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'ft prefer
Before the Parthian; these two Thrones except, 85
The rest are barb'rous, and scarce worth the fight,
Shar'd among petty Kings too far remov'd:
Thefe having fhewn 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'd
To Capres, an Island small but ftrong
On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there
His horrid lufts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked Favourite
All public cares, and yet of him fufpicious,
Hated of all, and hating: With what ease,
Indu'd with Regal Virtues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'ft thou expel this Monster from his Throne, Now made a ftye, and in his place afcending, ICI A victor, people free from fervile yoke ?
And with my help thou may'ft; to me the pow'r
Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no less than all the world,
Aim at the higheft; without the highest attain'd
Will be for thee no fitting, or not long
On David's Throne, be prophefy'd what will.
To whom the Son of God unmov'd reply'd,
Nor doth this grandeur and majestick show
Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,
More than of Arms before, allure mine eye,
Much lefs my mind; though thou should'st add to tell
Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feafts
On Cittron tables or Atlantic ftonë,
115
(For I have alfo heard, perhaps have read)
Their wines of Setia, Cales, and Falerne,
Chios and Crete, and how they quaff in Gold,
Crystal and Myrrhine cups imbofs'd with Gems
And ftuds of Pearl, to me thou'dft tell, who thirst
And hunger ftill: then Embaffies thou shew'ft 121
From Nations far and nigh; what honour that,
But tedious wafte of time to fit and hear
So many hollow compliments and lies,
Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'st to talk
Of th'Emperor, how eafily fubdu'd,
How gloriously; I fhall, thou fay'st, expel
A brutish monfter: what if I withal
Expel a Devil who first made him fuch?
Let his tormenter Confcience find him out;
For him I was not fent, nor yet to free
That People, victor once, now vile and bafe,
Deservedly made vaffal; who once juft,
Frugal, and mild, and temp'rate, conquer'd well,
But govern ill the Nations under yoke,
Peeling their Provinces, exhaufted all
By luft and rapine; firft ambitious grown
Of triumph, that infulting vanity;
Then cruel, by their sports to blood enur'd
Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd, 140
Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier ftill,
And from the daily Scene effeminate.
What wife and valiant Man would feek to free
These thus degen'rate, by themselves enflay'd,
Or could of inward slaves make outward free? 145
Know therefore, when my season comes to fit
On David's Throne, it fhall be like a Tree,
Spreading and overshad'wing all the Earth,
Or as a Stone that shall to pieces dash
All Monarchies befides throughout the World; 150
And of my Kingdom there fhall be no end :
Means there fhall be to this, but what the means,
Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell.
To whom the Tempter impudent reply'd :
I fee all offers made by me how flight
Thou valu'ft, becaufe offer'd, and reject'ft:
Nothing will please the difficult and nice,
Or nothing more than ftill to contradict.
On th❜other fide, know alfo thou, that I
On what I offer fet as high efteem,
Nor what I part with mean to give for nought;
All these which in a moment thou behold'ft,
The Kingdoms of the World to thee I give;
(For giv'n to me, I give to whom I please,
No trifle ;) yet with this reserve, not elfe 165
On this condition, if thou wilt fall down,
And worship me as thy fuperior Lord,
Eafily done, and hold them all of me :
For what can less so great a gift deserve?
Whom thus our Saviour answer'd with difdain.
I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers lefs,
Now both abhor, fince thou haft dar'd to utter
Th'abominable terms, impious condition :
But I endure the time, till which expir'd,
Thou haft permiffion on me. It is written,
The first of all Commandments, Thou shak worship
The Lord thy God, and only him shalt ferve;
And dar'ft thou to the Son of God propound
To worship thee accurft, now more accurft
For this attempt, bolder than that on Eve,
And more blafphemous? which expect to rue.
The Kingdoms of the World to thee were giv'n,
Permitted rather, and by thee ufurp'd ;
Other donation none thou canst produce:
If giv'n, by whom but by the King of Kings, 185 God over all Supreme? if giv'n to thee,
By thee how fairly is the Giver now
Repaid? But gratitude in thee is loft
Long fince. Wert thou fo void of fear or shame, As offer them to me the Son of God,
To me my own, on such abhorred pact,
That I fall down and worship thee as God?
Get thee behind me; plain thou now appear'st
That evil one, Satan for ever damn'd.
To whom the Fiend, with fear abasht, reply'd :Be not fo fore offended, Son of God, 196 (Though Sons of God both Angels are and Men) If I to try whether in higher fort
Than these thou bear'ft that title, have propos'd
What both from Men and Angels I receive,
Tetrarchs of fire, air, flood, and on the earth
Nations befides from all the quarter'd winds,
God of this world invok'd and world beneath;
Who then thou art whofe coming is foretold
To me fo fatal, me it most concerns.
The trial hath endamag'd thee no way,
Rather more honour left and more esteem;
Me nought advantag'd, miffing what I aim'd.
Therefore let pass, as they are tranfitory,
The Kingdoms of this world; I shall no more 210
Advise thee, gain them as thou canft, or not.
And thou thyself feem'ft otherwise inclin'd
Than to a worldly Crown, addicted more
To contemplation and profound difpute;
As by that early action may be judg'd,
When flipping from thy Mother's eye thou went'it Alone into the Temple; there was found Among the graveft Rabbies, difputant
On points and questions fitting Mofes' Chair,
Teaching not taught; the childhood shews the man,
As morning fhews the day. Be famous then
By wisdom; as thy Empire must extend,
So let extend thy mind o'er all the world
In knowledge, all things in it comprehend :
All knowledge is not couch'd in Mojes' Law,
The Pentateuch, or what the Prophets wrote;
The Gentiles also know, and write, and teach
To admiration, led by Nature's light;
And with the Gentiles much thou must converse,
Ruling them by perfuafion, as thou mean'ft; 230
Without their learning how wilt thou with them,
Or they with thee hold conversation meet?
How wilt thou reason with them, how refute
Their Idolifms, Traditions, Paradoxes ?
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