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seat of the Roman empire, A. D. 300. Its former name Byzantium.

396 Turchestan born

From the country of the Turks, a province of Zagathaian Tartary, lying between Great Tartary and the empire of the great Mogul, on the east of Catha, having Tartaria propria on the north, and Indostan on the south.

397 Th' empire of Negus

The Upper Ethiopia, or the land of the Abyssinians, subject to one sovran, stiled in their language, Negus, or king.

398 Ercoco,

A sea port town of Ethiopia on the Red Sea, with a fine harbour, the north east boundary of the Abyssinian empire.

399 Mombaza

399

A large city, the capital of a small kingdom of the same name, in a small island near the line in the eastern ocean, now subject to the king of Mombassa, who calls himself the emperor of the world.

and Quiloa,

A capital city upon a river of the same name, between Mosambique and Melind, the east shore of Africa, near Zanguebar, in Ethiopia Inferior. The kings of Quiola were masters of Mombaza, Melind, and some adjacent islands; the Arabs first traded amongst them, then the Mahometans, at present the Portuguese.

400 And Sofala thought Ophir,

Sofala, a petty kingdom in Lower Ethiopia,

400

supposed to be the Ophir from whence Solomon brought gold.

Of Congo,

to the realm

A kingdom in the Lower Ethiopia, on the western shore of Africa, it is fruitful and well watered, and abounds with serpents of an immense size.

401 And Angola,

A kingdom south of Congo.

402 Or thence from Niger flood

402

The river Niger divides Negro-land into two parts.

to Atlas Mount

A chain of mountains in the western part of Africa.

403 The kingdom of Almansor,

403

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Joseph Almansor 1st. was emperor of Morocco, he invaded Spain with sixty thousand horse and ten hundred thousand foot, A. D. 1158, and usurped the territories of the Spanish Moors who invited him. He was beaten by the Christians and slain with an arrow, at the siege of Santarem, in Portugal. Fez and Sus,

Morocco, and Algiers, and Tremisen;

Fez, Sus, Morocco, and Tremisen, are all kingdoms in Barbary.

405 On Europe thence, and where Rome was to sway Europe is the smallest of the four quarters of the world, but its inhabitants are considered as the most active and intelligent race of mankind. Rome was founded about 752 years B. C. by Romulus this city, the fame of which extended

through the known world, was, at first, only a mile in circumference, and inhabited by those who sought a refuge from other places.

407 Rich Mexico, the seat of Montezume,

A considerable country in North America. Montezume was subdued by the Spanish general, Cortes.

408 And Cusco in Peru,

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Cusco the capital of Peru, in South America. the richer seat

Of Atabalipa,

The last and one of the most magnificent and peaceable emperors of Peru, subdued by the Spanish general, Pizarro.

Guiana,

and yet unspoil'd

A country in South America.

whose great city Geryon's sons

Call El Dorado:

Geryon's sons, Geryon a king of Catalonia in Spain, by which Milton means the Spaniards. They called the city (Manhoa) El Dorado, or the golden city, on account of its richness and

extent.

429 His eyes he open'd and beheld a field,

As the sons of Adam and Eve came to maturity a strong diversity appeared in their tempers. Cain the eldest was morose, selfish, and envious; Abel the younger was gentle, yielding and pious. Adam endeavoured to plant in them every good sentiment of piety, in Cain he fail'd, Cain was rude and unthankful, but the soul of Abel his brother glowed with religious ardour. The

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Almighty Being who sees the recesses of the heart, gave a visible sign of his approbation by accepting the sacrifice of Abel. But the offering of Cain, being unaccompanied by the heart was rejected; this inflamed his passions into hatred, and instigated by the evil one, he imbrued his hands in his brothers blood. Thus death obtained, by murder, the first conquest over man.

but the bloody fact

Will be avenged, and the others faith approv'd

It was by faith that Abel offered to God a greater and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain; by means of which he obtained a testimony that he was righteous; God by the visible tokens of his favour, bearing witness to his gifts, which he presented on the altar; and by it he, being dead, yet speaketh.

479 A lazar house it seem'd,

524

A house for leprous and other diseased persons. since they

God's image did not reverence in themselves.

540

Because knowing God as the great former of all, and a being of supreme and incomparable perfection, they have not adored and glorified him as God their Maker, neither were duly thankful to him as their great and constant Benefactor, but acted as if they had neither opportunity nor capacity of acquainting themselves with him.

thy senses then

Obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forego,

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the

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years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them. Eccl. xii. 1.

My dissolution.

and patiently attend

Did we accustom ourselves, when distressed in mind, or suffering in body, to seek our chief com. fort in religion, and the perusal of the scriptures, we should find, that under no circumstances whatever man is destined to live without hope, and that all the ways of religion " are pleasantness as well as peace." May we say with holy Job, "All the days of my appointed time I will wait, till my change come."

556 He look'd, and saw a spacious plain, whereon Were tents of various hue;

585.

561

Jabal was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. Gen. iv. 20.

whence the sound

Of instruments that made melodious chime

And his brothers name was Jubal; he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ, Gen. iv. 21.

his volant touch

Instinct through all proportions low and high Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue. Fugue, a flight of sounds where the notes chase one another like an echo; Jubal is said to be the inventor of musical instruments, he is styled Apollo by the heathens.

564 In other part stood one who at the forge

Lab'ring,

Tubal Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron. Gen. iv. 22.

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