As when a battering storm engendered high, By winds upheld, hangs hovering in the sky, Is gazed upon by every trembling swain, This for his vineyard fears, and that his grain, For blooming plants, and flowers new opening; these For lambs yeaned lately, and far-labouring bees; To guard his stock each to the gods does call, Uncertain where the fire-charged clouds will fall; Even so the doubtful nations watch his arms, With terror each expecting his alarms. Where, Judah, where was now thy lion's roar? Thou only couldst the captive lands restore; But thou, with inbred broils and faction prest, From Egypt need'st a guardian with the rest. Thy prince from sanhedrims no trust allowed, Too much the representers of the crowd, Who for their own defence give no supply, But what the crown's prerogatives must buy;[387] As if their monarch's rights to violate More needful were, than to preserve the state! From present dangers they divert their care, And all their fears are of the royal heir: Whom now the reigning malice of his foes, Unjudged would sentence, and ere crowned depose; Religion the pretence, but their decree To bar his reign, whate'er his faith shall be. By sanhedrims and clamorous crowds thus prest, What passions rent the righteous David's breast! Who knows not how to oppose or to comply, Unjust to grant, and dangerous to deny! How near in this dark juncture Israel's fate, Whose peace one sole expedient could create, Which yet the extremest virtue did require, Even of that prince whose downfal they conspire! His absence David does with tears advise, To appease their rage; undaunted he complies.[388] Thus he, who, prodigal of blood and ease, A royal life exposed to winds and seas, At once contending with the waves and fire, And heading danger in the wars of Tyre,[389] Inglorious now forsakes his native sand, And, like an exile, quits the promised land. Our monarch scarce from pressing tears refrains, And painfully his royal state maintains, Who now, embracing on the extremest shore, Almost revokes what he enjoined before; Concludes, at last, more trust to be allowed To storms and seas than to the raging crowd.-- Forbear, rash muse, the parting scene to draw, With silence charmed as deep as their's that saw! Not only our attending nobles weep, But hardy sailors swell with tears the deep; The tide restrained her course, and, more amazed, The twin-stars on the royal brothers gazed; While this sole fear---- Does trouble to our suffering hero bring, Lest, next, the popular rage oppress the king. Thus parting, each for the other's danger grieved, The shore the king, and seas the prince received.-- Go, injured hero! while propitious gales, Soft as thy consort's breath, inspire thy sails;