And utmost Indian ile Taprobane,
Dusk faces with white silken turbants wreath'd; From Gallia, Gades, and the British west, Germans and Scythians, and Sarmatians north Beyond Danubius to the Tauric pool. All nations now to Rome obedience pay, To Rome's great emperor, whose wide domain In ample territory, wealth and power,
Civility of manners, arts and arms,
And long renown, thou justly may'st prefer
Before the Parthian; these two thrones except, 85 The rest are barb'rous, and scarce worth the fight, Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd; These having shown thee, I have shown thee all The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory.
This emp'ror hath no fon, and now is old,
Old and lafcivious, and from Rome retir'd To Capreæ an iland small but strong
On the Campanian fhore, with purpose there His horrid lufts in private to enjoy
Committing to a wicked favorite
All public cares, and yet of him suspicious, Hated of all, and hating; with what ease,
Indued with regal virtues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'ft thou expel this monster from his throne 100 Now made a stye, and in his place ascending
A victor people free from servile yoke?
And with my help thou may'ft; to me the power Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee. Aim therefore at no less than all the world, Aim at the high'eft, without the high'eft attain'd Will be for thee no fitting, or not long, On David's throne, be prophecy'd what will. To whom the Son of God unmov'd reply'd. Nor doth this grandeur and majestic show Of luxury, though call'd magnificence, More than of arms before, allure mine eye,
Much less my mind; though thou should'ft add to tell Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feafts On citron tables or Atlantic stone,
(For I have also heard, perhaps have read) Their wines of Setia, Cales, and Falerne, Chios, and Crete, and how they quaff in gold, Crystal and myrrhine cups imboss'd with gems And ftuds of pearl, to me should'st tell who thirst 120 And hunger ftill: then embassies thou show'st From nations far and nigh; what honor that, But tedious wafte of time to fit and hear
many hollow complements and lies, Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'st to talk Of th' emperor, how easily subdued, How gloriously; I fhall, thou fay'st, expel A brutish monster: what if I withal
Expel a Devil who first made him such? Let his tormenter confcience find him out;
For him I was not sent, nor yet to free That people victor once, now vile and base, Deservedly made vassal, who once just,
Frugal, and mild, and temp'rate, conquer'd well, But govern ill the nations under yoke, Peeling their provinces, exhausted all By luft and rapin; first ambitious grown Of triumph, that insulting vanity;
Then cruel, by their sports to blood inur'd Of fighting beafts, and men to beasts expos'd, Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier ftill, And from the daily fcene effeminate.
What wife and valiant man would seek to free These thus degenerate, by themselves inflav'd, Or could of inward slaves make outward free? 145 Know therefore when my season comes to fit On David's throne, it shall be like a tree Spreading and overshadowing all the earth, Or as a stone that shall to pieces dash
All monarchies befides throughout the world, And of my kingdom there fhall be no end: Means there shall be to this, but what the means, Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell.
To whom the Tempter impudent reply'd. I see all offers made by me how flight Thou valueft, because offer'd, and reject'st: Nothing will please the difficult and nice, Or nothing more than still to contradict:
On th' other fide know also thou, that I On what I offer set as high esteem,
Nor what I part with mean to give for nought; All these which in a moment thou behold'ft, The kingdoms of the world to thee I give; For giv'n to me, I give to whom I please, No trifle; yet with this reserve, not else, On this condition, if thou wilt fall down, And worship me as thy fuperior lord, Eafily done, and hold them all of me; For what can less so great a gift deserve?
Whom thus our Saviour answer'd with disdain. 170
I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers lefs,
Now both abhor, fince thou haft dar'd to utter Th'abominable terms, impious condition; But I indure the time, till which expir'd, Thou haft permission on me. It is written The first of all commandments, Thou shalt worship The Lord thy God, and only him shalt serve; And dar'ft thou to the Son of God propound To worship thee accurs'd, now more accurs'd For this attempt bolder than that on Eve, And more blafphemous? which expect to rue. The kingdoms of the world to thee were given, Permitted rather, and by thee ufurp'd; Other donation none thou canst produce:
If giv'n, by whom but by the king of kings, God over all fupreme? if giv'n to thee,
By thee how fairly is the giver now
Repaid? But gratitude in thee is loft
Long fince. Wert thou fo void of fear or fhame, As offer them to me the Son of God,
To me my own, on such abhorred pact, That I fall down and worship thee as God? Get thee behind me; plain thou now appear'st That evil one, Satan for ever damn'd.
To whom the Fiend with fear abafh'd reply'd. 195 Be not fo fore offended, Son of God,
Though fons of God both Angels are and Men, If I to try whether in higher fort
Than these thou bear'st that title, have propos'd What both from Men and Angels I receive, Tetrarchs of fire, air, flood, and on the earth Nations befides from all the quarter'd winds, God of this world invok'd and world beneath; Who then thou art, whose coming is foretold To me fo fatal, me it most concerns.
The trial hath indamag'd thee no way, Rather more honor left and more esteem; Me nought advantag'd, missing what I aim'd. Therefore let pass, as they are transitory, The kingdoms of this world; I shall no more Advise thee; gain them as thou canft, or not. And thou thyself feem'ft otherwise inclin'd Than to a worldly crown, addicted more To contemplation and profound dispute,
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