400

Of utmost ARNON. Nor content with fuch
Audacious neighbourhood, the wifeft heart
Of SOLOMON he led by fraud, to build
His temple right against the temple of God,
On the opprobrious hill, and made his grove
The pleafant valley of HINNON, TOPHET thence
And black GEHENNA call'd, the type of hell. 405
Next CHEMOs, th' obfcene dread of MOAB's fons,
From A ROAR to NEBO, and the wild
Of fouthmoft ABARIM; in HESE BON
And HORONAIM, SEON's realm, beyond
The flow'ry dale of SIB MA, clad with vines;
And ELEALE to th' ASPHALTIC pool:
PEOR his other name, when he entic'd
ISRAEL in SITTIM on their march from NILE,
To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe.
Yet thence his luftful orgies he enlarg'd

410

415

Even to that hill of fcandal, by the grove
Of MOLOCH homicide, luft hard by hate;
"Till good JOSIAH drove them thence to hell.
With these came they, who from the bord'ring flood
Of old EUPHRATES, to the brook that parts 420
EGYPT from SYRIAN ground, had general names
Of BAALIM and ASHTAROTH; thofe male,
Thefe feminine: (For fpirits when they please
Can either sex affume, or both; fo foft

And uncompounded is their effence pure,

Not ty'd or manacl'd with joint or Ilmb,

Nor founded on the brittle ftrength of bones,

425

Like cumbrous flesh; but in what fhape they chufe,
Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure,
Can execute their airy purpofes,

430

And works of love or enmity fulfil.)

For those the race of ISRAEL oft forfook

Their living ftrength, and unfrequented left

His righteous altar, bowing lowly down

To beftial Gods; for which their heads as low 435 Bow'd down in battel, funk before the fpear

Of

440.

Of defpicable foes. With thefe in troop
Came ASTORETH, whom the PHCNICIANS call'd
ASTARTE, Queen of heaven, with crefcent horns;
To whofe bright image nightly by the moon,
SIDONIAN virgins paid their vows and fongs;
In SION alfo not unfung, where stood
Her temple on th' offenfive mountain, built
By that uxorious King, whofe heart tho' large,
Beguil'd by fair idolatreffes, fell

445

To idols foul. THAMMUZ came next behind,
Whofe annual wound in LEBANON allur'd
The SYRIAN Damfels, to lament his fate
In am'rous ditties all a fummer's day;

450

455

460

While smooth ADONIS from his native rock Ran purple to the fea, fuppos'd with blood Of THAMMUZ yearly wounded: the love-tale Infected SION's daughters with like heat; Whofe wanton paffions in the facred porch EZEKIEL faw, when by the vifion led His eyes furvey'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 grunfel edge Where he fell flat, and fham'd his worshippers, DAGON his name, fea-monfter, upward man And downward fish: yet had his temple high Rear'd in AZOTUS, dreaded through the coaft Of PALESTINE, in GATH, and ASCALON, 465 And ACCARON, and GAZ A's frontier bounds. Him follow'd RIMMON, whofe delightful feat Was fair DAMASCUS, on the fertil banks Of ABBANA and PHARPHAR, lucid ftreams, He alfo against the houfe of GOD was bold: A leper once he loft, and gain'd a King, A HAZ his fottish conqueror, whom he drew GOD's altar to difparage, and displace,

For one of SYRIAN mode, whereon to burn

470