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 perfuafive rhetoric
That fleek'd his tongue, and won fo much on Eve, 5
So little here, nay loft; but Eve was Eve,
This far is over-match, who felf-deceiv'd
And rash, before-hand had no better weigh'd
The strength he was to cope with, or his own:
But as a man who had been matchless held
In cunning, over-reach'd where leaft he thought,
To falve his credit, and for very spite,
Still will be tempting him who foils him ftill,
And never ceafe, though to his fhame the more;
Or as a fwarm of flies in vintage time,
About the wine-prefs where sweet muft is pour'd,
Beat off, returns as oft with humming found;
Or furging waves against a folid rock,
I 2
Though all to fhivers dash'd, th' assault renew,
Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end;
So Satan, whom repulfe upon repulse
Met ever, and to shameful filence brought,
Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of fuccefs,
And his vain importunity pursues.
He brought our Saviour to the western side
Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long but in breadth not wide,
Wash'd by the southern sea, and on the north
To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills,
That screen'd the fruits of th' earth and feats of men 30
From cold Septentrion blafts, thence in the midft
Divided by a river, of whose banks
On each fide an imperial city stood,
With tow'rs and temples proudly elevate
On fev'n 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 highth of mountains interpos'd:
By what strange parallax or optic skill
Of vision multiply'd through air, or glass
Of telescope, were curious to inquire:
And now the Tempter thus his filence 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 46
Of nations; there the capitol thou feeft
Above the reft lifting his ftately head
On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel
Impregnable, and there mount Palatine,
Th' imperial palace, compass huge, and high
The structure, skill of nobleft architects,
With gilded battlements, confpicuous far,
Turrets and terrafes, and glitt'ring fpires.
Many a fair edifice befides, more like
Houses of Gods, (fo well I have difpos'd
My aery microscope) thou may'ft 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 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 ftate;
Lictors and rods, the enfigns of their pow'r, 65
Legions and cohorts, turms of horfe and wings:
Or embaffies from regions far remote
In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on th' Emilian, fome from fartheft fouth,
Syene', and where the shadow both way falls, 70
Meroe Nilotic ile, and more to weft,
The realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor fea;
From th' Afian kings and Parthian among thefe,
From India and the golden Cherfonese,
And utmost Indian ile Taprobane,
Dusk faces with white filken turbants 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; those two thrones except, 85
The rest are barb'rous, and scarce worth the fight,
Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd;
These having fhown 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 lafcivious, and from Rome retir'd
To Capreæ an iland small but strong
On the Campanian shore, with purpose there
His horrid lufts in private to enjoy
Committing to a wicked favorite
All public cares, and yet of him fufpicious,
Hated of all, and hating; with what ease,
Indued with regal virtues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'ft thou expel this monster from his throne 100
Now made a flye, and in his place afcending
A victor people free from fervile yoke?
And with my help thou may'ft; to me the power
Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no lefs than all the world,
Aim at the high'eft, without the high'est attain'd
Will be for thee no fitting, or not long,
On David's throne, be prophecy'd what will.
To whom the Son of God unmov'd reply'd.
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 should'ft add to tell
Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feafts
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 imbofs'd with gems
And ftuds of pearl, to me should'ft tell who thirst 120
And hunger ftill: then embaffies thou show'st
From nations far and nigh; what honor that,
But tedious waste of time to fit and hear
So many hollow compliments and lies,
Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'ft to talk 125
Of th' emperor, how eafily fubdued,
How gloriously; I fhall, thou fay'st, expel
A brutish monster: what if I withal
Expel a Devil who first made him fuch?
Let his tormenter confcience find him out;
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