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Built by Emathian, or by Parthian hands,
The great Seleucia, Nisibis, and there
Artaxata, Teredon, Ctesiphon,
Turning with easy eye thou may'st behold.
All these the Parthian, now some ages past,
By great Arsaces led, who founded first
That empire, under his dominion holds,
From the luxurious kings of Antioch won.
And just in time thou com'st to have a view

Of this great power; for now the Parthian king
In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his host

Against the Scythian, whose incursions wild
Have wasted Sogdiana; to her aid

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He marches now in haste; see, though from far,

His thousands, in what martial equipage

They issue forth, steel bows and shafts their arms,

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Of equal dread in flight, or in pursuit;

All horsemen, in which fight they most excel;
See how in warlike muster they appear,

In rhombs and wedges, and half-moons, and wings.
He look'd, and saw what numbers numberless

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The city gates out-pour'd, light armed troops

In coats of mail and military pride;

In mail their horses clad, yet fleet and strong,

Prancing their riders bore, the flower and choice

Of many provinces from bound to bound;

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From Arachosia, from Candaor east,

And Margiana to the Hyrcanian cliffs
Of Caucasus, and dark Iberian dales,

From Atropatia and the neighbouring plains
Of Adiabene, Media, and the south

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Of Susiana, to Balsara's haven.

He saw them in their forms of battle ranged,

How quick they wheel'd, and flying behind them shot

Sharp sleet of arrowy showers against the face

Of their pursuers, and overcame by flight;

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The field all iron cast a gleaming brown:

Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn
Cuirassiers all in steel for standing fight,
Chariots or elephants indorsed with towers
Of archers, nor of labouring pioneers
A multitude, with spades and axes arm'd
To lay hills plain, fell woods, or valleys fill,
Or where plain was, raise hill, or overlay
With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke;
Mules after these, camels and dromedaries,
And waggons fraught with útensils of war.
Such forces met not, nor so wide a camp,
When Agrican with all his northern powers
Besieged Albracca, as romances tell,

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The city of Gallaphrone, from whence to win
The fairest of her sex, Angelica

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His daughter, sought by many prowest knights,
Both Paynim, and the peers of Charlemain.
Such and so numerous was their chivalry;
At sight whereof the Fiend yet more presumed,
And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd:

That thou may'st know I seek not to engage
Thy virtue, and not every way secure

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On no slight grounds thy safety; hear and mark

To what end I have brought thee hither, and shown

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All this fair sight: thy kingdom, though foretold

By prophet or by angel, unless thou

Endeavour, as thy father David did,
Thou never shalt obtain, prediction still
In all things, and all men, supposes means;
Without means used, what it predicts revokes.
But say thou wert possess'd of David's throne
By free consent of all, none opposite,
Samaritan or Jew; how could'st thou hope
Long to enjoy it quiet and secure,

Between two such inclosing enemies,

Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these

Thou must make sure thy own, the Parthian first

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By my advice, as nearer, and of late

Found able by invasion to annoy

Thy country, and captive lead away her kings

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Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound,

Maugre the Roman: it shall be my task

To render thee the Parthian at dispose:

Choose which thou wilt by conquest or by league.

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By him thou shalt regain, without him not,
That which alone can truly reinstall thee
In David's royal seat, his true successor,
Deliverance of thy brethren, those Ten Tribes
Whose offspring in his territory yet serve,
In Habor, and among the Medes dispersed;
Ten sons of Jacob, two of Joseph lost
Thus long from Israel, serving as of old
Their fathers in the land of Egypt served,
This offer sets before thee to deliver.

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These if from servitude thou shalt restore
To their inheritance, then, nor till then,
Thou on the throne of David in full glory,
From Egypt to Euphrates, and beyond,

Shalt reign, and Rome or Cæsar need not fear.

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To whom our Saviour answer'd thus unmoved:
Much ostentation vain of fleshly arm,
And fragile arms, much instrument of war,
Long in preparing, soon to nothing brought,
Before mine eyes thou hast set; and in my ear
Vented much policy, and projects deep
Of enemies, of aids, battles, and leagues,
Plausible to the world, to me worth nought.
Means I must use, thou say'st, prediction else
Will unpredict and fail me of the throne:

My time I told thee (and that time for thee
Were better farthest off) is not yet come:
When that comes, think not thou to find me slack
On my part aught endeavouring, or to need
Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome

Milton's Poetical Works.

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Luggage of war there shown me, argument

Of human weakness rather than of strength.

My brethren, as thou call'st them, those Ten Tribes
I must deliver, if I mean to reign

David's true heir, and his full sceptre sway

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To just extent over all Israel's sons.

But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then
For Israel, or for David, or his throne,

When thou stood'st up his tempter to the pride
Of numbering Israël, which cost the lives
Of threescore and ten thousand Israelites
By three days' pestilence? such was thy zeal
To Israel then, the same that now to me!

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Besides their other worse than heathenish crimes;
Nor in the land of their captivity

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Humbled themselves, or penitent besought

The God of their forefathers; but so died
Impenitent, and left a race behind

Like to themselves, distinguishable scarce
From Gentiles, but by circumcision vain,
And God with idols in their worship join'd.
Should I of these the liberty regard,

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Who, freed, as to their ancient patrimony,
Unhumbled, unrepentant, unreform'd,

Headlong would follow; and to their gods perhaps
Of Bethel and of Dan? no, let them serve
Their enemies, who serve idols with God.
Yet he at length, time to himself best known,
Remembering Abraham, by some wondrous call
May bring them back repentant and sincere,
And at their passing cleave th' Assyrian flood,
While to their native land with joy they haste;

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As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft,
When to the Promised Land their fathers pass'd;
To his due time and providence I leave them.

So spake Israel's true King, and to the Fiend
Made answer meet, that made void all his wiles.
So fares it when with Truth Falsehood contends.

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