915 "The conquerors too press boldly in behind, "Doubling the wild confusions which they find. "Hamgar at first, the Prince of Ashdod town, "Chief 'mongst the five in riches and renown, "And General then by course, oppos'd their way, "Till drown'd in death at Jonathan's feet he lay, "And curs'd the heavens for rage, and bit the "ground; 921 "His life, for ever spilt, stain'd all the grass around. "His brother too, who virtuous haste did make "His fortune to revenge, or to partake, "Falls grovelling o'er his trunk, on mother earth; "Death mix'd no less their bloods than did their "birth. 926 "Meanwhile the well-pleas'd Abdon's restless sword "Dispatch'd the following train t' attend their lord. "On still, o'er panting corpse, great Jonathan led; “Hundreds before him fell, and thousands fled. "Prodigious Prince! which does most wondrous 931 “show, "Thy' attempt, or thy success? thy fate, or thou? "Who durst alone that dreadful host assail, "With purpose not to die, but to prevail ! "Infinite numbers thee no more affright, "Than God, whose unity is infinite. 935 "If Heaven to men such mighty thoughts would "give, "What breast but thine capacious to receive "The vast infusion? or what soul but thine "Durst have believ'd that thought to be divine? 940 "Thou follow'dst Heaven in the design, and we "Find in the act 't was Heaven that follow'd thee. "Thou ledd'st on angels, and that sacred band "(The Deity's great lieutenant!) didst command. "'T is true, Sir, and no figure, when I say "Angels themselves fought under him that day. "Clouds, with ripe thunder charg'd, some thither "drew, 945 "And some the dire materials brought for new. "Hot drops of southern showers (the sweats of 66 death), [breath; "The voice of storms, and winged whirlwinds' "The flames shot forth from fighting dragons' eyes; "The smokes that from scorch'd fevers' ovens rise; "The reddest fires with which sad comets grow ; "And Sodom's neighbouring lake, did spirits bestow "Of finest sulphur ; amongst which they put 955 "Wrath, fury, horror, and all mingled shut "Into a cold moist cloud, t'enflame it more, "And make th' enraged prisoner louder roar. "Th' assembled clouds burst o'er their army's head; "Noise, darkness, dismal lightnings, round them "spread. "Another Spirit, with a more potent wand 960 "Than that which Nature fear'd in Moses' hand, "And went the way that pleas'd, the mountain "strook; "The mountain felt it; the vast mountain shook. 965 "Through the wide air another Angel flew "About their host, and thick amongst them threw 1 "Discord, despair, confusion, fear, mistake, "And all th' ingredients that swift ruin make. The fertile glebe requires no time to breed "It quickens, and receives at once the seed. d; 970 "One would have thought, this dismal day t' have 66 seen, "That Nature's self in her death-pangs had been. "Such will the face of that great hour appear; "Such the distracted sinner's conscious fear. "In vain some few strive the wild flight to stay; 975 "In vain they threaten, and in vain they pray; "Unheard, unheeded, trodden down, they lie, "Beneath the wretched feet of crowds that fly. "O'er their own foot trampled the violent horse; "The guideless chariots with impetuous course "Cut wide through both; and, all their bloody way, "Horses and men, torn, bruis'd, and mangled, lay. "Some from the rocks cast themselves down head "long; 985 "The faint, weak passion grows so bold and strong! "To almost certain present death they fly, "From a remote and causeless fear to die. "Much different error did some troops possess ; "And madness, that look'd better, though no less: "Their fellow-troops for th' enter'd foe they take; "And Israel's war with mutual slaughter make. 990 "Meanwhile the king from Gabaa's hill did view, "And hear, the thickening tumult, as it grew "Still great and loud; and, though he knows not why "They fled, no more than they themselves that fly, "Yet, by the storms and terrors of the air, Obeys the loud occasion's sacred call, 995 ; "And fiercely on the trembling host does fall. "At the same time their slaves and prisoners rise "Nor does their much-wish'd liberty suffice, 1000 "Without revenge; the scatter'd arms they seize, "And their proud vengeance with the memory please "Of who so lately bore them. All about, "From rocks and caves, the Hebrews issue out "At the glad noise; joy'd that their foes had shown "A fear that drowns the scandal of their own. 1006 "Still did the Prince 'midst all this storm appear, "Still scatter'd death and terrors every-where; "Still did he break, still blunt, his wearied swords; "Still slaughter new supplies t' his hand affords. 1010 "'Where troops yet stood, there still he hotly flew, "And, till at last all fled, scorn'd to pursue. "All fled at last, but many in vain; for still "Th' insatiate Conqueror was more swift to kill "Than they to save their lives. Till, lo! at last, 1015 "Nature, whose power he had so long surpass'd, "Would yield no more, but to him stronger foes, "Drought, faintness, and fierce hunger, did oppose. "Reeking all o'er in dust, and blood, and sweat, “Burnt with the sun's and violent action's heat, 1020 "'Gainst an old oak his trembling limbs he staid, "For some short ease; Fate in the old oak had laid "Provisions up for his relief; and, lo! "The hollow trunk did with bright honey flow. 1030 "With timely food his decay'd spirits recruit, 1025 "Strong he returns, and fresh, to the pursuit; "His strength and spirits the honey did restore; "But, oh! the bitter-sweet strange poison bore! "Behold, Sir, and mark well the treacherous fate, "That does so close on human glories wait! "Behold the strong, and yet fantastick net, "Tensnare triumphant virtue darkly set! "Could it before (scarce can it since) be thought, "The Prince—who had alone that morning fought "A duel with an host, had th' host o'erthrown, 1035 "And threescore thousand hands disarm'd with one; "Wash'd-off his country's shame, and doubly dy'd "In blood and blushes the Philistian pride; "Had sav'd and fix'd his father's tottering crown, "And the bright gold new burnish'd with renown,— "Should be ere night, by 's King and Father's "breath, 1041 "Without a fault, vow'd and condemn'd to death? "Destin'd the bloody sacrifice to be "Of thanks, himself, for his own victory? "Alone, with various fate, like to become, "Fighting, an host; dying, an hecatomb? "Yet such, Sir, was his case; 1045 "For Saul, who fear'd lest the full plenty might "(In the abandon'd camp expos'd to sight) "His hungry men from the pursuit dissuade, 1050 "A rash, but solemn vow to Heaven had made"Curs'd be the wretch, thrice cursed let him be, "Who shall touch food this busy day, said he, A |