While to their native land with joy they hafte,
As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft,
When to the promis'd land their Fathers pafs'd;
To his due time and providence I leave them. 440
So'fpake Ifrael's true King; and to the Fiend
Made answer meet, that
at made void all his wiles.
So fares it when with truth falfhood contends.
Erplex'd and troubled at his bad fuccefs
The Tempter flood, nor had what to reply,
Discover'd in his fraud, thrown from his hope,
So oft, and the perfwafive Rhetoric
That fleek'd his tongue, and won fo much on Eve, s
So little here, nay loft; but Eve was Eve,
This far his over-match, who felf deceiv'd
And rafh, before hand had no better weigh'd
The ftrength he was to cope with, or his own:
But as a man who had been matchlefs held
In cunning, over-reach'd where leaft he thought,
To fave his credit, and for very spight
Still will be tempting him who foyls him ftill,
And never ceafe, though to his fhame the more;
Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time,
About the wine-prefs where fweet mouft is powr'd,
Beat off, returns as oft with humming found;
Or furging waves against a folid rock,
Though all to hivers dash'd, th' affault renew,
Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end;
So Satan, whom repulfe upon repulfe
Met ever; and to shameful filence brought,
Yet gives not o'er though desp’rate of fuccefs,
And his vain importunity purfues.
He brought our Saviour to the Western fide
Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long, but in breadth not wide,
Wah'd by the Southern Sea, and on the North
To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills
That fcreen'd the fruits of th' earth and feats of men
From cold Septentrion blasts, thence in the midst 31
Divided by a river, of whofe banks
On each fide an Imperial City ftood,
With Tow'rs and Temples proudly elevate
On fev'n fmall Hills, with Palaces adorn'd,
Porches and Theatres, Baths, Aqueducts,
Statues and Trophies, and Triumphal Arcs,
Gardens and Groves prefented to his eyes,
Above the heighth of Mountains interpos'd.
By what ftrange Parallax or Optick skill
Of vision multiply'd through Air, or Glass
Of Telescope, were curious to enquire:
And now the Tempter thus his filence broke.
The City which thou feeft no other deem
Than great and glorious Rome, Queen of the Earth
So far renown'd, and with the fpoils enricht
Of Nations; there the Capitol thou feeft
Above the reft lifting his ftately head
On the Tarpeian Rock, her Cittadel
Impregnable, and there Mount Palatine
Th' Imperial Palace, compafs huge, and high
The Structure, skill of nobleft Architects,
With gilded battlements, confpicuous far,
Turrets and Terrafes, and glitt'ring Spires.
Many a fair Edifice befides, more like
Houfes of Gods (fo well I have difpos'd
My Airy Microscope) thou may'ft behold-
Outfide and infide both, pillars and roofs
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd Artificers
In Cedar, Marble, Ivory or Gold.
Thence to the Gates caft round thine eye, and fee
What conflux iffuing forth, or entring in,
Pretors, Proconfuls to their Provinces
Hafting or on return, in robes of State;
Lictors and rods the enfigns of their pow'r,
Legions and Cohorts, turmes of horse and wings:
Or Embaffies from Regions far remote
In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on th' Emilian, fome from fartheft South, and where the shadow both way falls,
Meroe Nilotic Ifle, and more to Weft,
The Realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor Sea;
From th' Afian Kings and Parthian among these, From India and the golden Cherfoness,
And utmost Indian Ile Taprobane,
Dusk faces with white filken Turbants wreath'd: From Gallia, Gades, and the Brittish Weft, Germans and Scythians, and Sarmatians North
Beyond Danubius to the Tauric Pool.
All Nations now to Rome obedience pay,
To Rome's great Emperor, whofe wide domain
In ample Territory, wealth and pow'r,
Civility of manners, Arts, and Arms,
And long Renown thou justly may'st prefer
Before the Parthian; these two Thrones except, 85
The rest are barb'rcus, and scarce worth the fight.
Shar'd among petty Kings too far remov'd;
These having fhewn thee, I have fhewn 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 Capres an Ifland small but ftrong
On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there
His horrid lufts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked Favourite
All publick cates, and yet of him fufpicious,
Hated of all, and hating; with what ease
Indu'd with Regal Virtues as thou art,
Appearing and beginning noble deeds,
Mightft thou expel this Monster from his Throne
Now made a ftye, and in his place afcending
A victor, people free from fervile yoke?
And with my help thou may'st; to me the pow'r
Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no lefs than all the world,
Aim at the higheft, without the highest attain'd
Will be for thee no fitting, or not long
On David's Throne, he prophefy'd what will,
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