Aure bibunt tenerâ Natæ Sionis, & ipfis Contactas fimilis pervadit flamma medullas. Has adeò infani languentes vulnere amoris Vestibulum ante ipfum, fanctique in limine fani, Afpexit Vates, toto cum Numine plenus Tranflatos aliò cultus & crimina gentis Cerneret ingratæ. Sequitur (Cultoribus ingens Opprobrium) Effigies cui fordida procidit Arcam Ante triumphatam, cladem confeffa pudendam Æde fuâ, & capite & palmis populata recisis; Ore Hominem referens, poftremo corpore Pifcem, Portentum æquoreum, Dagon: Sed & Huic quoque ftruxit Azotus delubra; Hunc & venerata nefandis
Terra Palaeftine Sacris, Gathos, Afcalos, Ecron, Quæque Philiftiadum primo ftat littore Gaza. Excipit Hunc Rimmon, cui fedes læta Damafcus, Et fortunatæ, quas alluit Abbana, ripæ, Quas Pharphar, vitreis lucentia flumina lymphis.
Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the Love-tale Infected Sion's Daughters with like heat; Whose wanton Paffions in the facred Porch Ezekiel faw, when by the Vifion led His Eye 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 lop'd off In his own Temple, on the grunfel edge
Where he fell flat, and fham'd his Worshippers: Dagon his Name, Sea Monster, upward Man And downward Fifh: yet had his Temple High Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the Coast Of Palaeftine, in Gath, and Afcalon, And Accaron, and Gaza's frontier bounds. Him follow'd Rimmon, whofe delightful Seat Was fair Damafcus, on the fertil banks Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid ftreams.
Ille nec æterni metuit fe opponere templis Numinis; Illum olim fcelerataque fana reliquit Dux scabie exefus: Sed Rex, fed inanis adorat Victor Abaz; demens, qui delubra Omnipotentis Diruit, ut Syriorum aras induceret, & quos Vicerat ipfe Deos. Glomerantes agmine magno His fubiere Cohors, antiquæ nomina famæ Jactantes mentita, Orus, cumque Ifide Ofiris, Carmine qui magico & vanis lufere figuris Sacrificos gentemque Phari, palantia passim Sub pecudum indignis quærentes Numina formis. Nec verò Ifacidum proles intacta; alieno Ipfa auro Vitulum finxit: graviora fed aufus Rex ille in Dani populis populifque Betheli, Haud veritus fanctum prono affimilare juvenco Auctorem, Phariis omnes qui nocte fub unâ Primitias uteri lethali ftraverat ictu,
Commixtasque Hominum Spes balantumque Deorum.
He also against the Houfe of GOD was bold: A Leper once he loft, and gain'd a King, Abaz, his fottish Conqueror, whom he drew GOD's Altar to difparage, and displace For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn His odious offrings, and adore the Gods Whom he had vanquifh'd. After these appear'd A crew, who under Names of old Renown, Ofiris, Ifis, Orus, and their Train,
With monstrous fhapes and forceries abus'd
Fanatic Egypt and her Priefts, to feek Their wandring Gods, difguis'd in brutifh forms Rather than human. Nor did Ifrael 'scape Th' infection, when their borrow'd Gold compos'd The calf in Oreb; and the Rebel King Doubled that Sin in Bethel, and in Dan, Lik'ning his Maker to the Grazed Ox, Jehovah, who in one Night when He pass'd From Egypt marching, equal'd with one stroke Both her first born and all her bleating Gods.
Se tulit extremum Belus, quo nequior Alter Non cecidit; folo fceleris malefanus amore Qui fcelus expeteret: non Illi fana, nec aræ Fumabant: Sed quis fanis, quis notior aris, Elidum exemplo feu vis, feu dira libido Templa DEI violet? Quin vana palatia Regum Ipfe colit, luxuque urbes vitiisque solutas, Clamor ubi infanus, rixæ, indomitique tumultus, Per celfas refonant arces: terrifque tenebras Nox fimul intulerit, cæci fine more vagantur Beliades, vino inflati luxuque protervo.
Noctem illam Gibea Sodomæaque mœnia testor, Hospitii tutata fidem cum traderet ipfas Janua Matronas, ftupra ut pejora caveret. Viribus Hi primique loco. Percurrere longum est Cætera quæ latè clarefcunt Numina, magnofque Ionia numerare Deos, quos prifca colebat Japeti foboles, Cœlo & Tellure minores
Belial came laft, than whom a Spirit more lewd Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love Vice for it felf: To him no Temple ftood, Or Altar fmoak'd; yet who more oft than He In Temples, and at Altars, when the Priest Turns Atheift; as did Eli's Sons, who fill'd With luft and violence the houfe of GoD? In Courts and Palaces he alfo reigns, And in luxurious Cities, where the noise Of riot ascends above their loftieft Tow'rs,
And injury, and outrage: and when Night Darkens the Streets, then wander forth the Sons 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 worse rape.
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 Iffue held Gods, yet confefs'd later than Heav'n and Earth, Faffa
Faffa palàm atque illâ jactans ab origine natos. Primus ibi Titan vaftâ cum prole; fed Olli Junior abripuit Saturnus regna, fuoque
A Jove mox ipfe expulfus, quem Rhea rebellem Progeniem peperit: fic fceptra invafit & arces Jupiter. Idæis Hæc Numina fcilicet oris Nota priùs tandem tenuere nivalia Olympi Culmina, nec mediis cœlum fublimius auris. Pars etiam juga Delphorum faltus-ve facratos Dodones coluere, aut Graie littora terræ. Quofque alios fecum Divos trans Adria longè Æquora decedens regnis Saturnus ademptis Hefperios tulit in campos & Celtica rura.
Hi turmis glomerati omnes, Aliique coibant Innumeri, mæsto dejecti lumina vultu : Visa fubinde tamen levis inter nubila fpargi Lætitia, ut fperare Ducem meliora videbant, Nec fefe tantâ penitùs periiffe ruinâ.
Their boasted Parents; Titan, (Heav'n's firft-born,) With his enormous brood, and birthright feiz'd By younger Saturn: He from mightier Jove, (His own and Rhea's Son) like measure found; So Jove ufurping reign'd: Thefe first in Crete, And Ida known, thence on the fnowy top Of cold Olympus rul'd the middle air, Their highest Heav'n; or on the Delphian Cliff, Or in Dodona, and thro' all the bounds
Of Doric Land; or who with Saturn old Fled over Adria to th' Hefperian Fields, And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmoft Ifles.
All these and more came flocking, but with looks Down-caft and damp; yet fuch wherein appear'd Obfcure fome glimpfe of joy, to have found their Chief
Not in despair, to have found themselves not loft In lofs it felf; which on his count'nance caft
Nec minùs ingenti dubius color ora pererrat
Ductori; faftum at folitum, mora nulla, refumens, Excelfafque crepans voces Simulator Honesti Mendaci fluit eloquio, & languentia corda Erigit, infpiratque animos, abigitque timores. Deinde jubet, fimul altifonans lituique tubæque Bellicus infremuit Clangor, Regale levari Vexillum: hos fibi procerus pofcebat honores Signifer Azazal: rutilæ circundata virgæ Explicuit, latéque ardentem evolvere scenam Imperii figna alta dedit: velut aere fummo Stella facem ducens longo micat ignea tractu, Sic fublatum altè fpatiosâ vefte per auras Vexillum immenfum patuit, radiante Seraphum Picta trophæa sinu & ftellata Infignia pandens. Jamque tuba exultat flatu; fonat ære canoro Martia Vox; tum verò altum dant Agmina juncta Clamorem, concuffa Erebi quo concava, & imæ
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. Then ftrait commands that at the warlike found Of Trumpets loud, and Clarions, be uprear'd His mighty Standard: that proud honour claim'd Azazel as his right, a Cherub tall;
Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd
Th' Imperial Enfign; which full high advanc'd Shone like a Meteor ftreaming to the Wind, With Gems and Golden Luftre rich imblaz'd, Seraphic Arms and Trophies; all the while Sonorous metal blowing Martial Sounds: At which the univerfal Hoft up fent
A fhout that tore Hell's Concave, and beyond Frighted the Reign of Chaos and old Night. All in a moment thro' the gloom were seen
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