Of his great pow'r; for now the Parthian king 300 In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his hoft Against the Scythian, whofe incurfions wild Have wafted Sogdiana; to her aid He marches now in hafte; see, though from far, His thousands, in what martial equipage` 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 In coats of mail and military pride; In mail their horfes clad, yet fleet and ftrong, Prauncing their riders bore, the flow'r and choice Of many provinces from bound to bound 315 And Margiana to the Hyrcanian cliffs From Atropatia and the neighb'ring plains M Of Adiabene, Media, and the south Of Sufiana, to Balfara's haven. 320 He faw them in their forms of battel rang'd, How quick they wheel'd, and fly'ing behind them shot 330 Sharp fleet of arrowy show'rs against the face The fairest of her fex Angelica 340 His daughter, fought by many proweft knights, fum'd, 345 And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd. That thou may'ft know, I feek not to engage Thy virtue, and not every way fecure. On no flight grounds thy fafety; hear, and mark, To what end I have brought thee hither and Shown 350 All this fair fight: thy kingdom though fore told By prophet or by Angel, unless thou Thou never fhalt obtain; prediction still Between two fuch inclofing enemies 360 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 ; 365 Thy country', and captive lead away her kings Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound, Maugre the Ronian: it fhal be my task To render thee the Parthian at dispose; By him thou shalt regain, without him not, fear. 380 385 To whom our Saviour answer'd thus unmov'd. Much oftentation vain of fleshly arm, And fragil arms, much instrument of war Long in preparing, foon to nothing brought, Before mine eyes thou' haft fet; and in my Vented much policy, and projects deep Will unpredict and fail me of the throne: 395 My time I told the (and that thime for thee Were better fartheft off) is not yet come; When that comes, think not thou to find me flak On my part ought endevoring, or to need Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome 400 Luggage of war there shown me, argument Of human weacknefs rather than of ftrength. My brethren, as thou call'ft them, those ten tribes I muft deliver, if I mean to reign David's true heir, and his full fcepter fway, To juft extent over all Ifrael's fons; 405 But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then For Ifrael, or for David, or his throne, When thou ftood'ft up, his tempter to the pride Of numb'ring Ifrael, which coft the lives 410 Who wrought their own captivity, fell off 415 |