Against themselves their witnesses will swear,
  Till, viper-like, their mother-plot they tear;
  And suck for nutriment that bloody gore,
  Which was their principle of life before. 
  Their Belial with their Beelzebub will fight: 
  Thus on my foes, my foes shall do me right. 
  Nor doubt the event:  for factious crowds engage,
  In their first onset, all their brutal rage. 
  Then let them take an unresisted course; 1020
  Retire, and traverse, and delude their force;
  But when they stand all breathless, urge the fight,
  And rise upon them with redoubled might—­
  For lawful power is still superior found;
  When long driven back, at length it stands the ground.

   He said:  The Almighty, nodding, gave consent;
  And peals of thunder shook the firmament. 
  Henceforth a series of new time began,
  The mighty years in long procession ran: 
  Once more the god-like David was restored, 1030
  And willing nations knew their lawful lord.

* * * * *

PART II.

“Si quis tamen haec quoque, si quis captus amore leget.”

TO THE READER.

In the year 1680, Mr Dryden undertook the poem of Absalom and Achitophel, upon the desire of King Charles the Second.  The performance was applauded by every one; and several persons pressing him to write a second part, he, upon declining it himself, spoke to Mr Tate[73] to write one, and gave him his advice in the direction of it; and that part beginning with

“Next these, a troop of busy spirits press,”

and ending with

“To talk like Doeg, and to write like thee,”

containing near two hundred verses, mere entirely Mr Dryden’s composition, besides some touches in other places.

DERRICK.

* * * * *

  Since men like beasts each other’s prey were made,
  Since trade began, and priesthood grew a trade,
  Since realms were form’d, none sure so cursed as those
  That madly their own happiness oppose;
  There Heaven itself and god-like kings, in vain
  Shower down the manna of a gentle reign;
  While pamper’d crowds to mad sedition run,
  And monarchs by indulgence are undone. 
  Thus David’s clemency was fatal grown,
  While wealthy faction awed the wanting throne. 10
  For now their sovereign’s orders to contemn
  Was held the charter of Jerusalem;
  His rights to invade, his tributes to refuse,
  A privilege peculiar to the Jews;
  As if from heavenly call this licence fell,
  And Jacob’s seed were chosen to rebel!