ing compar'd to that bright Star) There the Legions kept their Watch, while the Chiefs fat in Council, follicitous what Accident might intercept the Return of their fent Emperor; for fo when he departed he gave Command, and they obferv'd it: As when the TARTAR retires from his Foe the RUSSIAN (s) by ASTRACAN, (t) over the fnowy Plains; or the SoPHY (u) of PERSIA, retiring from the TURKS, leaves all wafte beyond the Realm ALADULE (x),

in his Retreat to TAURIS, (y) or CASBIN: (z) So thefe, the Hoft lately banish'd from Heaven, left the outermoft Parts of Hell deferted many a dark League, being reduc'd in careful Watch round their Metropolis, and now in hourly Expectation of their great Adventurer, from the Search of foreign Worlds. He pafs'd through the Midft of them unmark'd, appearing only as an inferior Angel of War of the lowest Order; and from the Door of the PANDEMONIUM invifibly afcended his high Throne, which was plac'd in Regal Luftre at the upper End, under a Canopy of State moft richly woven. He fat down a-while, and look'd round about him, he himself keeping unfeen: At laft, as from a Cloud appear'd his fhining Head and Shape, bright like a Star: (or brighter; being clad with that permiffive Glory or falfe Glitter, that was left him fince his Fall.) The Throng of Infernal

the Turks, from Aladules, the laft King of it, whom Selymus I. flew, A. D. 1516. and fubjected it to their Empire ever fince. It was called Turcomania, in the Year 844. When a great Flood of bloody Tartars or Turks paffed over the Ca/pian Mountains and fettled there.

(y) Tauris, and Tebris ; Perf. Some call it Ecbatana: becaufe it was founded out of the Ruins of that antient City (as old as Babylon, and called Albmetha, Efd. 6. 2. founded by Arphaxad, A. D. 786) Tebris belonged to the Turks till Shah Abas King of Perfia retook it. A. D. 1603. It is one of the richeft Cities of Perfia, and of the greateftTrade in Afia. There is a Medreha or Academy in it; a vast Nun ber of Armenian Christians, and their Patriarch's Seat.

Spirits,

(x) Cafbin, Cafwin, or Karwin: A large and beautiful City of Perfia, and formerly of Parthia; fituate in a delightful Plain, 6 Miles in Circumference; in the Province of Ayrach, between the Caspian Sea and Ipahan. Some take Cafbin for Tauris the Ecbatana of Media, but it is 65 German Miles from Tauris. Here the Perfian Monarchs refided after the Lofs of Tauris, till Shah Abbas removed to Ipahan; fince then it has declined, but there they are all inaugurated till. The Inhabitants are Muhammedans, except fome Chriftians and Jews, that are confiderable Merchants. There is also a Madreba or Academy for Perfian Learning.

Spirits, all amaz'd at fuch a fudden Blaze, turn'd their Eyes that Way, beholding him they were wishing to fee; and their Acclamations were loud and many. The great Peers that were fitting in Council, rufh'd out from their dark Divan, (a) and with like congratulating Joy approach'd him; who, making a Motion with his Hand, made Silence, and with thefe Words gain'd Attention:

THRONES, DOMINATIONS, PRINCEDOMS, VIRTUES, and POWERS! for fuch I declare ye now and call ye, not only in Right, but in actual Poffeffion; feeing I am return'd fuccefsful beyond Hope, to lead ye forth out of this infernal, abominable Pit, accurs'd Place, the Houfe of Woe, the Dungeon of our great Tyrant! Now ye fhall poffefs as Lords a fpacious World, little inferior to our native Heaven, atchiev'd by me with Hardship and great Peril. It would be long to tell what I have done; what I have fuffer'd; with what Pain I made my Voyage through the wast, unbounded, and deep Abyfs of horrible Confufion; over which, now, a broad Way is pav'd by SIN and DEATH, to facilitate your glorious March: But I labour'd through my untrodden Path, plung'd in the Midft of Darknefs and wild CHAOS, who fiercely oppos'd my ftrange Journey with clamorous Uproar, declaring that Fate was against me: Afterwards how I found the new created World, which Fame in Heaven had long foretold; a wonderful Fabrick! of abfolute Perfection! and therein found MAN, plac'd in a PARADISE, made happy by our Banishment. Him I have feduc'd by Fraud to difobey his CREATOR; and (what may increase your Wonder the more) only with an Apple. He, at that offended, ('tis a Subject well worth laughing at) hath given up both his belov'd MAN, and all his World, a Prey to SIN and DEATH,

(a) Divan. The moft folemn Council among the Turks is call'd fo.

DEATH, and confequently to us, without our Hazard, Labour, or Contention; to range in, and to dwell in, and to rule over MAN, juft as he should have reign'd over all other Things. 'Tis true, he has judg'd me too, or rather not me, but the brute Serpent, in whofe Shape I deceiv'd MAN; that Part that belongs to me is Enmity, which he fays he'll put between me and MANKIND; I am to bruise his Heel, and his Seed (but he does not fay when) fhall bruise my Head. Who would not purchase a whole World with a Bruife or Pain much more grievous? And now you have heard the Account of my Performance; what remains fpeak ye, who are all Gods, but that we mount up, and inftantly enter into full Blifs?

HAVING faid this, he ftood a-while, expecting that high Applaufe and an univerfal Shout would fill his Ear; when, on the contrary, he hears on all Sides, from Tongues without Number, a difmal and univerfal Hifs, the Sound of publick Contempt! He wonder'd at it, but he had not Leifure to do fo long, now wondering much more at himfelf: He felt his Vifage drawn fharp; his Arms clung to his Ribs; his Legs twining round each other, 'till no longer fupported by them, he fell down with Reluctance, a monftrous Serpent prone upon his Belly; his Reluctance was vain, for now a greater Power rul'd him, and punish'd him in the Shape he finned, according to the Sentence that was pafs'd on him. He would have fpoke, but instead of that return'd Hifs for Hifs, with forked Tongue to forked Tongue; for now they were all alike transform'd to Serpents, as having been all acceffary to the bold Evil which he had committed: The Din of hiffing was very dreadful all through the Hall, that was now fwarming thick with compleat

Mon

Monsters, Head and Tail; Scorpion, and Afp, (b) CERASTES (c) the horned Serpent, dumb ELLOPS, (d) and dreadful DIPSA S, (e) and all Kinds of Serpents: Such prodigious Numbers as never were seen in OPHIUSA, (f) or other Place more infefted with them: But ftill SATAN amidst them was the largest of all, being now grown a Dragon, larger than that the Sun was feign'd to have engender'd in the PYTHIAN Vale on Slime, and was call'd huge PyTHON; and he feem'd ftill to retain his Power above the reft. They all follow'd him rushing forth to the open Field, where the reft of that revolted Rout that were fallen from Heaven stood in their Station, drawn up in Array, exalted in their Expectation, when they Z 2 fhould

(b) Afp Lat. from the Gr. Poison; or not extending; because they lay round commonly. A very venomous Serpent, whofe Poifon kills fpeedily. It is fmall like a Land-Snake, but of a broader Back, having red and inflamed Eyes, hard and dry Scales. Some are above a Foot and half long; others three, four and fix Foot. The fhorteft kill fooneft. They abound in Africa, kill inftantly and without any Remedy. See Ads 28. 6. And even in Britain their Bite is mortal, but not fo fpeedy; but in Egypt they are tame and abide in the Houses.

(c) Cerafes; Gr. i. e. Horn. ed. q. The horned Serpent: For it hath four Pair of Horns, others fay only two.

(d) Ellops; Gr. i. e. Without a Voice. A dumb and filent Serpent, that gives no Notice of his Approach, as others do by Hiffing, Rattles, &c. So no Creature can avoid it.

(e) Dipfas; Lat. Gr. i. e. Thirft. And alfo Caufan; Gr. i. e. Burning. A Serpent with a great Neck and black Back, less than a Viper, but more venomous and quicker in killing. It is in Lybia, Syria, and other hot Regions. The Poifon of it is vaftly hot, dries up the Blood, and infects every Creature which it ftings, with a moft vehement Heat and Thirft, unquenchable and incurable, whereof they die quickly.

(f) Ophiufa; Gr. and Colu braria, Lat. i. e. The Serpentine Ifland; because it is much infefted with Serpents, of which there are three moft remarkable, viz. Two in the Mediterranean Sea, and one in the Propontis, near Conflantinople, which the Inhabitants quitted for Fear of thefe Vermin. Some fay Cprus was one of the two.