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Irriguos Rabba Batanæaque regna colebat,
Argoviique plagis, extremi Arnonis ad undam.
Nec fatis; at prolis mox prudentiffima flectens
Pectora Davidea, fuafit fua condere fana
Templa DEI adversùm, famofo in vertice montis
Obfcœni, facram nemoris cui præbuit umbram
Hinnonis Vallis jucunda, hinc dicta Tophetus,
Hinc & opaca Geenna, Erebi nigrantis Imago.
Proximus inde Chemos, cui Gens Moabæa pudendos
Sacrabat ritus, Aroarem interque Nebonem,
Quáque patent auftrina Abari Deserta, fuperque
Hesbona aeriamque Oronaon, regna Sihonis,
Trans rofeas Sibma valles veftitaque rura
Vitibus, ufque Elealem, Afpbaltique ipfius undas.
Dictus & Ille Peor, cum credula corda moveret
Ifacidum, fævi fugientum littora Nili,

Ipfius ut colerent aras lafcivaque Sacra,
Flebilibus fœcunda malis. Hinc Orgia fœda

To his grim Idol. Him the Ammonite
Worship'd in Rabba, and her wat'ry Plain,
In Argob, and in Bafan, to the ftream
Of utmost Arnon. Nor content with fuch
Audacious neighbourhood, the wifeft heart
Of Solomon he led by fraud, to build

His Temple right against the Temple of GOD,
On that opprobrious Hill; and made his Grove
The pleasant Valley of Hinnon, Tophet thence
And black Gehenna call'd, the Type of Hell.

Next Chemos, th' obfcene dread of Moab's Sons,
From Aroar to Nebo, and the Wild
Of Southmoft Abarim; in Hefebon
And Horonaim, Seon's Realm, beyond
The flow'ry Dale of Sibma, clad with Vines,
And Eleale, to th' Afphallic Pool.
Peor his other Name, when he entic'd
Ifrael in Sittim, on their march from Nile,
To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe.
Yet thence his luftful Orgies he enlarg'd

Pro

Protulit obfcænum ad Montem faltufque Homicidæ
Horrendos. Odio en nimiùm conjuncta Libido!
Sed templis utrumque fimul fancti ira Jofe
Eruit infandis & Tartara mifit ad ima.

His fefe addiderant Comites, Quot littora propter
Antiqui Euphratis, fluviumque Egyptia rura
Scindentem à Syriis, Baal Aftarote-ve vocati
Communi titulo; hic Divis datus, Ille Deabus:
Nam capere alterutrum geminofve adjungere fexus
Aeriis fas eft Animis: tam ductilis illis

Temperies habilifque vigor, non offea paffis
Vincula, uti tardâ carnis qui mole laborant
Contexti inter fe multis compagibus artus.
Quæque fuas varians formas, ut cuique libido est,
Contrahit, extendit; lucem induitur-ve tenebras,
Ardentique odio aut dulci exercetur Amore.
Hos propter fæpe Ifacidum gens vana, supremi
Præfidii immemores fanctis difcedere ab aris

Even to that Hill of fcandal, by the Grove
Of Moloch homicide; luft hard by hate;
'Till good Jofiah drove them thence to Hell.
With thefe came they, who from the bord'ring flood
Of old Euphrates, to the Brook that parts
Egypt from Syrian ground, had general Names
Of Baalim, and Afhtareth; thofe Male,
Thefe Feminine: (For Spirits when they please
Can either Sex 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 ftrength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they chufe,
Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure,
Can execute their airy purposes,

And works of love or enmity fulfill.)

For those the Race of Ifrael oft forfook
Their living Strength, and unfrequented left

Aufi, monftra Deûm omnigenûm coluere nefandis
Ritibus; hinc bello indecori turpique fub hofte
Degeneres cecidere. Huic fe intulit ardua turbæ
Aftarte, venerata Tyro, Dea credita cœli,
Oftentans alto crefcentia vertice latè

Cornua; cui nitidæ per amica filentia lunæ
Mollia Sidonia cantârunt vota Puellæ.

Illam nec filuit lafcivo carmine Sion,

Monte fed Opprobrii Princeps uxorius aras
Infames ftatuit, magnam cui mentem animumque
Fœmineæ vicere Artes Ritufque profani.
Hanc deinde excepit Thammufius, annua cujus
Vulnera per Libanum Syria movere puellas
Flebilibus fpatium æftivæ, quàm longa, diei
Indulgere modis, lentafque ciere querelas;
Nativo effufus faxo dum mollis Adonis
Iret in Oceanum, Thammusí fanguine dictus
Purpureos tingi latices: miferabile carmen

His righteous Altar, bowing lowly down

To beftial Gods; for which their heads as low
Bow'd down in Battle, funk before the Spear
Of despicable foes. With these in troop
Came Aftoreth, whom the Phenicians call'd
Aftarte, Queen of Heav'n, with crefcent Horns:
To whose bright Image nightly by the Moon
Sidonian Virgins paid their Vows and Songs;
In Sion alfo not unfung, where ftood

Her Temple on th' offenfive Mountain, built
By that uxorious King, whofe heart, tho' large,
Beguil'd by fair Idolatreffes, fell

To Idols foul. Thammuz came next behind,
Whofe annual Wound in Lebanon allur'd
The Syrian Damfels to lament his fate
In am'rous ditties all a Summer's day:
While smooth Adonis from his native Rock
Ran purple to the Sea, fuppos'd with blood

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Aure bibunt tenerâ Natæ Sionis, & ipfis
Contactas fimilis pervadit flamma medullas.
Has adeò infani languentes vulnere amoris
Vestibulum ante ipfum, fanctique in limine fani,
Afpexit Vates, toto cum Numine plenus
Tranflatos aliò cultus & crimina gentis
Cerneret ingratæ. Sequitur (Cultoribus ingens
Opprobrium) Effigies cui fordida procidit Arcam
Ante triumphatam, cladem confeffa pudendam
Æde fuâ, & capite & palmis populata recifis;
Ore Hominem referens, poftremo corpore Piscem,
Portentum æquoreum, Dagon: Sed & Huic quoque ftruxit
Azotus delubra; Hunc & venerata nefandis

Terra Palestine Sacris, Gathos, Afcalos, Ecron,
Quæque Philiftiadum primo ftat littore Gaza.
Excipit Hunc Rimmon, cui fedes læta Damafcus,
Et fortunatæ, quas alluit Abbana, ripæ,
Quas Pharphar, vitreis lucentia flumina lymphis.

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 Vision led
His Eye furvey'd the dark Idolatries
Of alienated Judah. Next came One
Who mourn'd in earneft, when the Captive Ark
Maim'd his brute Image, head and hands lop'd off
In his own Temple, on the grunfel edge

Where he fell flat, and fham'd his Worshippers:
Dagon his Name, Sea-Moniter, upward Man
And downward Fish: yet had his Temple High
Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the Coast
Of Palaeftine, in Gath, and Afcalon,
And Accaron, and Gaza's frontier bounds.
Him follow'd Rimmon, whofe delightful Seat
Was fair Damafcus, on the fertil banks
Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid ftreams.

Ille nec æterni metuit fe opponere templis
Numinis; Illum olim fcelerataque fana reliquit
Dux scabie exefus: Sed Rex, fed inanis adorat
Victor Abaz; demens, qui delubra Omnipotentis
Diruit, ut Syriorum aras induceret, & quos
Vicerat ipfe Deos. Glomerantes agmine magno
His fubiere Cohors, antiquæ nomina famæ
Jactantes mentita, Orus, cumque Ifide Ofiris,
Carmine qui magico & vanis lufere figuris
Sacrificos gentemque Phari, palantia passim
Sub pecudum indignis quærentes Numina formis.
Nec verò Ifacidum proles intacta; alieno
Ipfa auro Vitulum finxit: graviora fed aufus
Rex ille in Dani populis populifque Betheli,
Haud veritus fanctum prono affimilare juvenco
Auctorem, Phariis omnes qui nocte fub unâ
Primitias uteri lethali ftraverat ictu,

Commixtafque Hominum Spes balantumque Deorum.

He also against the House of GOD was bold:
A Leper once he loft, and gain'd a King,
Abaz, his fottish Conqueror, whom he drew
GOD's Altar to difparage, and difplace
For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn
His odious off'rings, 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 Priefts, to feek
Their wandring Gods, difguis'd in brutish forms
Rather than human. Nor did Ifrael 'Scape
Th' infection, when their borrow'd Gold compos'd
The calf in Oreb; and the Rebel King
Doubled that Sin in Bethel, and in Dan,
Lik'ning his Maker to the Grazed Ox,
Jehovah, who in one Night when He pafs'd
From Egypt marching, equal'd with one stroke
Both her first born and all her bleating Gods,

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