5

But first the lawless Tyrant, who denies

To know thir God, or message to regard,

Must be compelld by Signes and Judgements dire; [ 175 ]

To blood unshed the Rivers must be turnd,

Frogs, Lice and Flies must all his Palace fill

With loathd intrusion, and fill all the land;

His Cattel must of Rot and Murren die,

Botches and blaines must all his flesh imboss, [ 180 ]

And all his people; Thunder mixt with Haile,

Haile mixt with fire must rend th Egyptian Skie

And wheel on th Earth, devouring where it rouls;

What it devours not, Herb, or Fruit, or Graine,

A darksom Cloud of Locusts swarming down [ 185 ]

Must eat, and on the ground leave nothing green:

Darkness must overshadow all his bounds,

Palpable darkness, and blot out three dayes;

Last with one midnight stroke all the first-born

Of Egypt must lie dead. Thus with ten wounds [ 190 ]

The River-dragon tamd at length submits

To let his sojourners depart, and oft

Humbles his stubborn heart, but still as Ice

More hardnd after thaw, till in his rage

Pursuing whom he late dismissd, the Sea [ 195 ]

Swallows him with his Host, but them lets pass

As on drie land between two christal walls,

Awd by the rod of Moses so to stand

Divided, till his rescud gain thir shoar:

Such wondrous power God to his Saint will lend, [ 200 ]

Though present in his Angel, who shall goe

Before them in a Cloud, and Pillar of Fire,

By day a Cloud, by night a Pillar of Fire,

To guide them in thir journey, and remove

Behinde them, while th obdurat King pursues: [ 205 ]

All night he will pursue, but his approach

Darkness defends between till morning Watch;

Then through the Firey Pillar and the Cloud

God looking forth will trouble all his Host

And craze thir Chariot wheels: when by command [ 210 ]

Moses once more his potent Rod extends

Over the Sea; the Sea his Rod obeys;

On thir imbattelld ranks the Waves return,

And overwhelm thir Warr: the Race elect

Safe towards Canaan from the shoar advance [ 215 ]

Through the wilde Desert, not the readiest way,

Least entring on the Canaanite allarmd

Warr terrifie them inexpert, and feare

Return them back to Egypt, choosing rather

Inglorious life with servitude; for life [ 220 ]

To noble and ignoble is more sweet

Untraind in Armes, where rashness leads not on.