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`
They issue forth, steel bows, and fhafts their

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
From Arachofia, from Candaor east,

And Margiana to the Hyrcanian cliffs
Of Caucafus, and dark Iberian dales,

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
Of their purfuers, and overcame by flight; 325
The field all iron caft a gleaming brown:
Nor, wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn
Cuiralliers all in steel for standing fight,
Chariots or elephants indors'd with towers
Of archers, nor of lab'ring pioneers
A multitude with spades and axes arm'd
To lay hills plain, fell woods, or valleys fill,
Or where plain was raise hill, or overlay
With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke;
Mules after thefe, camels and dromedaries, 335
And waggons fraught with utenfils of war.
Such forces met not, nor fo wide a camp,
When Agrican with all his northern powers
Belieg'd Albracca, as romances tell,
The city' of Gallaphrone, from thence to
win

The fairest of her fex Angelica

340

His daughter, fought by many proweft knights,
Both Paynim, and the peers of Charlemaiu.
Such and so numerous was their chivalry;
At fight whereof the Fiend yet more pre-

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
Endevour, as thy father David did,

Thou never fhalt obtain; prediction still
In all things, and all men, fuppofes means, 355
Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes.
But fay thou wert poffes'd of David's throne
By free confent of all, none oppofit,
Samaritan or Jew; how could'ft thou hope
Long to enjoy it quit and fecure,

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;
Choose, which thou wilt by conqueft or by
league.
370

By him thou shalt regain, without him not,
That which alone can truly reinstall thee
In David's royal feat, his true successor,
Deliverance of thy brethren, those ten tribes,
Whose ofspring in his territory yet serve, 375
In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd;
Ten fons of Jacob, two of Jofeph loft
Thus long from Ifrael, serving as of old
Their fathers in the land of Egypt serv'd,
This offer fets before thee to deliver.
These if from fervitude thou fhalt restore
To their inheritance, then, nor till then,
Thou on the throne of David in full glory,
From Egypt to Euphrates and beyond
Shalt reign, and Rome or Caefar not need

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
Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues,
Plaufible to the world, to me worth nought.
Means I must use, thou say'st, prediction else

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
Of threefcore and ten thousand Ifraelites
By three days peftilence? fuch was thy zeal
To Ifrael then, the fame that now to me.
As for thofe captive tribes, themselves were
they

Who wrought their own captivity, fell off 415
From God to worship calves, the deities.
Of Egypt, Baal next and Ashtaroth,