My crime; whatever for it self condemn'd,
And will alike be punish'd; whether thou

Reign or reign not; tho' to that gentle brow

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Willingly I could flie, and hope thy reign,

From that placid aspect and meek regard,

Rather than aggravate my evil state,

Would ftand between me and thy Father's ire,

Whofe ire I dread more than the Fire of Hell,)
A fhelter and a kind of fhading cool
Interpofition, as a fummer's cloud.
IfI then to the worft that can be hafte,
Why move thy feet so slow to what is best,

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Happiest both to thy self and all the world,

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That thou who worthiest art shouldst be their King?

Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent
At home, scarce view'd the Gallilean Towns,
And once a year Jerufalem, few days

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Short fojourn; and what thence could't thou obferve?
The world thou haft not feen, much less her glory,
Empires, and Monarchs, and their radiant Courts,
Best school of beft experience, quickest in fight
In all things that to greatest Actions lead.
The wifeft, unexperienc'd, will be ever
Tim'rous and loth, with novice modesty,
(As he who seeking Affes found a Kingdom)
Irrefolute, unhardy, unadventrous:

But I will bring thee where thou foon fhalt quit
Those rudiments, and fee before thine eyes

The Monarchies of th' Earth, their pomp and state,

Sufficient introduction to inform

Thee, of thy self so apt, in regal Arts,

And regal Mysteries, that thou may'ft know

How beft their oppofition to withstand.

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With that (fuch pow'r was giv'n him then) he took The Son of God up to a Mountain high.

It was a Mountain at whose verdant feet

A fpacious plain outstretch'd in circuit wide

Lay pleasant; from his fide two rivers flow'd,

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Th' one winding, th' other ftrait; and left between

Fair Champain with lefs rivers intervein'd,

Then meeting join'd their Tribute to the Sea,

Fertil of corn the glebe, of oyl and wine,

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With herds the pastures throng'd, with flocks the hills;

Huge Cities and high tow'rd, that well might seem

The feats of mightiest Monarchs, and fo large
The profpect was, that here and there was room
For barren defart fountainless and dry.
To this high mountain top the Tempter brought
Our Saviour, and new train of words began.

Well have we speeded, and o'er hill and dale,
Foreft and field, and flood, Temples and Tow'rs
Cut fhorter many a league; here thou behold'ft
Affyria and her Empire's ancient bounds,
Araxes and the Cafpian lake, thence on

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As far as Indus Eaft, Euphrates Weft,

And oft beyond; to South the Perfian Bay,

And inacceffible th' Arabian drouth:

Here Ninevee, of length within her wall

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Sev'ral days journey, built by Ninus old,
Of that first golden Monarchy the feat,
And feat of Salmanaffar, whose fuccefs
Ifrael in long captivity still mourns ;
There Babylon the wonder of all tongues,
As ancient, but rebuilt by him who twice
Judah and all thy Father David's houfe

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Led captive, and Jerusalem laid wafte,

Till Cyrus fet them free; Perfopolis

His City there thou seest, and Batra there;

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Ecbatana her structure vaft there fhews,

And Hecatompylos her hundred gates,

There Sufa by Cheafpes, amber ftream,

The

The drink of none but Kings; of later fame
Built by Emathian, or by Parthian-hands,
The great Seleucia, Nicibis, and there
Artazata, Teredon, Tefiphon,

Turning with easie eye thou may'st behold.
All these the Parthian, now fome Ages paft,
By great Arfaces led, who founded first
That Empire, under his dominion holds,
From the luxurious Kings of Antioch won.
And just in time thou com'ft to have a view
Of his great Pow'r; for now the Parthian King
In Crefiphon hath gather'd all his Hoft

Against the Scythian, whofe Incurfions wild
Have wafted Sogdiana; to her aid

He marches now in hafte; fee, though from far,

His thousands, in what Martial equipage

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They iffue forth, Steel Bows, and shafts their arms 305
Of equal dread in flight, or in pursuit ;

All Horsemen, in which fight they most excel;

See how in warlike Mufter they appear,

In Rhombs and wedges, and half moons and wings.

He lookt and faw what numbers numberless

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The City gates out-pour'd, light armed Troops

In coats of Mail and Military pride;

In Mail their horfes clad, yet fleet and strong,
Prauncing their riders bore, the flow'r and choice

Of many Provinces from bound to bound;
From Arachofia, from Gandaor East,

And Margiana to the Hircanian cliffs

Of Caucafus, and dark Iberian dales,

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Of Sufiana, to Balfara's hav'n.

He faw them in their forms of battle rang'd,

How quick they wheel'd, and flying behind them shot

Sharp fleet of Arrowy fhow'r against the face

Of their pursuers, and overcame by flight;
The field all iron caft a gleaming brown,

Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn,
Curiaffiers all in fteel for standing fight;
Chariots or Elephants endorft with Tow'rs
Of Archers, nor of lab'ring Pioneers
A multitude with Spades and Axes arm'd
To lay hills plain, fell woods, or vallies fill,
Or where plain was raise hill, or overlay
With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke;
Mules after thefe, Camels and Dromedaries,
And Waggons fraught with Utensils of war.
Such forces met not, nor fo wide a Camp,
When Agrican with all his Northern pow'rs
Befieg'd Albracca, as Romances tell;

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The City of Gallaphrone, from thence to win
The fairest of her Sex Angelica

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His daughter, fought by many Prowest Knights,

Both Paynim, and the Peers of Charlemane.
Such and lo numerous was their Chivalry;
At fight whereof the Fiend yet more prefum'd,

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And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd.

That thou may'ft know I seek not to engage

Thy virtue, and not ev'ry way fecure

On no flight grounds thy fafety; hear, and mark

To what end I have brought thee hither and fhewn 350 All this fair fight; thy Kingdom though foretold

By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou

Endeavour, as thy Father David did,
Thou never fhalt obtain; prediction ftill
In all things, and all men, supposes means,
Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes.
But lay thou wert poflefs'd of David's Throne
By free consent of all, none oppofite,

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Samaritan or few; how could'ft thou hope

Long to enjoy it quiet and secure,

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Between two fuch enclosing enemies

Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these

Thou must make sure thy own, the Parthian first

BY

By my advice, as nearer and of late

Found able by invafion to annoy

Thy country, and captive lead away her Kings

Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound,

Maugre the Roman: it shall be my task
To render thee the Parthian at difpofe;

Chuse which thou wilt by conquest or by league.
By him thou shalt regain, without him not,
That which alone can truly reinftal thee
In David's royal Seat, his true Succeffor,
Deliv'rance of thy brethren, those ten Tribes
Whofe off-fpring in his Territory yet ferve
In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd
Ten Sons of Jacob, two of Joseph, loft
Thus long from Israel; serving as of old
Their Fathers in the land of Egypt serv'd,
This offer fets before thee to deliver.
These if from fervitude thou fhalt restore
To their inheritance, then, nor till then,
Thou on the Throne of David in full glory,
From Egypt to Euphrates, and beyond
Shalt reign, and Rome or Cafar not need fear.

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To whom our Saviour anfwer'd thus unmov'd.

Much oftentation vain of fleshly arm,
And fragile arms, much inftrument of war
Long in preparing, foon to nothing brought,
Before mine eyes thou haft fer; and in my ear
Vented much policy, and projects deep
Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues,
Plaufible to the World, to me worth naught.
Means I muft ufe thou fay'ft, prediction elfe
Will unpredict and fail me of the Throne:
My time I told thee (and that time for thee
Were better fartheft off) is not yet come;
When that comes think not thou to find me flack
On my part aught endeav'ring, or to need
Thy politick maxims, or that cumbersome