395

Vented much policy, and projects deep
Of enemies, of aids, battels, and leagues,
Plausible to the world, to me worth naught.
Means I must use, thou say'st, prediction else
Will unpredict and fail me of the throne.
My time, I told thee, and that time for thee
Were better farthest off, is not yet come;
When that comes, think not thou to find me slack
On my part aught endeavouring, or to need
Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome
Luggage of war there shown me, argument
Of human weakness rather than of strength.
My brethren, as thou call'st them, those ten tribes
I must deliver, if I mean to reign

David's true heir, and his full sceptre sway
To just extent over all Israel's sons.

But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then
For Israel, or for David, or his throne,
When thou stood'st up his tempter to the pride
Of numb'ring Israel, which cost the lives

400

405

410

adlong would follow; and to their gods perhaps Bethel and of Dan? no, let them serve

eir enemies, who serve idols with God.

t he at length, time to himself best known, memb'ring Abraham, by some wondrous call y bring them back repentant and sincere, 435 d at their passing cleave the Assyrian flood, ile to their native land with joy they haste, the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft, en to the promis'd land their fathers pass'd; his due time and providence I leave them. 440 o spake Israel's true king, and to the fiend He answer meet, that made void all his wiles. Fares it when with truth falsehood contends.

freed] The obscurity of this passage has been remarked; conjectures and alterations proposed by the critics. I d prefer to read unto' for 'as to,' which is the slightest tion from the established text; and which seems to me move all the difficulty; but Mr. Dunster's note should nsulted.

PARADISE REGAINED.

BOOK IV.

PERPLEX'D and troubled at his bad success
The tempter stood, nor had what to reply,
Discover'd in his fraud, thrown from his hope
So oft, and the persuasive rhetoric

10

That sleek'd his tongue, and won so much on Eve,
So little here, nay lost: but Eve was Eve,
This far his over-match, who, self-deceiv'd
And rash, before-hand had no better weigh'd
The strength he was to cope with, or his own:
But as a man, who had been matchless held
In cunning, over-reach'd where least he thought,
To salve his credit, and for very spite,
Still will be tempting him who foils him still,
And never cease, though to his shame the more;
Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time,
About the wine-press where sweet must is pour'd,
Beat off, returns as oft with humming sound;
Or surging waves against a solid rock,
Though all to shivers dash'd, the assault renew,
Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end;
So Satan, whom repulse upon repulse

Met ever, and to shameful silence brought,

Yet gives not o'er, though desperate of success,

15

20

id his vain importunity pursues.

brought our Saviour to the western side that high mountain, whence he might behold other plain, long, but in breadth not wide, ash'd by the southern sea, and on the north equal length back'd with a ridge of hills, [men at screen'd the fruits of the earth and seats of om cold Septentrion blasts, thence in the midst vided by a river, of whose banks

1 each side an imperial city stood,
ith towers and temples proudly elevate

seven small hills, with palaces adorn'd, rches, and theatres, baths, aqueducts, atues, and trophies, and triumphal arcs, ardens, and groves presented to his eyes, ove the highth of mountains interpos'd: what strange parallax or optick skill vision, multiply'd through air, or glass telescope, were curious to enquire: d now the tempter thus his silence broke. The city which thou seest no other deem an great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth

septentrion] See Drayton's Polyolbion, Song 10, P. ed. 8vo.

seven] Virg. Georg. ii. 535.

queen] Rutilii Itin. i. 47.

Exaudi, regina tui pulcherrima mundi.'

Septemque una sibi muro circumdedit arces.'

e Ode to Rome, falsely attributed to Erinna, that city

med Saippwv avacoa.' ver. 2. A. Dyce.

So far renown'd, and with the spoils enrich'd
Of nations; there the capitol thou see'st
Above the rest lifting his stately head
On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel
Impregnable, and there mount Palatine,
Th' imperial palace, compass huge, and high
The structure, skill of noblest architects,
With gilded battlements conspicuous far,
Turrets, and terraces; and glittering spires.
Many a fair edifice besides, more like
Houses of gods, so well I have dispos'd
My aery microscope, thou mayst behold
Outside and inside both, pillars and roofs,
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd artificers
In cedar, marble, ivory, or gold.

Thence to the gates cast round thine eye, and
What conflux issuing forth, or ent'ring in,