Of other women, by the birth I bore;

Threatens than our expulsion down to hell. In such a season born, when scarce a shed I, as I undertook, and with the vote Could be obtained to shelter him or me

Consenting in full frequence was empowered, From the bleak air; a stable was our warmth, Have found him, viewed him, tasted him; but find A manger his; yet soon enforced to fly Far other labour to be urdergone Thence into Egypt, till the murderous king

Than when I dealt with Adam, first of men, Were dead, who sought his life, and missing filled Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell, With infant blood the streets of Bethlehem : However to this Man inferior far; From Egypt home returned, in Nazareth If he be man by mother's side, at least Hath been our dwelling many years; his life With more than human gifts from Heaven adorned, Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,

Perfections absolute, graces divine,
Little suspicious to any king; but now,

And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds.
Full grown to man, acknowledged, as I hear, Therefore I am returned, lest confidence
By John the Baptist, and in public shown, Of my success with Eve in Paradise
Son owned from Heaven by his Father's voice, Deceive ye to persuasion over sure
I looked for some great change; to honour? no; Of like succeeding here : I summon all
But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold, Rather to be in readiness, with hand
That to the fall and ag, he should be Or counsel to assist ; lest I, who erst
Of many in Israel, and to a sign

Thought none my equal, now be overmatched.”
Spoken against, that through my very soul So spake the old Serpent, doubting; and from all
A sword shall pierce: this is my favoured lot, With clamour was assured their utmost aid
My exaltation to a Mictions bigh;

At his command: when from amidst them rose Afflicted I may be, it seems, and blest;

Belial, the dissolutest spirit that fell,
I will not argue that, nor will repine.

The sensualist, and, after Asmodai,
But where delays he now? some great intent The fleshliest incubus; and thus advised.
Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had "Set women in his eye, and in luis walk,
seen,

Among daughters of men the fairest found:
I lost him, but so found, as well as saw Many are in each region passing fair
He could not lose himself, but went about As the noon sky; more like to goddesses
His Father's business; what he meant I mused, Than mortal creatures; graceful and discreet,
Since understood; much more his absence now Expert in amorous arts, enchanting tongues
Thus long to some great purpose he obscures. Pursuasive, virgin majesty with mild
But I to wait with patience am inured; And sweet allayed, yet terrible to approach;
My heart hath been a storehouse long of things Skilled to retire, and, in retiring, draw
And sayings laid up, portending strange events." Hearts after them tangled in amorous nets.

Thus Mary, pondering oft, and oft to mind Such object hath the power to soften and tame
Recalling what remarkably had passed Severest temper, smooth the rugged'st brow
Since first her salutation heard, with thoughts Enerve, and with voluptuous hope dissolve,
Meekly composed awaited the fulfilling: Draw out with credulous desire, and lead
The while her son, tracing the desert wild, At will the manliest, resolutest breast,
Sole, but with holiest meditations fed,

As the magnetic hardest iron draws.
Into himself descended, and at once

Women, when nothing else beguiled the heart All his great work to come before him set; Of wisest Solomon, and made him build, How to begin, how to accomplish best

And made him bow, to the gods of his wives." His end of being on earth, and mission high: To whom quick answer Satan thus returned. For Satan, with sly preface to return,

“ Belial, in much uneven scale thou weighest Had left him vacant, and with speed was gone All others by thyself: because of old Up to the middle region of thick air,

Thou thyself doted’st on womankind, admiring Where all his potentates in council sat;

Their shape, their colour, and attractive grace, There, without sign of boast, or sign of joy, None are, thou think'st, but taken with such toys. Solicitous and blank, he thus began.

Before the flood, thou with thy lusty crew, “ Princes, Heaven's ancient sons, ethereal False titled sons of God, roaming the earth, thrones,

Cast wanton eyes on the daughters of men, Demonian spirits now, from the element And coupled with them, and begot a race. Each of his reign allotted, rightlier called Have we not seen, or by relation heard, Powers of fire, air, water, and earth beneath. In courts and regal chambers how thou lurkisto (So may we hold our place and these mild seats In wood or grove, by mossy fountain side, Without new trouble,) such an enemy

In valley or green meadow, to waylay Is risen to invade us, who no less

Some beauty rare, Calisto, Clymene,

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Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,

“Where will this end? four times ten days I've Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more

passed Too long; then lay'st thy scapes on names adored, Wandering this woody maze, and human food Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,

Nor tasted, nor had appetite; that fact
Satyr, or Faun, or Sylvan? But these haunts To virtue I impute not, or count part
Delight not all; among the sons of men, Of what I suffer here; if nature need not,
How many have with a smile made sinall account Or God support nature without repast
Of Beauty and her lures, easily scorned,

Though needing, what praise is it to endure ? All her assaults, on worthier things intent! But now I feel I hunger, which declares Remember that Pellean conqueror,

Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God A youth, how all the beauties of the east Can satisfy that need some other way, He slightly viewed, and slightly overpassed; Though hunger still remain; so it remain How he surnamed of Africa dismissed,

Without this body's wasting, I content me, In his prime youth, the fair Iberian maid. And from the sting of famine fear no harm; For Solomon, he lived at ease, and full

Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts, that feed Of honour, wealth, high fare, aimed not beyond Me hungering more to do my Father's will." Higher design than to enjoy his state;

It was the hour of night, when thus the Son Thence to the bait of women lay exposed: Communed in silent walk, then laid him down But he whom we attempt is wiser far

Under the hospitable covert nigh Than Solomon, of more exalted mind,

Of trees thick interwoven; there he slept, Made and set wholly on the accomplishment And dreamed, as appetite is wont to dream, Of greatest things. What woman will you find, of meats and drinks, nature's refreshment sweet. Though of this age the wonder and the fame, Him thought, he by the brook of Cherith stood, On whom his leisure will vouchsafe an eye And saw the ravens with their horny beaks Of fond desire? or should she, confident, Food to Elijah bringing, even and morn, As sitting queen adored on Beauty's throne, Though ravenous, taught to abstain from what Descend with all her winning charms begirt

they brought: To enamour, as the zone of Venus once

He saw the prophet also, how he fled
Wrought that effect on Jove, so fables tell : Into the desert, and how there he slept
How would one look from his majestic brow, Under a juniper; then how awaked
Seated as on the top of virtue's hill,

He found his supper on the coals prepared,
Discountenance her despised and put to rout And by the angel was bid rise and eat,
All her array; her female pride deject,

And eat the second time after repose,
Or turn to reverent awe! for beauty stands The strength whereof sufficed him forty days:
In the admiration only of weak minds

Sometimes that with Elijah he partook, Led captive; cease to admire, and all her plumes Or as a guest with Daniel at his pulse. Fall flat, and shrink into a trivial toy,

Thus wore out night; and now the herald lark At every sudden slighting quite abashed: Left his ground-nest, high towering to descry Therefore with manlier objects we must try The morn's approach, and greet her with his song; His constancy; with such as have more show As lightly from his grassy couch up rose Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular praise; Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream; Rocks, whereon greatest inen have oftest wrecked; Fasting he went to sleep, and fasting waked. Or that which only seems to satisfy

Up to a hill anon his steps he reared, Lawful desires of nature, not beyond ;

From whose high top to ken the prospect round, And now I know he hungers, where no food If cottage were in view, sheep-cote, or herd; Is to be found, in the wide wilderness:

But cottage, herd, or sheep-cote none he saw; The rest commit to me; I shall let pass Only in a bottom saw a pleasant grove, No advantage, and his strength as oft assay.” With chant of tuneful birds resounding loud: He ceased, and heard their grant in loud ac- Thither he bent his way, determined there claim:

To rest at noon; and entered soon the shade Then forthwith to him takes a chosen band High roofed and walks beneath, and alleys brown, Of spirits, likest to himself in guile,

That opened in the midst a woody scene; To be at hand, and at his beck appear,

Nature's own work it seemed, nature taught art, If cause were to unfold some active scene And, to a superstitious eye, the haunt Of various persons, each to know his part: Of woodgods and woodnymphs: he viewed it Then to the desert takes with these his flight;

round. Where, still from shade to shade, the Son of God When suddenly a man before him stood, After forty days fasting had remained,

Not rustic as before, but seemlier clad, Now hungering first, and to himself thus said. As one in city, or court, or palace bred,

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And with fair speech these words to him addressed. Than Ganymed or Hylas; distant more “With granted leave officious I return,

Under the trees now tripped, now solemn stood, But much more wonder that the Son of God Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades In this wild solitude so long should bide, With fruits or flowers from Amalthea's horn, Of all things destitute, and, well I know, And ladies of th' Hesperides, that seemed Not without hunger. Others of some note, Fairer than famed of old, or fabled since As story tells, have trod this wilderness; Of fairy damsels, met in forests wide The fugitive bondwoman, with her son

By nights of Logres, or of Lyones, Outcast Nebaioth, yet found here relief Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore: By a providing angel; all the race

And all the while harmonious airs were heard Of Israel here had famished, had not God Of chiming strings, or charming pipes; and winds Rained from Heaven manna; and that prophet Of gentlest gale Arabian odours fanned bold,

From their soft wings, and Flora's earliest smells. Native of Thebez, wandering here was fed Such was the splendour; and the Tempter now Twice by a voice inviting him to eat:

His invitation earnestly renewed. Of thee these forty days none hath regard, “What doubts the Son of God to sit and eat? Forty and more deserted here indeed.”

These are not fruits forbidden; no interdict To whom thus Jesus.“ What conclud'st thou Defends the touching of these viands pure; hence ?

Their taste no knowledge works, at least of evil, They all had need; I, as thou seest, have none." But life preserves, destroys life's enemy,

“How hast thou hunger then ?? Satan replied. Hunger, with sweet restorative delight. "Tell me if food were now before thee set, All these are spirits of air, and woods, and springs, Would'st thou not eat ?” “Thereafter as I like Thy gentle ministers, who come to pay The giver,” answered Jesus. “Why should that Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their Lord: Cause thy refusal ?" said the subtle fiend. What doubt'st thou, Son of God ? sit down and "Hast thou not right to all created things ?

eat." Owe not all creatures by just right to thee To whom thus Jesus temperately replied. Duty and service, nor to stay till bid,

" Said'st thou not that to all things I had right? But tender all their power ? nor mention I And who withholds my power that right to use ? Meats by the law unclean, or offered first Shall I receive by gift what of my own, To idols, those young Daniel could refuse; When and where likes me best, I can command ? Nor proffered by an enemy, though who I can at will, doubt not, as soon as thou, Would scruple that, with want oppressed ? Be. Command a table in this wilderness,

And call swift flights of angels ministrant Nature ashamed, or, better to express,

Arrayed in glory on my cup to attend: Troubled, that thou should'st hunger, hath pur- Why should'st thou then obtrude this diligence, veyed

In vain, where no acceptance it can find ? From all the elements her choicest store, And with my hunger what hast thou to do? To treat thee, as beseems, and as her Lord, Thy pompous delicacies I contemn, With honour: only deign to sit and eat.” And count thy specious gifts no gifts, but guiles."

He spake no dream; for, as his words had end, To whom thus answered Satan malcontent. Our Saviour lifting up his eyes beheld,

“That I have also power to give thou seest; In ample space under the broadest shade, If of that power I bring thee voluntary A table richly spread in regal mode,

What I might have bestowed on whom I pleased, With dishes piled, and meats of noblest sort And rather opportunely in this place And savour; beasts of chase, or fowl of game, Choose to impart to thy apparent need, In pastry built, or from the spit, or boiled, Why should'st thou not accept it? but I see Grisamber-steamed ;* all fish, from sea or shore, What I can do or offer is suspect; Freshet or purling brook, of shell or fin, Of these things others quickly will dispose, And exquisitest name, for which was drained Whose pains have earned thee far-fet spoil.” With Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coast.

that (Alas, how simple, to these cates compared, Both table and provision vanished quite Was that crude apple that diverted Eve !) With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard; And at a stately side-board, by the wine Only the importune Tempter still remained, That fragrant smell diffused, in order stood And with these words his temptation pursued. Tall stripling youths rich clad, of fairer hue “By hunger, that each other creature tames,

Thou art not to be barmed, therefore not moved; *“Grisamber-steamed”—Scented with ambergris ; a spe. Thy temperance, invincible besides, cies of luxury in Milton's time.

For no allurements yields to appetite;

hold,

And all thy heart is set on high designs, Passions, desires, and fears, is more a king;
High actions: but wherewith to be achieved ? Which every wise and virtuous man attains;
Great acts require great means of enterprise ; And who attains not, ill aspires to rule
Thou art unknown, unfriended, low of birth, Cities of men, or headstrong multitudes,
A carpenter thy father known, thyself

Subject himself to anarchy within,
Bred up in poverty and straits at home,

Or lawless passions in him, which he serves. Lost in a desert here and hunger-bit:

But to guide nations in the way of truth
Which way, or from what hope dost thou aspire By saving doctrine, and from error lead
To greatness ? whence authority derivest ? To know, and, knowing, worship God aright,
What followers, what retinue canst thou gain, Is yet more kingly; this attracts the soul,
Or at thy heels the dizzy multitude,

Governs the inner man, the nobler part;
Longer than thou canst feed them on thy cost ? That other o'er the body only reigns,
Money brings honour, friends, conquest, and And oft by force, which, to a generous mind,
realms :

So reigning, can be no sincere delight.
What raised Antipater the Edomite,

Besides, to give a kingdom hath been thought
And his son Herod placed on Judah's throne, Greater and nobler done, than to lay down
Thy throne, but gold that got him puissant friends? Far more magnanimous, than to assume.
Therefore, if at great things thou would’st arrive, Riches are needless then, both for themselves,
Get riches first, get wealth, and treasure heap, And for thy reason why they should be sought,
Not difficult, if thou hearken to me:

To gain a sceptre, oftest better missed."
Riches are mine, fortune is in my hand;
They whom I favour thrive in wealth amain
While virtue, valour, wisdom sit in want."

BOOK III.
To whom thus Jesus patiently replied.
" Yet wealth without these three is impotent

THE ARGUMENT. To gain dominion, or to keep it gained.

Satan, in a speech of much Battering commendation, en. Witness those ancient empires of the earth,

deavours to awaken in Jesus a passion for glory, by particu.

larizing various instances of conquests achieved, and great In height of all their flowing wealth dissolved:

actions performed, by persons at an early period of life. Our But men endued with these have oft attained

Lord replies, by showing the vanity of worldly fame, and the In lowest poverty to highest deeds;

improper means by which it is generally attained; and conGideon and Jeptha, and the shepherd lad, trasts with it the true glory of religious patience and virtuous Whose offspring on the throne of Judah sat wisdom, as exemplified in the character of Job. Satan justifies

the love of glory from the example of God himself, who reSo many ages, and shall yet regain

quires it from all his creatures. Jesus detects the fallacy of That seat, and reign in Israel without end.

this argument, by showing that, as goodness is the true ground Among the heathen, (for throughout the world on which glory is due to the great Creator of all things, sinful To me is not unknown what hath been done man can have no right whatever to il.–Satan then urges our Worthy of memorial,) canst thou not remember Lord respecting his claim to the throne of David: he tells him

that the kingdom of Judea, being at that time a province of Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus ? For I esteem those names of men so poor,

Rome, can not be got possession of without much personal

exertion on his part, and presses him to lose no time in begin. Who could do mighty things, and could contemn ning to reign. Jesus refers him to the time allotted for this, as Riches, though oflered from the hand of kings. for all other things; and after intimating somewhat respecting And what in me seems wanting, but that I

his own previous sufferings, asks Satan, why he should be se

solicitous for the exaltation of one, whose rising was destined May also in this poverty as soon

to be his fall. Satan replies, that his own desperate state, by Accomplish what they did, perhaps, and more?

excluding all hope, leaves little room for fear; and that, as his Extol not riches then, the toil of fools,

own punishment was equally doomed, he is not interested in The wise man's cumbrance, if not snare; more apt preventing the reign of one, from whose apparent benevolence To slacken virtue, and abate her edge,

he might rather hope for some interference in his favour.Than prompt her to do aught may merit praise.

Satan still pursues his former incitements; and, supposing

that the seeming reluctance of Jesus to be thus advanced might What if with like aversion I reject

arise from his being unacquainted with the world and its Riches and realms ? yet not, for that a crown, glories, conveys him to the summit of a high mountain, and Golden in show, is but a wreath of thorns, from thence shows him most of the kingdoms of Asia, par. Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and sleepless ticularly pointing out to his notice some extraordinary mili

tary preparations of the Parthians to resist the incursions of nights,

the Scythians. He then informs our Lord, that he showed To him who wears the regal diadem,

him this purposely that he might see how necessary military When on his shoulders each man's burden lies; exertions are to retain the possession of kingdoms, as well as For therein stands the office of a king,

to subdue them at first: and advises him to consider how im. His honour, virtue, merit, and chief praise,

possible it was to maintain Judea against two such powerful

neighbours as the Romans and Parthians, and how necessary That for the public all this weight he bears.

it would be to form an alliance with one or other of them. At Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules the same time he recommends, and engages to secure to him

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that of the Parthians; and tells him that by this means bis For glory's sake, by all thy argument.
power will be defended from any thing that Rome or Cæsar For what is glory but the blaze of fame,
Inight allempt against it, and that he will be able to extend
his glory wide, and especially to accomplish, what was par.

The people's praise, if always praise unmixed ? ticularly necessary to make ihe throne of Judea really the And what the people but a herd confused, throne of David, the deliverance and restoration of the ten A miscellaneous rabble, who extol tries, still in a state of captivity. Jesus having briefly no. Things vulgar, and, well weighed, scarce worth ticed the vanity of military efforts and the weakness of the

the praise ? arm of flesh, saya, that when the time comes for ascending his allotted throne he shall not be slack; he remarks on Satan's They praise, and they admire, they know not what, extraordinary zeal for the deliverance of the Israelites, lo And know not whom, but as one leads the other ; whom he had always shown himself an enemy, and declares And what delight to be by such extolled, their servitude to be the consequence of their idolatry: but To live upon their tongues and be their talk, adis

, that at a future time it may perhaps please God to recall of whom to be dispraised were no small praise? them, and restore them to their liberty and native land.

His lot who dares be singularly good.

The intelligent among them and the wise So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood Are few, and glory scarce of few is raised. A while, as mute confounded what to say, This is true glory and renown, when God What to reply, confuted, and convinced Looking on the earth with approbation marks Of his weak arguing and fallacious drift; The just man, and divulges him through Heaven At length, collecting all his serpent wiles, To all his angels, who with true applause With soothing words renewed, him thus accosts. Recount his praises: thus he did to Job,

" I see thou knowest what is of use to know, When, to extend his fame through Heaven and What best to say canst say, to do canst do;

earth, Thy actions to thy words accord; thy words As thou to thy reproach may'st well remember, To thy large heart give utterance due; thy heart He asked thee, 'Hast thou seen my servant Job ?' Contains of good, wise, just, the perfect shape. Famous he was in Heaven, on earth less known; Should kings and nations from thy mouth consult, Where glory is false glory, attributed Thy counsel would be as the oracle

To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame. Urim and Thummim, those oraculous gems They err, who count it glorious, to subdue On Aaron's breast; or tongue of seers old By conquest far and wide, to overrun Infallible: or wert thou sought to deeds

Large countries, and in field great battles win, That might require the array of war, thy skill Great citics by assault: what do these worthies, Of conduct would be such, that all the world But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and enslave Could not sustain thy prowess, or subsist Peaceable nations, neighbouring, or remote, In battle, though against thy few in arms. Made captive, yet deserving freedom more These godlike virtues wherefore dost thou hide, Than those their conquerors, who leave behind Affecting private life, or more obscure

Nothing but ruin wheresoe'er they rove, In savage wilderness ? wherefore deprive And all their flourishing works of peace destroy; All earth her wonder at thy acts, thyself, Then swell with pride, and must be titled gods, The fame and glory; glory the reward

Great benefactors of mankind, deliverers, That sole excites to high attempts, the flame Worshipped with temple, priest, and sacrifice? Of most erected spirits, most tempered pure One is the Son of Jove, of Mars the other; Ethereal, who all pleasures else despise,

Till conqueror Death discover them scarce men, All treasures and all gain esteem as dross, Rolling in brutish vices, and deformed, And dignities and powers all but the highest? Violent or shameful death their due reward. Thy Fears are ripe, and overripe; the son But if there be in glory aught of good, Of Macedonian Philip had ere these

It may by means far different be attained, Won Asia, and the throne of Cyrus held Without ambition, war, or violence; At his dispose; young Scipio had brought down By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent, The Carthaginian pride; young Pompey quelled By patience, temperance: I mention still The Pontic king, and in triumph had rode. Him, whom thy wrongs with saintly patience Yet years, and to ripe years judgment mature, borne, Quench not the thirst of glory, but augment. Made famous in a land and times obscure; Great Julius, whom now all the world admires, Who names not now with honour patient Job? The more he grew in years, the more inflamed Poor Socrates, (who next more memorable ?) With glory, wept that he had lived so long By what he taught, and suffered for so doing, Inglorious: but thou yet art not too late.” For truth's sake suffering death, unjust, lives now

To whom our Saviour calmly thus replied. Equal in fame to proudest conquerors. "Thou neither dost persuade me to seek wealth Yet if for fame and glory aught be done, For empire's sake, nor empire to affect

Aught suffered; if young African for fame

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