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From Gentils, 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,
Unhumbl❜d, unrepentant, unreform'd,
Headlong would follow; and to their Gods perhaps
Of Bethel and of Dan? no, let them ferve
Their enemies, who ferve Idols with God.
Yet he at length, time to himself best known,
Remembring Abraham, by fome wond'rous call
May bring them back repentant and fincere,
And at their passing cleave th' Affyrian flood,
While to their native land with joy they haste,
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.

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Paradife Regain'd.

BOOK IV.

P

Erplex'd and troubled at his bad fuccefs

The Tempter stood, nor had what to reply,
Discover'd in his fraud, thrown from his

So oft, and the persuasive Rhetoric

[hope,

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 rash, before-hand had no better weigh'd
The ftrength he was to cope with, or his own:
But as a man who had been matchlefs held

In cunning, over-reach'd where leaft he thought,

To

To fave his credit, and for very fpight

Still will be tempting him who foyls him ftill,
And never cease, though to his fhame the more,
Or as a fwarm of flies in vintage time,

About the wine-prefs where sweet moust is powr'd,
Beat off, 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 repulse upon repulse
Met ever; and to shameful filence brought,
Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of success,
And his yain importunity pursues

He brought our Saviour to the Western side
Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long but in breadth not wide,
Wash'd by the Southern 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

From cold Septentrion blafts, thence in the midst Divided by a river, of whofe banks

On each fide an Imperial City stood,

With Tow'rs and Temples proudly elevate.

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On fev'n fmall 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 heighth of Mountains interpos❜d.
By what strange Parallax or Optick skill
Of vision multiply'd through Air, or Glass
Of Telescope, were curious to enquire:
And now the Tempter thus his filence broke.
The City which thou seest no other deem
Than great and glorious Rome, Queen of the Earth
So far renown'd, and with the fpoils enricht
Of Nations; there the Capitol thou feest

Above the reft lifting his stately head
On the Tarpeian rock, her Cittadel
Imprégnable, and there Mount Palatine
Th' Imperial Palace, compass huge, and high
The Structure, skill of noblest Architects,
With gilded battlements, confpicuous far,
Turrets and Terrafes, and glitt'ring Spires.
Many a fair Edifice befides, more like
Houses of Gods (fo well I have dispos'd
My Aery Microfcope) thou may'st behold

Outfide

Outfide and inside both, pillars and roofs

Cary'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

Hasting or on return, in robes of State;

Lictors and rods the enfigns of their pow'r, Legions and Cohorts, turmes of horse and wings: Or Embassies from Regions far remote

In various habits on the Appian road,

Or on th' Emilian, fome from farthest South,

Syene, and where the shadow both way

Meroe Nilotic Ifle, and more to West,

falls,

The Realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor Sea;
From th' Afian Kings and Parthian among these,
From India and the golden Cherfonefs,
And utmost Indian Isle Taprobane,

Dusk 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,

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