The world thou haft not seen, much lefs her glory,
Empires, and Monarchs, and their radiant Courts,
Beft fchool of beft experience, quickest Insight

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 feeking Affes found a Kingdom)
Irrefolute, unhardy, unadventrous:

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

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245

The Monarchies of th'Earth, their pomp and state, Sufficient introduction to inform

Thee, of thyself so apt, in regal Arts,

And regal Myfteries, that thou may't know
How beft their oppofition to withstand.

250

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 whofe verdant feet A fpacious plain, out-ftretch'd in circuit wide, Lay pleasant; from his fide two rivers flow'd, 255 Th' one winding, th' other ftraight, and left between Fair Champain with less rivers intervein'd, Then meeting join'd their Tribute to the Sea; Fertil of corn the glebe, of oil and wine, 259 With herds the pastures throng'd, with flocks the hills; Huge Cities and high tower'd, that well might feem 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's top the Tempter brought Our Saviour, and new train of words began.

Wel

Well have we speeded, and o'er hill and dale, Foreft and field, and flood, temples and tow'rs Cut shorter many a league; here thou behold'st Alyria and her Empire's ancient bounds,

270

Araxes and the Cafpian lake, thence on

As far as Indus Eaft, Euphrates West,

And oft beyond; to South the Perfian Bay,
And inacceffible th' Arabian drought :

275

Here Nineveh, of length within her wall
Sev'ral days journey, built by Ninus old,
Of that firft golden Monarchy the feat,
And feat of Salmanaffar, whofe fuccefs
Ifrael in long captivity ftill mourns;
There Babylon the wonder of all tongues,
As ancient, but rebuilt by him who twice
Judah and all thy Father David's house
Led captive, and Jerufalem laid waste,
Till Cyrus fet them free; Persepolis,

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His City, there thou feeft, and Batra there; 285 Ecbatana her structure vaft there fhews,

And Hecatompylos her hundred gates;
There Sufa by Choafpes, amber ftream,

The drink of none but Kings; of later fame

Built by Emathian or by Partbian hands,

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The great Seleucia, Nicibis, and there

Artaxata, Teredon, Ctesiphon,

Turning with eafy eye thou mayst behold.

All these the Parthian, now fome Ages paft,

By great Arfaces led, who founded firft

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That Empire, under his dominion holds,

From the luxurious Kings of Antioch won.

And

T

And just in time thou com'ft to have a view
Of his great Pow'r; for now the Parthian King
In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his Hoft

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

300

He marches now in hafte; fee, though from far,
His thousands, in what Martial-equipage

They iffue forth! steel bows, and fhafts their arms,
Of equal dread in flight, or in pursuit ; 306
All Horfemen, in which fight they moft excel:
See how in warlike Mufter they appear,
In rhombs and wedges, and half-moons and wings!
He lookt and faw what numbers numberless 310
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 Candaor Eaft,
And Margiana to th' Hircanian cliffs

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Of Caucafus, and dark Iberian dales,

From Atropatia and the neighb'ring plains
Of Adiabene, Media, and the South

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Of Sufiana, to Balfara's haven.

He faw them in their forms of battel rang'd,
How quick they wheel'd, and flying behind them shot
Sharp fleet of arrowy show'rs against the face
Of their pursuers, and o'ercame by flight.
The field, all Iron, caft a gleaming brown,
Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn,
Cuiraffiers all in fteel for standing fight;

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Chariots

330

Chariots or Elephants endors'd 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 Utenfils 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,

335

The City of Gallaphrone, from thence to win 350
The fairest of her Sex Angelica,

His daughter, fought by many prowest Knights,
Both Paynim, and the Peers of Charlemaine.

Such and fo numerous was their Chivalry;
At fight whereof the Fiend yet more prefum'd, 345
And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd.

That thou may'st know I feek not to engage
Thy virtue, and not ev'ry way secure

On no flight grounds thy fafety; hear, and mark
To what end I have brought thee hither, and shewn
All this fair fight: thy Kingdom though foretold 351
By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou
Endeavour, as thy Father David did,

Thou never shalt obtain; prediction still

In all things, and all men, fuppofes means; 355
Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes.
But fay thou wert poffefs'd of David's Throne
By free confent of all, none oppofite,
Samaritan or Jew; how could'st thou hope

Long

Long to enjoy it quiet and secure,

Between two fuch enclosing enemies,

Roman, and Partbian? therefore one of thefe

360

Thou must make sure thy own, the Parthian first,

By my advice, as nearer and of late

Found able by invasion to annoy

Thy country, and captive lead away her Kings

Antigonus and old Hyrcanus bound,

Maugre the Roman: it fhall be my task

To render thee the Parthian at difpofe;

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375

Chufe which thou wilt by conqueft or by league. 370
By him thou shalt regain, without him not,
That which alone can truly reinstal thee
In David's royal Seat, his true Succeffor,
Deliv'rance of thy brethren, thofe ten Tribes
Whofe offspring in his Territory yet serve
In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd.
Ten Sons of Jacob, two of Joseph, loft
Thus long from Ifrael; ferving, as of old
Their Fathers in the land of Egypt serv'd,
This offer fets before thee to deliver.
These if from fervitude thou shalt restore

380

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 Cæfar not need fear. 385-
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'ft fet; and in my ear

390