The history of The Old Testament In verse With One Hundred and Eighty sculptures: In Two Volumes. Vol. I. From the Creation to the Revolt of the Ten Tribes from the House of David. Vol. II. From that Revolt to the End of the Prophets. Written by Samuel Wesley ... The Cuts done by J. Sturt |
 | I, II. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
| XXXVI. |
| XXXVII. |
| XXXVIII. |
| XXXIX. |
| XL. |
| XLI. |
| XLII. |
| XLIII. |
| XLIV. |
| XLV. |
| XLVI. |
| XLVII. |
| XLVIII. |
| XLIX. |
| L. |
| LI. |
| LII. |
| LIII. |
| LIV. |
| LV. |
| LVI. |
| LVII. |
| LVIII. |
| LIX. |
| LX. |
| LXI. |
| LXII. |
| LXIII. |
| LXIV. |
| LXV. |
| LXVI. |
| LXVII. |
| LXVIII. |
| LXIX. |
| LXX. |
| LXXI. |
| LXXIII. |
| LXXIV. |
| LXXV. |
| LXXVI. |
| LXXVII. |
| LXXVIII. |
| LXXIX. |
| LXXX. |
| LXXXI. |
| LXXXII. |
| LXXXIII. |
| LXXXIV. |
| LXXXV. |
| LXXXVI. |
| LXXXVII. |
| LXXXVIII. |
| LXXXIX. |
| XC. |
| XCI. |
| XCII. |
| XCIII. |
| XCIV. |
| XCV. |
| XCVI. |
| XCVII. |
| XCVIII. |
| XCIX. |
| C. |
| CI. |
| CII. |
| CIII. |
| CIV. |
| CV. |
| CVI. |
| CVII. |
| CVIII. |
| CIX. |
| CX. |
| CXI. |
| CXII. |
| CXIII. |
| CXIV. |
| CXV. |
| CXVI. |
| CXVII. |
| CXVIII. |
| CXIX. |
| CXX. |
| CXXI. |
| CXXII. |
| CXXIII. |
| CXXIV. |
| CXXV. |
| CXXVI. |
| CXXVII. |
| CXXVIII. |
| CXXXIX. |
| CXXX. |
| CXXXI. |
| CXXXII. |
| CXXXIII. |
| CXXXIV. |
| CXXXV. |
| CXXXVI. |
| CXXXVII. |
| CXXXVIII. |
| CXXXIX. |
| CXL. |
| CXLI. |
| CXLII. |
| CXLIII. |
| CXLIV. |
| CXLV. |
| CXLVI. |
| CXLVII. |
| CXLVIII. |
| CXLIX. |
| CL. |
| CLI. |
| CLII. |
| CLIII. |
| CLIV. |
| CLV. |
| CLVI. |
| CLVII. |
| CLVIII. |
| CLIX. |
| CLX. |
| CLXI. |
| CLXII. |
| CLXIII. |
| CLXIV. |
| CLXV. |
| CLXVI. |
| CLXVII. |
| CLXVIII. |
| CLXIX. |
| CLXX. |
| CLXXI. |
| CLXXII. |
| CLXXIII. |
| CLXXIV. |
| CLXXV. |
| CLXXVI. |
| CLXXVII. |
| CLXXVIII. |
| CLXXIX. |
| CLXXX. |
| CLXXXI. |
| CLXXXII. |
| CLXXXIII. |
| CLXXXIV. |
| CLXXXV. |
| CLXXXVI. |
| CLXXXVII. |
| CLXXXVIII. |
| CXC. |
| CXCI. |
| CXCII. |
| CXCIII. |
| CXCIV. |
| CXCV. |
| CXCVI. |
| CXCVII. |
| CXCVIII. |
| CXCIX. |
| CC. |
| CCI. |
| CCII. |
| CCIII. |
| CCIV. |
| CCV. |
| CCVI. |
| CCVII. |
| CCVIII. |
| CCIX. |
| CCX. |
| CCXI. |
| CCXII. |
| CCXIII. |
| CCXIV. |
| CCXV. |
| CCXVI. |
| CCXVII. |
| CCXVIII. |
| CCXIX. |
| CCXX. |
| CCXXI. |
| CCXXII. |
 | CCXXIII. |
| CCXXIV. |
| CCXXV. |
| CCXXVI. |
| CCXXVII. |
| CCXXVIII. |
| CCXXIX. |
| CCXXX. |
| CCXXXI. |
| CCXXXII. |
| CCXXXIII. |
| CCXXXIV. |
| CCXXXV. |
| CCXXXVI. |
| CCXXXVII. |
| CCXXXVIII. |
| CCXXXIX. |
| CCXL. |
| CCXLI. |
| CCXLII. |
| CCXLIII. |
| CCXLIV. |
| CCXLV. |
| CCXLVI. |
| CCXLVII. |
| CCXLVIII. |
| CCXLIX. |
| CCL. |
| CCLI. | CCLI. Daniel, Chap. VI |
| CCLII. |
| CCLIII. |
| CCLIV. |
| CCLV. |
| CCLVI. |
| CCLVII. |
| CCLVIII. |
| CCLIX. |
| CCLX. |
| CCLXI. |
| CCLXII. |
| CCLXIII. |
| CCLXIV. |
| CCLXV. |
| CCLXVI. |
| CCLXVII. |
 | The history of The Old Testament In verse |  |
CCLI. Daniel, Chap. VI
Daniel cast into the Den of Lions, &c.
A vulgar
Virtue sinks in Turns of State,
By private Envy or the publick Hate:
But shining Worth must in all Reigns succeed,
At least such Favourites good Princes need;
And such Great Daniel was, exalted more,
Darius! in thy Reign, than all before;
A hundred Satrapies thy Empire grac'd,
Three Presidents to these Superior plac'd;
Daniel the First, such Virtues in him shine,
So clear a Soul and Wisdom so divine;
And greater Honours did his Prince design;
Next to himself, his Vice-Roy him had made,
Thro' all his fair and spacious Realms obey'd:
—But Envy saw and strove to blast his Fame,
Nor cou'd his Rival Peers his Conduct blame;
Th'Exchequer full, the Subjects not oppress'd,
Belov'd at Court and by the People bless'd,
A moderate Fortune only he possess'd.
One Way was left which they resolve to take,
His gen'rous Piety his Crime they make:
The Sovereign they persuade a Law to sign,
That none from Earth, or from the Pow'rs divine
Shou'd ask a Boon till thirty Days were pass'd,
Or if he this presum'd shou'd ask his last,
Into the Den of Lions head-long cast.
Nor this cou'd Daniel's Piety affright:
At early Morn, at Noon, and every Night
He, as his wont, his pure Devotions paid,
And to his Father's God incessant pray'd;
To Salem ward his Window open wide,
To where his Father's God did once reside;
His gen'rous Constancy but not his Pride.
His Foes with curious and malicious Eye
Conven'd, into his close Retirements pry;
Surpris'd ith' Fact they to their Lord accuse,
Tho' he a Stranger, of the captive Jews,
He dar'd the Medes and Persians Laws defie,
And thrice a Day address his Deity:
Struck with a deep Concern the King laments
His Rashness now, tho' now too late, Repents;
To save his favour'd Friend in vain he try'd,
Th'Accusers urge the Laws, and will not be deny'd.
Unwillingly the King at last gave way,
And to th'unshaken Hero thus did say:
The God by thee ador'd with constant Care,
Tho' in the Lion's Den, will save thee there.
By private Envy or the publick Hate:
But shining Worth must in all Reigns succeed,
At least such Favourites good Princes need;
And such Great Daniel was, exalted more,
Darius! in thy Reign, than all before;
A hundred Satrapies thy Empire grac'd,
Three Presidents to these Superior plac'd;
Daniel the First, such Virtues in him shine,
So clear a Soul and Wisdom so divine;
And greater Honours did his Prince design;
614
Thro' all his fair and spacious Realms obey'd:
—But Envy saw and strove to blast his Fame,
Nor cou'd his Rival Peers his Conduct blame;
Th'Exchequer full, the Subjects not oppress'd,
Belov'd at Court and by the People bless'd,
A moderate Fortune only he possess'd.
One Way was left which they resolve to take,
His gen'rous Piety his Crime they make:
The Sovereign they persuade a Law to sign,
That none from Earth, or from the Pow'rs divine
Shou'd ask a Boon till thirty Days were pass'd,
Or if he this presum'd shou'd ask his last,
Into the Den of Lions head-long cast.
Nor this cou'd Daniel's Piety affright:
At early Morn, at Noon, and every Night
He, as his wont, his pure Devotions paid,
And to his Father's God incessant pray'd;
To Salem ward his Window open wide,
To where his Father's God did once reside;
His gen'rous Constancy but not his Pride.
His Foes with curious and malicious Eye
Conven'd, into his close Retirements pry;
Surpris'd ith' Fact they to their Lord accuse,
Tho' he a Stranger, of the captive Jews,
He dar'd the Medes and Persians Laws defie,
And thrice a Day address his Deity:
615
His Rashness now, tho' now too late, Repents;
To save his favour'd Friend in vain he try'd,
Th'Accusers urge the Laws, and will not be deny'd.
Unwillingly the King at last gave way,
And to th'unshaken Hero thus did say:
The God by thee ador'd with constant Care,
Tho' in the Lion's Den, will save thee there.
616
Deep in the Cave the lordly Creatures roar,
Their Muzzles stain'd with tepid human Gore,
They gnaw and crash the BONES, and hope for more:
They ramp aloft, and hang almost in Air,
To meet their Prey, for Rage the Ground they tear;
They mark the massy Grates with fruitless Wounds,
And lash their ample Sides—the hollow Cave resounds.
—But when the Prophet came, design'd their Prey,
As gentle Lambs around the Shepherd play,
See where their new and wond'rous Guest they greet,
And lick his Hands and crouch beneath his Feet!
A weary wakeful Night his Sovereign pass'd,
The Sun preventing with his eager haste;
With loud and lamentable Voice he cry'd,
And has thy God in whom thou dost confide;
Has he been able, Daniel! thee to save
From the fierce Lions, from their Living Grave?
For ever Live the King!—the Saint replies!
My God has sent his Angel from the Skies
To shut their Mouths—God, who my Soul did see
As Innocent to him, as true to thee.
Too mighty was the Joy to be express'd,
That fill'd, at these glad Sounds, the Sovereign's Breast:
At his Command they draw him from the Den
Unhurt and whole, and in his room the Men
(A just Exchange!) who him accus'd they throw,
Nor they entire unto the bottom go,
Seiz'd in their Fall, no room for Shrieks or Groans,
The Lions rend their Limbs and crash their Bones:
Satiate at length with Death, distended lay,
And lick their sanguine Bones, and grumble o're the Prey.
Their Muzzles stain'd with tepid human Gore,
They gnaw and crash the BONES, and hope for more:
They ramp aloft, and hang almost in Air,
To meet their Prey, for Rage the Ground they tear;
They mark the massy Grates with fruitless Wounds,
And lash their ample Sides—the hollow Cave resounds.
—But when the Prophet came, design'd their Prey,
As gentle Lambs around the Shepherd play,
See where their new and wond'rous Guest they greet,
And lick his Hands and crouch beneath his Feet!
A weary wakeful Night his Sovereign pass'd,
The Sun preventing with his eager haste;
With loud and lamentable Voice he cry'd,
And has thy God in whom thou dost confide;
Has he been able, Daniel! thee to save
From the fierce Lions, from their Living Grave?
For ever Live the King!—the Saint replies!
My God has sent his Angel from the Skies
To shut their Mouths—God, who my Soul did see
As Innocent to him, as true to thee.
Too mighty was the Joy to be express'd,
That fill'd, at these glad Sounds, the Sovereign's Breast:
At his Command they draw him from the Den
Unhurt and whole, and in his room the Men
617
Nor they entire unto the bottom go,
Seiz'd in their Fall, no room for Shrieks or Groans,
The Lions rend their Limbs and crash their Bones:
Satiate at length with Death, distended lay,
And lick their sanguine Bones, and grumble o're the Prey.
| The history of The Old Testament In verse | |