Luggage of War there shewn me, argument
Of humane weakness rather than of strength.
My Brethren, as thou call'ft them; thofe ten Tribes Imuft deliver, if I mean to reign
David's true heir, and his full Scepter fway
To juft extent over all Ifrael's Sons ;
But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then For Ifrael, or for David, or his Throne,
When thou stood'ft up his Tempter to the pride
Of numb'ring Ifrael, which coft the lives Of threescore and ten thousand Ifrealites By three days Feftilence? fuch was thy zeal To Ifrael then, the fame that now to me.
The God of their Fore-fathers; but fo dy'd
Impenitent, and left a race behind
Like to themselves, diftinguishable (carce
From Gentiles, but by Circumcifion vain, And God with Idols in their worship join'd. Should I of these the liberty regard, Who freed, as to their ancient Patrimony, Unhumbl'd, unrepentant, unreform'd,
Headlong wou'd follow; and to their Gods perhaps 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 wond'rous call May bring them back repentant and fincere, And at their paffing cleave th' Affyrian food, While on their native land with joy they hafte,
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.
So fpake Ifrael's true King; and to the Fiend Made answer meet, that made void all his wiles So fares it when with truth falfhood contends.
The End of the Third Book.
Erplex'd and troubled at his bad fuccefs The Tempter flood, nor had what to reply, Discover'd in his fraud, thrown from his hope,
So oft, and the perswasive Rhetoric
That fleek'd his tongue, and won fo much on Eve, So little here, nay loft; but Eve was Eve, This far his over-match, who felf deceiv'd And rafh, before hand had no better weigh'd The strength he was to cope with, or his own: But as a man who had been matchlefs held
In cunning, over-reach'd where least he thought, To fave his credit, and for very spight
Still will be tempting him who foyls him still,
And never ceafe, though to his fshame the more; Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time,
About the wine-press where sweet mouft is powr'd, Beat off, returns as oft with humming found; Or furging waves against a folid rock, Though all to fhivers dafh'd th' affault renew, Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end; So Satan, whom repulse upon repulse
Met ever; and to fhameful filenee brought,
Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of success,
And his vain importunity pursues.
He brought our Saviour to the Western fide
Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long, but in breadth not wide, Wafh'd by the Southern Sea, 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
From cold Septentrion blafts, thence in the midst Divided by a river, of whose banks
On each fide an Imperial City stood, With Tow'rs and Temples proudly elevate
On seven small Hills, with Palaces adorn'd, Porches and Theatres, Baths, Aqueducts, Statues and Trophies, and Triumphal Arcs, Gardens and Groves presented to his eyes, Above the heighth of Mountains interpos'd. By what ftrange Parallax or Optick skill Of vision multiply'd through Air, or Glass Of Telescope, were curious to enquire: And now the Tempter thus his filence broke. The City which thou feeft no other deem Than great and glorious Rome, Queen of the Earth So far renown'd, and with the spoils enricht Of Nations; there the Capitol thou feeft Above the reft lifting his ftately head On the Tarpeian Rock, her Cittadel Impregnable, and there Mount Palatine
Th' imperial Palace, compafs huge, and high Th' Structure, skill of nobleft Architects, With gilded battlements, confpicuous far, Turrets and Terrafes, and glitt'ring Spires. Many a fair Edifice befides, more like Houses of Gods (so well I have difpos'd My Airy Microscope) thou may'ft behold Outfide and infide both, pillars and roofs Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd Artificers In Cedar, Marble, Ivory or Gold, A a 2
Thence to the Gates caft round thine eye, and see What conflux iffuing forth, or entring in, Pretors, Proconfuls to their Provinces Hafting or on return in robes of State;
Lictors and rods the ensigns of their pow'r, Legions and Cohorts, turmes of horse and wings: Or Embaflies from Regions far remote In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on th' Emilian, fome from fartheft South, Syene, and where the shadow both way falls, Meroe Nilotic Ifle, and more to West,
The Realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor Sea; From th' Afian Kings and Parthian among these, From India and the golden Cherfonefe,
And utmoft Indian Inle Taprobane,
Dusk faces with white filken Turbants wreath'd:
From Gallia, Gades, and the Brittish West, Germans, and Scythians, and Sarmmatians North Beyond Danubius to the Tauric Pool.
All Nations now to Rome obedience pay, To Rome's great Emperor, whose wide domain In ample Territory, wealth and pow'r, Civility of manners, Arts, and Arms, And long Renown thou justly may'st prefer
Before the Parthian; thefe two Thrones except,
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 fhewn thee all
The Kingdoms of the World, and all their glory.
This Emp'ror hath no Son, and now is old
Old and lafcivious, and from Rome retir'de
To Capres an Inland small but ftrong
On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there His horrid lufts in private to enjoy, Committing to a wicked Favourite
All publick cares, and yet of him fufpicious, Hated of all, and hating; with what ease Indu'd with Regal Virtues as thou art,
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