And various idols through the Heathen world. 375
Say, Mufe, their names then known, who first, whe Rous'd from the lumber, on that fiery couch, [last, At their great Emp'ror's call, as next in worth Came fingly where he stood on the bare strand, While the promifcuous croud food yet aloof. The chief were those who from the pit of hell, Roaming to feek their prey on earth, durft fix Their feats long after next the feat of God, Their altars by his altar, gods ador'd Among the nations round, and durft abide Jehovah thund'ring out of Sion, thron'd Between the Cherubim; yea, often plac'd Within his fanctuary itself their fhrines, Abominations; and with curfed things His holy rites and folemn feafts profan'd, And with their darkness durft affront his light. First Moloch, horrid king, befmear'd with blood Of human facrifice, and parents tears,
Though for the noife of drums and timbrels loud Their childrens cries unheard, that pafs'd thro' fire To his grim idol. Him the Ammonite
Worfhipp'd in Rabba and her wat'ry plain, In Argob and in Bafan, to the ftream Of utmost Arnon. Nor content with fuch Audacious neighbourhood, the wifeft 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 valley' of Hinnom, Tophet thence 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 fouthmoft Abarim; in Hefebon And Horonaim, Seon's realm, beyond
The flow'ry dale of Sibma, clad with vines, And Eleälé, to th' Afphaltic pool..
Peor his other name, when he entic'd
Ifrael in Sittim, on their march from Nile,
To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe. Yet thence his luftful orgies he enlarg'd Ev'n 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 bord'ring flood Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts
Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names. Of Baälim and Afhtaroth; thofe male,
These feminine. For fpirits when they please Can either fex affume, or both; so soft
And uncompounded is their effence pure;
Not ty'd or manacled with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle frength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but in what fhape they chufe Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure,
Can execute their aery purposes,
And works of love or enmity fulfil.
For thofe the race of Ifrael oft forfook
Their living Strength, and unfrequented left His righteous altar, bowing lowly down
To beftial gods; for which their heads as low Bow'd down in battle, funk before the spear Of defpicable foes. With thefe in troop Came Aftoreth, whom the Phoenicians call'd Aftarte, queen of heav'n, with crefcent horns; To whole 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, whofe heart, tho' large,
Beguil'd by fair idolatreffes, fell
To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind, Whofe annual wound in Lebanon allur'd The Syrian damfels, to lament his fate In amorous ditties all a summer's day,
While fmooth Adonis from his native rock Ran purple to the fea, 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 vifion 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 fhain'd his worfhippers: Dagon his name, fea-monster, upward man And downward fifh: yet had his temple high Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coaft Of Palestine, in Gath and Afcalon, And Accaron and Gaza's frontier bounds. Him follow'd Rimmon, whofe delightful feat Was fair Damafcus, on the fertile banks Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid ftreams. He also against the houfe of God was bold: A leper once he loft, and gain'd a king, Ahaz, his fottish conqu'ror, whom he drew God's altar to difparage, and difplace, For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn His odious offerings, and adore the gods Whom he had vanquish'd. After thefe appear'd A crew,
who, under names of old renown,
Ofiris, Ifis, Orus, and their train,
With monstrous shapes and forceries abus'd
Fanatic Egypt, and her priests, to seek
Their wand'ring 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 Doubled that fin in Bethel and in Dan, Likening his Maker, to the grazed ox, Jehovah; who, in one night, when he pafs'd From Egypt marching, equall'd with one stroke Both her firft-born and all her bleating gods. Belia' came last, than whom a spirit more lewd 490 Fell not from heav'a, or more grofs to love Vice for itself to him no temple stood Or altar fmok'd; yet who more oft than he In temples and at altars, when the priest Turns atheist, as did Eli's fons, who fill'd With luft and violence the houfe of God? In courts and palaces he alfo reigns, And in luxurious cities, where the noise Of ri'ot afcends above their loftieft towers, 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 reft were long to tell, though far renown'd, Th' Ionian gods, of Javan's iffue held
Gods, yet confefs'd later than Heav'n and Earth, Their boafted parents: Titan, Heav'n's firft-born, 510 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 Crete
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-caft and damp, yet fuch wherein appear'd Obfcure fome glimpse of joy, to' have found their chief Not in defpair, to have found themselves not lat 535 In lofs itfelf; 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 fubftance, gently rais'd Their fainting courage, and difpell'd their fears. 530 Then ftrait commands that at the warlike found Of trumpets loud and clarions be uprear'd His mighty ftandard: 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'd, Shone like a meteor ftreaming to the wind, With gems and golden luftre rich imblaz'd, Seraphic arms and trophies; all the while Sonorous metal blowing martial founds: At which the univerfal hoft up fent
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 feen Ten thousand banners rife into the air With orient colours waving: with them rofe A forest huge of spears; and thronging helms Appear'd, and ferried fhields in thick array, Of depth unmeafurable: anon they move
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