of GoD with Luft and Violence? He reigns alfo in Palaces, and Courts, and luxurious Cities; where the Noife of Injury, Outrage, and Riot, afcend above their higheft Towers; and when Night darkens the Streets, then the Sons of BELIAL wander out, flufh'd with Infolence and Wine; witnefs the Streets of SoDOM, (d) and that Night in GIBEON, (e) when a Matron was expos'd to prevent a more heinous Iniquity. THESE were the chief in Power, and in Order; it would be too tedious to name the reft, though fome of them were far renown'd; the Gods of GREECE, the Defcendants of JAVAN, (f) efteem'd as Gods, tho' confefs'd to be younger than Heaven and Earth, which they boaft to be their Parents. TITAN, (g) the First-born of Heaven, with his Brood of Giants, whose Sons, Hephai and Phineas, which was their Destruction, 1 Sam. 2. 22, 23. He judged Ifrael forty Years, and died fuddenly, being Ninety-eight Years old, 1 Sam. 4. 15. 18. (d) Sodom, or Sedom; Heb. i. e. A plain Field. The Capital of feveral Cities in the Plains of Jordan, which God destroyed by Fire and Brimstone from Heaven, as a juft Vengeance upon their Idolatry, Luxury, and fuch Wickednefs as the Laws of God made to be punished with the most ignominious Death, Gen. 19. ‡ OBS. That Plain was called Pentapolis. Gr. i. e. five Cities: because there were fo many Cities in it, viz. ·Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Ze-boim and Zoar. 00 (e) Gibeah, or Gibeon; Heb. i. e. A Hill. A Metropolitan City of the Tribe of Benjamin, fituated upon a Mountain four Miles from Jerufalem towards the North. The Citizens were Sons of Belial, moft abominable and wicked Wretches, without the leaft Fear of God. This was the Birth-Place of Saul the first King of Ifrael. (f) Javan; Heb. i. c. Making fad. He was the fourth Son of Japhet, and the Grandfon of Noab. He and his Pofterity first peopled that Part of Greece, which was called Ionia from him. Alexander the Great is called the King of Javan, Dan. 8. 21. See Geu. 10. 2. And the Tartars call Greece, Javan from hence. So (g) Titan; XIV. Heb. i. e. Born of the Earth: Because he and all these other Gods were faid to be born of Heaven and Earth. This Fable fignifies the Sun. whose Birth-right was faid to be feiz'd by his younger Brother SATURN; (b) and he found like Measure from mightier Jove, who was his Son by his Sister RHEA; (i) fo the ufurping JUPITER reign'd. THESE Idols were firft known in CRETE, (k) and IDA, (b) Saturn; XV. Heb. i. e. Hid, Lat. i. e. A Sower or full of Years, i. e. Old: The most antient of all the Heathen Gods, the youngest Son of Heaven and Earth, whom the Poets made the Grand-father of all the Gods,and Father of Jupiter. In the Greek, Kronos, i. e The God of Time. Titan was his elder Brother; therefore Milton here calls him, younger Saturn, and in another Place, Old Saturn, because he was the God of Time; which was the oldeft of them all. Saturn was a wife Prince, but unfortunate; for his Son Jupiter expelled him the Kingdom of Crete, from whence he fled into Italy, and taught thofe People Husbandry, Plowing, Sowing and the ufing of the Scythe. Saturn is Adam, who hid himself from God, Gen. 3. 8. or Noah, who was the Father of Men, the Inventor of Husbandry, Wine, Architecture, Navigation, &c. (i) Rhea ; XVI. Gr. i. e. Flowing. The Daughter of Heaven and Earth, the Wife and Sifter of Saturn, and Mother of Jupiter: She is called alfo, Sylvia and Ilia. This Fable reprefents Eve and the Earth, which floweth with the Abundance of all good Things, for the Ufe and Comfort of Mankind. For the old Heathens worshipped and feared Things according as they were good and useful, or terrible to themselves, as the Sun, Moon, Crocodile; and fome adored the Devil, that he might not deftroy them? which the wild Americans do ftill. (k) Crete; Heb. i. e. An Archer: Because these People were excellent Archers. At first it was called Curete from the Curetes, Gr. i. e. Shorn; because they cut off all the Hair of their Heads; they came from Palestine. The Greeks called it Hekatompolis, i. e. The Ifland with 100 Cities. It is one of the largest Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Mouth of the Archipelago, between Greece and Africa, 240 Miles from East to West, 80 from South to North; about 600 Miles in Compafs; and about 600 Miles from Jerufalem to the Weft, 600 from Conftantinople, and 300 Miles from Cyprus. It is now called Candia, i. e. An Intrenchment, from the chief Town, built by the Saracens, A. D. 823. The Venetians bought it from the Marquis of Montferrat, A. D. 1204. But the Turks took it from them, A. D. 1669. There Jupiter is faid to be both born, brought IDA, () and thence upon the Top of OLYMPUS, (m) cover'd with Snow; they rul'd the middle Air, which was their highest Heaven; or on the Cliff of DE LPHOS, (n) or in DODONA, (e) where Oracles were; brought up, and buried. The old Cretians were famous for Lying, See Titus 1. 12. which St. Paul quoted from Epimenides. (1) Ida; Lat. from the Gr. i. e. A Prospect: Because upon it one had a fair View of the whole Island of Crete, the adjacent Countries and Seas. A famous Mountain in that Ifland, where Jupiter was nurfed in a Cave. It is now called Pfiloriti, Gr. i. e. The Little Hill: And from it Jupiter is called Idaus by the old Poets. (m) Olympus; Lat. from the Gr. i. e. All shining, clear and ferene. It is the Name of feveral Mountains; but here, of that between Theffaly and Macedon: So high, that no Clouds or Darkness appeared upon it, and was covered with Snow; therefore it is called Cold: The Poets used it for Heaven; and said that Jupiter reigned there, therefore he is called Jupiter Olympius. Anaxagoras found it but one Mile and a Quarter in perpendicular Height, as Plutarch relates. It extends from Eaft to Weft, and the Top of it extended a great Length all of a Height; yet fome Part of the Alps is much higher, Clouds are feen fometimes upon it, neither is it always covered with Snow, as the Antients reported. (n) Delphian, of Delphi, from Adelphoi, Gr. i. e. Brothers; becaufe Apollo and Bacchus, both of Sons of Jupiter, were worshipped there. Or from Delphos, the Founder of it. It was very an tient, and flourished 100 Years before the Trojan War; the firft, moft magnificent and richeft of all the Oracles of Apollo, and of all the other Gods. An antient City in Baotia, at the Foot of Parnaffus, built upon a steep Rock, without any other Walls; now Delpho. There was a magnificent and famous Temple and Oracle of Apollo, whether all Nations reforted for Answers in all dubious Affairs; and enriched with the most valuable Gifts; therefore he was called Apollo. Delphius. It had its Original from a Flock of Goats, that reforted there, and from an enthusiastical Girl. In it was kept a perpetual Fire; which Custom they borrowed from Mofes. (0) Dodona; Lat. from the Gr. i. e. Sounding Day and Night: Or because it was built by Dodon the Son of Javan, and Grandfon of Japhet, the Captain of a Colony, which firft inhabited that Part of Epirus, Gen. 10. 4. A famous and antient Town in Chaonia, the Weft Side of Epirus 3 famous for the Vocal Foreft and Oracle of Jupiter, where the Oaks confecrated to him, gave Anfwers; from thence he was called Dodon us. Hefiod fays, it was the most antient of all the Oracles of Greece. or were difpers'd through GREECE, with all those who with old SATURN fled over the ADRIATICK (p) Sea into the Weft, and roam'd over the Kingdoms and Islands of the Earth. CHA P. III. Satan, though fenfible of the Diminution of his Glory, directs his Speech to the Fallen Angels, and comforts them with Hope yet of regaining Heaven. Then tells them of a new World, and a new Kind of Creature to be created, according to an antient Prophecy, or Report in Heaven; and threatens the Deity: Which the rebellious Angels all affent to. A LL thefe and many more appear'd in Multitudes, but with down-caft Eyes, and full of Shame; yet not fo but that there appear'd fuch Looks, wherein fome Glimpfe of Joy faintly was feen; to have found their chief Captain not in Defpair, and to have found themfelves not utterly annihilated; which was alike evident from his doubtful Countenance: But SATAN foon recollecting his ufual Pride, with lofty Words, which had a Refemblance of Worth but not the Reality, gently rais'd their fainting Courage, and for a little Time put off their Fears. Then immediately he commanded, that at the warlike Sound of loud Trumpets, and of Clari (p) The Adriatic Sea, now, the Gulf of Venice or Illyria; which feparates Greece and Illyricum from Italy. Saturn pafs'd over it when he fled into Italy; where he propagated the Phanician and Grecian Idolatry, Arts and Sciences; for which he ons, was entertained by Janus the King of it, and deified after his Death. These Inftitutions made Men fo happy, that the Poets called that Time, the Golden Age. Saturn is Adam; and that Age, the State of Innocence, before his Fall. ons, his mighty Standard fhould be fet up: Az aZEL, (q) a powerful Cherub, claim'd that proud Honour as his Right; who forthwith from the glittering Staff spread out the Imperial Enfign; which litted up high, fhone like a Comet ftreaming to and fro in the Wind, adorn'd with rich Workmanship and golden Luftre, being Seraphic Trophies and Arms; mean Time the warlike Mufick of SATAN, was blowing with fuch Sounds as ftir up to Battle; at which the whole Army fent up a Shout that fhook Hell, and pierc'd farther to the great Space. In a Moment Ten Thousand Banners were feen to rife thro' the Glooin into the Air, waving with Colours fuch as are seen in the Sun at his Rifing; and with them were lifted up a vaft Number of Spears, and Helmets, and Shields, joined together in Order of Battle, of extream great Depth. Soon after they begin to move in exact Or der, not unlike the GREEKS to the Sound of Flutes and Pipes, fuch as rais'd the Spirits of the Heroes (r) of old to nobleft Heights, and breath'd deliberate, firm, and unmov'd Valour, inftead of Rage, with lefs Dread of Death, than of Flight, or Cowardice: Nor did fuch Mufick want Power to mitigate and affwage, with folemn and grave Sounds, troubled Thoughts; and to drive away Anguish, Doubts, Fears, Pain, or Sorrow, from the Mind of Mortals or Immortals. |