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Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes.
But fay thou wert poffefs'd of David's throne
By free consent of all, none oppofit,
Samaritan or Jew; how could'st thou hope
Long to enjoy it quiet and fecure,

Between two such inclosing enemies

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Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these

her kings

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Thou must make fure thy own, the Parthian first
By my advice, as nearer, and of late
Found able by invafion to annoy
Thy country', and captive lead away
Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound,
Maugre the Roman: it shall be my task
To render thee the Parthian at difpofe;

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Choose which thou wilt by conqueft or by league.
By him thou shalt regain, without him not,
That which alone can truly reinstall thee

thians indeed led Hyrcanus away captive to Seleucia, after his eyes were put out, and when he was paft 70 years of age, fo that he might well be called old Hyrcanus: but instead of leading away Antigonus captive, they conftituted him king of the Jews, and he was afterwards depriv'd of his kingdom

In

by the Romans. See Jofephus Antiq. Lib. 14. cap. 13. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 1. cap. 13. But it should be confidered that Milton himself was old and blind, and compofing from memory he might fall into fuch a mistake, which may be pardon'd among fo excellences,

many

376. In

In David's royal feat, his true fucceffor,
Deliverance of thy brethren, those ten tribes
Whofe ofspring in his territory yet serve,
In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd;
Ten fons of Jacob, two of Jofeph loft
Thus long from Ifrael, ferving as of old
Their fathers in the land of Egypt ferv'd,
This offer fets before thee to deliver.
Thefe if from fervitude thou fhalt restore
To their inheritance, then, nor till then,
Thou on the throne of David in full glory,
From Egypt to Euphrates and beyond

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Shalt reign, and Rome or Cæfar not need fear. 385 To whom our Saviour answer'd thus unmov'd.

Much oftentation vain of fleshly arm,

And fragil arms, much inftrument of war

376. In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd;] Thefe were the ten tribes, whom Shalmanefer king of Affyria, carried captive unto Affyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 2 Kings XVIII. 11. which cities were now under the dominion of the Parthians.

384. From Egypt to Euphrates]

Long

That is the kingdom of Ifrael in its utmoft extent; for thus the land was promis'd to Abraham, Gen. XV. 18. Unto thy feed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt, unto the great river, the river Euphrates: and the extent of Solomon's kingdom is thus defcrib'd, 1 Kings IV. 21. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river (Euphrates) unto the land

of

Long in preparing, foon to nothing brought,

Before mine eyes thou' haft fet; and in my ear 399 Vented much policy, and projects deep

395

Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues,
Plaufible to the world, to me worth nought.
Means I must use, thou fay'ft, prediction elfe
Will unpredict and fail me of the throne:
My time I told thee (and that time for thee
Were better fartheft off) is not yet come :
When that comes, think not thou to find me flack
On my part ought endevoring, or to need
Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome
Luggage of war there shown me, argument
Of human weakness rather than of strength.
My brethren, as thou call'ft them, those ten tribes
I muft deliver, if I mean to reign.

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David's true heir, and his full fcepter fway
To juft extent over all Ifrael's fons ;

But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then
For Ifrael, or for David, or his throne,
When thou ftcod'ft up his tempter to the pride
Of numb'ring Ifrael, which coft the lives
Of threefcore and ten thousand Ifraelites
By three days peftilence? fuch was thy zeal
To Ifrael then, the fame that now to me.
As for thofe captive tribes, themselves were they
Who wrought their own captivity, fell off
From God to worship calves, the deities

405

410

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Of Egypt, Baal next and Afhtaroth,

And all th' idolatries of Heathen round,

Befides their other worfe than heath'nifh crimes;
Nor in the land of their captivity

Humbled themselves, or penitent befought

The God of their forefathers; but fo dy'd
Impenitent, and left a race behind
Like to themselves, diftinguishable scarce.
From Gentiles, but by circumcifion vain,
And God with idols in their worship join'd.
Should I of these the liberty regard,
Who freed as to their ancient patrimony,

thel and in Dan, and which the poet calls the deities of Egypt, for it is probable (as fome learned men have conjectured) that Jeroboam having converfed with the Egyptians fet up thefe two calves in imitation of the two which the Egyptians worshipped, the one called Apis at Memphis the metropolis of the upper Egypt, and the other called Mnevis at Hierapolis the metropolis of the lower Egypt. Baal next and Afhtaroth. Ahab built an altar and a temple for Baal, 1 Kings XVI. 32. and at the fame time probably was introduced the worship of Afhtaroth, the Goddess of the Zidonians, 1 Kings XI. 5. For Jezebel,

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Unhumbled,

Ahab's wife, who prompted him to all evil, was the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, 1 Kings XVI. 31. And by the prophets of the groves I Kings XVIII. 19. Mr. Selden underftands the prophets of Afhtaroth or Aftarte: and the groves under every green tree 2 Kings XVII. 10. fhould be tranflated Afhtaroth under every green tree. See Selden de Diis Syris Syntag. II. cap. 2. But for the wickednefs and idolatry of the Ifraelites, and their rejection thereupon, and ftill continuing impenitent in their captivity, fee 2 Kings XVII. and the prophets in feveral places.

430. Head

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