arabia's legendary lays;
And thus their fabling bards delight to tell
How lovely were thy tents, O Ifrael!
To thee his ivory load Behemoth bore,
And far Sofala teem'd with golden ore ; (4)
Thine all the arts that wait on wealth's increase,
Or bask and wanton in the beam of peace.
When Tyber slept beneath the cypress gloom,
And Silence held the lonely woods of Rome;
Or e'er to Greece the builder's fkill was known,
Or the light chiffel brush'd the Parian stone;
Yet here fair Science nurs'd her infant fire,
Fann'd by the artist aid of friendly Tyre.
Then tower'd the palace, then in awful state
The Temple rear'd its everlasting gate.
No workman fteel, no ponderous axes rung;
Like fome tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung.
Majeftic filence!—then the harp awoke,
The cymbal clang'd, the deep-voic'd trumpet spoke;
And Salem fpread her fuppliant arms abroad,
View'd the defcending flame, and blefs'd the prefent God.
Nor fhrunk the then, when, raging deep and loud, Beat o'er her foul the billows of the proud. (5) E'en they who, dragg'd to Shinar's fiery fand. Till'd with reluctant ftrength the ftranger's land; Who fadly told the flow revolving years,
And fleep'd the captive's bitter bread with tears;
4) An African port, to the south of Bab-el-mandeb, celebrated for gold-mines.
Yet oft their hearts with kindling hopes would burn,
Their deftin'd triumphs and their glad return :
And their fad lyres, which, filent and unftrung,
In mournful ranks on Babel's willows hung,
Would oft awake to chaunt their future fame,
And from the skies their lingering Saviour claim.
His promis'd aid could ev'ry fear controul;
This nerv'd the warrior's arm, this fteel'd the martyr's foul!
Nor vain their hope ;-bright beaming through the
Burft in full blaze the dayfpring from on high;
Earth's utmost ifles exulted at the fight,
And crowding nations drank the orient light.
Lo, ftar-led chiefs Affyrian odours bring,
And bending magi feek their infant King!
Mark'd ye, where, hovering o'er His radiant head,
The Dove's white wings celeftial glory shed?
Daughter of Sion! virgin queen! rejoice!
Clap the glad hand, and lift the exulting voice!
He comes, but not in regal splendor dreft,
The haughty diadem, the Tyrian veft;
Not arm'd in flame, all glorious from afar,
Of hosts the chieftain, and the lord of war:
Messiah comes :-let furious difcord ceafe;
Be peace on earth before the Prince of peace!
Disease and anguish feel his bleft controul,
And howling fiends release the tortur'd foul;
The beams of gladness hell's dark caves illume,
And Mercy broods above the diftant gloom.
Thou palfied earth, with noonday night o'erspread! Thou fickening fun, so dark, so deep, so red!
Ye hovering ghosts that throng the ftarless air,
Why shakes the earth? why fades the light? declare!
Are those his limbs with ruthless scourges torn?
His brows all bleeding with the twisted thorn?
His the pale form, the meek, forgiving eye
Rais'd from the cross in patient agony ?
-Be dark, thou fun! thou noonday night, arife!
And hide, oh hide the dreadful facrifice!
Ye faithful few, by bold affection led,
Who round the Saviour's cross your forrows fhed,
Not for his fake your tearful vigils keep ;-
Weep for your country,
! (6)
-Vengeance! thy fiery wing their race pursu'd ;
Thy thirsty poniard blush'd with infant blood.
Rous'd at thy call, and panting ftill for game,
The bird of war, the Latian eagle came.
Then Judah rag'd, by ruffian Discord led,
Drunk with the fteamy carnage of the dead:
He faw his fons by dubious laughter fall,
And War without, and Death within the wall.
Wide-wafting Plague, gaunt Famine, mad Despair,
And dire Debate, and clamorous Strife was there:
Love, ftrong as Death, retain'd his might no more,
And the pale parent drank her children's gore.
Yet they, who wont to roam th' enfanguin'd plain,
And fpurn with fell delight their kindred slain;
E'en they, when, high above the dusty fight,
Their burning temple rofe in lurid light,
To their lov'd altars paid a parting groan,
And in their country's woes forgot their own.
As 'mid the cedar courts, and gates of gold,
The trampled ranks in miry carnage roll'à;
6] Luke xxiii. 27, 28.
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