Legions and cohorts, turms of horfe and

wings:

Or emballes from regions far remote,"
In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on th' Emilian, fome from fartheft fouth,
Syene', and where the fhadow both way
falls,

Meroe Nilotic ile, and more to west,

70

The realm of Bocchus to the Black - moor fea; From th' Afian kings and Parthian among thefe,

From India and the golden Cherfonese,
And utmoft Indian ile Taprobane,

75

Dusk faces with white filken turbants wreath'd;
From Gallia, Gades, and the British west,
Germans and Scythians, and Sarmatians north
Beyond Danubius to the Tauric pool..
All nations now to Rome obedience pay,
To Rome's great emperor, whose wide do-
main

In ample territory, wealth and power,

Civility of manners, arts and arms,

80

And long renown, thou justly may'st prefer Before the Parthian; these two thrones ex

cept,

85

The reft are barb'rous, and scarce worth the

fight,

Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd; These having shown thee, I have shown thee all

The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory.

This emp'ror hat no fon, and now is old, go Old and lafcivious, and from Rome retir'd To Capreae, an iland small but strong

On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there His horrid lufts in private to enjoy, Committing to a wicked favorite

95

All public cares, and yet of him fufpicious, Hated of all, and hating; with what ease, Indued with regal virtues as thou art, Appearing, and beginning noble deeds, Might'ft thou expell this monster from his

Now made a ftye, and in his place afcending
A victor people free from fervile yoke?
And with my help thou may'st; to me the

power

Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no less than all the world 105
Aim at the high'eft, without the high'est
attain'd

Will be for thee no fitting, or not long,
On David's throne, be prophecy'd what will.
To whom the Son of God unmov'd re-

Nor doth this grandeur and majestic show
Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,
More than of arms before, allure mine eye,

Much less my mind; though thou should'st add to tell

Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous

feafts

On citron tables or Atlantic ftone

115

(For I have also heard, perhaps have read) Their wines of Setia, Cales, and Falerne, Chios and Crete, and how they quaff in

And ftuds of pearl, to me fhould'ft tell who

And hunger ftill: then emballies thou showst
From nations, far and nigh; what honour that,
But tedious waste of time to fit and hear
So many hollow complements and lies,
Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'ft to
talk

125

Of th' emperor, how easily fubdued,
How gloriously; I fhall, thou fay'st, expell
A brutish monfter: what if I withal
Expell a Devil who first made him fuch?
Let his tormenter confcience find him out; 130
For him I was not fent, nor yet to free
That people victor once, now vile and base,
Defervedly made vaffal, who once juft,
Frugal, and mild, and temp'rate, conquer'd
well,

{

But govern ill the nations under yoke,
Peeling their provinces, exhaufted all
By luft and rapin; firft ambitious grown
Of triumph, that infulting vanity;
Then cruel, by their fports to blood inur'd

135

Of fighting beafts, and men to beasts ex

pos'd,

140 Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier still, And from the daily fcene effeminate. What wife and valiant man would seek to

free

These thus degenerate, by themselves inflav'd, Or could of inward flaves make outward free?

145. Know therefore, when my seafon' comes to fit On David's throne, it shall be like a tree Spreading and overshadowing all the earth, Or as a stone, that fhall to pieces dash; All monarchies befides throughout the world, 150, And of my kingdom there fhall be no end:. Means there fhall be to this, but what the

means,

Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell.

To whom the Tempter impudent reply'd. I fee all offers made by me how fight 155 Thou valueft, because offer'd, and reject'ft: Nothing will pleafe the difficult and nice, Or nothing more than ftill to contradict: On th' other fide know also thou, that I

160

On what I offer fet as high efteem,
Nor what I part with mean to give for nought;
All these, which in a moment thou behold'st,
The kingdoms of the world to thee I give;
For giv'n to me, I give to whom I please, '
No trifle; yet with this referve, not elfe, 165
On this condition, if thou wilt fall down,
And worship me as thy fuperior lord,
Eafily done, and hold them all of me;
For what can less so great a gift deserve?
Whom thus our Savior answer'd with

difdain.

I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers lefs,

1701

Now both abhor, fince thou haft dar'd to utter
Th' abominable terms, impious condition;
But I indure the time, till which expir'd,
Thou haft permission on me. It is written 175
The first of all commandments: Thou shalt
worship

The Lord thy God, and only him fhalt ferve;
And dar'ft thou to the Son of God propound
To worship thee accurs'd, now more accurs'd
For this attempt bolder than that on Eve, 180
And more blafphemous ? which expect to rue.
The kingdoms of the world to thee were given,
Permitted rather, and by thee ufurp'd;
Other donation none thou canft produce:
If giv'n, by whom but by the king of
kings,

185