Irrefolute, unhardy, unadventrous:
But I will bring thee where thou foon fhalt quit Those rudiments, and fee before thine eyes 245 The monarchies of th' earth, their pomp and ftate, Sufficient introduction to inform
Thee, of thyfelf fo apt, in regal arts,
And regal mysteries, that thou may'st know How best 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 whofe verdant feet A spacious plain out-ftretch'd in circuit wide Lay pleasant; from his fide two rivers flow'd, 255 Th' one winding, th' other strait, and left between Fair champain with less rivers intervein'd, Then meeting join'd their tribute to the fea: Fertile of corn the glebe, of oil and wine; With herds the pastures throng'd, with flocks thehills; Huge cities and high towr'd, that well might seem The feats of mightiest monarchs, and so large The prospect 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 Caspian lake, thence on As far as Indus eaft, Euphrates west, And oft beyond; to south the Persian bay, And inacceffible 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 ftill 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 seest, and Bactra there;
Ecbatana her ftructure vaft there shows,
And Hecatompylos her hundred gates;
There Sufa by Choafpes, 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, Ctesiphon,
Turning with eafy eye thou may'st behold. All these the Parthian, now fome ages past, 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'ft to have a view
Of his great pow'r; for now the Parthian king In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his host Against the Scythian, whose incurfions wild Have wafled Sogdiana; to her aid
He marches now in haste; see, though from far, His thousands, in what martial equipage
They iffueforth, steel bows, and shafts their arms 305
Of equal dread in flight, or in pursuit;
All horsemen, in which fight they moft excel; See how in warlike mufter they appear,
In rhombs and wedges, and half-moons, and wings. He look'd, and faw 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 east, 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 fhow'rs against the face Of their pursuers, and overcame by flight; The field all iron caft a gleaming brown:
Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn Cuiraffiers all in fteel for ftanding 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 thefe, 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 Befieg'd Albracca, as romances tell,
The City' of Gallaphrone, from thence to win 340 The fairest of her sex 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 prefum'd, 345 And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd.
That thou may'st know I seek not to engage Thy virtue, and not every way secure
On no flight grounds thy fafety; hear, and mark To what end I have brought thee hither and shown All this fair fight: thy kingdom though foretold 351 By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou
Endevor, as thy father David did,
Thou never shalt obtain; prediction still
In all things, and all men, supposes means, 355 Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes. But fay thou wert poffefs'd of David's throne By free confent of all, none opposit, Samaritan or Jew; how could'st thou hope Long to enjoy it quiet and fecure,
Between two fuch inclosing enemies
Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these
Thou must make sure 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 fhall be my tafk To render thee the Parthian at dispose; Choose which thou wilt by conqueftorby league. 370 By him thou shalt regain, without him not, That which alone can truly reinstall thee In David's royal feat, his true fucceffor, Deliverance of thy brethren, thofe ten tribes Whose ofspring in his territory yet serve, In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd; Ten fons of Jacob, two of Jofeph loft Thus long from Ifrael, ferving as of old Their fathers in the land of Egypt ferv'd, This offer fets before thee to deliver. 'Thefe if from fervitude thou fhalt reftore To their inheritance, then, nor till then,
« PreviousContinue » |