Ifrael in Sittim on their march from Nile

To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe.
Yet thence his luftful orgies he inlarg'd
Ev'n to that hill of fcandal, by the grove
Of Moloch Homicide, luft hard by hate;
Till good Jofiah drove them thence to Hell.
With these came they, who from the bord'ring flood
Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts

Egypt from Syrian ground, had general' names
Of Baälim and Ashtaroth, those male,
These feminine. For Spirits when they please
Can either sex affume, or both; so soft
And uncompounded is their effence pure,
Not ty'd or manacled with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choofe
Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure,

Can execute their aery purposes,

And works of love or enmity fulfil.

For those the race of Ifrael oft forfook

Their living strength, and unfrequented left
His righteous altar, bowing lowly down

To beftial Gods; for which their heads as low
Bow'd down in battel, funk before the spear
Of defpicable foes. With these in troop
Came Aftoreth, whom the Phoenicians call'd"
Aftarte, queen of Heav'n, with crescent horns ;;
To whose bright image nightly by the moon
Sidonian virgins paid their vows and fongs,,
In Sion alfo not unfung, where stood..

Her temple on th' offenfive mountain, built

By that uxorious king, whose heart though large,
Beguil'd by fair idolatresses, fell

To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind,
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allur'd
The Syrian damfels to lament his fate
In amorous ditties all a fummer's day,
While smooth Adonis from his native rock
Ran purple to the fea, fuppos'd with blood
Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale
Infected Sion's daughters with like heat,
Whose wanton paffions in the facred porch
Ezekiel faw, when by the vision led
His eye survey'd the dark idolatries
Of alienated Judah. Next came one

Who mourn'd in earneft, when the captive ark
Maim'd his brute image, head and hands lopt off
In his own temple, on the grunfel edge,

Where he fell flat, and fham'd his worshipers:
Dagon his name, fea monster, upward man
And downward fish: yet had his temple high
Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coaft
Of Palestine, in Gath and Afcalon,

And Accaron and Gaza's frontier bounds.
Him follow'd Rimmon, whose delightful feat
Was fair Damafcus, on the fertil banks
Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid streams.
He alfo' against the house of God was bold:
A leper once he loft, and gain'd a king,
Ahaz his fottish conqu'ror, whom he drew

God's

God's altar to difparage and difplace

For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn
His odious offerings, and adore the Gods
Whom he had vanquish'd. After these appear'd
A crew who under names of old renown,
Ofiris, Ifis, Orus, and their train,

With monstrous fhapes and forceries abus'd
Fanatic Egypt and her priests, to seek

Their wand'ring Gods difguis'd in brutish forms
Rather than human. Nor did Ifrael 'scape
Th' infection, when their borrow'd gold compos'd
The calf in Oreb; and the rebel king
Doubled that fin in Bethel and in Dan,
Likening his Maker to the grazed ox,
Jehovah, who in one night when he pass'd'
From Egypt marching, equal'd with one stroke
Both her firft-born and all her bleating Gods.
Belial came last, than whom a Spi'rit more lewd
Fell not from Heaven, or more grofs to love
Vice for itself: to him no temple ftood
Or altar fmok'd; yet who more oft than he
In temples and at altars, when the priest
Turns atheist, as did Eli's fons, who fill'd
With luft and violence the house of God?
In courts and palaces he alfo reigns
And in luxurious cities, where the noise
Of ri'ot afcends above their loftieft towers,
And injury and outrage: and when night
Darkens the ftreets, then wander forth the fons
Of Belial, flown with infolence and wine.

Witness the streets of Sodom, and that night
In Gibeah, when the hospitable door
Expos'd a matron to avoid worse rape.
These were the prime in order and in might;
The reft were long to tell, though far renown'd:
Th' Ionian Gods, of Javan's issue held

Gods, yet confefs'd later than Heav'n and Earth,
Their boasted parents: Titan Heav'n's firft-born,
With his enormous brood, and birthright feis'd
By younger Saturn; he from mightier Jove
His own and Rhea's fon like meafure found;
So Jove ufurping reign'd: these first in Crete
And Ida known, thence on the snowy top
Of cold Olympus rul'd the middle air,
Their highest Heav'n; or on the Delphian cliff,
Or in Dodona, and through all the bounds
Of Doric land; or who with Saturn old

Fled over Adria to th' Hefperian fields,
And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmost iles.

All these and more came flocking; but with looks Down caft and damp, yet fuch wherein appear'd Obfcure fome glimpse of joy, to' have found their chief Not in despair, to' have found themselves not lost

In lofs itself; which on his count'nance caft
Like doubtful hue: but he his wonted pride
Soon recollecting, with high words, that bore
Semblance of worth not substance, gently rais'd
Their fainting courage, and difpell'd their fears.
Then ftrait commands that at the warlike found
Of trumpets loud and clarions be uprear'd

His

His mighty standard: that proud honor clam'd
Azazel as his right, a Cherub tall;

Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd
Th' imperial enfign, which full high advanc'd
Shone like a meteor streaming to the wind,
With gems and golden luftre rich imblaz'd,
Seraphic arms and trophies; all the while
Sonorous metal blowing martial founds:
At which the universal hoft up fent

A fhout, that tore Hell's concave, and beyond
Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night.
All in a moment through the gloom were seen
Ten thousand banners rise into the air

With orient colors waving: with them rofe
A forest huge of spears; and thronging helms
Appear'd, and ferried shields in thick array
Of depth immeasurable: anon they move
In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood
Of flutes and foft recorder; fuch as rais'd
To highth of noblest temper heroes old
Arming to battel, and instead of rage
Deliberate valor breath'd, firm and unmov'd
With dread of death to flight or foul retreat;
Nor wanting pow'r to mitigate and fwage
With folemn touches troubled thoughts, and chase
Anguish and doubt and fear and forrow' and pain
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they
Breathing united force with fixed thought
Mov'd on in filence to foft pipes, that charm'd
Their painful steps o'er the burnt foil; and now
Advanc'd

C 4