While to their native land with joy they hafte,
As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft,
When to the promis'd land their fathers pass'd;
To his due time and providence I leave them.
So fpake Ifrael's true King, and to the fiend Made answer meet, that made void all his wiles. So fares it when with truth falfhood contends.
The end of the third book.
ERPLEX D and troubled at his bad fuccefs
The tempter food, nor had what to reply,
Difcover'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,
So little here, nay loft; but Eve was Eve,
This far his over-match, who felf-deceiv'd
And rafh, 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 fpight,
Still will be tempting him who foils him fill,
And never ceafe, though to his fhame the more;
Or as a swarm of flies in vintage-time,
About the wine-prefs where fweet muft is pour'd,
Beat of, returns as oft with humming found;
Or furging waves against a folid rock,
Though all to fhivers dafh'd, th' affault renew,
Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end;
So Satan, whom repulfe upon repulfe
Met ever, and to fhameful filence brought,
Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of fuccefs,
And his vain importunity pursues.
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 fea, and on the north To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills, That fcreen'd the fruits of th' earth and feats of men From cold Septentrion blafts, thence in the midit Divided by a river, of whofe banks On each fide an imperial city stood, With tow'rs and temples proudly elevate On fev'n fmall 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 heighth of mountains interpos'd: By what ftrange parallax or optic skill Of vifion multiply'd through air, or glass Of telescope, were curious to inquire: And now the tempter thus his filence broke. The city which thou feeft no other deem Than great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth So far renown'd, and with the spoils enrich'd Of nations; there the capitol thou feeft Above the rest lifting his stately head On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel Impregnable; and there mount Palatine, Th' imperial palace, compafs huge, and higir The structure, fkill of nobleft architects, With gilded battlements, confpicuous far, Turrets and terrafes, and glit'ring fpires. Many a fair edifice befides, more like D
Houfes of God (fo well I have difpos'd
My airy microscope) thou may'ft behold
Outfide and infide 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 state;
Lictors and rods, the enfigns of their pow'r,
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 fhadow both way falls,
Meroe Nilotic ifle, and more to west,
The realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor fea;
From th' Afian kings and Parthian among thefe,
From India and the golden Cherfonese,
And utmoft Indian ifle Taprobane,
Dulk 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, whofe wide domain
In ample territory, wealth and pow'r,
Civility of manners, arts and arms,
And long renown, thou justly may'st prefer
Before the Parthian; thefe two thrones except,
The rest are barb'rous, and fcarce worth the fight,
Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd;
Thefe having fhown 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 lafcivious, and from Rome retir'd
To Capreae an Island small but strong
On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there
His horrid lufts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked favourite
All public cares, and yet of him fufpicious,
Hated of all, and hating; with what cafe
Indu'd with regal virtues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'ft thou expell this monster from his throne
Now made a ftye, and in his place afcending
A victor people free from fervile yoke ?
And with my help thou may'ft; to me the pow'r
Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no lefs than all the world,
Aim at the higheft, without the highest attain'd
Will be for thee no fitting, or not long,
On Davids throne, be prophefied 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 fhouldft add to tell
Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts
On citron tables or Atlantic ftone,
(For I have alfo 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
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