He lookt and faw what numbers numberless
The City gates out-pour'd, light armed Troops
In coats of Mail and Military pride,
In Mail their horfes clad, yet fleet and strong,
Prauncing their riders bore, the flow'r and choice
Of many Provinces from bound to bound;
From Arachofia, from Gandaor East,
And Margiana to the Hercanian cliffs
Of Caucafus, and dark Iberian dales,
From Atropatia and the neighb'ring plains
Of Adiabene, Media, and the South
Of Sufiana, to Balfara's hav'n.
He saw them in their forms of battel rang'd,
How quick they wheel'd, and flying behind them shot
Sharp fleet of arrowy show'r against the face
Of their pursuers, and overcame by flight,
The field all iron cast a gleaming brown,
Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn,
Cuiraffiers all in steel for standing fight;
Chariots or Elephants endorst with Tow'rs
Of Archers, nor of lab'ring Pioneers
A multitude with Spades and Axes arm'd
To lay hills plain, fell woods, or vallies fill,
Or where plain was raise hill, or overlay
With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke,
Mules after thefe, Camels and Dromedaries,
And Waggons fraught with Utensils of war.
Such forces met not, nor fo wide a Camp,
When Agrican with all his Northern pow'rs
Befieg'd Albracca, as Romances tell;
The City of Gallaphrone, from thence to win
The fairest of her Sex Angelica
His daughter, fought by many Prowest Knights,
Both Paynim, and the Peers of Charlemane.
Such and fo numerous was their Chivalry;
At fight whereof the Fiend yet more prefum'd,
And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd.
That thou may'st know I seek not to engage Thy virtue, and not ev'ry way fecure. On no flight grounds thy fafety, hear, and mark To what end I have brought thee hither and shewn All this fair fight; thy Kingdom though foretold By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou Endeavour, as thy Father David did, Thou never shalt obtain; prediction still In all things, and all men, fuppofes means,
Without means us'd, what it predict's revokes.
But say thou wert poffefs'd of David's Throne
By free confent of all, none oppofite,
Samaritan or Jew, how could't thou hope
Long to enjoy it quiet and fecure,
Between two fuch enclofing enemies
Roman and Parthian? therefore one of thefe
Thou must make fure thy own, the Parthian first By my advice, as nearer and of late
Found able by invasion to annoy
Thy country, and captive lead away her Kings
Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound,
Maugre the Roman: it thall be my task
To render thee the Parthian at difpofe;
Chufe which thou wilt by conqueft or by league.
By him thou shalt regain, without him not,
That which alone can truly reinftal thee
In David's royal Scat, his true Succeffor,
Deliv'rance of thy brethren, thofe ten Tribes
Whofe off-fpring in his Territory yet ferve
In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd
Ten Sons of Jacob, two of Joseph lost
Thus long from Ifrael; ferving as of old
Their Fathers in the land of Egypt serv❜d,
This offer fets before thee to deliver.
These if from fervitude thou shalt restore
To their inheritance, then, nor till then,
Thou on the Throne of David in full glory,
From Egypt to Euphrates and beyond
Shalt reign, and Rome or Cafar not need fear.
To whom our Saviour answer'd thus unmov'd.
Much oftentation vain of fleshly arm,
And fragile arms, much inftrument of war
Long in preparing, foon to nothing brought,
Before mine Eyes thou haft fet; and in my ear
Vented much policy, and projects deep
Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues,
Plaufible to the World, to me worth naught.
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 slack
On my part aught endeav'ring, or to need
Thy politick maxims, or that cumbersome
Luggage of War there fhewn me, argument
Of human weakness rather than of strength..
My Brethren, as thou call'ft them; those ten Tribes
I must deliver, if I mean to reign
David's true heir, and his full Scepter fway
To just extent over all Ifrael's Sons;
But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then
For Ifrael, or for David, or his Throne,
When thou flood'ft up his Tempter to the pridė
Of numb'ring Ifrael, which coft the lives
Of threescore and ten thousand Ifraelites
By three days Peftilence? fuch was thy zeal
To Ifrael then, the fame that now to me.
As for those captive Tribes, themselves were they
Who wrought their own Captivity, fell off
From God to worship Calves, the Deities.
Of Egypt, Baal next and Ashtaroths
And all th' Idolatries of Heathen round,
Besides their other worse than heath'nish crimes;
Nor in the land of their captivity
Humbled themselves or penitent befought
The God of their Fore-fathers; but fo dy'd
Impenitent, and left a race behind
Like to themselves, diftinguifhable scarce
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