verlaid with golden Architrave (q): The Roof was fretted (r) Gold, nor was there any Want of Cornice (s), or Freeze (t), engrav'd with boffy (u) Ornaments: BABYLON (x) nor GRAND CAIRO (y) never equall'd in all their Glory fuch Magnificence, thought (q) Architrave; Fr. Gr. i. e. The chief Head of a Pillar. AT. of Archit. It is a Moulding next above the Chapiter or Head of a Column or Pillar. (r) Fretted; Ital. Fr. from the Lat. A T. of Archit. An Ornament of two Lifts interwo ven and at an equal Distance, with feveral Breaks and Indentures, i. e. All this Workmanfhip was of pure folid Gold. (s) Cornice or Cornish; Fr. Lat. from the Gr. A Horn. A T. of Archit. It is the third or highest Part of the Freeze, extending out like an Horn or Point in Building. (t) Freeze or Frieze; Fr. i. e. A Ruff or Fringe. A T. of Archit. It is the round and broad Band of a Pillar, between the Architrave and the Cornice. (u) Boy Fr. belonging to a Bols, i. e. A Knob or Stub fwelling out. Another Term of Architecture. (x) Babylon; Heb. from Ba bel, i. e. Confufion. A very noble and ancient City in Chaldea, upon a vaft Plain, built near the old Tower upon the Euphrates: It was founded by Nimrod before the Separation and Confufion of Languages, Gen. x. 10. therefore that Country is called the Land of Nimrod, Micah v. 6. But was augmented, beautified, and fortified by Ninus, Semiramis, Nebuchadnezzar, &c. and that's the Reafon why feveral Hiftorians afcribe the Foundation of it to different Princes. It was the Metropolis of Affyria, 'till Seleucia eclips'd the Glory of it, and the first Seat of Monarchy in the World. The Walls of it were fixty Miles in Circuit, fifty Cubits high, and eighty.feven Foot thick, fo that feveral Coaches might pass upon them, and efteemed one of the feven Wonders of the World. This was the oldelt, largest, most magnificent, and famous City upon Earth, 'till it was ruin'd by Cyrus, Darius, Seleucus, Orodes, and Alexander the Great; he took it, found immenfe Treasures therein, flaid a whole Year, and dy'd there. It is above forty Miles South-Eaft from Bagdat, which is upon the Tygris, and is often mistaken for the old Babylon; and about fix-hundred and eighty Miles from Jerufalem Eaftward. It hath been ruinous Heaps, and Dens of wild, favage Beafts, Serpents, and other venemous Creatures, for many Ages paft, fo that Travellers dare not approach it, as Jeremiah and other Prophets foretold; because of the Idolatry, Cruelty, Opp:effion, Pride, and other heinous Crimes of its Inhabitants. (3) Grand Cairo, Alcairo, or Alcahera; Arab. i. e. victorious or triumphant ; because Muazzus founded it in the Ascendant of F Mars, 1.. Book I. tho' to enfhrine BELUS (2) or SERAPIS (a) which were their Gods; or whether it were Seats for their Kings, when EGYPT ftrove with ASSYRIA (b) in Wealth,Superfluity, and Luxury. The infernal Palace which the Devils had built, was of a pompous Height, and prefently the Doors opening their brazen Folds, difcover'd within many Rows of fhining Lamps and bla zing Lights, fed with NAPHTHA (c) and ASPHALTus (d), which from the arched Roof hung over the fmooth Mars, who conquers the World. Others from Al, the, and Ker, City, i e. The City, by Way of Eminence. The French call it Grand Cairo, i. e. The great City. It is the chief City of Egypt now, built out of the Ruins of the old Memphis, on the East Side of the Nile, but Memphis stood on the Weft Side and a little below it, above the first Division of that River. Old Cairo was upon the Bank of the River, but new Cairo is about three Miles from it. (x) Belus; Heb. i. e. Lord. The Son of Nimrod, the fecond King of Babylon, and the fir Man that was deify'd after Death. He began to reign A. M. 1879, and died A. M. 1914. (a) Serapis; Heb. i. e. A Prince or Ox. The fame as Apis, in the old Egyptian Language, from Ab, Heb. i. e. A Father: For Joseph faid, I am a Father to Pharoah, Gen. xlv. 8. An ancient King and God of Egypt, thought to be Jofeph in Fable; being reprefented with the Figure of an Ox, with the Sun and Moon, and as a Youth with a Bufhel and a Cup. All this agrees exactly to the Character and Station of that worthy Deliverer of their Nation, and pro vident Statesman. Herodot. Lib: 3. C. 28. Diodor. Sicul. 2. (b) Affyria; Heb. i. e. Bleffed, from Aur the Son of Sem, Gen. X. II, 12. A large and fertile. Country in Afia, joining to Chal dia, Mefopotamia, Armenia, &c. where the first grand Monarchy was founded about 115 Years after the Flood, and continued for 1300 or 1400 Years. Then it fell into the Hands of the Babylonians, Ninevites, Medes. Perfians, Greeks, Romans, and now of the Turks fucceffively. (c) Naphtha or Naptha; Lat. Gr. from the Chald í. e. Dropping; a Kind of fat, chalky, and bituminous Clay, of a dark Colour, that takes Fire fooner than Brimftone; it will draw Fire to it from afar, and is not foon quenched. Famous Springs of it are at Baku in Perfia; they ufe it instead of Lamp Oil, and in their Fire-works. It yields a great Revenue to the Emperor of Perfia. (d) Apbaltus; Lat. Gr. i. e. Unextinguishable. A Kind of fat burning Clay, like Pitch, found in Pits, and abounding near Sødom and Babylon. It was used inftead of Mortar, in building the Towers and Walls of Baby lon fmooth Pavement; they were hung by fubtle Magic, and fent forth a Light as from a Sky. The hafty Multitude enter'd admiring; fome prais'd the Work, and fome the Architect; his Art was known in Heaven, by many a high Tower, where dignify'd Spirits held their Refidence, and fat as Princes; whom GoD had exalted to fuch Power, and given to rule the bright Orders, each in their facred Hierarchy (e). Nor was he without a Name or Adoration in antient GREECE (; and in ITALY Men called him MULCIBER (g), and feigned how he fell from Heaven, thrown down by angry Jove, quite over the Bounds of Heaven; that he fell from Morning to Noon, and from Noon to Evening, a whole Summer's Day, and as the Sun lon, Gen. xi. 3. () Hierarchy Fr. Lat. from the Gr. i. e. A facred Govern ment. A Theolog. Term. Here, the most glorious Government of the Holy Angels in Heaven. It confifts, as fome fay, of nine Orders, which are divided into the highest, middle, and lowest, viz. 1. Seraphims, Cherubims, and Thrones. 2. Dominions, Principalities, and Powers. 3. Vir tues, Angels, and Arch-Angels. The Holy Scriptures, especially St. Paul, Coloff. i. 16. mention thofe Degrees of holy Angels: But Dionyfius the Areopagite, and the Schoolmen explain and rank them as diftinctly as if they had been in Heaven and feen them. And doubtless there is as much Variety in the Angels, as there is among Men, Animals, Plants, and Flowers, whereof there are not two of a Kind, in every Refpeft alike; which is a lively De monftration of the infinite Wif dom and Power of the Maker. f) Greece, Lat. from the Gr. from Græcus, Son of Ce. crops, who was one of the first Kings of it. An antient and no ble Country in Europe, upon the Mediterranean and Egean Seas, and highly celebrated in History, (g) Muleiber; Lat. i. e. A Melter or Softener of Iron. Vulcan, Jupiter's Son and Founder, and God of the Smiths. Vulcan is Tubal-Cain, Gen. iv. 22. His falling from Heaven is nothing else, than the History of the Fallen Angels, dreft up in a poetical Fable, which they had by long Tradition from Noah, Mofes, &c. and from thence it fpread over all the World. Vulcan was a famous Mafter Smith of Lemnos. But here, he is taken for fome grand Devil, whom Milton feigns to be the Archi. tect, or Head-Workman of the Infernal Palace. whofe Midnight Dancings by the Side of a Fountain or Foreft, fome belated Peafant fees, or at leaft dreams fo; while the Moon fhining bright, wheels her Courie nearer to the Earth; they feeming to him intent on their Mirth and Dancing, charm his Ear with pleafant Mufick, and his Heart beats at once with Joy and with Fear. Thus thefe Spirits being incorporeal, reduced their immenfe Shapes to Forms that were exceeding small, and were at large, though ftill without Number, amidst the Hall of that infernal Court; but far within, like themselves, and in their own proper Shapes, fat in Privacy and fecret Council the Chiefs of the Seraphim and Cherubim, more than a Thousand Demi-Gods (q), upon Seats of Gold. The Council was compleat and full, when after a fhort Silence, and the Summons being read, the grand Confultation began (r). and fantastical Spirits, haunting the Woods and defolate Places, of whom old Women tell ftrange Fables. (9) Demi Gods; Sax. Lat. Semones, q. Semi-bomines, i. e. Half-Men or inferior Gods among the Romans, i. e. HalfGods. OBS. Among the Heathens, the Sun was the fupreme God, their firft and chief Worship was paid to him and other heavenly Orbs, because they were fo beneficial to them. But as Men degenerated, they deifi. ed and adored Dæmons, or their mightiest Kings and Heroes after Death, with an inferior Venera sion, fuch as Belus, Hercules, Saturn, Ceres, &c. These they called Demi-Gods. Here, the Chiefs or Captains among the Fallen Angels, met in this infernal Council. (This Book contains more of the Hebrew, Arabic, Phæni. cian, and other Oriental Languages; more Antiquity, Hiftory, both divine and human, Mythology or Fables of the Poets; more antient Geography, &c. than any of the following Books; Although the whole Poem is filled with more Learning of every Sort, than is contained in any one Volume extant ; in the most fublime, elegant, well connected and fhort Compass. The Characters and Speeches of the Devils are wonderful and astonishing, most proper and masterly. But his Defcription of the Pandæmonium transcends all human Learning. THE |