PARADISE REGAIN'D.

BOOK IV.

Erplex'd and troubled at his bad fuccefs The Tempter ftood, nor had what to reply, Discover'd in his fraud, thrown from his hope So oft, and the persuasive rhetoric

P

That fleek'd his tongue, and won fo much on Eve, s
So little here, nay loft; but Eve was Eve,
This far his over-match, who felf-deceiv'd
And rafh, before-hand had no better weigh'd
The ftrength he was to cope with, or his own:
But as a man who had been matchlefs held

1

In cunning, over-reach'd where least he thought,
To falve his credit, and for very fpite,
Still will be tempting him who foils him ftill,
And never ceafe, though to his fhame the more;
Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time,
15
About the wine-prefs where fweet muft is pour'd,
Beat off, returns as oft with humming found;
Or furging waves against a solid rock,
Though all to fhivers dafh'd, th'affault renew,
Vain batt`ry, and in froth or bubbles end ;
So Satan, whom repulfe upon repulfe
Met ever, and to fhameful filence brought,
Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of fuccefs,
And his vain importunity purfues.
He brought our Saviour to the western fide

20

25

Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long but in breadth not wide,
Wash'd by the fouthern fea, and on the north
To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills,
That fcreen'd the fruits of th' earth and feats of men 30
From cold Septentrion blasts, thence in the midft
Divided by a river, of whofe banks
On each fide an imperial city stood,
With tow'rs and temples proudly elevate
On fev'n small hills, with palaces adorn'd,
Porches and theatres, baths, aqueducts,
Statues and trophies, and triumphal arcs,
Gardens and groves prefented to his eyes,
Above the highth of mountains interpos'd:
By what strange parallax or optic skill
Of vifion multiply'd through air, or glafs
Of telescope, were curious to inquire:
And now the Tempter thus his filence broke.
The city which thou feeft no other deem
Than great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth
So far renown'd, and with the fpoils enrich'd
Of nations; there the capitol thou feeft
Above the rest lifting his ftately head
On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel
Impregnable, and there mount Palatine,
Th imperial palace, compafs huge, and high
The ftructure, fkill of nobleft architects,
With gilded battlements, confpicuous far,
Turrets and terrafes, and glittering spires.
Many a fair edifice befides, more like
Houfes of Gods, (fo well I have difpos'd
My aery microfcope) thou may'ft behold
Outfide and infide both, pillars and roofs,
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd artificers
In cedar, marble, ivory or gold.

46

35

50

60

Thence

65

Thence to the gates caft round thine eye, and fee
What conflux iffuing forth, or entring in,
Pretors, proconfuls to their provinces
Hafting, or on return, in robes of state;
Lictors and rods, the enfigns of their pow'r,
Legions and cohorts, turms of horse and wings
Or embaffies from regions far remote
In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on th' Emilian, fome from farthest fouth,
Syene', and where the fhadow both way falls, 70
Meroe Nilotic ile, and more to west,

The realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor fea ;
From th' Asian kings and Parthian among thefe,
From India and the golden Cherfonese,
And utmost Indian ile Taprobane,

75

Duik faces with white filken turbants wreath'd;
From Gallia, Gades, and the British west,
Germans and Scythians, and Sarmatians north
Beyond Danubius to the Tauric pool.
All nations now to Rome obedience pay,
To Rome's great emperor, whofe wide domain
In ample territory, wealth and power,
Civility of manners, arts and arms,
And long renown, thou juftly may`ft prefer
Before the Parthian; these two thrones except, 85
The reft are barb'rous, and fcarce worth the fight,
Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd;
Thefe having fhown thee, I have shown thee all
The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory.
This emp ror hath no fon, and now is old,
Old and lafcivious, and from Rome retir'd
To Capreæ an iland small but strong
On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there
His horrid lufts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked favorite

90

95 All

105

All public cares, and yet of him suspicious,
Hated of all, and hating; with what ease,
Indued with regal virtues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'ft thou expel this monfter from his throne 100
Now made a ftye, and in his place ascending
A victor people free from fervile yoke ?
And with my help thou may`ft; to me the power
Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no lefs than all the world,
Aim at the high'eft, without the high'eft attain'd
Will be for thee no fitting, or not long,
On David's throne, be prophecy'd what will.
To whom the Son of God unmov'd reply'd.
Nor doth this grandeur and majeftic fhow
Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,
More than of arms before, allure mine eye,
Much lefs my mind; though thou fhould't add to tell
Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts
On citron tables or Atlantic ftone,
(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 studs of pearl, to me should'st tell who thirst 120
And hunger fill: then embaffles thou show'ft
From nations far and nigh; what honor that,
But tedious waste of time to fit and hear
So many hollow complements and lies,
Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'ft to talk
Of th' emperor, how eafily fubdued,
How gloriously; I fhall, thou fay'st, expel
A brutifn monfter: what if I withal
Expel a Devil who firft made him fuch?
Let his tormenter confcience find him out;

115

125

130 For