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Paradise lost.
Book 1.
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 Battel, sunk before the Spear Of despicable foes. With these in troop Came Astoreth, whom the Phœnicians called Astarte, Queen of Heav'n, with crescent Horns; To whose bright Image nightly by the Moon 440Sidonian Virgins paid their Vows and Songs; In Sion also not unsung, where stood Her Temple on th' offensive Mountain, built By that uxorious King, whose heart though large, Beguil'd by fair Idolatresses, fell To Idols foul. Thammuz came next behind, Whose annual wound in Lebanon allur'd The Syrian Damsels to lament his fate In amorous dittyes all a Summers day,While smooth Adonis from his native Rock 450Ran purple to the Sea, suppos'd with blood Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the Love-tale Infected Sions daughters with like heat, Whose wanton passions in the sacred Porch Ezekiel saw, when by the Vision led His eye survay'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, 460Where he fell flat, and sham'd his Worshipers: Dagon his Name, Sea Monster, upward Man
And
