There Safa by Choafpes, amber ftream,
The drink of none but Kings; of later fame Built by Emathian, or by Parthian hands, The great Seleucia, Nicibis, and there Artaxata, Teredon, Tefiphon,
Turning with eafie eye thou mayft behold. ' All these the Parthian, now fome Ages paft, By great Arfaces led, who founded first That Empire, under his dominion holds, From the luxurious Kings of Antioch won. And just in time thou com'ft to have a view Of his great Pow'r; for now the Parthian King In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his Hoft Against the Scythian, whose Incursions wild Have wafted Sogdiana; to her aid
He marches now in hafte; fee, though from far, His thousands, in what Martial equipage
They iffue forth, Steel Bows, and fhafts their arms 305 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 wings. He lookt and faw what numbers numberless 310 The City gates out pour'd, light armed Troops In coats of Mail and Military pride;
In Mail their horfes clad, yet fleet and strong, Prauncing their riders bore, the flow's and choice Of many Provinces from bound to bound; From Arachofia, from Gandaor Eaft, And Margiana to the Hircanian cliffs
Of Caucafus, and dark Iberian dales,
From Atropatia and the neighb'ring plains = Of Adiabene, Media, and the South
Of Sufiana, to Balfara's hav'n.
He saw them in their forms of battel rang'd, How quick they wheel'd, and flying behind them shot Sharp fleet of Arrowy show'r against the face Of their purfuers, and overcame by flight; The field all iron caft a gleaming brown, Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn, Curiaffiers all in fteel for ftanding fight; Chariots or Elephants endorft with Tow'rs Of Archers, nor of lab'ring Pioneers A multitude with Spades and Axes arm'd To lay hills plain, fell woods, or vallies fill, Or where plain was raise hill, or overlay With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke; Mules after these, Camels and Dromedaries, And Waggons fraught with Utensils of war. Such forces met not, nor fo wide a Camp, When Agrican with all his Northern pow'rs Befieg'd Albracca, as Romances tell ;
The City of Gallaphrone, from thence to win 340 The fairest of her Sex Angelica
His daughter, fought by many Prowest Knights, Both Paynim, and the Peers of Charlemane.
Such and fo numerous was their Chivalry;
At fight whereof the Fiend yet more prefum'd, 345 And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd.
That thou may'st know I seek not to engage Thy virtue, and not ev'ry way secure
On no flight grounds thy fafety; hear, and mark To what end I have brought thee hither and fhewn 350 All this fair fight; thy Kingdom though foretold By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou Endeavour, as thy Father David did,
Thou never shalt obrain; prediction ftill
In all things, and all men, fuppposes means, 355 Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes. But fay thou wert poffefs'd of David's Throne By free confent of all, none opposite, Samaritan or Jew; how could'ft thou hope Long to enjoy it quiet and fecure,
Between two fuch enclofing enemies
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
Thy country, and captive lead away her Kings
Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound,
Maugre the Roman: it fhall be my task
To render thee the Parthian at difpofe;
Chufe which thou wilt by conqueft or by league. 370 By him thou fhalt regain, without him not, That which alone can truly reinstal thee In David's royal Seat, his true Succeffor, Deliv'rance of thy brethren, those ten Tribes Whofe off-fpring in his Territory yet ferve In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd
Ten Sons of Jacob, two of Joseph, lost Thus long from Ifrael; ferving as of old Their Fathers in the land of Egypt ferv'd, This offer fets before thee to deliver. These if from fervitude thou shalt reftore 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 Cafar not need fear. 385 To whom our Saviour answer'd thús unmov'd. Much oftentation vain of fleshly arm,
And fragile arms, much inftrument of war Long in preparing, soon to nothing brought, Before mine eyes thou haft fet; and in my ear 390 Vented much policy, and projects deep
Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues, Plaufible to the World, to me worth naught. Means I must use thou fay'ft, prediction else Will unpredict and fail me of the Throne: My time I told thee (and that time for thee were better fartheft off) is not yet come; When that comes think not thou to find me flack On my part aught endeav'ring, or to need Thy politick maxims, or that cumbersome Luggage of War there shewn me, argument Of human weakness rather than of strength. My Brethren,as thou call'ft them; those ten Tribes I must deliver, if I mean to reign
David's true heir, and his full Scepter sway To juft extent over all Ifrael's Sons;
But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then For Ifrael, or for David, or his Throne,
When thou stood'ft up his Tempter to the pride Of numb'ring Ifrael, which cost the lives Of threefcore and ten thousand Ifraelites By three days feftilence: 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 From God to worship Calves, the Deities Of Egypt, Baal next and Ashtaroth, And all th' Idolatries of Heathen round,
Befides their other worse than heath'nifh crimes; Nor in the land of their captivity
Humbled themfelves or penitent befought
The God of their Fore-fathers; but fo dy'd
Impenitent, and left a race behind
Like to themselves, diftinguishable scarce From Gentiles, but by Circumcifion vain, And God with Idols in their worship join' d. Should I of these the liberty regard,
Who freed, as to their ancient Patrimony, Unhumbl'd, unrepentant, unreform'd, Headlong wou'd follow; and to their Gods perhaps Of Bethel and of Dan? no, let them serve Their enemies, who ferve Idols with God. Yet he at length, time to himself best known, Remembring Abraham, by fome wond'rous call May bring them back repentant and fincere, 440 And at their paffing cleave th' Affyrian flood,
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