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56 TARADTSE REGAINED. BOOK in.
Before mine eyes thou' haft fet; and in my ear
Vented much policy, and projects deep
Of enemies, of aids, battles, and leagues,
Plaufible to the world, to me worth nought.
Means I muft ufe, thou fay'ft, prediction elfe
Will unpredicl; and fail me of the throne :
My time I told thee (and that time for thee
Were better fartheft off) is not yet come;
When that comes, think not thou to find me flack
On my part ought endeavouring, or to need
Thy politic maxims, or that cumberfome
Luggage of war there fliown me, argument
Of human weaknefs rather than of ftrength.
My brethren, as thou call'ft them, thofe ten tribes
I muft deliver, if I mean to reign
Davids true heir, and his full fceptre fway
To juft extent over all Ifrael's fons;
But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then
For Ifrael, or for David, or his throne,
When thou ftood'ft up his tempter to the pride
Of numb'ring Ifrael, which coft the lives
Of threefcore and ten thoufand Ifraelites
By three days' peftilence? fuch was thy zeal
To Ifrael then, the fame that now to me.
As for thofe captive tribes, themfelves were they
Who wrought their own captivity, fell off*
From God to worfliip calves, the deities
Of Egypt, Baal next and Aihtaroth,
And all th' idolatries of Heathen round,
Befides their other worfe than heath'nifh crimes}
Nor in the land of their captivity