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 condens'd, 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 battle, 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, Her temple on the offensive mountain, built By that uxorious king, whose heart, though large, Beguil'd by fair idolatresses, fell
Thammuz came next behind,
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allur'd The Syrian damsels to lament his fate
Ma il buon Giosia di là cacciolli a inferno. Con lor quei venner che dal vicin lido D'Eufrate antico al rio che parte Egitto Da terra assira Baalim fur detti
Ed Astarot a un nome; viri i primi Femmine gli altri; chè a talento i spirti
Puon vestir l'uno o l'altro o entrambi i sessi; Si molle e semplice è lor pura essenza,
Non stretta o avvinta con giunture o membra Non costrutta su frale forza d'ossa
Qual carneo invoglio; a piacer forma eletta. O rara o densa, o lucida od oscura Ponno condur i pravi lor consigli E trattar opre di livor di amore. Per essi i figli d' Israel sovente Lasciar lor Dio poter vivente e l'ara Sua giusta abbandonar; piegaro umili
A bruti iddii; però lor fronti in guerra Battute fur, cadero innanzi al brando D'oste imbecille. Fra cotesti in truppa Venne Astorèt; in dir fenicio Astarte, Del ciel regina con crescenti corna: A sua lucente imago a chiara luna Figlie sidonie offrian lor voti ed inni; E in Sion pur non fu illodata, ù stava Sul colle ontoso il tempio a lei piantato Da quel femineo re che da idolatre Frine corrotto il nobil cor a sozzi Idoli orò.
Thammuz di poi seguìa, La cui piaga annua al libano allettava Le sire vergini a plorarne il fato
In amorous ditties all a summer's day; · While smooth Adonis from his native rock Ran purple to the sea, suppos'd with blood Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale Infected Sion's daughters with like heat; Whose wantón 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 sham'd his worshippers: Dagon his name, sea-monster, upward man And downward fish: yet had his temple high Rear'd 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 conqueror, 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 abus'd Fanatic Egypt and her priests, to seek
In numeri d'amor tutto un di estivo;
Mentre che Adone dal natio suo balzo Piano iva e rosso al mar, creduto il sangue Recare ogni anno di Thammùz: l'amante Fola le figlie ancor di Sionne accese, E le lor turpi fiamme in l'atrio santo Vide Ezechiel, quando a vision rapito Gli occhi girò sull' empie idolatrie Del ribellato Giuda. Un poi venia Che gemè inver quando captiva l'arca Moncògli il bruto aspetto e testa e braccia Sulla soglia sbalzò del tempio suo
U' boccon cadde, e svergognò i suoi servi: Nome ha Dagon, marino mostro, uom suso E pesce in giù. Pur tempio egli ebbe altero In Azoto, temuto per le piagge
Di Palestina, in Gata, in Ascalona, In Accaròn, e sui confin di Gaza.
Lui Rimmon segue cui fu vaga sede Nel bel Damasco sulle sponde amene D' Abbana e Farfar lucidi ruscelli.
Incontro al divin tempio ei pur stea baldo! Un di perdè un leproso ed ebbe un rege; Acaz suo folle vincitor, cui trasse Egli a turbar e ontar l'altar di Dio Per un d'Assire fogge ove egli ardeva Sue odiose offerte ed adorava i numi Già da lui vinti. Dopo questi apparve Drappel che sotto nomi antichi e noti Osiride, Iside, Ori e lor corteo Con laide forme e con tregende Egitto Stolto inganno e i suoi sacerdoti a ormare
Their wandering gods, disguis'd in brutish forms Rather than human. Nor did Israel 'scape
The infection, when their borrow'd gold compos'd The calf in Oreb, and the rebel king 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, equall'd with one stroke Both her first-born, and all her bleating gods.
Belial came last, than whom à Spirit more lewd Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love Vice for itself; to him no temple stood Or altar smok'd; 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
Expos'd 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 seiz'd By younger Saturn; he from mightier Jove,
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