And black Gehenna call'd, the type of hell.

Next chemos; th' obfcene dread of Moab's fons,
From Aroar to Nebo, and the wild

of fouthmost abarim; in Hesebon
And Horonaim, seon's realm, beyond
The flowry dale of sibma clad with vines,
And Eleale to th' Asphaltick pool.

Peor his other name, when he entic'd

Ifrael in sittim on their march from Nile

To do him wanton rites, which cost them woc. Yet thence his luftful orgies he inlarg'd Even 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 bordering 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 fpirits when they please can either sex affume, or both; so soft And uncompounded is their effence pure, Not ty'd or manacl'd with joint or limb, Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones, Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they chufe Dilated or condens't, bright or obscure,

can execute their airy purposes,

And works of love or enmity fulfill.
For those the race of ifrael oft forfook
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 battle, 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 idolatreffes, 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 fummers day,
while smooth Adonis from his native rock
Ran purple to the sea, 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 furvey'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 worshippers:
Dagon his name, sea monster, upward man
And downward fish: yet had his temple high
Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coast
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 also against the house of God was told:
A leper once he loft and gain'd a king,
Ahaz his fottish conquerour, whom he drew

God's altar to disparage and displace

For one of syrian mode, whereon to burn His odious offerings, and adore the gods whom he had vanquisht. After these appear'd A crew who under names of old renown, ofiris, ifis, orus, and their train

with monftrous shapes and forceries abus'd Fanatic Ægypt and her priests, to seek Their wandring 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 Doubl'd that fin in Bethel and in Dan, Lik'ning his maker to the grazed ox, Jehova, who in one night when he pass'd From Egypt marching, equal'd with one stroke Both her first born and all her bleating gods. Belial came last, than whom a spirit more lewd Fell not from heaven, or more grofs to love vice for itself: to him no temple stood or altar fmoak'd; yet who more oft than he In temples and at altars, when the priest Turns atheist, as did Ely's fons, who fill'd with luft and violence the house of God. in courts and palaces he also reigns And in luxurious cities, where the noise of riot afcends above their loftiest towrs, And injury and outrage: and when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the fons of Belial, flown with infolence and wine. witness the streets of sodom, and that night In Gibeah, when the hofpitable door Expos'd a matron to avoid worse rape. These were the prime in order and in might;

The rest were long to tell, though far renown'd,
Th' Ionian gods, of javan's issue held

Gods, yet confefst later than heav'n and earth
Their boasted parents; Titan heav'n's first born
with his enormous brood, and birth-right seiz'd
By younger saturn, he from mightier jove
His own and Rhea's fon like measure found;
so Jove ufurping reign'd: these first in creet
And ida known, thence on the fnowy 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 ifles.

All these and more came flocking; but with looks
Down cast and damp, yet such wherein appear'd
obfcure fome glimps of joy, to have found their chief
Not in defpair, to have found themselves not loft
in lofs itself; which on his count'nance cast
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 up-rear'd
His mighty standard; that proud honour claim'd
Azazel as his right, a cherub tall:

who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd Th' imperial enfign, which full high advanc't shone like a meteor ftreaming to the wind with gems and golden luftre rich imblaz❜d, scraphick arms and trophies: all the while sonorous mettal blowing martial founds:

At which the universal host upfent

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 rife into the air

with orient colours waving: with them rofe A forrest huge of spears: and thronging helms Appear'd, and serried shields in thick array of depth immeasurable: anon they move in perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood oft fluts and foft recorders; fuch as rais'd To hight of noblest temper hero's old Arming to battel, and instead of rage Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd with dread of death to flight or foul retreat, Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage with folemn touches, troubl'd thoughts, and chase Anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow 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're the burnt foil; and now Advanc't in view, they stand, a horrid front of dreadful length and dazling arms, in guise of warriers old with order'd spear and shield, Awaiting what command their mighty chief Had to impose: he through the armed files Darts his experienc't eye, and foon traverse The whole battalion views, their order due, Their visages and ftature as of gods, Their number laft he fumms. And now his heart Distends with pride, and hardning in his strength Glories: for never fince created man,

Met fuch embodied force, as nam'd with thefe

B