With gilded battlements, confpicuous far, Turrets and terraces, and glitt'ring fpires. Many a fair edifice befides, more like Houses of God, (so well I have dispos'd My aery microfcope) thou may'ft behold Outside 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,
Prætors, proconfuls to their provinces
Hafting, or on return, in robes of state; Lictors and rods, the enfigns of their power,
Legions and cohorts, turms of horse and wings : Or embaffies from regions far remote
In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on th' Emilian, fome from farthest fouth, Syene', and where the fhadow both way falls, Meroe Nilotic ile, and more to weft,
The realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor fea; From th' Asian kings and Parthian among these, From India and the golden Cherfonefe, And utmoft Indian ile Taprobané,
Dufk faces with white filken turbants wreath'd ; From Gallia, Gades, and the British weft, 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 power,
Civility of manners, arts and arms,
And long renown, thou justly may'st prefer Before the Parthian; these two thrones except, The rest are barb'rous, and scarce worth the fight, Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd; These having shown 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 Capreæ an iland small but strong
On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there His horrid lufts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked favorite
All public cares, and yet of him fufpicious, Hated of all, and hating; with what ease, Indued with regal virtues as thou art, Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'st thou expel this monfter from his throne Now made a ftye, and in his place ascending A victor people free from servile yoke ? And with my help thou may'ft; to me the power Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee. Aim therefore at no less than all the world, Aim at the high'eft, without the high'est attain'd Will be for thee no fitting, or not long, On David's throne, be prophecy'd 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 should'st add to tell Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts On citron tables or Atlantic stone,
(For I have also 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
And ftuds of pearl, to me should'st tell who thirst 120 And hunger ftill: then embaffies thou show'ft From nations far and nigh; what honour that, But tedious waste of time to fit and hear So many hollow compliments and lies, Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'st to talk Of th' emperor, how easily subdued, How gloriously; I fhall, thou fay'st, expel A brutish monfter: what if I withal Expel a Devil who first made him fuch? Let his tormenter confcience find him out; For him I was not fent, nor yet to free 'That people victor once, now vile and base, Deservedly made vaffal, who once just, Frugal, and mild, and temp'rate, conquer'd well, But govern ill the nations under yoke, Peeling their provinces, exhausted all By luft and rapin; first ambitious grown Of triumph, that insulting vanity; Then cruel, by their sports to blood inur'd Of fighting beafts, and men to beasts expos'd, Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier still, And from the daily fcene effeminate,
What wife and valiant man would feek to free These thus degenerate, by themselves inflav'd, Or could of inward flaves make outward free? Know therefore when my feafon comes to fit On David's throne, it shall be like a tree Spreading and overshadowing all the earth, Or as a stone that shall to pieces dash All monarchies befides throughout the world, And of my kingdom there shall be no end :
Means there fhall be to this, but what the means,
Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell.
To whom the Tempter impudent reply'd.
I fee all offers made by me how flight Thou valuest, because offer'd, and reject'st: Nothing will please the difficult and nice, Or nothing more than still to contradict : On th' other fide know also thou, that I On what I offer fet as high efteem,
Nor what I part with mean to give for nought; All these which in a moment thou behold'st, The kingdoms of the world to thee I give; For giv'n to me, I give to whom I please, No trifle; yet with this reserve, not else, On this condition, if thou wilt fall down, And worship me as thy fuperior lord, Eafily done, and hold them all of me; For what can lefs fo great a gift deserve?
Whom thus our Saviour answer'd with disdain. 170
I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers lefs,
Now both abhor, fince thou haft dar'd to utter
Th' abominable terms, impious condition; But I indure the time, till which expir'd, Thou haft permiffion on me. It is written
The first of all commandments, Thou shalt worship The Lord thy God, and only him shalt ferve; And dar'ft thou to the Son of God propound To worship thee accurs'd, now more accurs'd For this attempt bolder than that on Eve, And more blafphemous ? which expect to rue. The kingdoms of the world to thee were given, Permitted rather, and by thee ufurp'd;
Other donation none thou canst produce :
If giv'n, by whom but by the king of kings,
God over all fupreme? if giv'n to thee,
By thee how fairly is the giver now
Repaid? But gratitude in thee is loft
Long fince. Wert thou so void of fear or shame,
As offer them to me the Son of God,
To me my own, on fuch abhorred pact,
That I fall down and worship thee as God? Get thee behind me; plain thou now appear'st
That evil one, Satan for ever damn'd.
To whom the Fiend with fear abash'd reply'd. 195
Be not fo fore offended, Son of God,
Though fons of God both Angels are and Men, If I to try whether in higher fort
Than these thou bear'ft that title, have propos'd What both from Men and Angels I receive, Tetrarchs of fire, air, flood, and on the earth Nations befides from all the quarter'd winds,
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