Of Moloch homicide, luft hard by hate; Till good Jofiah drove them thence to Hell. Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names her boughs unto the Jea, and her branches unto the river, that is from the Mediterranean to the river Euphrates to the brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground, most probably the brook Befor mention'd in Scripture, near Rhinocolura, which city is affign'd fometimes to Syria and fometimes to Egypt. 420 425 Nor about the operation of Demons, where a story is related of a Demon's appearing in the fhape of a woman; and upon this a doubt is rais'd whether fome Demons are males, and others females; and it is afferted that they can affume ei-` ther fex, and take what shape and color they please, and contract or dilate themselves at pleasure, as 422. Baälim and Afbtaroth,] Thefe they are of an aery nature. So nas are properly named together, as εκας γε αυτών, τότε σωμα they frequently are in Scripture; @ei ὁ αν αίροι το χημα μετατυ and there were many Baälim and πώσας, και χρώματα τιθ many Afbtarath; they were the ge- TPO TO TO TWμATO εεαneral names of the Gods and Goddeffes of Syria, Palestine, and the neighbouring countries. It is fuppofed that by them is meant the fun and the host of Heaven. 423. For Spirits when they pleafe &c.] Thefe notions about Spirits feem to have been borrow'd from Michael Pfellus his dialogue νιχων περας, ποτε μεν ὡς ανηρ εμφανίζεται, ποτε δε προς γυ να μεταβαλλες μορφην &c. Se Μιχαηλο το Ψελλο περι ενεργειας δαιμονων διαλογΘ. p. 70.77 Edit. Lutet. Parif. 1615. Such an extraordinary fcholar was Milton, and fuch ufe he made of all forts of authors. 437. With Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones, Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose Dilated or condens'd, bright or obscure, Can execute their aery purposes, 1 430 And works of love or enmity fulfil. For those the race of Ifrael oft forfook Their living strength, and unfrequented left 17, 18. 437. With thefe in troop &c.] Aftareth or Aftarte was the Goddefs of the Phoenicians, and the moon was adored under this name. She is rightly faid to come in troop with Afhtaroth, as fhe was one of them, the moon with the ftars. Sometimes fhe is called queen of Heaven, Jer. VII. 18. and XLIV. She is likewife called the Goddess of the Zidonians, 1 Kings XI. 5. and the abomination of the Zidonians, 2 Kings XXIII. 13. as fhe was worshipped very much in Zidon or Sidon, a famous city of the Phænicians, fituated upon the Mediterranean. Solomon, who had many wives that were foreigners, was prevail'd upon by them to introduce the worship of this Goddefs into Ifrael, 1 Kings XI. 5. and built her temple on the mount of Olives, which on account of this and other idols is called the 435 Of mountain of corruption, 2 Kings XXIII. 13. as here by the poet th' offenfive mountain, and before that opprobrious hill, and that bill of fcandal. 446. Thammuz came next &c. ] The account of Thammuz is finely romantic, and suitable to what we read among the Ancients of the worship which was paid to that idol. The reader will pardon me, if I infert as a note on this beautiful paffage, the account given us by the late ingenious Mr. Maundrel of this ancient piece of worfhip, and probably the firft occafion of fuch a fuperftition. " We 66 came to a fair large river "doubtless the ancient river Ado"nis, fo famous for the idolatrous "rites performed here in lamenta"tion of Adonis. We had the "fortune to see what may be sup"pofed to be the occasion of that ❝ opinion Of defpicable foes. With thefe in troop By that uxorious king, whose heart though large, To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind, opinion which Lucian relates, "viz. that this ftream at certain feafons of the year, efpecially "about the feast of Adonis, is of "a bloody color; which the Hea. "thens looked upon as proceed ing from a kind of fympathy in "the river for the death of Adonis, "who was kill'd by a wild boar "in the mountains, out of which this ftream rifes. Something "like this we faw actually come to pafs; for the water was ftain'd "to a furprising rednefs; and as we obferved in traveling, had difcolor'd the fea a great way "into a reddish hue, occafion'd doubtless by a fort of minium 66 or red earth, wafh'd into the "river by the violence of the rain, and not by any ftain from Ado"nis's blood." Addifon. Thammuz was the God of the Syrians, the fame with Adonis, who 440 445 Whose according to the traditions died every year and reviv'd again. He was flain by a wild boar in mount Lebanon, from whence the river Adonis defcends: and when this river began to be of a reddish hue, as it did at a certain feafon of the year, this was their fignal for celebrating their Adonia or feafts of Adonis, and the women made loud lamentations for him, fuppofing the river was difcolor'd with his blood. The like idolatrous rites were transferred to Jerufalem, where Ezekiel faw the women lamenting Tammuz, Ezek. VIII. 13, 14. He faid alfo unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt fee greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's houfe, which was towards the north, and behold there fat women weeping for Tammuz. Dr. Pemberton in his Obfervations Whose annual wound in Lebanon allur'd The Syrian damfels to lament his fate 450 455 Who his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the bead of Dagon and both the palms of his bands were cut off upon the threshold (upon the grunfel or groundfil edge, as Milton expreffes it, on the edge of the footpoft of his temple gate) only the fump of Dagon was left to him as we read 1 Sam. V. 4. Learned men are by no means agreed in their accounts of this idol. Some derive the name from Dagan which fignifies corn, as if he was the inventor of it; others from Dag, which fignifies a fifh, and reprefent him accordingly with the upper part of a man, and the lower part of a fifh. Our author follows the latter opinion, which is that commonly receiv'd, and has besides the authority of the learned Selden. This Dagon is called in Scripture the Who mourn'd in earnest, when the captive ark And downward fish: yet had his temple high And Accaron and Gaza's frontier bounds. the God of the Philiftines, and was worshipped in the five principal cities of the Philistines, mention'd 1 Sam. VI. 17. Azotus or Afhdod where he had a temple as we read in 1 Sam. V. Gath, and Afcalon, and Accaron, or Ekron, and Gaza where they had facrifices and feaftings in honor of him. Judg. XVI. Gaza's frontier bounds, fays the poet, as it was the fouthern extremity of the promis'd land toward Egypt. It is mention'd by Mofes as the fouthern point of the land of Canaan. Gen. X. 19. 467. Him follow'd Rimmon, &c.] Rimmon was a God of the Syrians, but it is not certain what he was, or why fo call'd. We only know that he had a temple at Damafcus, 2 Kings V. 18. the most celebrated city of Syria, on the banks of Ab 460 465 Of bana and Pharphar, rivers of Damafcus, as they are called 2 Kings V. 12. A leper once he loft, Naaman the Syrian who was cur'd of his leprofy by Elisha, and who for that reafon refolv'd thenceforth to offer neither burnt-offering nor facrifice to any other God, but unto the Lord, 2 Kings V. 17. And gain'd a king, Abaz his fottish conqueror, who with the affiftance of the king of Affyria having taken Damafcus, faw there an altar, and fent a pattern of it to Jerufalem to have another made by it, directly contrary to the command of God, who had appointed what kind of altar he would have (Exod. XXVII. 1, 2, &c.) and had order'd that no other fhould be made of any matter or figure whatsoever. Ahaz however upon his return remov'd the altar |