Reign or reign not; though to that gentle brow 21 Willingly I could fly, and hope thy reign, From that placid aspéct and meek regard, Rather than aggravate my evil state, Would stand between me and thy Father's ire (Whose ire I dread more than the fire of Hell) 220 A shelter and a kind of shading cool
Interposition, as a fummer's cloud. If I then to the worst that can be haste, Why move thy feet so flow to what is best,
Happiest both to thyself and all the world, That thou who worthiest art should'st be their king? Perhaps thou linger'st in deep thoughts detain'd
Of th' enterprise so hazardous and high;
No wonder, for though in thee be united What of perfection can in man be found,
Or human nature can receive, confider Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent At home, scarce view'd the Galilean towns, And once a year Jerufalem, few days Short sojourn; and what thence could'st thou observe? The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory, Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts, Best school of best experience, quickest insight In all things that to greatest actions lead. The wisest, unexperienc'd, will be ever Timorous and loath, with novice modesty, (As he who feeking asses found a kingdom)
Irresolute, unhardy, unadventrous:
But I will bring thee where thou foon shalt quit Those rudiments, and fee before thine eyes The monarchies of th' earth, their pomp and state, Sufficient introduction to inform
Thee, of thyself so apt, in regal arts,
And regal mysteries, that thou may'st know
How beft their opposition to withstand.
With that (fuch pow'r was giv'n him then) he took The Son of God up to a mountain high. It was a mountain at whose verdant feet A fpacious plain out-ftretch'd in circuit wide Lay pleasant; from his fide two rivers flow'd, Th'one winding, th'other ftrait, and left between Fair champain with less rivers intervein'd, Then meeting join'd their tribute to the sea:
Fertil of corn the glebe, of oil and wine; With herds the pastures throng'd, with flocks the hills; Huge cities and high towr'd, that well might feem
The feats of mightiest monarchs, and so large The profpect was, that here and there was room For barren defert fountainless and dry.
To this high mountain top the Tempter brought 265 Our Saviour, and new train of words began.
Well have we speeded, and o'er hill and dale, Forest and field and flood, temples and towers, Cut shorter many a league; here thou behold'st Affyria and her empire's ancient bounds,
Araxes and the Cafpian lake, thence on As far as Indus east, Euphrates west, And oft beyond; to fouth the Persian bay, And inaccefssible th' Arabian drouth:
Here Nineveh, of length within her wall Several days journey, built by Ninus old, Of that first golden monarchy the feat, And feat of Salmanassar, whose success Ifrael in long captivity still mourns; There Babylon, the wonder of all tongues, As ancient, but rebuilt by him who twice Judah and all thy father David's house Led captive, and Jerufalem laid waste, Till Cyrus fet them free; Persepolis His city there thou feeft, and Bactra there;
Ecbatana her structure vast there shows,
And Hecatompylos her hundred gates; There Sufa by Choaspes, amber stream, The drink of none but kings; of later fame
Built by Emathian, or by Parthian hands, The great Seleucia, Nifibis, and there
Artaxata, Teredon, Ctefiphon, Turning with easy eye thou may'st behold. All these the Parthian, now fome ages paft, By great Arfaces led, who founded first That empire, under his dominion holds, From the luxurious kings of Antioch won. And just in time thou com'st to have a view
Of his great pow'r; for now the Parthian king In Ctefiphon hath gather'd all his hoft Against the Scythian, whose incurfions wild Have wafted Sogdiana; to her aid He marches now in haste; fee, though from far, His thousands, in what martial equipage
They issue forth, steel bows, and shafts their arms 305 Of equal dread in flight, or in pursuit; All horfemen, in which fight they most excel; See how in warlike muster they appear, In rhombs and wedges, and half-moons, and wings. He look'd, and saw what numbers numberless 310 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 Candaor eaft, And Margiana to the Hyrcanian cliffs Of Caucafus, and dark Iberian dales, From Atropatia and the neighb'ring plains Of Adiabene, Media, and the fouth
Of Sufiana, to Balfara's haven.
He saw them in their forms of battel rang'd, How quick they wheel'd, and fly'ing behind them shot Sharp fleet of arrowy show'rs against the face Of their purfuers, and overcame by flight; The field all iron cast a gleaming brown:
Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn Cuirasfiers all in steel for standing fight, Chariots or elephants indors'd with towers Of archers, nor of lab'ring pioneers A multitude with spades and axes arm'd To lay hills plain, fell woods, or valleys fill, Or where plain was raise hill, or overlay With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke; Mules after these, camels and dromedaries, And waggons fraught with utenfils of war. Such forces met not, nor fo wide a camp, When Agrican with all his northern powers Besieg'd Albracca, as romances tell, The city' of Gallaphrone, from thence to win The fairest of her fex Angelica His daughter, fought by many prowest knights, Both Paynim, and the peers of Charlemain. Such and so numerous was their chivalry; At fight whereof the Fiend yet more presum'd, 345 And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd.
That thou may'st know I feek not to engage Thy virtue, and not every way secure On no flight grounds thy safety; hear, and mark To what end I have brought thee hither and shown All this fair sight: thy kingdom though foretold 351 By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou Endevor, as thy father David did, Thou never shalt obtain; prediction still
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