The force remov'd, flies swifty back agen. 'Tis hard a Fathers nature to o'ercome, How easily does she her force assume! Sh' has o'er my Soul an easie Conquest won, And I remember now I have a Son, Whose Youth had long been my paternal Care, Rais'd to the height his noble frame could bear, And Heav'n has seem'd to give his Soul a turn, As if ordain'd by Fate for Empire born. By our known Laws I have the Scepter sway'd, By them I govern'd, them my Rule I made. To them I sought to frame my soveraign Will, By them my Subjects I will govern still: They, not the People, shall proclaim my Heir, } Yet I will hearken to my Subjects Prayer, } And of a _Baalite_ will remove their fear. } From hence I'le banish every Priest of _Baal_, And the wise _Sanhedrim_ together call: That Body with the Kingly Head shall join, Their Counsel and their Wisdom mix with mine, All former strife betwixt us be forgot, And in Oblivion buried every Plot. We'l try to live in Love and Peace again, As when I first began my happy Reign. Before our Trait'rous Foes with secret toil Did fair _Judea_'s blessed Peace embroil. May all my latter days excel my first, And he who then disturbs our Peace be curst. He said: Th' Almighty heard, and from on high Spoke his Consent, in Thunder through the Skie: The Augurie was noted by the Croud, Who joyful shouts return'd almost as loud: Then _Amazia_ was once more restor'd, He lov'd his People, they obey'd their Lord. _FINIS._ [Errata: an Author, whose Wit has deservedly / gained the Bays; _"Bays" unclear_ the Horny or Ivory Port _so in original: "Part"?_ 'Twas fear'd they'd fall at last from Words to Blows. _invisible apostrophe_ He fears your Wisdom, may his Hindrance prove, _text reads "Hndrance"_ Religion to o'rethrow and Government. _text reads "Governmenr"_ And _Azaria_, tho they us'd his name, _text reads "tehy"_ From you by art they have debauch'd your Son; _text reads "debauch,d"_ Full ripe with Age, in peace, may he'yield to Fate. _so in original: "he yield" or (metrical) "h'yield"?_ The force remov'd, flies swifty back agen. _see Editor's Introduction, References, for "swifty"_ ] End of Project Gutenberg's Anti-Achitophel (1682), by Elkanah Settle et al.