On that opprobrious hill, and made his grove
The pleasant valley of Hinnon, Tophet thence
And black Gehenna call'd, the type of Hell. 405
Next Chemos, th' obfcene dread of Moab's fons,
From Aroar to Nebo, and the wild

Of fouthmoft Abarim; in Helebon
And Heronaim, Seon's realm, beyond

The flow'ry dale of Sibma clad with vines, 41c
And Eleäle to the Asphaltic pool.

Peor his other name, when he entic'd

Ifrael in Sittim on their march from Nile

415

To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe.
Yet thence his luftful orgies he enlarg'd
Even to that hill of fcandal, by the grove
Of Moloch homicide, luft hard by hate;
Till good Iofiah drove them thence to Hell.
With these came they, who from the bord'ring
floud

Of old Euphrates to the brook, that parts 420
Aegypt from Syrian ground, had general

names

Of Baälim and Afhtaroth; thofe male,

These feminine. For Spirits when they please
Can either fex affume, or both; fo oft
And uncompounded is their ellence pure, 425
Not ty'd or manacl'd with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle ftrength of bones, //
Like cumbrous flefh; but in what fhape they

choofe
B

Dilated or condens'd, bright or obscure,

Can execute their airy purposes,

430

And works of love or enmity fulfil.

For those the race of Ifrael oft forlook

Their living strength, and unfrequented left
His righteous altar, bowing lowly down
To bestial Gods; for which their heads as

low

435 Bow'd down in battel, funk before the spear Of defpicable foes. With thefe in troop Came Aftoreth, whom the Phoenicians call'd Aftarte, queen of Heav'n, with crefcent horns;

To whose bright image nightly by the moon 440 Sidonian virgins paid their vows and fongs, In Sion also not unfung, where stood

Her temple on th' offenfive mountain, built

By that uxorious King, whose heart tho' large, Beguil'd by fair idolatreffes, fell

445

To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind,
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allur'd
The Syrian Damfels to lament his fate
In am'rous ditties all a fummer's day,
While smooth Adonis from his native rock 450
Ran purple to the fea, fuppos'd with blood.
Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love tale
Infected Sion's daughters with like head,
Whole wanton paffions in the facred porch
Ezekiel faw, when by the vision led

455

His eyes 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 lopt off In his own temple, on the grunfel edge, 460 Where he fell flat, and fham'd his worshippers; Dagon his name, fea-monfter, upward man And downward filh: yet had his temple high Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coaft Of Palestine, in Gath, and Afcalon,

465

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 also against the house of God was bold: 470
A leper once he lost, and gain'd a king,
Ahaz his fottifh conqu'rour, whom he drew
God's altar to disparage and difplace,

For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn
His odious offerings, and adore the Gods 475
Whom he had vanquifh'd. After these appear'd
A crew, who under names of old renown,
Ofiris, Ifis, Orus, and their train,

480

With monstrous shapes and forceries abus'd
Fanatic Aegypt and her priests, to seek
Their wand'ring Gods difguis'd in brutifh forms
Rather than human.. Nor did Ifrael 'scape
Th' infection, when their borrow'd gold
compos'd

485

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 Aegypt marching, equall'd with one stroke
Both her firft-born and all her bleating Gods.
Belial came laft, than whom a fpirit more
lewd 4

490
Fell not from Heaven, or more grofs to love
Vice for itfelf: to him no temple stood
Or altar fmoak'd; yet who more of than he
In temples and at altars, when the priest
Turns atheift, as did Eli's fons, who fill'd 495
With luft and violence the houfe of God?
In courts and polaces he also reigns
And in luxurious cities, where the noife
Of riot afcends above their loftieft towers,
And injury and outrage: and when night 500,
Darkens the ftreets, then wander forth the fons
Of Belial, flown with infolence and wine.
Witness the streets of Sodom, and that night
In Gibeah, when the hofpitable door
Expos'd a matron to avoid worfe rape. 505

These were the prime in order and in might;
The reft were long to tell, tho' far renown'd:
Th' Ionian Gods, of Javan's illue held

Gods, yet confess'd later than Heav'n and Earth,
Their boafted parents. Titan, heav'ns first-

With his enormous brood, and birthright feiz'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 515
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 the Hefperian fields, 520
And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmost isles. M
All these and more came flocking, but with

with looks

Down-caft and damp, yet fuch wherein appear'd'

Ofcure some glimpse of joy, to have found their Chief

Not in despair, to have found themselves not

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. 530 Then strait commands that at the warlike found Of trumpets loud, and clarions, be uprear'd His mighty standard: that proud honor claim'd Azazel as his right, a Cherub tall;