One Tow'r alone impregnable remain'd,
And Treaty they alike and Force difdain'd:
They truft their God, the Hold was nam'd from
Baal,

But more they truft their firm and lofty Wall:
The Victor thinks the rest in vain was won,
Till Art compleats what Valour had begun:
Above the Town an hoary Mountain ftood,
Whose venerable Head was crown'd with Wood:
The Firs and Pines thick Branches thence they rend,
And to the Tow'r, a moving Grove defcend;
These to the Gates apply'd th' Affailants fire,
In vain within they from the Gates retire:
At once their dismal Shrieks afcend the Skies,
Their dying, and their Fun'ral Flames arise,
Never had Baal before fo large a Sacrifice,

CIII.

Abimelech flain by a Woman.

Irtue alone can deathlefs Laurels boaft; She gains the Day when Life itself is loft: What with ring Joys deceitful Conqueft yields, From Cities fack'd, and from triumphant Fields! How foon the giddy Globe of Fortune turns, The Captive smiles, th' infulting Victor mourns! This, Great Abimelech! from thee we learn, (And future Warriors may their Fate discern :) Now happy, if thou bear thy Enfign's back, Nor Thebe Walls, with Stars averfe, attack:

Fate draws thee on, and beckons from afar,
And Death, difguis'd like Glory, leads to War:
The Town is ftorm'd, the weak Defendants fled,
But in the Citadel again make Head;

Arm'd with Despair a brave Resistance make;
Again their well-known Fire th' Affailants take
Tho' lately try'd, of with'd Success it fails;
One Stratagem but rarely twice prevails:
Greedy of Fame, impatient of Delay,

To his warm Troops the Gen'ral leads the way;
Whom, at the Gates, to his defpairing Foes,
His lofty Plume and glitt'ring Arms difclofe:
---'Tis done, and from a Mill-ftone's deadly weight,
A Woman, a weak Woman fends his Fate:
He feels the Stroke the Seat of Life confound,
His Helmet crush'd, his Head a fingle Wound;
Groaning he falls, reluctant ftrikes the Ground:
But his ftrong Heart ftill rifes with Disdain,
"Can Gideon's Son by Female Hands be slain?
"Let fome kind Sword the Stroke of Mercy lend,
"If near me either Enemy or Friend!
His faithful Squire, who oft in Battel try'd,
Had ne're unguarded left his Mafter's fide,
This laft kind cruel Office not deny'd:
Soon as the Sword its fatal Paffage found,

He rifes to the Point, and meets the welcom
Wound.

CIII.

JUDGES, Chap. IX. Ver. 50. to 55

189

Ver. 51. There was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and fhut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

53. And a certain woman cast a piece of a milStone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his

bead.

54. Then he called haftily unto the young man his armour-bearer, and faid unto him, Draw thy fword and flay me, that men Say not of me, A woman flew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

CIV.

JUDGES, Chap. X. Ver. 17, 18.
Chap. XI. to 29.

Jephthah chofen Captain by the Gileadites.

Mmon's incestuous Offspring now prevail,
From Rabbah's Tow'rs they Gibeah's Walls
affail:

At Mizpel's neighb'ring Hills the Tribes unite,
Preffing Memorials their Diftress recite,
And valiant Jephthah to their Aid invite.
From foreign Lands their loud Complaints he hears,
And speeds away to diffipate their Fears;
Their high Eftates in full Convention joyn'd,
To him the vacant Soveraign Pow'r affign'd:
He knew 'twas an unthank ful Work to fave,
He knew the Wealthy never lov'd the Brave;
And, Ammon beat, might civilly defire,
He'd ease the Nation, and to Tob retire.
Revolving deep he poiz'd the Crown, before
His thoughtful Brows that thorny Trifle wore;
For publick Good at length accepts the Weight,
For others Freedom he a Slave of State.
In their new Head fecure they promise fair,
And to their rightful Saviour Homage swear,
And Jephthah does for their Defence prepare:
By Treaty firft does friendly Terms propound,
But ne're was Ammon yet by Treaty bound;
For where no Faith is, how fhou'd Truth be
found?

And

And now the facred Spirit invades his Breaft, And all the God his mighty Soul poffeft: Like Lightning thro' the Clouds he darts away, And only wou'd a while at Migpeb stay, The Gen'ral thought it no Difgrace to pray. New Strength receiv'd, fecure of Conquefts, goes At once to find, engage and rout his Foes.

Go on, Great Prince! may Glory and Renown Attend thy Banner, and thy Temple crown! Thy conqu'ring Sword infulting Amman's Rod, Their Chemofh forc'd to yield to Ifrael's God! --"But, ah! in vain thy Brows with Laurel "crown'd,

"For Fate and gloomy Death encompass thee a"round.

CV.

Ammon difcomfited. Jephtha's Vow.

'Ierce Ammon's num'rous Van appears in fight, Glad Ifrael rofe and fhouted for the Fight: Between both Armies valiant Jephthah ran, His Spear to Heav'n he rais'd, and thus began;

"So may my Arms the God of Battles blefs, "And grant his own lov'd Ifrael wish'd Succefs; "As when from War with Conqueft I return, "What e're I meet, a Sacrifice shall burn.

The fpatious Plain now grows a narrow Line, The loft Forlorns engage, the Battles joyn: