From Aroar to Nebo, and the wild
Of fouthmost Abarim; in Hefebon

And Horonaim, Seon's realm, beyond
The flow'ry dale of Sibma clad with vines,

410

And Eleäle to the Afphaltic pool.

Peor his other name, when he entic'd

:

415

Ifrael in Sittim on their march from Nile
To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe.
Yet thence his lustful orgies he enlarg'd
Even to that hill of scandal, by the grove
Of Moloch homicide, lust hard by hate;
Till good Iofiah drove them thence to Hell.
With these came they, who from the bord'ring flood
Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts
Aegypt from Syrian ground, had general names
Of Baälim and Afhtaroth; those male,

420

These feminine. For Spirits when they please

Can either fex affume, or both; so oft

And uncompounded is their effence pure,

425

Not ty'd or manacled with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose

Can execute their airy purposes,

430

Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure,

And works of love or enmity fulfil.

For those the race of Ifrael oft forsook
Their living strength, and unfrequented left
His righteous altar, bowing lowly down

To bestial Gods; for which their heads as low 435
Bow'd down in battel, funk before the spear
Of defpicable foes. Whith these in troop
Came Aftoreth, whom the Phœnicians call'd
Aftarte, queen of Heaven, with crescent horns;
To whose bright image nightly by the moon
Sidonian virgins paid their vows and fongs,

In Sion also not unfung, where stood
Her temple on th' offensive mountain, built
By that uxorious King, whose heart tho' large,

440

Be

Beguil'd by fair idolatresses, fell
To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind,
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allur'd
The Syrian Damsels to lament his fate
In am'rous ditties all a summer's day,
While fmooth Adonis from his native rock
Ran purple to the fea, suppos'd with blood
Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale
Infected Sion's daughters with like heat,
Whose wanton paffions in the sacred porch
Ezekiel saw, when by the vision led
His eyes survey'd the dark idolatries
Of alienated Judah. Next came one
Who mourn'd in earnest, when the captive ark
Maim'd his brute image, head and hands lopt off
In his own temple, on the grunsel edge,
Where be fell flat, and sham'd his worshippers;
Dagon his name, sea-monster, upward man
And downward fish: yet had his temple high
Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coast
Of Palestine, in Gath, and Ascalon,
And Accaron, and Gaza's frontier bounds.
Him follow'd Rimmon, whose delightful feat
Was fair Damascus, on the fertil banks
Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid streams.
He also against the house of God was bold:
A leper once he loft, and gain'd a king,
Ahaz his fottish conqu'ror, whom he drew
God's altar to disparage and displace,
For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn

1

445

450

455

460

465

470

His odious offerings, and adore the Gods
Whom he had vanquish'd. After these appear'd

475

A crew who under names of old renown,

Ofiris, Ifis, Orus, and their train,

With monstrous shapes and forceries abus'd

Fanatic. Aegypt and her priests, to seek

480

Their wand'ring Gods difguis'd in brutish forms.

Rather than human. Nor did Ifrael 'scape

From

Th' infection, when their borrow'd gold compos'd

The calf in Oreb; and the rebel king
Doubled that fin in Bethel and in Dan,

485

Likening his Maker to the grazed ox,

Jehovah, who in one night when he pafs'd
From Aegypt marching, equal'd with one stroke
Both her firft-born and all her bleating Gods.
Belial came last, than whom a spirit more lewd
Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love

490

Vice for itself: to him no temple stood
Or altar fmoak'd; yet who more oft than he
In temples and at altars, when the priest
Turns atheist, as did Eli's fons, who fill'd
With luft and violence the house of God?

495

In courts and palaces he also reigns
And in luxurious cities, where the noise
Of riot afcends above their loftiest towers,
And injury and outrage: and when night
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the fons
Of Belial, flown with infolence and wine.
Witness the streets of Sodom, and that night
In Gibeah, when the hospitable door
Expos'd a matron to avoid worse rape.

500

505

These were the prime in order and in might; The rest were long to tell, tho' far renown'd: Th' Ionian Gods, of Javan's issue held Gods, yet confefs'd later than Heav'n and Earth, Their boafted parents. Titan, heav'ns first-born, 510 With his enormous brood, and birthright seis'd By younger Saturn; he from mightier Jove His own and Rhea's fon like measure found; So Jove ufurping reign'd: these first in Crete And Ida known, thence on the snowy top

515

Of cold Olympus rul'd the middle air,
Their highest Heav'n; or on the Delphian cliff,

Or in Dodona, and through all the bounds
Of Doric land; or who with Saturn old

Fled

Fled over Adria to the Hesperian fields,
And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmost isles.

520

All these and more came flocking, but with looks

Down-caft and damp, yet fuch wherein appear'd
Oscure fome glimpse of joy, to have found their Chief
Not in defpair, to have found themselves not loft 525
In lofs itself; which on his count'nance caft
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 dispell'd their fears. 530
Then strait commands that at the warlike found
Of trumpets loud, and clarions, be uprear'd
His mighty standard: that proud honor claim'd
Azazel as hi right, a Cherub tall;

540

Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd 535
Th' imperial enseign; which full high advanc'd,
Shone like a meteor streaming to the wind,
With gems and golden luftre rich imblaz'd,
Seraphic arms and trophies: all the while
Sonorous metal blowing martial founds:
At which the universal host up fent
A shout that tore Hell's concave; and beyond
Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night.
All in a moment thro' the gloom were feen
Ten thousand banners rife into the air
With orient colours waving: with them rose
A foreft huge of spears; and thronging helms
Appear'd, and ferried shields in thick array,
Of depth immeafurable: anon they move
In perfect Phalanx to the Dorian mood
Of flutes, and foft recorders; fuch as rais'd
To height of noblest temper Heroes old
Arming to battel; and instead of rage,
Deliberate valor breath'd, firm, and unmov'd
With dread of death to flight or foul retreat;

545

550

555

Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage,

With folemn touches, troubled thoughts, and chafe

B

An

570

575

Anguish, and doubt, and fear, and forrow, and pain,
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they goid s०८
Breathing united force, with fixed, thought 1091 1560
Mov'd on in filence to foft pipes, that charmins
Their painful steps o'er the burnt foil: and now
Advanc'd in view, they stand, a horrid front wil d
Of dreadful length, and dazling arms, in guise died
Of warriors old with order'd spear and shield, sids
Awaiting what command their mighty Chief Dadarov
Had to impose: he thro' the armed files
Darts his experienc'd eye, and foon traverse a brA
The whole battalion views their order due;
Their visages and stature as of Gods;
Their number last he sums. And now his heart
Distends with pride, and hard'ning in his strength
Glories: for never fince, created man
Met such imbodied force, as nam'd with these
Could merit more than that fimall infantry
Warr'd on by cranes: tho' all the Giant brood
Of Phlegra with th' Heroic race were join'd,
That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each fide
Mix'd with auxiliar Gods: and what resounds
In fable or romance of Uther's fon,
Begirt with British and Armoric Knights;
And all who fince, baptiz'd or infidel,
Jousted in Afpramont or Montalban,
Damafco, or Marocco, or Trebisond;
Or whom Biserta fent from Afric shore,
When Charlemain with all his Peerage fell
By Fontarabbia. Thus far these beyond
Compare of mortal prowess, yet obferv'd
Their dread commander: he, above the rest
In shape and gesture proudly eminent,
Stood like a tow'r: his form had yet not loft
All her original brightness, nor appear'd
Less than Arch-Angel ruin'd, and th' excess
Of glory obscur'd: as when the Sun new-ris'n
Looks thro' the horizontal misty air,

TO

A

580

585

590