Book I. PARADISE LOST. Dagon his Name ; fea-rnontler, upward man And downward flit : yet had his temple high Rear'd in Azotus, dreaded through the coati Of Palwaine, in Oath, and Afcalon, 465 And Accaron, and Gaza's frontier bounds. Him follow'd Rintmon, whole delightful feat Was fair Damalcus, on the fertile banks Of Abbana and Plr,rphar, lucid ftreams. He alto againft the houfe of G,-,c1 was bold : 476 A leper once he loll, and gain'd a King, Ahaz his fottifh conqueror, whom he drew God's altar to difparage, and difplace, For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn His odious off'rings, and adore the Gods 473' Whom he had vanquiiht. After there appear'd A crew who under names of old renown, Ofiris, ifis, Orus, and their train, With monftrous fhapes and forceries abused Fanatic 'Egypt, and her priefts, to Peek 4! 6 Their wand'ring Gods difguis'd in brutifh forms Rather than human. Nor did Ifrael Icape Th' infetion, when their borrow'd gold compos'd The calf in Oreb ; and the rebel King Doubled that fin in Bethel, and in Dan, 485 Lik'ning his Maker to the grazed ox, Jehovah, who in one night when he pafs'd From ,Egypt marching, equal'd with one flroke Both her firft-born and all her bleating Gods. Belial came 'aft, than whom a fpirit more lewd 490 Fell not from heaven, or more grofs to love Vice for it fell: to him no temple flood, Or altar fmoak'd; yet who more oft than he In temples and at altars, when the prieft Turns atheitl, as did Ely's ions, who fill'd 495 With lull and violence the houfe :of God ? In
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=