o’er field and flood,
    With peerless faith, her exiled spouse unknown,
    With whom of old she fill’d a lofty throne.—­
    Then Portia comes, who fire and steel defied,
    And Julia, grieved to see a second bride
    Engage her consort’s love.—­The Hebrew swain
    Appears, who sold himself his love to gain
    For seven long summers—­a vivacious flame,
    Which neither years nor constant toil could tame!—­
    Then Isaac, with his father, joins the band,
    Who, with his consort, left at God’s command,
    Led by the lamp of faith, his native land.—­
    David is next, by lawless passion sway’d;
    And, adding crime to crime, at last betray’d
    To deeds of blood, till solitude and tears
    Wash’d his dire guilt away, and calm’d his fears. 
    The sensual vapour, with Circean fume,
    Involved his royal son in deeper gloom,
    And dimm’d his glory, till, immersed in vice,
    His heart renounced the Ruler of the Skies,
    Adopting Stygian gods.—­The changeful hue
    Of his incestuous brother meets your view,
    Who lurks behind:  observe the sudden turn
    Of love and hatred blanch his cheek, and burn! 
    His ruin’d sister there, with frantic speed,
    To Absalom recounts the direful deed.—­
    Samson behold, a prey to female fraud! 
    Strong, but unwise, he laid the pledge of God
    In her fallacious lap, who basely sold
    Her husband’s honour for Philistian gold.—­
    Judith is nigh, who, mid a host in arms,
    With gentle accents and alluring charms
    Their chief o’ercame, and, at the noon of night,
    From his pavilion sped her venturous flight
    With one attendant slave, who bore along
    The tyrant’s head amid the hostile throng;
    Adoring Him who arms the feeble hand. 
    And bids the weak a mighty foe withstand.—­
    Unhappy Sichem next is seen, who paid
    A bloody ransom for an injured maid: 
    His guiltless sire and all his slaughter’d race,
    With many a life, attend the foul disgrace. 
    Such was the ruin by a sudden gust
    Of passion caused, when murder follow’d lust!—­
    That other, like a wise physician, cured
    An abject passion, long with pain endured: 
    To Vashti for an easy boon he sued;
    She scorn’d his suit, and rage his love subdued: 
    Soon to its aid a softer passion came,
    And from his breast expell’d the former flame: 
    Like wedge by wedge displaced, the nuptial ties
    He breaks, and soon another bride supplies.—­
    But if you wish to see the bosom (war
    Of Jealousy and Love) in deadly jar,
    Behold that royal Jew! the dire control
    Of Love and Hate by turns besiege his soul. 
    Now Vengeance wins the day—­the deed is done! 
    And now, in fell remorse, he hates the sun,
    And calls his consort from the realms of night,