And all th' idolatries of Heathen round, Befides their other worse than heath'nish crimes; Nor in the land of their captivity 420 Humbled themselves, or penitent befought Of Bethel and-of Dan? no, let them ferve Their enemies, who ferve idols with God. Yet he at length, time to himself best known, Remembring Abraham, by fome wondrous call, May bring them back repentant and fin435 cere, And at their paffing cleave th' Affyrian flood, While to their native land with joy they haste, As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft, When to the promis'd land their fathers pafs'd; To his due time and providence I leave them. 440 So fpake Ifrael's true king, and to the Made answer meet, that made void all his wiles. So fares it when with truth falfhood con tends. The End of the Third Book. ΒΟΟΚ IV. Perplex'd and troubled at his bad success The Tempter ftood, nor had what to reply, Discover'd in his fraud, thrown from his hope So oft, and the persuasive rhetoric That fleek'd his tongue, and won so much So little here, nay loft; but Eve was Eve, This far his over-match, who felf-deceiv'd And rafh, beforehand had no better weigh'd The strength he was to cope with, or his own: But as a man, who had been matchless held 10 In cunning, over reach'd where leaft he thought, To falve his credit, and for very spite, Still will be tempting him who foils him ftill, Anp never ceafe, though to his fhame the more; Or as a fwarm of flies in vintage time, 15 About the wine-prefs, where sweet must is pour'd, Beat off, retnrns as oft with humming found; Or furging waves against a folid rock, Though all to shivers dafh'd, th' affault renew, Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end; 20 So Satan, whom repulfe upon repulfe Met ever, and to shameful filence brought, Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of fuccefs, And his vain importunity pursues. He brought our Saviour to the western fide 25 Of that high mountain, whence he might behold Another plain, long but in breadth not wide, Wash'd by the fouthern fea, and on the north To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills, That fcreen'd the fruits of th' earth and feats of men 30 From cold Septentrion blasts, thence in the midft Divided by a river, of whose banks with tow'rs and temples proudly elevate By what strange parallax or opic skill 40 The city which thou seest no other deem Than ́ great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth 45 So far renown'd, and with the spoils enrich'd 50 Of nations; there the capitol thou seest 55 Thence to the gates 'caft round thine eye and fee, What conflux issuing forth, or entring in, 60 Lictors and rods, the enfigns of their pow'r, 65 |