Divided by a river, of whose banks
On each side an imperial city stood,
With towers and temples proudly elevate.
On seven small hills, with palaces adorn'd,,
Porches and theatres, baths, aqueducts,
Statues and trophies, and triumphal arcs,
Gardens and groves, presented to his eyes,.
Above the height of mountains interpos'd;
(By what strange parallax, or optic skill
Of vision multiplied through air or glass
Of telescope, were curious to enquire;)
And now the tempter thus his silence broke:

"The city which thou seest, no other deem
Than great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth,
So far renown'd, and with the spoils enrich'd
Of nations; there the capitol thou seest
Above the rest lifting his stately head
On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel.
Impregnable; and there Mount Palatine,
Th' imperial palace, compass huge, and high
The structure, skill of noblest architects,
With gilded battlements, conspicuous far,
Turrets and terraces, and glitt'ring spires,
Many a fair edifice besides, more like
Houses of gods (so well I have dispos'd.
My airy microscope,) thou may'st behold
Outside and inside both, pillars and roofs,
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd artificers.
In cedar, marble, ivory or gold..
Thence to the gates cast round thine eye, and see.
What conflux issuing forth, or entering in;
Prætors, proconsuls to their provinces
Hasting, or on return, in robes of state:
Lictors, and rods, the ensigns of their power,
Legions and cohorts, turms of horse and wings:
Or embassies from regions far remote
In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on th' Emilian; some from farthest south,
Syene, and where the shadow both ways falls,
Meroe Nilotic isle, and more to west,
The realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor sea;

From th' Asian kings, and Parthian among these,
From India and the golden Chersonese,
And utmost Indian isle Taprobane,
Dusk faces with white silken turbans wreath'd,
From Gallia, Gades, and the British west;
Germans and Scythians, and Sarmatians, north
Beyond Danubius to the Tauric pool.
All nations now to Rome obedience pay,
To Rome's great emperor, whose wide domain,
In ample territory, wealth and power,
Civility of manners, arts and arms,
And long renown, thou justly may'st prefer
Before the Parthian. These two thrones except,
The rest are barb'rous, and scarce worth the sight,
-Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd:
These having shown thee, I have shown thee all
The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory.
This emp'ror hath no son, and now is old,
Old and lascivious, and from Rome retir'd
To Capræ, an island small, but strong,
On the Campanian shore, with purpose there
His horrid lusts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked favourite
All public cares, and yet of him suspicious;
Hated of all, and hating. With what ease,
Endu'd with regal virtues, as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'st thou expel this monster from his throne,
Now made a sty, and in his place ascending,
A victor people free from servile yoke?
And with my help thou may'st: to me the power
Is given, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no less than all the world;
Aim at the highest; without the highest attain'd
Will be for thee no sitting, or not long,
On David's throne, be prophesied what will."

To whom the Son of God unmov'd replied:
"Nor doth this grandeur and majestic show
Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,
More than of arms before, allure mine eye,
Much less my mind; though thou shouldst add to tell
Their sumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts,
On citron tables or Atlantic stone,
(For I have also heard, perhaps have read,)
Their wines of Setia, Cales, and Falerne,
Chios, and Crete, and how they quaff in gold,
Crystal and myrrhine cups, emboss'd with gems
And studs of pearl; to me shouldst tell, who thirst
And hunger still: then embassies thou show'st
From nations far and nigh; what honour that,
But tedious waste of time, to sit and hear
So many hollow compliments and lies,
Outlandish flatteries? Then proceed'st to talk
Of th' emperor, how easily subdued,
How gloriously. 1 shall, thou say'st, expel
A brutal monster: what if I withal
Expel a devil who first made him such?
Let his tormentor conscience find him out:
For him I was not sent; nor yet to free
That people, vietor once, now vile and base,
Deservedly made vassal, who once just,
Frugal and mild, and temp'rate, conquer'd well,
But govern ill the nations under yoke,
Peeling their provinces, exhausted all
By lust and rapine? first ambitious grown
Of triumph that insulting vanity;
Then eruel, by their sports to blood inur'd
Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd;
Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier still,
And from the daily scene effeminate.

What wise and valiant man would seek to free
These thus degenerate, by themselves enslav'd
Or could of inward slaves make outward free?
Know therefore, when my season comes to sit
On David's throne, it shall be like a tree
Spreading and overshadowing all the earth;
Or as a stone that shall to pieces dash
All monarchies besides throughout the world;
And of my kingdom there shall be no end:
Means there shall be to this; but what the means,
Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell."

To whom the tempter impudent replied:

"I see all offers made by me how slight
Thon valuest, because offer'd, and reject'st;
Nothing will please thee difficult and nice,
Or nothing more than still to contradict:
On th' other side know also thou, that I
On what I offer set as high esteem,
Nor what I part with mean to give for nought;
All these, which in a moment thou behold'st,
The kingdoms of the world to thee I give
(For given to me, I give to whom I please)
No trifle; yet with this reserve, not else,
On this condition, if thou wilt fall down,
And worship me as thy superior lord,
Easily done, and hold them all of me;
For what can less so great a gift deserve?"

Whom thus our Saviour answer'd with disdain:
" I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers less,
Now both ahhor, since thou hast dar'd to utter
Th' abominable terms, impious condition;
But I endure the time, till which expir'd,
Thou hast permission on me.

It is written The first of all commandments, Thou shalt worship The Lord thy God, and only him shalt serve;' And dar'st thou to the Son of God propound To worship thee accurs'd, now more accurs'd For this attempt, bolder than that on Eve, And more blasphemous? which expect to rue. The kingdoms of the world to thee were given, Permitted rather, and by thee usurp'd; Other donation none thou canst produce. If given, by whom, but by the King of kings, God over all supreme? if given to thee, By thee how fairly is the giver now Repaid! But gratitude in thee is lost Long since. Wert thou so void of fear or shame, As offer them to me, the Son of God, To me my own, on such abhorred pact, That I fall down and worship thee as God? Get thee behind me; plain thou now appear'st That evil one, Satan for ever damm'd."

To whom the fiend, with fear abash'd, replied:

"Be not so sore offended, Son of God,
(Though sons of God both angels are and men,)
If I, to try whether in higher sort
Than these thou bear'st that title, have propos'd
What both from men and angels I receive,
Tetrarchs of fire, air, flood, and on the earth,
Nations besides from all the quarter'd winds,
God of this world invok'd, and world beneath:
Who then thou art, whose coming is foretold
To me se fatal, me it most concerns.
The trial hath indamag'd thee no way,
Rather more honour left and more esteem;
Me nought advantag'd, missing what I aim'd.
Therefore let pass as they are transitory,
The kingdoms of this world; I shall no more
Advise thee; gain them as thou caust, or not.
And thou thyself seem'st otherwise inclin'd
Than to a worldly crown, addicted more
To contemplation and profound dispute,
As by that early action may be judg'd,
When, slipping from thy mother's eye, thou went'st
Alone into the temple; there was found
Among the gravest Rabbies, disputant
On points and questions fitting Moses' chair,
Teaching, not taught. The childhood shows the man
As morning shows the day. Be famous then
By wisdom; as thy empire must extend,
So let extend thy mind, o'er all the world
In knowledge, all things in it comprehend:
All knowledge is not couch'd in Moses' law,
The Pentateuch, or what the prophets wrote:
The Gentiles also know, and write and teach
To admiration, led by Nature's light;
And with the Gentiles much thou must converse,
Rawling them by persuasion, as thou mean'st;
Without their learning how wilt thou with them
Or they with thee, hold conversation meet?
How wilt thou reason with them, bow refute
Their idolisms, traditions, paradoxes?
Error by his own arms is best evinc'd.

Look once more, ere we leave this specular mount,