20

Though all to fhivers dash'd, th' affault renew,
Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end;
So Satan, whom repulse upon repulse
Met ever, and to fhameful filence brought,
Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of success,
And his vain importunity pursues.

25

He brought our Saviour to the western fide
Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long but in breadth, not wide,
Wash'd by the fouthern 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 blasts, thence in the midst
Divided by a river, of whose banks

On each fide an imperial city flood,
With tow'rs and temples proudly elevate

35

40

On fev'n small 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 highth of mountains interpos'd:
By what ftrange 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 seeft no other deem
Than great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth
So far renown'd, and with the spoils enrich'd 46

Of

50

Of nations; there the capitol thou seest
Above the reft lifting his stately head
On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel
Impregnable, and there mount Palatine,
Th' imperial palace, compass huge, and high
The ftructure, 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'st behold
Outside and inside both, pillars and roofs,
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd artificers

In cedar, marble, ivory or gold.

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60

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, 65 Legions and cohorts, turms of horse 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' Asian kings and Parthian among these, From India and the golden Cherfonefe,

And

And utmost Indian ile Taprobane,

Dufk 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,

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80

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 shown thee, I have shown thee all
The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory.
This emp'ror hath no fon, and now is old,
Old and lascivious, and from Rome retir'd
To Capreæ an iland fmall but strong

On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there
His horrid lufts in private to enjoy
Committing to a wicked favorite

go

95

All public cares, and yet of him suspicious,
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 ftye, and in his place ascending
A victor people free from servile yoke?

And

105

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 less than all the world,
Aim at the high'eft, without the high'eft 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 sumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts
On citron tables or Atlantic stone,

115

(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 wafte 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 firft made him fuch?

Let his tormenter confcience find him out;

130

For

For him I was not fent, nor yet to free
That people victor once, now vile and base,
Defervedly made vaffal, who once juft,
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; firft ambitious grown
Of triumph, that infulting vanity;

135

Then cruel, by their sports to blood inur'd
Of fighting beafts, and men to beafts expos'd, 140
Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier still,
And from the daily scene effeminate.

What wife and valiant man would seek to free
These thus degenerate, by themselves inflav'd,
Or could of inward slaves make outward free? 145
Know therefore when my seafon comes to fit
On David's throne, it fhall be like a tree
Spreading and overfhadowing all the earth,
Or as a stone that shall to pieces dash

All monarchies befides 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 valueft, because offer'd, and reject'ft:
Nothing will please the difficult and nice,
Or nothing more than ftill to contradict:

155

On