Oxford submitted in one year to Fate,
For whom her passion was exceeding great ;
To Elgin full six lustra were assign'd,
And him she lov'd with so intense a mind,
That, living, like a father she obey'd;
Dying, as to a son, left all she had.
When a stepmother, she soon soar'd above
The common height ev'n of maternal love.
She did her num'rous family command
With such a tender care, so wise a hand,
She seem'd no otherwise a mistress there,
Than godlike souls in human bodies are:
But when to all she had example shew'd,
How to be great and humble, chaste and good, 30
Her soul, for earth too excellent, too high,
Flew to its peers, the princes of the sky.
PARAPHRASED OUT OF JOSEPHUS.
ALAS! Jerusalem! alas! where's now
Thy pristine glory, thy unmatch'd renown,
To which the heathen monarchies did bow?
Ah! hapless, miserable town!
Where's all thy majesty, thy beauty, gone?
Thou once most noble, celebrated place,
The joy and the delight of all the earth,
Who gav'st to godlike princes birth,
And bred up heroes, an immortal race,
Where's now the vast magnificence which made 10 The souls of foreigners adore
Thy wond'rous brightness, which no more
Shall shine, but lie in an eternal shade?
Oh! misery! where's all her mighty state,
Her splendid train of num'rous kings,
Her noble edifices, noble things,
Which made her seem so eminently great,
That barb'rous princes in her gates appear'd,
And wealthy presents, as their tribute, brought
To court her friendship? for her strength they fear'd,
And all her wide protection sought.
But now, ah! now they laugh and cry,
"See how her lofty buildings lie!
"See how her flaming turrets gild the sky!”
Where's all the young, the valiant, and the gay, 25
That on her festivals were us'd to play
Harmonious tunes, and beautify the day?
The glitt'ring troops which did from far
Bring home the trophies and the spoils of war,
Whom all the nations round with terrors view'd,
Nor durst their godlike valour try?
Where'er they fought they certainly subdu'd,
And ev'ry combat gain'd a victory.
Ah! where's the house of the Eternal King,
The beauteous temple of the Lord of Hosts,
To whose large treasuries our fleets did bring
The gold and jewels of remotest coasts?
There had the infinite Creator plac'd
His terrible, amazing name,
And with his more peculiar presence grac'd
That heav'nly Sanctum where no mortal came,
The high-priest only; he but once a-year
In that divine apartment might appear ;
So full of glory, and so sacred, then;
But now corrupted with the heaps of slain
Which, scatter'd round with blood, defile the mighty
Alas! Jerusalem! each spacious street
Was once so fill'd, the num'rous throng
Was forc'd to jostle as they pass'd along,
And thousands did with thousands meet;
The darling then of God, and man's belov'd retreat.
In thee was the bright throne of Justice fix'd,
Justice impartial, and with fraud unmix'd.
She scorn'd the beauties of fallacious gold,
Despising the most wealthy bribes,
But did the sacred balance hold
With godlike faith to all our happy tribes.
Thy well-built streets, and ev'ry noble square,
Were once with polished marble laid,
And all thy lofty bulwarks made
With wond'rous labour and with artful care.
Thy pond'rous gates, surprising to behold,
Were cover'd o'er with solid gold,
Whose splendour did so glorious appear,
It ravish'd and amaz'd the eye,
And strangers passing, to themselves would cry,
"What mighty heaps of wealth are here !
"How thick the bars of massy silver lie!
"O happy people! and still happy be,
"Celestial city! from destruction free,
"May'st thou enjoy a long entire prosperity!"
But now, O! wretched, wretched place!
Thy streets and palaces are spread
With heaps of carcases, and mountains of the
The bleeding relics of the Jewish race :
Each corner of the town, no vacant space,
But is with breathless bodies fill'd,
Some by the sword and some by famine kill'd.
Natives and strangers are together laid':
Death's arrows all at random flew
Amongst the crowd, and no distinction made,
But both the coward and the valiant slew.
All in one dismal ruin join'd,
(For swords and pestilence are blind)
The fair, the good, the brave, no mercy find.
Those that from far, with joyful haste,
Came to attend thy festival,
Of the same bitter poison taste,
And by the black destructive poison fall,
For the avenging sentence pass'd on all.
Oh! see how the delight of human eyes
In horrid desolation lies!
See how the burning ruins flame,
Nothing now left but a sad empty name,
And the triumphant victor cries,
"This was the fam'd Jerusalem !",
The most obdurate creature must
Be griev'd to see thy palaces in dust,
Those ancient habitations of the just;
And could the marble rocks but know
The mis'ries of thy fatal overthrow,
They'd strive to find some secret way unknown,
Maugre the senseless nature of the stone,
Their pity and concern to show:
For now where lofty buildings stood
Thy sons' corrupted carcases are laid,
And all by this destruction made
One common, Golgotha, one field of blood.
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