THE MURMURERS A POEM O fortunati nimium bona si sua nôrint Angligenae LONDON Printed for R. Baldwin MDC LXXXIX THE PREFACE To all the WORLD AS I am not much oblig'd t' ye so I don't much value your Censures being a sort of a little Murmurer my self And if you are as angry with me as I with you 't will be no great matter for scold as loud as you please I 'm sure I shall be far enough out of hearing However I 'd part as civilly as I can and therefore don 't much care if I 've a word or two with you before I leave you For my Poem take it as you find it The Subject wou'd have born much better and I 'm sure you have read much worse For most of the Characters they are so plain if you are but Book-learn'd enough to be out of your Horn-book you may guess who I mean by ' em I don't care if I tell you Corah Dathan and Abiram are only Rovers and take in all the Murmurers by whatever Names or Titles By Balaam Mr. Bays I mean your Worship None câ—n be ignorant whom I mean by Phinehas and 't is but too well known who Aaron is Sans Ceremony FAREWEL Perhaps for ever From aboard his Majesties Ship the The Murmurers A POEM UNgrateful Israel whom no Charms can bind No Terrors fright into a better mind Thy own and all Humanity's Disgrace Ah sinful stiff-neck'd moody murmuring Race Doting on Miseries in love with Pains Like thee were ever any mad for Chains Where are thy Groans when with the Bricks opprest Where all those sighs that heav'd thy lab'ring breast When without Straw thou thy full tale must pay Lamenting all the night and fainting all the day When bending underneath th' unequal load Thy gasping Vows and Prayers conquer'd God So soon alas so soon hast thou forgot Th' ungrateful Tyrant's cursed Wiles and Plot When bloody Pharao wou'd at once destroy Each Father's pride each Mothers tears and joy When Israel's hopes must Sacrifices be Black Tyrant to thy savage Gods and thee Fit Gods for such a King the Crocodile And all the monstrous Spawn of teeming Nile Yet hear for Heaven in mercy still delights O hear the Prophet ere the Angel smites See Israel see what favours thou hast found From Egypt's Court see each ignoble wound Incorrigible Slaves See the foul track Of Whips and Burdens worn on every back Remember 't is not yet nor yet too late Yet step aside and shun impending Fate Not even Pharao's Crown can â—eil or hide His Perjury his Cruelty and Pride Even Lucifer was sacred ere he fell But now the Wretch reigns absolute in Hell. O that a King had never been so base Or truth wou'd let us hide or change his Face Why will his Murmurers thus their Lord expose And rob of that small Fame 〈◊〉 has yet to lose 'T was never yet thought Sacriledge to rase An Idol-Fane but rather merits praise Or who besides their Priests will count it Sin To burn the Dev'lish Gods ador'd therein By sure Succession Pharao fill'd the Throne His Race and Name to ancient Abraham known Tho his officious Courtiers call'd t' his aid Long Dynasties before the World was made Thus downwards did his Daughter Scota grace The first blest Monarch of the Irish Race His Daughter nor cou'd Apis give a Son Tho Heaven sent Moses his adopted one The Daughter sav'd him must her Father drown And made him Heir to the Egyptian Crown Tho that too weak a bait for Moses prov'd Too well he Israel's God and Israel lov'd His injur'd Peoples woes too well he knew Too well he saw and seeing felt 'em too He saw each Privilege and Grant was vain Confirm'd in any other Pharao's Reign When the fair Compact was with Israel made And in blest Goshen `they might freely trade Good Ioseph now forgot and all he did In Clouds of Court-Oblivion wrapt and hid Altho too high his Gratitude had flown And made the Country Slaves to raise the Throne New Task-masters thro Egypt sent he saw And Pharao's Will was their unrighteous Law. Israel they ground still made the Land more thin And suck'd the last free drop of Blood therein He saw the brutish Idols they ador'd Which all their Rivers Fields and Gardens stor'd And Apis who while Flowers and Herbs they strew'd The lazy Lubbar-God divinely low'd These miseries he saw and all the rest And deep revolv'd in his sagacious breast He saw those happy days approach foretold So oft in holy Oracles of old When happy Israel shou'd be Slaves no more Nor Idol-Kings nor Idol-Gods adore No more their stupid Patience now be shown Nor labor in those Kingdoms not their own Own'd a fair Cause nor wou'd the Tyrant please For all the charms of Grandeur or of Ease He lov'd Reproach which did from Virtue rise For this he Egypt's Treasures did despise And when a curs'd Egyptian dar'd to smite A Soul-less poor oppressed Israelite Unfear'd he 'd generously take his part And stab th' insulting faithless Wretches heart In Egypt's Wisdom skill'd what they conceal'd Even at one glance his piercing eyes reveal'd How many deep and noble Truths imprest In mystic Figures on his Royal Breast Nor cou'd all Pharo's dark Magicians find The Secrets of his Hieroglyphic Mind Grave in his Words deliberate wise and slow Wise as his Thoughts but fast his Actions flow Thus Heaven 's own Thunders murmur long and wide Ere they the Clouds or guilty Man divide But in a moment when the bolt's let fly Burst thro the Air rattle round Earth and Sky Oft was his Courage known and try'd before Near Meroe stain'd with Ethiopian Gore When that proud King whole Worlds of Men had pour'd Thro trembling Nile and half the Land devour'd He met and check'd his growing rage and pride And drove him back thro Regions wast and wide To the Recesses of his sun-burnt Soil As distant as the head of his own Nile And when return'd with all these Trophies won As unconcern'd appear'd as if he 'd nothing done Yet after this cou'd quietly retreat From all the noisie Triumphs of the Great With Laurels tired with Trophies over-press'd In God-like Solitude divinely blest Thee Sinai-Mount and Horeb Hills he trod And in the flaming Thicket talk'd with God. There he Instructions had and Courage too For all the mighty things he was to do He came to drive and purge the guilty Land No Sword no Spear adorn'd or fenc'd his hand He only wav'd about the wondrous Wand He came th' Egyptian Gods before him fell And knew and fled the God of Israel The trembling Waves no longer now cou'd stay His dread Commands the trembling Waves obey Back back they roll and shew the secret way Where great Leviathan his Court did keep And all the scaly Horrors of the Deep Their ancient Beds and Palaces they leave Which now more civil humane Guests receive Grin thro the Crystal Walls but cannot enter
there Their monstrous teeth they gnash their monstrous eye-balls glare Look back glad Israel now thou' rt safely o'er And see all Egypt stretch'd around the shore On every Sand and Rock expos'd they lay And all their Riches left a second Prey Now more deform'd than even by Nature made Whilst a dead Pale did their old Black invade Grasping a Javelin here 's a Carcass seen With the same face the same fierce angry mien With which he dy'd there stretch'd upon the Sand Another lies with threatning eyes and hand Who grin'd imperfect Murmurs as he fell And thro the hissing Ocean sunk to Hell. And now on Mother Nature's firmer Land The mighty Leader of the chosen Band Safely arriv'd with grateful Heart and Tongue Thus he and thus deliver'd Israel sung HYmns of praise glad Israel sing To our Saviour and our King. Make your Songs and make your Boasts Of the glorious Lord of Hosts Who triumphantly does ride Over conquer'd Egypt's pride From his Chariot in the Cloud He beholds and scorns the proud Down the thundring Horses fall Down the Rider Horse and all And their Rendezvouzes keep In the bosom of the Deep Thou Jehova art our King Thou our strength and thee we 'll sing Thou our God alone shalt be Our Salvation's only thee To thee we 'll lofty Temples raise And ever sing Jehovas's praise Show his Acts and mighty Powers Our Fathers God as well as ours In our God we 'll make our boasts Our God alone 's the Lord of Hosts That 's his name by which he 's known That 's his name and his alone Pharao's Chariots Egypt's Pride And all their Host are scatter'd wide On the barren Beach they 'r cast On the Rocks in pieces dash'd Whilst their mangled Limbs and Gore Double-dye the sanguine shore Down they like a Mill-stone fell Down they sunk as deep as Hell. Worlds of Water drive away And shut out the distant day Wide and â—ast is thy Command Glorious Lord is thy right â—and Thy right hand thy Foes sure sate Crush'd beneath its vengeful weight All thy vain relucting Foes Soon thy mighty Arm o'erthrows All that stubble dare engage To meet and fight thy fâ—ry rage Soon must all their Strength expire Who wrestle with consuming Fire The Voice of God the Waves can stay His Voice the trembling Waves obey Equal with the Cliffs on shore Their solid Mountains break no more Heaps on heaps they climb and rise Till they reach the leaning Skies Liquid Marble's solid grown And all the Sea one Crystal stone Sure the Foe did Conquest make Thus he boasted thus he spake I 'll pursue and I 'll o'ertake I ll the trembling spoil divide Glut my Lust and glut my Pride I my conqu'ring Sword will draw That my Iustice that my Law. Drunk with Blood the Glutton shall Smite destroy devour 'em all Ah how weak must Mortals be When they dare conâ—â—nd with thee Thou a thousand Rods canst find And they are weaker thâ—n the Wind. Thou did'st cause thy Wind to blow And thou didst cause thy Sea's o'erflow Down like Lead i' th' Waves they fell Down they sunk as deep as Hell. Who o' th' Gods compar'd can be Who O Lord is like to thee Thee thy groveling 〈◊〉 confess Glorious in thy Holiness Awful in that praise we give To him we cannot see and live Since ev'n the Seraph when he sings Veils his Face with both his Wings Nature knows thy dread right hand And obeys her Lord's Command Nor content the greedy Waves In their dark Wombs to make their Graves Further down they roll the Slaves Under Earths unfathom'd Cell Where the Mother Waters dwell Where horrid Night her Court does keep Among the Fountains of the Deep But in mercy forth thou 'st led That dear Flock which thou hast fed From the shades of â—anging Night Brought 'em out to lovely Light And shalt guide by thy right hand To their bless'd their promis'd Land Whilst the Nations round shall hear Shook with grief and froze with fear Thee proud Realm of Palestin And all the Anakims therein Edom's Dukes in vain shall claim Their Warlike Fathers mighty name They and Moab's Heroes too Amaz'd both know not what to do Whilst thy curs'd Offspring Canaan run And melt as Snow before the Sun Fear and dread their Arms shall charm By the greatness of thy Arm Till as Stones or Lead they lye While thy chosen Folk pass by While they pass unsprinkled o'er To wondring Jordan's distant shore Them thou'lt bring and them advance To thine own Inheritance To those paths by Abraham trod In the holy Mount of God In the place which thou hast made In the Cherub's golden shade Where thou dost delight to dwell And bless thy own lov'd Israel In that Sanctuary where Thou with a peculiar care Scatter'st Blessings wide and fast Blessings which shall ever last Blessings which shall still remain And last as long as thou shalt reign And with glad Omens now the chosen Seed For happy Canaan's blissful Regions speed The Way but short the Road direct and fair Wine Oyl and Milk and Honey wait 'em there Trophies and Laurels and a fertile Soil The wish'd Reward of all their former Toil. What can obstruct 'em now the Egyptian Host Pharao and all his Army 's broke and lost For that rank Diet Egypt wou'd afford Those Onions which defil'd and spread their Board From Heaven's own Table they were now maintain'd And round their Tents celestial Manna rain'd Manna that gustful that miraculous meat That best that wondrous Food which Angels eat Pure and sincere no relish of gross Earth The taste th' effects confess its heav'nly birth No Pains from hence no sad Diseases flow As from our drossy mortal Food below Enough for all enough for none to wast And still agreeable to every Taste The Quintessence of all that 's good and sweet Noble or high or grateful in it meet The News the Heathen Nations did confound And scatter'd Terror far and wide around Israel in Safety dwelt in Peace and Bliss Moses their Leader as an Angel his What further cou'd their Happiness destroy Allay their Pleasure or disturb their Joy When the long-wish'd long-promis'd Time appears And brought in decent Ranks the harness'd Years Heav'n is their Friend obsequious Earth bows low To be their Slave None but themselves their Foe On cluster'd Iordan's Rivage now they stand And just beyond survey blest Canaan's Land. Rivers of Honey and of Nectar glide Along the laughing Fields and by their side Here creep sweet Flow'rs there climbs the lofty Vine Whose ponderous Grapes are big with generous Wine Here trembling Nations on their Knees await Those Masters long before decreed by Fate O Joy O Glory Warriors noble Pride When Israel's Sons o'er captive Kings shall ride Them at Megiddo or at Iabesh meet And crush their stubborn Necks beneath their Feet Scarce is their choice to dye or to obey Sihon and Og already lead the way But ah too
soon the blooming hopes were cross'd And all their freshly springing Laurels lost Heav'n ne'er necessitates to good or ill Nor will it save Mankind against his Will. The giddy Crowd resolve to conquer Fate And both their Manna and their Canaan hate From their long-wish'd Salvation fain wou'd fly Sigh weep and murmur still they know not why Some by the Genius of their Nation spoil'd And ruin'd by a Heav'n too calm and mild Iesurun kick'd because too fat and fair Nor wou'd the wanton Wretch his Master spare Moses was meek which they interpret dull And Heav'n was blind because 't was merciful For Pharao and Apis they lament again And rather chuse a Stork than Log should reign Wretches of a forgiving Prince take care Long my urg'd Goodness how ye tempt beware Remember ancient Kishon's blushing Shore O'erflown with Idol-dust and Rebels Gore Serpents and Plagues the disobedient wait Or gaping Earth presents a blacker Fate Out of meer dullness others damn'd wou'd be And others out of meer civility Pity they thought to spoil good Company Before the golden Calf they blindly bow And grop'd the way to Hell they knew not how Old malleable Block-heads others are Born with a Back and Ears like Issachar Since Rest is good why should they not lie still Let their old Masters load 'em how they will Tho not long since those Burdens did displease And then how did they bray to Heav'n for Ease To any other shape desir'd to pass A Horse a Swine any thing but an Ass. Others tho in their Hearts Egyptians still From Egypt crowded up against their Will I' th' wondrous Turn born swiftly down the Stream And only thought the Miracle a Dream Wak'd from th' Amaze look back to Nile's rich Shore And still in secret Egypt's Gods adore Plain Cowards others Egypt's Threats they hear And backwards look not out of love but fear Ridiculous Fools nor e'er were Cowards wise Lest Pharao and his Host again shou'd rise Their hands to Bricks and not to Swords enur'd They 'd hedge their Betts on either side secur'd True Bats whom yet no Side nor Standard knows Those Beasts of Birds are neither Friends nor Foes Some who old Pharao's Task-masters were made Nor cou'd with ease forget their ancient Trade Defend their Deeds and wou'd repeat the same And long to be again at their old Game The Sanhedrim's Revenge some justly dread And Moses Sword that glitters o'er their Head On further Ills precipitately run To make those safe which they 've already done Wickedly pious others think it Sin To shake those Shackles off they 've once been in Unconscionably good their want of Sense And Courage both they charge on Providence They 'll give it leave to fix a Tyrant's Crown And set him up but not to pull him down When Deaths and Plagues it brings they must submit But not if it thinks Peace and Plenty fit They a mere Moloch make of Israel's God And give no Scepter but an Iron Rod. Those who against God's Laws and Man's rebel And take their Power not from Heav'n but Hell For the All-good wou'd ne'er his Creatures bind To what 's a general Curse to all Mankind These Devils like the Indians they adore Nay worse than them still beg they 'd plague 'em more Their stiff-neck'd Asses Loyalty they boast Proud of that Skin which they 've by bearing lost As Highway Beggars groveling on the ground Take pride t' expose some nauseous stinking Wound If you 'd to Hospitals the Wretches bear They 'll scorn your Kindness and rot cheaper there But if some God-like Hero Heav'n provide And sends him thundring from th' Almighty's side Bad Men to crush and Virtuous to reward With Troops of Angels for his glorious Guard To save a sinking Nation State and Laws From sure Destructions greedy rav'ning Jaws Their cross-grain'd Piety still comes i' th' way Flounces and starts and chafes and won't obey Th' other Extream less gravely mad than these In truth God more than Moses does displease Ten whole Commands If this Religion be Ev'n Pharao made 'em easier Slaves than he What tho thick Clogs on Neeks and Legs they wore They then might creditably Swear and Whore They needs must say the gen'rous Tyrant still Left 'em free liberty of doing ill No Shelomith's Son for Blasphemy was ston'd No bleeding Zimri e'r in Egypt groan'd Less bad than these for Honor some contend So long offending they 'r asham'd to mend Humanity's too common Weakness known Which all experience tho but few will own Some who stood firm for Israel's Liberty Alter'd nor they nor all the World know why Whether from secret Emulation sprung Th' unhappy Change or from some pois'nous Tongue Or whether more to Rest by Age inclin'd Infirm'd alike in Body and in Mind How vain a thing is Greatness and the blast Of pop'lar Fame how short a while they last 'T is dang'rous to be high for Mortals then Almost the Envy grow of Gods and Men. Great Aaron was i' th' holy Vestments clad The first High priest that e'er sav'd Israel had The holy Oyl in plenteous Streams was shed The holy Mitre grac'd his rev'rend Head Urim and Thummim did his Breast adorn The holy Ephod on his Shoulders worn Aaron who dar'd fierce Pharao meet and tell The Grievances of groaning Israel Who then like him durst stem the raging Tide Of Egypt's Cruelty Despair and Pride Th' ungrateful Tyrant's still returning Rod The Mouth of Moses and the Mouth of God. O Father O sad Israel's Grief and Love Why didst thou move so far or why no farther move Curst be that Son and he deserves no less Who dares disclose his Father's Nakedness Tho Israel too by Aaron's naked made When they forsaken Egypt's Gods obey'd O draw a Veil a thick a dusky cloud Before the Calf before the kneeling Crowd The stiff-neck'd Crowd which has no Grace no Shame No Sense no Weight no Reason but thy Name Why shou'd we hear Why shou'd we see and live That deep deep Stain which Heav'n can ne'er forgive Unrein thy Satyr Muse and give a vent To all thy just Revenge and Discontent Corah is next nor can we him abuse May Corah's spiteful Soul inspire my Muse. Pride and Ambition in his Bosom dwell And all the twisted Fiends of Earth and Hell. Revenge and Envy and his Lusts defeat And every Fury that attends the Great He was he wou'd be so tho near the Throne Wou'd justle out his Prince and reign alone Jehova the pretence tho he 'd not care Nor blush tho ev'n Jehova's self were there The old Idolatry he has refin'd God in his Mouth but Apis in his Mind The Congregation's holy that 's the Tool With which he works and why shou'd Moses rule He takes too much upon him but must know We 'll no Allegiance pay as none we owe. Snarl on curst Corah still blaspheme and rave And patient Earth and patient Heav'n out-brave Thy little Faction to the rest oppose