From Aroer to Nebo, and the wild Of southmost Abarim: in Hesebon And Horonáim, Seon's realm, beyond The flowery dale of Sibma clad with vines, And Eleale, to the Asphaltic pool; Peor his other name, when he enticed Israel in Sittim, on their march from Nile,
To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe. Yet thence his lustful orgies he enlarged Ev'n to that hill of scandal, by the grove
Of Moloch homicide, lust hard by hate;
Till good Josiah drove them thence to hell.
With these came they, who, from the bordering flood Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names Of Baalim and Ashtaroth, those male,
These feminine: for spirits, when they please,
Can either sex assume, or both; so soft
And uncompounded is their essence pure;
Not tied or manacled with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose, Dilated or condensed, bright or obscure,
Can execute their aery purposes,
And works of love or enmity fulfil.
For those the race of Israel oft forsook
Their Living Strength, and unfrequented left His righteous altar, bowing lowly down
To bestial gods; for which their heads as low Bow'd down in battel, sunk before the spear Of despicable foes. With these in troop Came Astoreth, whom the Phoenicians call'd Astarte, queen of heaven, with crescent horns; To whose bright image nightly by the moon Sidonian virgins paid their vows and songs; In Sion also not unsung, where stood
Aroer is a town on the north side of the river Arnon: Abarim a ridge of moun- tains east of the northern part of the Dead Sea and the lower Jordan, from one of the highest peaks of which, Mount Nebo, Moses surveyed the promised land. Hesebon or Heshbon is a city of the Moab ites taken from them by Sihon king of the Amonites; Numb. xxi. 26. Horonaim, another city of the Moabites, mentioned in Isaiah xv. 5. and Jer. xlviii. 3, 5. ma, near Heshbon, (Isaiah xvi. 8,) was famous for its vineyards. Eleülé a little town north of Heshbon. The Asphaltic pool is the Dead Sea, so called from the Asphaltus or bitumen abounding in it. Sittim (mentioned in Numbers xxv. 1) is where the Israelites formed their last encampment before crossing the Jordan. For the other name of Chemos; namely,
Baal-peor; see Numb. xxv. 3. The hill of scandal, the same as that opprobrious hill.
417. Lust hard by hate. "What a fine moral sentiment has Milton here introduced, and couched in half a verse." THYFR. "The poet's moral is exactly verified in the incestuous and cruel conduct of Amnon towards Tamar; 2 Sam. xiii. 15. The hemistich is a fine commentary on the passage.”—TODD.
422. Baülim and Ashtaroth were the general names of the gods and goddesses of Syria and Palestine: they are supposed to mean the sun and the host of heaven.
438. Astoreth was the goddess of the Phoenicians, and under whose name the moon was adored. Solomon built her a temple on the mount of Olives, hence called the offensive mountain. 2 Kings xxiii. 13.
Her temple on the offensive mountain, built
By that uxorious king, whose heart, though large, Beguiled by fair idolatresses, fell
To idols foul. Thammuz came next behind,
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allured The Syrian damsels to lament his fate In amorous ditties, all a summer's day; While smooth Adonis from his native rock Ran purple to the sea, supposed with blood Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale Infected Sion's daughters with like heat; Whose wanton passions in the sacred porch Ezekiel saw, when, by the vision led, His eye survey'd the dark idolatries Of alienated Judah. Next came one
Who mourn'd in earnest, when the captive ark Maim'd his brute image, head and hands lopt off In his own temple, on the grunsel edge, Where he fell flat, and shamed his worshippers: Dagon his name; sea monster, upward man And downward fish: yet had his temple high Reared in Azotus, dreaded through the coast Of Palestine, in Gath, and Ascalon, And Accaron and Gaza's frontier bounds. Him follow'd Rimmon, whose delightful seat Was fair Damascus, on the fertile banks Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid streams. He also against the house of God was bold: A leper once he lost, and gain'd a king; Ahaz his sottish conquerour, whom he drew God's altar to disparage, and displace, For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn His odious offerings, and adore the gods
Whom he had vanquish'd. After these appear'd
A crew, who under names of old renown,
Osiris, Isis, Orus, and their train,
With monstrous shapes and sorceries abused
Fanatic Egypt and her priests, to seek
Their wandering gods disguised in brutish forms
Rather than human. Nor did Israel 'scape
The infection, when their borrow'd gold composed The calf in Oreb; and the rebel king
444. "And God gave Solomon largeness | mentations for him."-NEWTON. See Ezek. of heart."-1 Kings iv. 29.
446. "Thammuz was the god of the Syrians, the same with Adonis, who was said to die every year, and revive again. He was slain by a wild boar in Lebanon, whence the river Adonis descends: and when, at a certain season of the year, this river began to be of a reddish hue, the feasts of Adonis were celebrated by the women,-the women made loud la
457. Next came one. For this god of the Philistines, see Judges xvi. 23; 1 Sam. v. 4. Grunsel, or groundsel edge,-the edge of the foot-post of his temple rate.
467. Rimmon was a god of the Syrians; see 2 Kings v. 18. Observe the accent of Abbana is on the first syllable, and not on the second, as it is often mispronounced. For the account of Naaman, see 2 Kings v.
Doubled that sin in Bethel and in Dan, Likening his Maker to the grazed ox; Jehovah, who in one night, when he pass'd From Egypt marching, equal'd with one stroke Both her first-born and all her bleating gods. Belial came last, than whom a spirit more lewd Fell not from heaven, or more gross to love Vice for itself: to him no temple stood Or altar smoked; yet who more oft than he In temples and at altars, when the priest Turns atheist, as did Eli's sons, who fill'd With lust and violence the house of God? In courts and palaces he also reigns, And in luxurious cities, where the noise Of riot ascends above their loftiest towers, And injury, and outrage: and when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine. Witness the streets of Sodom, and that night In Gibeah, when the hospitable door Exposed a matron to avoid worse rape.
These were the prime in order and in might; The rest were long to tell, though far renown'd, The Ionian gods, of Javan's issue, held Gods, yet confess'd later than heaven and earth, Their boasted parents. Titan, heaven's first-born, With his enormous brood, and birthright seized By younger Saturn: he from mightier Jove, His own and Rhea's son, like measure found; So Jove usurping reign'd: these first in Crete And Ida known; thence on the snowy top Of cold Olympus ruled the middle air, Their highest heaven; 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 the Hesperian fields, And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmost isles.
All these and more came flocking, but with looks Downcast and damp; yet such wherein appear'd Obscure some glimpse of joy, to have found their chief Not in despair, to have found themselves not lost In loss itself; which on his countenance cast Like doubtful hue: but he, his wonted pride Soon recollecting, with high words, that bore Semblance of worth, not substance, gently raised
485. Doubled. See 1 Kings xii. 28, 29. For an account of the Passover, see Exodus xii. 11 and following.
502. Flown, in the sense of flushed. 508. Javan, the fourth son of Japhet, probably settled in the western coast of Asia Minor; hence, with some corruption, the name Ionia.
Their fainted courage, and dispell'd their fears: Then straight commands, that at the warlike sound Of trumpets loud and clarions, be uprear'd His mighty standard: that proud honour claim'd Azazel as his right, a cherub tall;
Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd The imperial ensign, which, full high advanced, Shone like a meteor, streaming to the wind, With gems and golden lustre rich imblazed, Seraphic arms and trophies: all the while Sonorous metal blowing martial sounds: At which the universal host up sent
A shout that tore hell's concave, and beyond Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night. All in a moment through the gloom were seen Ten thousand banners rise into the air With orient colours waving: with them rose A forest huge of spears; and thronging helms Appear'd, and serried shields in thick array Of depth immeasurable: anon they move In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood
Of flutes and soft recorders; such as raised To highth of noblest temper heroes old Arming to battel; and, instead of rage, Deliberate valor breathed, firm, and unmoved With dread of death to flight or foul retreat;
Nor wanting power to mitigate and 'suage
With solemn touches troubled thoughts, and chase
Anguish, and doubt, and fear, and sorrow, and pain, From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they, Breathing united force, with fixed thought, Moved on in silence to soft pipes, that charm'd Their painful steps o'er the burnt soil: and now Advanced in view they stand, a horrid front Of dreadful length and dazzling arms, in guise Of warriours old with order'd spear and shield, Awaiting what command their mighty chief Had to impose: he through the armed files Darts his experienced eye, and soon traverse The whole battalion views; their order due, Their visages and stature as of gods;
Their number last he sums. And now his heart Distends with pride, and, hardening in his strength, Glories; for never, since created man,
Met such imbodied force, as named with these
534. Azazel. "Derived from two Hebrew words Ar and Azel, signifying brave in retreating; a proper appellation for the standard-bearer to the fallen angels."NEWTON.
541. At which the universal host. “A
most magnificent and inimitable passage."-BRYDGES.
548-551. Serried shields: locked one within another. Dorian mood: exciting to cool and deliberate courage. Recorder a kind of flageolet.
Could merit more than that small infantry Warr'd on by cranes; though all the giant brood Of Phlegra with the heroic race were join'd That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each side Mix'd with auxiliar gods; and what resounds In fable or romance of Uther's son, Begirt with British and Armorie knights; And all who since, baptized or infidel, Jousted in Aspramont or Montalban, Damasco, or Morocco, or Trebisond, Or whom Biserta sent from Afric shore, When Charlemain with all his peerage fell By Fontarabia. Thus far these beyond Compare of mortal prowess, yet observed Their dread commander: he, above the rest In shape and gesture proudly eminent, Stood like a tower: his form had yet not lost All her original brightness, nor appear'd Less than archangel ruin'd, and the excess Of glory obscured: as when the sun new-risen Looks through the horizontal misty air, Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon, In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds On half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs: darken'd so, yet shone Above them all the Archangel: but his face Deep scars of thunder had intrench'd, and care Sat on his faded cheek; but under brows Of dauntless courage, and considerate pride Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast Signs of remorse and passion, to behold The fellows of his crime, the followers rather, (Far other once beheld in bliss,) condemn'd For ever now to have their lot in pain; Millions of spirits for his fault amerced Of heaven, and from eternal splendours flung For his revolt; yet faithful how they stood, Their glory wither'd. As when heaven's fire Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines,
575. That is, all the heroes and armies that ever assembled, were no more than pygmies compared to these.
577. Phlegra. The peninsula of Pallene in Macedonia, is said to have anciently borne this name, and to have witnessed the conflict between the gods and the earth-born Titans.-See Cramer's Greece, i. p. 244.
580. Uther's son. King Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, who was often in alliance with the king of Armorica, since called Bretagne. Aspramont or Montalban: romantic names of places mentioned in Orlando Furioso. Biserta: the ancient name of Utica. Fontarabia: a strong!
town in Biscay, at the entrance into Spain, and esteemed the key of the kingdom.
589. He above the rest. This is one of the most sublime descriptions of this most sublime of poets.
594. As when the sun. "Few poetical images can be finer than this, or more beautifully expressed. The precision with which the language is delineated, is incomparable."-BRYDGES.
597. Disastrous twilight. Alluding to the popular superstition, that an eclipse is the precursor of war or some other national calamity.
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