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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

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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