In Salem dwelt a glorious King,

Raised from a shepherd's lowly state;

That did His praises like an angel sing

Who did the World create.

By many great and bloody wars

He was advanced unto Thrones

But more delighted in the stars

Than in the splendour of his precious stones;

Nor gold nor silver did his eye regard

The Works of God were his sublime reward,

2

A warlike champion he had been,

And many feats of chivalry

Had done: in kingly courts his eye had seen

A vast variety

Of earthly joys: Yet he despis'd

Those fading honours, and false pleasures

Which are by mortals so much prized;

And placed his happiness in other treasures

No state of life which in this world we find

Could yield contentment to his greater mind.

3

His fingers touched his trembling lyre,

And every quavering string did yield

A sound that filled all the Jewish quire,

And echoed in the field.

No pleasure was so great to him

As in a silent night to see

The moon and stars: A cherubim

Above them, even here, he seem'd to be:

Enflam'd with Love it was his great desire,

To sing, contemplate, ponder, and admire.

4

He was a prophet, and foresaw

Things extant in the world to come:

He was a judge, and ruled by a law

That than the honeycomb

Was sweeter far: he was a sage,

And all his people could advise;

An oracle, whose every page

Contained in verse the greatest mysteries;

But most he then enjoyed himself when he

Did as a poet praise the Deity.

5

A shepherd, soldier, and divine,

A judge, a courtier, and a king,

Priest, angel, prophet, oracle, did shine

At once when he did sing.

Philosopher and poet too

Did in his melody appear;

All these in him did please the view

Of those that did his heavenly music hear

And every drop that from his flowing quill

Came down, did all the world with nectar fill

6

He had a deep and perfect sense

Of all the glories and the pleasures

That in God's works are hid: the excellence

Of such transcendent treasures

Made him on earth an heavenly king,

And filled his solitudes with joy;

He never did more sweetly sing

Than when alone, though that doth mirth destroy:*

* In this line "removed from all annoy" was first written, but afterwards crossed out, and the above reading substituted.

Sense did his soul with heavenly life inspire,

And made him seem in God's celestial quire.

7

Rich, sacred, deep and precious things

Did here on earth the man surround:

With all the Glory of the King of Kings

He was most strangely crowned.

His clear soul and open sight

Among the Sons of God did see

Things filling Angels with delight:

His ear did hear their heavenly melody,

And when he was alone he all became

That Bliss implied, or did increase his fame.

8

All arts he then did exercise;

And as his God he did adore

By secret ravishments above the skies

He carried was before

He died. His soul did see and feel

What others know not; and became,

While he before his God did kneel,

A constant, heavenly, pure, seraphic flame.

Oh that I might unto his throne aspire,

And all his joys above the stars admire!