Scilicet & foliis quondam cœleftibus omnes Sederunt; verùm ob faftum mentesque rebelles Æternis vitæ periere erafa tabellis
Nomina, nec fuperis ultrà memorantur in oris. Necdum Eva natos inter nova nomina terris Quæfierant; donec latum erravere per orbem Non prohibente DEO, Pietas humana Fidesque Ut fpectarentur meliùs: tum capta malignis Infidiis Hominum gentis pars maxima celfum Deferit Auctorem; fanctique arcana Parentis Gloria polluitur, vanis fimulata figuris Brutorum; luxu turpantur Sacra nefando, Fœdaque Tartareæ fumant altaria turbæ.
Olli inter Gentes diverfo hinc nomine noti Quifque habuere fuos variâ fub imagine cultus.
Ergo age, Quis primus (terris jam nomina dudum Clarefcunt) fomno excuffo, Quis, Mufa, fupremus Se demum erexit ftrato flammante tyranni
Tho' of their names in heav'nly Records now Be no memorial; blotted out and ras'd, By their rebellion, from the Books of Life. Nor had they yet among the fons of Eve Got them new names; till wand'ring oe'r the Earth, Thro' God's high sufferance for the tryal of Man, By falfities and lies the greatest part Of Mankind they corrupted, to forfake GOD their Creator; and th' invifible
Glory of Him, that made them, to transform Oft to the image of a Brute, adorn'd With gay Religions full of pomp and gold, And Devils to adore for Deities: Then were they known to men by various Names, And various Idols thro' the heathen World.
Say, Mufe, their names then known, who firft, who laft,
Rouz'd from the flumber on that fiery couch,
Ad vocem, latus ut nudâ ftiparet arenâ. Proceffere Duces, meritis ut Quifque præibat, Abfiftente procul turbâ. Venere priores, Qui deinde inferno migrârunt gurgite terras Rimati prædæ ftudio, & poft tempore longo Per gentes latè divinos pofcere honores
Non metuêre, Deique fuas adjungere fedes Sedibus, atque aris aras; interque Cherubas Sublimem fummo Sionis vertice JoVAM Suftinuere tonantem; & mox vel in æde verendâ Ipfius æternifque adytis fibi templa locârunt, Infandum! violare aufi puriffima Sacra,
Et contra ætheream tenebras advolvere lucem. Extulit ante alios torva efferus ora Molochus Fœdata humanâ fanie lacrimisque parentum, Quanquam lugubres fuperârint tympana queftus Infantum, quos per flammas horrenda recepit Numinis Effigies. Illum Ammonita per agros
At their great Emperor's call, as next in worth Came fingly where he ftood, on the bare ftrand, While the promiscuous crowd stood yet aloof? The chief were those who, from the Pit of Hell Roaming to feek their prey on Earth, durst fix Their Seats long after next the Seat of Go D, Their Altars by His Altar, Gods ador'd Among the Nations round, and durft abide Jehovab thund'ring out of Sion, thron'd
Between the Cherubim; yea, often plac'd Within his Sanctuary it felf their Shrines, Abominations! and with curfed Things His holy Rites and folemn Feafts profan'd, And with their darkness durst affront his light. First Moloch, horrid King, befmear'd with blood Of human facrifice, and parents tears; Tho', for the noise of Drums and Timbrels loud, Their childrens cries unheard, that past thro' Fire
Irriguos Rabba Batanæaque regna colebat, Argoviique plagis, extremi Arnonis ad undam. Nec fatis; at prolis mox prudentiffima flectens Pectora Davidea, fuafit fua condere fana Templa DEI adversùm, famofo in vertice montis Obfcœni, facram nemoris cui præbuit umbram Hinnonis Vallis jucunda, hinc dicta Tophetus, Hinc & opaca Geenna, Erebi nigrantis Imago. Proximus inde Chemos, cui Gens Moabaa pudendos Sacrabat ritus, Aroarem interque Nebonem, Quáque patent austrina Abari Deserta, fuperque Hesbona aeriamque Oronaon, regna Sihonis, Trans rofeas Sibmæ valles veftitaque rura Vitibus, ufque Elealem, Afphaltique ipfius undas. Dictus & Ille Peor, cum credula corda moveret Ifacidum, fævi fugientum littora Nili,
Ipfius ut colerent aras lafcivaque Sacra, Flebilibus fœcunda malis. Hinc Orgia fœda
To his grim Idol. Him the Ammonite Worship'd in Rabba, and her watʼry Plain, In Argob, and in Bafan, to the stream Of utmost Arnon. Nor content with fuch Audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart Of Solomon he led by fraud, to build
His Temple right againft the Temple of GoD, On that opprobrious Hill; and made his Grove The pleasant Valley of Hinnon, Tophet thence And black Gehenna call'd, the Type of Hell.
Next Chemos, th' obfcene dread of Moab's Sons, From Aroar to Nebo, and the Wild Of Southmoft Abarim; in Hefebon And Horonaim, Seon's Realm, beyond
The flow'ry Dale of Sibma, clad with Vines, And Eleale, to th' Afphaltic Pool.
Peor his other Name, when he entic'd Ifrael in Sittim, on their march from Nile,
To do him wanton rites, which coft them woc. Yet thence his luftful Orgies he enlarg'd
Protulit obfcœnum ad Montem faltufque Homicidæ Horrendos. Odio en nimiùm conjuncta Libido! Sed templis utrumque fimul fancti ira Jofia
Eruit infandis & Tartara mifit ad ima.
His fefe addiderant Comites, Quot littora propter Antiqui Euphratis, fluviumque Ægyptia rura Scindentem à Syriis, Baal Aftarote-ve vocati Communi titulo; hic Divis datus, Ille Deabus: Nam capere alterutrum geminofve adjungere fexus Aeriis fas eft Animis: tam ductilis illis
Temperies habilifque vigor, non offea paffis Vincula, uti tardâ carnis qui mole laborant Contexti inter fe multis compagibus artus. Quæque fuas varians formas, ut cuique libido eft, Contrahit, extendit; lucem induitur-ve tenebras, Ardentique odio aut dulci exercetur Amore. Hos propter fæpe Ifacidum gens vana, fupremi Præfidii immemores fanctis difcedere ab aris
Even to that Hill of fcandal, by the Grove Of Moloch homicide; luft hard by hate; "Till good Jofiah drove them thence to Hell. With these came they, who from the bord'ring flood Of old Euphrates, to the Brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground, had general Names Of Baalim, and Afhtaroth; thofe Male, Thefe Feminine: (For Spirits when they please Can either Sex affume, or both; fo foft
And uncompounded is their Effence pure; Not ty'd or manacled with joint or limb, Nor founded on the brittle ftrength of bones, Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they chufe, Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure, Can execute their airy purposes,
And works of love or enmity fulfill.)
For those the Race of Ifrael oft forfook Their living Strength, and unfrequented left
Aufi, monstra Deûm omnigenûm coluere nefandis Ritibus; hinc bello indecori turpique sub hoste Degeneres cecidere. Huic fe intulit ardua turbæ Aftarte, venerata Tyro, Dea credita cœli, Oftentans alto crefcentia vertice latè
Cornua; cui nitidæ per amica filentia lunæ Mollia Sidoniæ cantârunt vota Puellæ.
Illam nec filuit lafcivo carmine Sion, Monte fed Opprobrii Princeps uxorius aras Infames ftatuit, magnam cui mentem animumque Fœmineæ vicere Artes Ritufque profani. Hanc deinde excepit Thammufius, annua cujus Vulnera per Libanum Syria movere puellas Flebilibus fpatium æftivæ, quàm longa, diei Indulgere modis, lentafque ciere querelas; Nativo effufus faxo dum mollis Adonis Iret in Oceanum, Thammust fanguine dictus Purpureos tingi latices: miferabile carmen
His righteous Altar, bowing lowly down
To beftial Gods; for which their heads as low Bow'd down in Battle, funk before the Spear Of defpicable foes. With these in troop Came Aftoreth, whom the Phenicians call'd Aftarte, Queen of Heav'n, with crefcent Horns: To whofe bright Image nightly by the Moon Sidonian Virgins paid their Vows and Songs; In Sion alfo not unfung, where stood
Her Temple on th' offenfive Mountain, built By that uxorious King, whofe heart, tho' large, Beguil'd by fair Idolatreffes, fell 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 Summer's day: While fmooth Adonis from his native Rock Ran purple to the Sea, fuppos'd with blood
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