For him I was not sent, nor yet to free That people victor once, now vile and base, Deservedly made vaffal, 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 luft and rapin; first ambitious grown Of triumph, that infulting vanity;
Then cruel, by their sports to blood inur'd Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd, 140 Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier ftill, And from the daily scene effeminate.
What wife and valiant man would feek to free These thus degenerate, by themselves inslav'd, Or could of inward slaves make outward free? 145 Know therefore when my season comes to fit 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, 150 And of my kingdom there shall be no end: Means there fhall be to this, but what the means,
Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell. To whom the Tempter impudent reply'd. I fee all offers made by me how flight Thou valuest, because offer'd, and reject'ft: Nothing will please the difficult and nice, Or nothing more than ftill to contradict:
On th' other fide know alfo 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'ft, The kingdoms of the world to thee I give; For giv'n 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 fuperior lord, Eafily done, and hold them all of me; For what can lefs fo great a gift deserve?
Whom thusour Saviour anfwer'd with disdain.
I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers lefs,
Now both abhor, fince thou haft dar'd to utter Th' abominable terms, impious condition; But I indure the time, till which expir'd, Thou haft permiffion on me. It is written The first of all commandments, Thou shalt worship The Lord thy God, and only him fhalt ferve; And dar'ft 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 blafphemous? which expect to rue. The kingdoms of the world to thee were given, Permitted rather, and by thee ufurp'd; Other donation none thou canst produce:
If giv'n, by whom but by the King of kings, 185 God over all fupreme? if giv'n to thee,
By thee how fairly is the giver now Repaid? But gratitude in thee is loft Long fince. 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 damn'd.
Wert thou fo void of fear or shame,
To whom the Fiend with fear abash'd reply'd. 195 Be not fo fore offended, Son of God, Though fons of God both Angels are and Men, If I to try whether in higher fort 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 befides 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 fo fatal, me it most concerns. The trial hath indamag'd thee no way, Rather more honor left and more esteem; Me nought advantag'd, miffing 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 canft, or not. And thou thyself seem'ft otherwise inclin'd Than to a worldly crown, addicted more To contemplation and profound difpute,
As by that early action may be judg'd, When flipping from thy mother's eye thou went'st Alone into the temple; there wast found Among the gravest Rabbies difputant
On points and questions fitting Mofes chair, Teaching not taught; the childhood fhows the man, As morning shows the day. Be famous then 220 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 Mofes Law, 225 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, Ruling 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 reafon with them, how refute Their idolisms, traditions, paradoxes?
Error by his own arms is best evinc'd.
Look once more ere we leave this specular mount Westward, much nearer by southwest, behold Where on the AEgean shore a city stands Built nobly, pure the air, and light the foil, Athens the eye of Greece, mother of arts And eloquence, native to famous wits Or hofpitable, in her sweet recefs, K 2
City' or fuburban, ftudious walks and shades; See there the olive grove of Academe, Plato's retirement, where the Attic bird
Trills her thick-warbled notes the fummer long; There flow'ry hill Hymettus with the found
Of bees industrious murmur oft invites
To ftudious mufing; there Iliffus rolls
His whisp'ring ftream: within the walls then-view The schools of ancient fages; his who bred Great Alexander to fubdue the world,
Lyceum there, and painted Stoa next :
There thou shalt hear and learn the fecret power Of harmony in tones and numbers hit
By voice or hand, and various-meafur'd verse, AEolian charms and Dorian lyric odes,
And his who gave them breath, but higher fung, Blind Melefigenes thence Homer call'd,
Whofe poem Phoebus challeng'd for his own. 260 Thence what the lofty grave tragedians taught In Chorus or Iambic, teachers best
Of moral prudence, with delight receiv'd In brief fententious precepts, while they treat Of fate, and chance, and change in human life; 265 High actions, and high paffions best describing: Thence to the famous orators repair,
Those ancient, whofe refiftless eloquence Wielded at will that fierce democratie,
Shook th' arsenal and fulmin'd over Greece, 270
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