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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

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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.

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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,

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Headlong wou'd follow; and to their Gods perhaps
Of Bethel and of Dan? no, let them ferve

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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,

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As

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.

440

The End of the Third Book.

A a

PARA

PARADISE REGAIN'D.

BOOK IV.

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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

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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,

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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,

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Yet

Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of success,

And his vain importunity pursues.

He brought our Saviour to the Western fide

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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

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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

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40

46

50

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60 Thenc

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

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Before the Parthian; thefe two Thrones except,

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 fhewn thee all

The Kingdoms of the World, and all their glory.

This Emp'ror hath no Son, and now is old

90

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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Ap

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