Beguil'd by fair idolatresses, fell

To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind,
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allured
The Syrian damsels to lament his fate
In amorous ditties all a summer's day,
While smooth Adonis from his native rock
Ran purple to the sea, suppos'd with blood
Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale
Infected Sion's daughters with like heat,
Whose wanton passions in the sacred porch
Ezekiel saw, when by the vision led
His eyes survey'd the dark idolatries
Of alienated Judah. Next came one

Who mourn'd in earnest, when the captive ark

448 The Syrian damsels] Compare Bionis Idyll. i. 22. Ασσύριον βοόωσα πόσιν, καὶ παῖδα καλεῦσα.

449 amorous ditties] dolorous ditties. Bentl. MS.

451 Ran purple] Ov. Metam. xii. 111.

Purpureus populari cæde Caicus

Fluxit

445

450

455

See Maundrell's Travels, p. 34. 'We had the fortune to see what may be supposed to be the occasion of that opinion which Lucian relates concerning this river (Adonis, called by the Turks, Ibrahim Bassa,) viz. that this stream, at certain seasons of the year, especially about the feast of Adonis, is of a bloody colour, which the Heathens looked upon as proceeding from a kind of sympathy in the river, for the death of Adonis. Something like this, we saw, actually came to pass, for the water was stained to a surprising redness, and as we observed in travelling, had discoloured the sea a great way into a reddish hue, occasioned doubtless by a sort of minium, or red earth, washed into the river by the violence of the rain, and not by any stain from Adonis' blood.'

See also Milton's answer to Eikon Bas. p. 410:

'Let them who now mourn for him as for Tammuz.'

460

L

Maim'd his brute image, head and hands lopt off
In his own temple, on the grunsel edge,
Where he fell flat, and sham'd his worshippers:
Dagon his name; sea monster, upward man
And downward fish: yet had his temple high
Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coast
Of Palestine, in Gath, and Ascalon,
And Accaron, and Gaza's frontier bounds.
Him follow'd Rimmon, whose delightful seat
Was fair Damascus, on the fertile banks
Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid streams.
He also against the house of God was bold:
A leper once he lost, and gain'd a king,
Ahaz his sottish conqueror, 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,

Osiris, Isis, Orus, and their train,

With monstrous shapes and sorceries abus'd
Fanatic Ægypt and her priests, to seek

Their wand'ring gods disguis'd in brutish forms,
Rather than human. Nor did Israel 'scape
Th' infection, when their borrow'd gold compos'd

460 grunsel edge] See Beaumont's Psyche, c. viii. st. 136. 'In Dagon's Temple down the idol fell,

Quite broke his godship on the stronger sell.'

465

470

475

480

And Quarles' Emblems, p. 302, and groundsild every floor.'
Lisle has also used this word in his Transl. of Du Bartas, p. 96, 'to
lay the grunsill-plot.'

The calf in Oreb; and the rebel king
Doubled that sin in Bethel and in Dan,
Likening his Maker to the grazed ox,
Jehovah, who in one night, when he pass'd
From Ægypt marching, equal'd with one stroke
Both her first-born and all her bleating gods.
Belial came last, than whom a spirit more lewd
Fell not from heaven, or more gross to love
Vice for itself to him no temple stood
Or altar smok'd; yet who more oft than he
In temples and at altars, when the priest
Turns atheist, as did Eli's sons, who fill'd
With lust and violence the house of God?
In courts and palaces he also reigns,
And in luxurious cities, where the noise
Of riot ascends above their loftiest towers,
And injury, and outrage: and when night
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons
Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.
Witness the streets of Sodom, and that night
In Gibeah, when the hospitable door
Expos'd a matron to avoid worse rape.

485

1 Sam.

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 issue, held
Gods, yet confess'd later than heaven and earth,

490

495

500

505

489 bleating] v. Exod. xii. 12. Numb. xxxiii. 3, 4. and Virg. Æn. viii. 698.

'Omnigenumque deum monstra, et latrator Anubis.'

Newton.

2

Their boasted parents. Titan, heaven's first-born, 510
With his enormous brood and birthright seiz'd
By younger Saturn, he from mightier Jove,
His own and Rhea's son, like measure found;
So Jove usurping reign'd: these first in Crete
And Ida known; thence on the snowy top
Of cold Olympus rul'd the middle air,
Their highest heaven; or on the Delphian cliff,
Or in Dodona, and through all the bounds

515

520

T

Of Doric land; or who with Saturn old Fled over Adria to th' Hesperian fields And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmost isles. ✓ All these and more came flocking; but with looks Down-cast and damp, yet such wherein appear'd Obscure some glimpse of joy, to have found their chief Not in despair, to have found themselves not lost 525 In loss itself; which on his count'nance cast 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 dispell'd their fears. Then straight commands, that at the warlike sound Of trumpets loud and clarions, be uprear'd His mighty standard: that proud honour claim'd Azazel as his right, a cherub tall;

530

Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd 535 Th' imperial ensign, which, full high advanc'd, Shone like a meteor, streaming to the wind,

515 snowy] v. Hom. Пl. i. 420. xviii. 615.

Οὐλύμπου νιφόεντος. Newton.

L

In fable or romance of Uther's son,
Begirt with British and Armoric knights;
And all who since, baptis'd or infidel,
Jousted in Aspramont or Montalban,
Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond,
Or whom Biserta sent from Afric shore,
When Charlemain with all his peerage fell
By Fontarabbia. Thus far these beyond
Compare of mortal prowess, yet observ'd
Their dread commander: he, above the rest
In shape and gesture proudly eminent,
Stood like a tower; his form had yet not lost
All her original brightness, nor appear'd
Less than arch-angel ruin'd, and th' excess
Of glory obscur❜d: as when the sun new-ris'n
Looks through the horizontal misty air,
Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon,
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear of change

591 Stood like a tower] See Statii Theb. iii. 356.

-Bello me, credite, bello,

Ceu turrim validam—

580

585

590

595

See also Purgatorio of Dante, v. 14. 'Sta come torre ferma :' it is also used in the Orlando Innamorato. Mr. Dyce refers to Q. Smyrnæus, lib. iii. ver. 63.

594 as when the sun] See Dante, Il Purg. c. xxx. ver. 25.

'E la faccia del Sol nascere ombrata,

Si che, per temperanza di vapori
L'occhio lo sostenea lunga fiata.'

598 fear of change] See Theb. Statii, i. ver. 708. 'Mutent quæ Sceptra Cometa.' Val. Flacc. Arg. lib. vi. ver. 608. 'fatales ad