46 PARADISE LOST. BooK Nor founded on the brittle firength of bones, Like cumbrous fle(h ; b!!t in what (bane they chufe, Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure, Can execute their airy purpJfes, And works of love or enmity fulfil.) For thole the race of Ifrael oft forfook Their living iltength, and unfrequented left His righteous altar, bowing lowly down To bertial Gods; for whch their heads as low 435 Bow'd down in battel, funl . before the fpear Of delpicable foes. With thefe in troop Came Afloreth, whom the Phoenicians call'd Allarte, Qeen of heaven, with crefcent horns ; To whole bright image nightly by the moon, 440 Sidonian virgins paid their vows and longs ; In Sion alto not unfung, where flood Her temple on th' offen(ive mountain, built By that uxorious King, whole 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 Damiels, to lament his late In am'rous ditties all a fummer's-day ; While frnooth Adonis from his native rock 450 Ran purple to the fea, fuppos'd with blood Of Thammuz yearly wounded the love-tale Infeaed Sion's daughters with like heat ; Whole wanton paffions in the facred porch Ezekiel law, when by the vifion led 455 His eyes furvey'd the dark idolatries Of alienated Judah. Next came on Whomourn'd in earner, when the captive Ark Maim'd his brute image, head and hands lopt off In his own temple, on the grunfel edge 460 Where he fell flat, and ihain'd his worfhippers, Dagon 430
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