Over the burning Marle, not like those steps On Heavens Azure, and the torrid Clime Smote on him sore besides, vaulted with Fire; Nathless he so endur'd, till on the Beach
Of that inflamed Sea, he stood and call'd His Legions, Angel Forms, who lay intrans't Thick as Autumnal Leaves that strow the Brooks
In VALLOMBROSA, where th' ETRURIAN shades
High overarch't imbowr; or scatterd sedge
Afloat, when with fierce Winds ORION arm'd
Hath vext the Red-Sea Coast, whose waves orethrew
BUSIRIS and his MEMPHIAN Chivalrie, VVhile with perfidious hatred they pursu'd The Sojourners of GOSHEN, who beheld From the safe shore their floating Carkases
And broken Chariot Wheels, so thick bestrown Abject and lost lay these, covering the Flood, Under amazement of their hideous change.
He call'd so loud, that all the hollow Deep
Of Hell resounded. Princes, Potentates,
6
Warriers, the Flowr of Heav'n, once yours, now lost, If such astonishment as this can sieze
Eternal spirits; or have ye chos'n this place
After the toyl of Battel to repose
Your wearied vertue, for the ease you find To slumber here, as in the Vales of Heav'n? Or in this abject posture have ye sworn
To adore the Conquerour? who now beholds Cherube and Seraph rowling in the Flood With scatter'd Arms and Ensigns, till anon
His swift pursuers from Heav'n Gates discern Th' advantage, and descending tread us down Thus drooping, or with linked Thunderbolts Transfix us to the bottom of this Gulfe. Awake, arise, or be for ever fall'n.
They heard, and were abasht, and up they sprung
Upon the wing, as when men wont to watch On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread, Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake. Nor did they not perceave the evil plight
In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel; Yet to their Generals Voyce they soon obeyd Innumerable. As when the potent Rod
Of AMRAMS Son in EGYPTS evill day
Wav'd round the Coast, up call'd a pitchy cloud Of LOCUSTS, warping on the Eastern Wind, That ore the Realm of impious PHAROAH hung Like Night, and darken'd all the Land of NILE:
So numberless were those bad Angels seen
Hovering on wing under the Cope of Hell
'Twixt upper, nether, and surrounding Fires; Till, as a signal giv'n, th' uplifted Spear
Of their great Sultan waving to direct
Thir course, in even ballance down they light On the firm brimstone, and fill all the Plain; A multitude, like which the populous North Pour'd never from her frozen loyns, to pass
RHENE or the DANAW, when her barbarous Sons Came like a Deluge on the South, and spread Beneath GIBRALTAR to the LYBIAN sands. Forthwith from every Squadron and each Band
The Heads and Leaders thither hast where stood Their great Commander; Godlike shapes and forms Excelling human, Princely Dignities,
And Powers that earst in Heaven sat on Thrones; Though of their Names in heav'nly Records now Be no memorial, blotted out and ras'd
By thir Rebellion, from the Books of Life. Nor had they yet among the Sons of EVE
Got them new Names, till wandring ore the Earth, Through Gods high sufferance for the tryal of man, By falsities and lyes the greatest part
Of Mankind they corrupted to forsake
God their Creator, and th' invisible
Glory of him, that made them, to transform
Oft to the Image of a Brute, adorn'd
With gay Religions full of Pomp and Gold, And Devils to adore for Deities:
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Then were they known to men by various Names, And various Idols through the Heathen World.
Say, Muse, their Names then known, who first, who last, Rous'd from the slumber, on that fiery Couch,
At thir great Emperors call, as next in worth Came singly where he stood on the bare strand, While the promiscuous croud stood yet aloof ? The chief were those who from the Pit of Hell Roaming to seek their prey on earth, durst fix Their Seats long after next the Seat of God, Their Altars by his Altar, Gods ador'd
Among the Nations round, and durst abide JEHOVAH thundring out of SION, thron'd Between the Cherubim; yea, often plac'd Within his Sanctuary it self their Shrines, Abominations; and with cursed things
His holy Rites, and solemn Feasts profan'd, And with their darkness durst affront his light.
First MOLOCH, horrid King besmear'd with blood
Of human sacrifice, and parents tears,
Though for the noyse of Drums and Timbrels loud Their childrens cries unheard, that past through fire To his grim Idol. Him the AMMONITE
Worshipt in RABBA and her watry Plain, In ARGOB and in BASAN, to the stream
Of utmost ARNON. Nor content with such Audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart Of SOLOMON he led by fraud to build
His Temple right against the Temple of God
On that opprobrious Hill, and made his Grove
The pleasant Vally of HINNOM, TOPHET thence
And black GEHENNA call'd, the Type of Hell.
Next CHEMOS, th' obscene dread of MOABS Sons, From AROER to NEBO, and the wild
Of Southmost ABARIM; in HESEBON And HERONAIM, SEONS Realm, beyond The flowry Dale of SIBMA clad with Vines, And ELEALE to th' ASPHALTICK Pool. PEOR his other Name, when he entic'd
ISRAEL in SITTIM on their march from NILE To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe. Yet thence his lustful Orgies he enlarg'd
Even to that Hill of scandal, by the Grove Of MOLOCH homicide, lust hard by hate; Till good JOSIAH drove them thence to Hell.
With these came they, who from the bordring flood Of old EUPHRATES to the Brook that parts EGYPT from SYRIAN ground, had general Names Of BAALIM and ASHTAROTH, those male,
These Feminine. For Spirits when they please
Can either Sex assume, or both; so soft And uncompounded is their Essence pure, Not ti'd or manacl'd with joynt or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose
Dilated or condens't, bright or obscure, Can execute their aerie purposes,
And works of love or enmity fulfill.
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For those the Race of ISRAEL oft forsook Their living strength, and unfrequented left His righteous Altar, bowing lowly down
To bestial Gods; for which their heads as low Bow'd down in Battel, sunk before the Spear Of despicable foes. With these in troop
Came ASTORETH, whom the PHOENICIANS call'd
ASTARTE, Queen of Heav'n, with crescent Horns; To whose bright Image nightly by the Moon SIDONIAN Virgins paid their Vows and Songs,
In SION also not unsung, where stood
Her Temple on th' offensive 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 Damsels to lament his fate
In amorous dittyes all a Summers day,
While smooth ADONIS from his native Rock
Ran purple to the Sea, suppos'd with blood
Of THAMMUZ yearly wounded: the Love-tale Infected