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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

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

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

Pro

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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