Glory of Him that made them to transform
371
Oft to the image of a brute, adorned
372
With gay 1586 religions full of pomp and gold
373
And devils to adore for deities
374
Then were they known to men by various names
375
And various idols through the heathen world
376
Say, Muse, their names then known, who first, who last
377
Roused from their slumber on that fiery couch,1587
378
At their great emperor’s call, as next in worth
379
Came singly where he stood on the bare strand,1588
380
While the promiscuous1589 crowd stood yet aloof?1590
381
The chief 1591 were those who, from the pit of Hell
382
Roaming to seek their prey on Earth, durst fix1592
383
Their seats, long after, next the seat of God
384
Their altars by His altar, gods adored
385
Among the nations round, and durst abide1593
386
Jehovah thundering out of Sion, throned
387
Between the Cherubim, yea, often placed
388
Within His sanctuary itself their shrines
389
Abominations!—and with cursèd things
390
His holy rites and solemn feasts profaned,1594
391
And with their darkness durst affront 1595 His light
392
First, Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood
393
Of human sacrifice, and parents’ tears
394
Though, for the noise of drums and timbrels1596 loud
395
Their children’s cries unheard that passed through fire
396
To his grim1597 idol. Him the Ammonite1598
397
Worshipped in Rabba1599 and her wat’ry plain
398
In Argob1600 and in Basan,1601 to the stream
399
Of utmost Arnon.1602 Nor content with such
400
Audacious 1603 neighborhood, the wisest heart
401
Of Solomon he led by fraud to build
402
His1604 temple right against the temple of God
403
On that opprobrious 1605 hill, and made his grove
404
The pleasant valley of Hinnom,1606 Tophet 1607 thence
405
And black Gehenna 1608 called, the type 1609 of Hell
406
Next Chemos,1610 th’ obscene1611 dread 1612 of Moab’s1613 sons
407
From Aroar1614 to Nebo1615 and the wild
408
Of southmost Abarim,1616 in Hesebon1617
409
And Horonaim,1618 Seon’s 1619 realm, beyond
410
The flow’ry dale of Sibma1620 clad with vines
411
And Eléalé 1621 to th’ asphaltic pool.1622
412
Peor 1623 his other name, when he enticed
413
Israel in Sittim,1624 on their march from Nile, 1625
414
To do him wanton1626 rites, which cost them woe
415
Yet thence his lustful orgies he enlarged
416
Ev’n to that hill of scandal,1627 by the grove
417
Of Moloch homicide, lust hard by 1628 hate
418
Till good Josiah1629 drove them thence to Hell
419
With these came they who, from the bord’ring flood
420
Of old Euphrates1630 to the brook1631 that parts
421
Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names
422
Of Baalim1632 and Ashtaroth1633 —those male
These feminine. For Spirits, when they please
424
Can either sex assume, or both, so soft
425
And uncompounded 1634 is their essence pure
426
Not tied or manacled with joint or limb
427
Nor founded 1635 on the brittle strength of bones
428
Like cumbrous1636 flesh, but in what shape they choose
429
Dilated 1637 or condensed, bright or obscure
430
Can execute their airy purposes
431
And works of love or enmity 1638 fulfil
432
For those the race of Israel oft forsook
433
Their Living Strength, and unfrequented 1639 left
434
His righteous altar, bowing lowly down
435
To bestial gods, for which their heads as low
436
Bowed down in battle, sunk before the spear
437
Of despicable 1640 foes.
With these in troop
438
Came Astoreth,1641 w
439
Astarté, queen of heaven, with crescent horns
440
To whose bright image nightly by the moon
441
Sidonian1642 virgins paid their vows and songs
442
In Sion1643 also not unsung, where stood
443
Her temple on th’ offensive1644 mountain, built
444
By that uxorious1645 king 1646 whose heart, though large
445
Beguiled by fair idolatresses, fell
446
To idols foul.
Thammuz 1647 came next behind
447
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allured
448
The Syrian damsels to lament his fate
449
In amorous ditties all a summer’s day
450
While smooth Adonis1648 from his native rock
451
Ran purple to the sea, supposed with blood
452
Of Thammuz yearly wounded. The love-tale
453
Infected Sion’s daughters with like heat
454
Whose wanton passions in the sacred porch1649
455
Ezekiel 1650 saw, when by the vision led
456
His eye surveyed the dark idolatries
457
Of alienated Judah.1651
Next came one
458
Who mourned in earnest, when the captive ark 1652
459
Maimed his brute image, head and hands lopped off
460
In his own temple, 1653 on the grunsel-edge, 1654
461
Where he fell flat and shamed his worshippers
462
Dagon his name, sea-monster, upward man
463
And downward fish, yet 1655 had his temple high
464
Reared in Azotus,1656 dreaded through the coast
465
Of Palestine, in Gath 1657 and Ascalon,1658
466
And Accaron1659 and Gaza’s1660 frontier bounds
467
Him followed Rimmon,1661 whose delightful seat
468
Was fair Damascus, on the fertile banks
469
Of Abbana1662 , 1663 lucid 1664 streams.1665
470
He also against the house of God was bold
471
A leper 1666 once he lost, and gained a king
472
Ahaz,1667 his1668 sottish1669 con
queror, whom he drew1670
473
God’s altar to disparage and displace
474
For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn
475
His odious offerings, and adore the gods
476
Whom he1671 had vanquished.
After these appeared
477
A crew who, under names of old renown
478
Osiris, Isis, Orus, and their train—1672
479
With monstrous shapes and sorceries abused 1673
480
Fanatic Egypt and her priests to seek
481
Their wand’ring gods disguised in brutish forms
482
Rather than human. Nor did Israel scape
483
Th’ infection, when their borrowed gold composed 1674
484
The calf 1675 in Oreb,1676 and the rebel king1677
485
Doubled that sin in Bethel 1678 and in Dan,1679
486
Lik’ning his Maker to the grazèd ox—1680
487
Jehovah, who in one night, when he1681 passed
488
From Egypt marching, equalled 1682 with one stroke1683
489
Both her first-born and all her bleating gods
490
Belial 1684 came last, than whom a Spirit more lewd
491
Fell not from Heaven, or more gross1685 to love
492
Vice for itself. To him no temple stood
493
Or altar smoked, yet who more oft than he
494
In temples and at altars, when the priest
495
Turns atheist, as did Eli’s sons, who filled
496
With lust and violence the house of God?1686
497
In courts and palaces he also reigns
498
And in luxurious1687 cities, where the noise
499
Of riot 1688 ascends above their loftiest tow’rs,
500
And injury 1689 and outrage. 1690 And when night
501
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons
502
Of Belial,1691 flown1692 with insolence and wine
503
Witness the streets of Sodom,1693 and that night
504
In Gibeah,1694 when the hospitable door
505
Exposed 1695 a matron,1696 to avoid worse rape.1697
506
These were the prime 1698 in order and in might.
507
The rest were long to tell, though far1699 renowned,1700
508
Th’ Ionian gods—of Javan’s issue1701 held
509
Gods, yet confessed 1702 later than Heav’n and Earth,
510
Their boasted parents; Titan,1703 Heav’n’s first-born,
511
With his enormous brood, and birthright seized
512
By younger Saturn. He1704 from mightier Jove,
513
His own and Rhea’s1705 son, like measure1706 found:
514
So Jove usurping reigned. These first in Crete
515
And Ida1707 known, thence on the snowy top
516
Of cold Olympus1708 ruled the middle air,1709
517
Their highest heav’n, or 1710 on the Delphian cliff,1711
518
Or in Dodona,1712 and through all the bounds1713
519
Of Doric land,1714 or who with Saturn old
520
Fled over Adria1715 to th’ Hesperian1716 fields
521
And o’er the Celtic roamed the utmost isles.1717
522
All these and more came flocking, but with looks
523
Downcast and damp,1718 yet such wherein appeared
524
Obscure 1719 some glimpse of joy to have found their chief 1720
525
Not in despair, to have found themselves not lost
526
In loss itself, which on his countenance cast
527
Like1721 doubtful1722 hue. 1723 But he, his wonted 1724 pride
528
Soon recollecting, with high words that bore
529
Semblance1725 of worth, not substance, gently raised
530
Their fainting courage and dispelled their fears
531
Then straight 1726 commands that, at the warlike sound
532
Of trumpets loud, and clarions,1727 be upreared 1728
533
His mighty standard.1729 That proud honor claimed
534
Azazel 1730 as his right, a Cherub tall
535
Who forthwith from the glittering staff 1731 unfurled
536
Th’ imperial ensign, which, full high advanced,1732
537
Shone like a meteor streaming to the wind
538
With gems and golden luster rich emblazed
539
Seraphic arms and trophies, all the while
540
Sonorous metal blowing martial sounds
541
At which the universal host up-sent
542
A shout that tore Hell’s concave, 1733 and beyond
543
Frighted the reign1734 of Chaos and old Night
544
All in a moment through the gloom were seen
545
Ten thousand banners rise into the air
546
With orient1735 colors waving. With them rose
547
A forest huge of spears, and thronging helms1736
548
Appeared, and serried1737 shields in thick array
549
Of depth immeasurable. Anon1738 they move
550
In perfect phalanx1739 to the Dorian mood 1740
551
Of flutes and soft recorders1741 —such as raised
552
To height of noblest temper1742 heroes old
553
Arming to battle, and instead of rage
554
Deliberate valour breathed, firm, and unmoved
555
With dread of death to flight or foul retreat
556
Nor wanting 1743 power to mitigate 1744 and suage1745
557
With solemn touches troubled thoughts, and chase
558
Anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow and pain
559
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they
560
Breathing united force with fixèd thought
561
Moved on in silence to soft pipes that charmed
562
Their painful steps o’er the burnt soil.
And now
563
Advanced in view they stand—a horrid 1746 front 1747
564
Of dreadful length1748 and dazzling arms,1749 in guise 1750
565
Of warriors old, with ordered 1751 spear and shield
566
Awaiting what command their mighty chief
567
Had to impose. 1752 He through the armèd files1753
568
Darts his experienced eye, and soon traverse1754
569
The whole battalion views—their order due, 1755
570
Their visages and stature as of gods
571
Their number last he sums.1756 And now his heart
572
Distends1757 with pride and hard’
ning in his strength
573
Glories, for never since created man
574
Met such embodied 1758 force as, named 1759 with these
575
Could merit 1760 more than1761 that small infantry
576
Warred on by cranes1762 —though all the giant brood