Ifrael in Sittim on their march from Nile
To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe.. Yet thence his luftful orgies he inlarg'd` Ev'n to that hill of fcandal, by the grove Of Moloch homicide, luft hard by hate; Till good Jofiah drove them thence to Hell. With these came they, who from the bord'ring flood: Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground; had general names Of Baälim and Ashtaroth, thofe male, These feminine. For Spirits when they please Can either fex affume, or both; fo foft And uncompounded is their effence pure, Not ty'd or manacled with joint or limb, Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones, Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choofe Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure,
Can execute their aery purposes,
And works of love or enmity fulfil:
For those the race of Ifrael oft forfook Their living ftrength, and unfrequented left His righteous altar, bowing lowly down To beftial Gods; for which their heads as low Bow'd down in battel, funk before the spear Of defpicable foes. With thefe in troop Came Aftoreth, whom the Phoenicians call'd Astarte, queen of Heav'n, with crescent horns zi To whose bright image nightly by the moon Sidonian virgins paid their vows and fongs,, In Sion alfo not unfung, where stood.
Her temple on th' offenfive mountain, built
By that uxorious king, whofe heart though large, Beguil'd by fair idolatreffes, fell
To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind, Whose annual wound in Lebanon allur'd The Syrian damfels to lament his fate In amorous ditties all a fummer's day, While fmooth Adonis from his native rock Ran purple to the fea, fuppos'd with blood Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale Infected Sion's daughters with like heat, Whose wanton paffions in the facred porch Ezekiel faw, when by the vifion led His eye furvey'd the dark idolatries Of alienated Judah. Next came one
Who mourn'd in earnest, when the captive ark Maim'd his brute image, head and hands lopt off In his own temple, on the grunfel edge,
Where he fell flat, and sham'd his worshipers: Dagon his name, fea monfter, upward man And downward fish: yet had his temple high Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coast Of Palestine, in Gath and Afcalon,
And Accaron and Gaza's frontier bounds. Him follow'd Rimmon, whofe delightful feat Was fair Damafcus, on the fertil banks Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid streams. He alfo' against the house of God was bold: A leper once he lost, and gain'd a king, Ahaz his fottish conqu'ror, whom he drew
God's altar to disparage and displace
For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn His odious offerings, and adore the Gods Whom he had vanquish'd. After these appear'd A crew who under names of old renown, Ofiris, Ifis, Orus, and their train,
With monstrous fhapes and forceries abus'd Fanatic Egypt and her priests, to seek
Their wand'ring Gods disguis'd in brutish forms Rather than human. Nor did Ifrael 'fcape Th' infection, when their borrow'd gold compos'd The calf in Oreb; and the rebel king Doubled that fin in Bethel and in Dan, Likening his Maker to the grazed ox, Jehovah, who in one night when he pass'd From Egypt marching, equal'd with one stroke Both her first-born and all her bleating Gods. Belial came laft, than whom a Spi'rit more lewd Fell not from Heaven, or more grofs to love Vice for itself: to him no temple stood Or altar fmok'd; yet who more oft than he In temples and at altars, when the priest Turns atheist, as did Eli's fons, who fill'd With luft and violence the houfe of God? In courts and palaces he alfo reigns And in luxurious cities, where the noise Of ri'ot afcends above their loftiest towers, And injury and outrage: and when night Darkens the ftreets, then wander forth the fons Of Belial, flown with infclence and wine.
Witness the streets of Sodom, and that night In Gibeah, when the hofpitable door Expos'd a matron to avoid worse rape. These were the prime in order and in might; The rest were long to tell, though far renown'd: Th' Ionian Gods, of Javan's iffue held
Gods, yet confefs'd later than Heav'n and Earth, Their boasted parents: Titan Heav'n's first-born, With his enormous brood, and birthright feis'd By younger Saturn; he from mightier Jove His own and Rhea's fon like measure found; So Jove ufurping reign'd: these first in Crete And Ida known, thence on the fnowy top Of cold Olympus rul'd the middle air, Their highest Heav'n; or on the Delphian cliff, Or in Dodona, and through all the bounds Of Doric land; or who with Saturn old
Fled over Adria to th' Hefperian fields, And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmoft iles.
All these and more came flocking; but with looks Down caft and damp, yet fuch wherein appear'd Obfcure fome glimpse of joy, to' have found their chief Not in defpair, to' have found themselves not loft In lofs itself; which on his count'nance caft Like doubtful hue: but he his wonted pride Soon recollecting, with high words, that bore Semblance of worth not substance, gently rais'd Their fainting courage, and difpell'd their fears. Then ftrait commands that at the warlike found Of trumpets loud and clarions be uprear'd
His mighty standard: that proud honor clam'd Azazel as his right, a Cherub tall;
Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'& Th' imperial enfign, which full high advanc'd Shone like a meteor ftreaming to the wind, With gems and golden luftre rich imblaz'd, Seraphic arms and trophies; all the while Sonorous metal blowing martial founds: At which the univerfal hoft up fent
A shout, that tore Hell's concave, and beyond Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night. All in a moment through the gloom were feen Ten thousand banners rife into the air
With orient colors waving: with them rofe A forest huge of spears; and thronging helms Appear'd, and ferried shields in thick array Of depth immeafurable: anon they move In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood Of flutes and foft recorder; fuch as rais'd To highth of nobleft temper heroes old Arming to battel, and instead of rage Deliberate valor breath'd, firm and unmov'd With dread of death to flight or foul retreat; Nor wanting pow'r to mitigate and swage With folemn touches troubled thoughts, and chafe Anguish and doubt and fear and forrow' and pain From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they Breathing united force with fixed thought Mov'd on in filence to foft pipes, that charm'd Their painful steps o'er the burnt foil; and now
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