Won Asia, and the throne of Cyrus held

The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least,
Ar his dispose ; young Scipio had brought down And loses, though but verbal, his reward.
The Carthaginian pride; young Pompey quellid Shall I seek glory then, as vain men seek,
The Pontic king, and in triúmph had rode. Oft not deserv'd ? I seek not mine, but his
Yet years, and to ripe years judgment mature, Who sent me; and thereby witness whence I am.
Quench not the thirst of glory, but augment. To whom the tempter murmuring thus replied.
Great Julius, whom now all the world admires, " Think not so slight of glory; therein least
The more he grew in years, the more inflam'd Resembling thy great Father: he seeks glory,
With glory, wept that he had liv'd so long And for his glory all things made, all things
inglorious: but thou yet art not too late.

Orders and governs ; nor content in Heaven
To whom our Savior calmly thus replied. By all his angels glorified, requires
“ Thou neither dost persuade me to seek wealth Glory from men, from all men, good or bad,
For empire's sake, nor empire to affect

Wise or unwise, no difference, no exemption; For glory's sake, by all thy argument.

Above all sacrifice, or hallow'd gift, For what is glory but the blaze of fame,

Glory he requires, and glory he receives, The people's praise, if always praise unmix'd ? Promiscuous from all nations, Jew or Greek, And what the people but a herd confus'd,

Or barbarous, nor exception hath declar'd; A miscellaneous rabble, who extol

From us, his foes pronounc'd, glory he exacts." Things vulgar, and, well weigh’d, scarce worth the To whom our Savior fervently replied. praise !

“ And reason ; since his word all things produc'd
They praise, and they admire, they know not what, Though chiefly not for glory as prime end,
And know not whom, but as one leads the other; But to show forth his goodness, and impart
And what delight to be by such extollid,

His good communicable to every soul
To live upon their tongues, and be their talk, Freely; of whom what could he less expect
Of whom to be disprais'd were no small praise ? Than glory and benediction, that is, thanks,
His lot who dares be singularly good.

The slightest, easiest, readiest recompense
The intelligent among them and the wise From them who could return him nothing else,
Are few, and glory scarce of few is rais d. And, not returning that, would likeliest render
This is true glory and renown, when God, Contempt instead, dishonor, obloquy?
Looking on the Earth, with approbation marks Hard recompense, unsuitable return
The just man, and divulges him through Heaven For so much good, so much beneficence!
To all his angels, who with true applause

But why should man seek glory, who of his own Recount his praises : thus he did to Job,

Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs,
When to extend his fame through Heaven and Earth, But condemnation, ignominy, and shame?
As thou to thy reproach may'st well remember, Who for so many benefits receiv'd,
He ask'd thee, · Hast thou seen my servant Job ?" Turn'd recreant God, ingrate and false,
Famous he was in Heaven, on Earth less known; And so of all true good himself despoil'd ;
Where glory is false glory, attributed

Yet, sacrilegious, to himself would take
To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame. That which to God alone of right belongs :
They err, who count it glorious to subdue

Yet so much bounty is in God, such grace,
By conquest far and wide, to over-run

That who advance his glory, not their own, Large countries, and in field great battles win, Them he himself to glory will advance." Great cities by assault: what do these worthies, So spake the Son of God; and here again But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and enslave Satan had not to answer, but stood struck Peaceable nations, neighboring, or remote, With guilt of his own sin; for he himself, Made captive, yet deserving freedom more Insatiable of glory, had lost all ; Than those their conquerors, who leave behind Yet of another plea bethought him soon. Nothing but ruin wheresoe'er they rove,

“Of glory, as thou wilt,” said he, “ so deem ; And all the flourishing works of peace destroy ; Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass. Then swell with pride, and must be titled Gods, But to a kingdom thou art born, ordain'd Great Benefactors of mankind. Deliverers, To sit upon thy father David's throne, Worshipt with temple, priest, and sacrifice ? By mother's side thy father; though thy right One is the son of Jove, of Mars the other; Be now in powerful hands, that will not part Till conqueror Death discover them scarce men, Easily from possession won with arms : Rolling in brutish vices, and deform’d,

Judæa now and all the Promis d Land, Violent or shameful death their due reward. Reduc'd a province under Roman yoke, But if there be in glory aught of good,

Obeys Tiberius ; nor is always ruld It may by means far different be attain'd,

With temperate sway; oft have they violated Without ambition, war, or violence ;

The temple, oft the law, with foul affronts, By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent,

A bominations rather, as did once By patience, temperance : I mention still

Antiochus: and think'st thou to regain Him, whom thy wrongs, with saintly patience borne, Thy right, by sitting still, or thus retiring! Made famous in a land and times obscure ; So did not Maccabeus : he indeed Who names not now with honor patient Job? Retired unto the desert, but with arms ; Poor Socrates, (who next more memorable ?) And o'er a mighty king so oft prevailid, By what he taught, and suffer'd for so doing, That by strong hand his family obtain'd, For truth's sake suffering death, unjust, lives now Though priests, the crown, and David's throne usurp'd Equal in fame to proudest conquerors.

With Modin and her suburbs once content. Yet if for fame and glory aught be done, If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal Aught sufler'd ; if young African for same And duty; and zeal and duty are not slow, His wasted country freed from Punic rage; But on occasion's forelock watchful wait;

They themselves rather are occasion best ; But I will bring thee where thou soon shalt quit Zeal of thy father's house, duty to free

Those rudiments, and see before thine eyes 'Thy country from her heathen servitude

The monarchies of the Earth, their pomp and state ; So shalt thou best fulfil, best verify

Sufficient introduction to inform
The prophets old, who sung thy endless reign; Thee, of thyself so apt, in regal arts,
The happier reign, the sooner it begins :

And regal mysteries ; that thou may'st know
Reign then; what canst thou better do the while?" How their best opposition to withstand." (took

To whom our Savior answer thus return'd. With that, (such power was given him then,) he “ All things are best fulfill'd in their due time; The Son of God up to a mountain high. And time there is for all things, Truth hath said. It was a mountain at whose verdant feet If of my reign prophetic writ hath told,

A spacious plain, outstretch'd in circuit wide, That it shall never end, so, when begin,

Lay pleasant; from his side two rivers Now'd, The Father in his purpose hath decreed; The one winding, the other straight, and left between He in whose hand all times and seasons roll. Fair champaign with less rivers interven'd, What if he hath decreed that I shall first

Then meeting join’d their tribute to the sea : Be tried in humble state, and things adverse, Fertile of corn the glebe, of oil, and wine ; By tribulations, injuries, insults,

With herds the pastures throng'd, with focks the hills, Contempts, and scorns, and snares, and violence, Huge cities and high-tower'd, that well might seeni Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting,

The seats of mightiest monarchs; and su large Without distrust or doubt, that he may know The prospect was, that here and there was room What I can suffer, how obey? Who best

For barren desert, fountainless and dry. Can suffer, best can do; best reign, who first . To this high mountain-top the tempter brought Well bath obey'd ; just trial, ere I merit

Our Savior, and new train of words began. My exaltation without change or end.

“Well have we speeded, and o'er hill and dale, But what concerns it thee, when I begin

Forest and field and flood, temples and towers, My everlasting kingdom? Why art thou

Cut shorter many a league ; here thou behold'st Solicitous ? What moves thy inquisition ?

Assyria, and her empire's ancient bounds, Know'st thou not that my rising is thy fall, Araxes and the Caspian lake; thence on And my promotion will be thy destruction ?” As far as Indus east, Euphrates west,

To whom the tempter, inly rack d, replied. And oft beyond : to south the Persian bay, “ Let that come when it comes; all hope is lost And, inaccessible, the Arabian drought: of my reception into grace : what worse? Here Nineveh, of length within her wall For where no hope is left, is left no fear:

Several days' journey, built by Ninus old,
If there be worse, the expectation more

Of that first golden monarchy the seat,
Of worse torments me than the feeling can. And seat of Salmanassar, whose success
I would be at the worst : worst is my port, Israel in long captivity still mourns ;
My harbor, and my ultimate repose ;

There Babylon, the wonder of all tongues,
The end I would attain, my final good.

As ancient, but rebuilt by him who twice
My error was my error, and my crime

Judah and all thy father David's house
My crime ; whatever, for itself condemn'd; Led captive, and Jerusalem laid waste,
And will alike be punish'd, whether thou Till Cyrus set them free ; Persepolis,
Reign, or reign not; though to that gentle brow Uis city, there thou seest, and Bactra there;
Willingly could I fly, and hope thy reign,

Ecbatana her structure vast there shows,
From that placid aspect and meek regard,

And Hecatompylos her hundred gates;
Rather than aggravate my evil state,

There Susa by Choaspes, amber stream,
Would stand between me and thy Father's ire, The drink of none but kings: of later fame,
(Whose ire I dread more than the fire of Hell,) Built by Emathian or by Parthian hands,
A shelter, and a kind of shading cool

The great Seleucia, Nisibis, and there
Interposition, as a summer's cloud.

Artaxata, Teredon, Ctesiphon, If I then to the worst that can be haste,

Turning with easy eye, thou may'st behold. Why move thy feet so slow to what is best, All these the Parthian (now some ages past Happiest, both to thyself and all the world, By great Arsaces led, who founded first That thou, who worthiest art, shouldst be their king? That empire) under his dominion holds, Perhaps thou linger'st, in deep thoughts detain'd From the luxurious kings of Antioch won. Of the enterprise so hazardous and high: And just in time thou com'st to have a view No wonder; for, though in thee be united of his great power; for now the Parthian king What of perfection can in man be found, In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his host Or human nature can receive, consider,

Against the Scythian, whose incursions wild Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent Have wasted Sogdiana; to her aid At home, scarce view'd the Galilean towns, He marches now in haste; see, though from far, And once a year Jerusalem, few days' (serve? His thousands, in what martial equipage Short sojourn ; and what thence couldst thou ob- They issue forth, steel bows and shafts their arms The world thou hadst not seen, much less her glory, or equal dread in flight, or in pursuit ; Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts, All horsemen, in which fight they most excel; Best school of best experience, quickest insight See how in warlike muster they appear, In all things that to greatest actions lead

In rhombs, and wedges, and half-moons, and wings The wisesi, unexperienc'd, will be ever

He look’d, and saw what numbers numberless Timorous and loth ; with novice modesty, The city gates out-pour'd, light-armed troups, (As he who, seeking asses, found a kingdom) In coats of mail and military pride; Irresolute, unhardy, unadventurous :

In mail their horses clad. yet fleet and strong,

MILTON

120

Prancing their riders bore, the flower and choice From Egypt to Euphrates, and beyond,
Of many provinces from bound to bound;

Shalt reign, and Rome or Cæsar not need fear."
From Arachosia, from Candaor east,

To whom our Savior answer'd thus, unmov'd And Margiana to the Hyrcanian cliffs

Much ostentation vain of fleshly arın Of Caucasus, and dark Iberian dales ;

And fragile arms, much instrument of war, From Atropatia and the neighboring plains Long in preparing, soou to nothing brought, Of Adiabene, Media, and the south

Before mine eyes thou hast set; and in my ear,
Of Susiana, lo Balsara's haven.

Vented much policy, and projects deep
He saw them in their forms of battle rang'd, Of enemies, of aids, battles and leagues,
How quick they wheeld, and flying behind them shot Plausible to the world, to me worth nought.
Sharp sleet of arrowy showers against the face Means I must use, thou say'st, prediction
Oi their pursuers, and overcame by flight; Will unpredict, and fail me of the throne :
The field all iron cast a gleaming brown:

My time, I told thee, (and that time for thee
Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn Were better farthest off,) is not yet come:
Cuirassiers all in steel for standing fight,

When that comes, think not thou to find me slack
Chariots, or elephants indors'd with towers On my part aught endeavoring, or to need
Of archers; nor of laboring pioneers

Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome
A multitude, with spades and axes arm'd Luggage of war there shown me, argument
To lay bills plain, fell woods, or valleys fill, Of human weakness rather than of strength.
Or where plain was raise hill, or overlay

My brethren, as thou call'st them, those ten tribes
With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke; I must deliver, if I mean to reign
Mules after these, camels and dromedaries, David's true heir, and his full sceptre sway
And wagons, fraught with útensils of war. To just extent over all Israel's sons.
Such forces met not, nor so wide a camp,

But whence to thee this zeal ? Where was it then
When Agrican with all his northern powers For Israel, or for David, or his throne,
Besieg'd Albracca, as romances tell,

When thou stood'st up his tempter to the pride
The city of Gallaphrone, from whence to win Of numbering Israel, which cost the lives
The fairest of her sex Angelica,

Of threescore and ten thousand Israelites
Ilis daughter, sought by many prowest knights By three days' pestilence? Such was thy zeal
Both Paynim, and the peers of Charlemain. To Israel then; the same that now to me!
Such and so numerous was their chivalry: As for those captive tribes, themselves were they
At sight whereof the fiend yet more presum'd, Who wrought their own captivity, fell off
And to our Savior thus his words renew'd. From God to worship calves, the deities

“ That thou may'st know I seek not to engage Of Egypt, Baal next and Ashtaroth, Thy virtue, and not every way secure

And all the idolatries of heathen round,
On no slight grounds thy safety; hear and mark, Besides their other worse than heathenish crimes;
To what end I have brought thee hither, and shown Nor in the land of their captivity
All this fair sight: thy kingdom, though foretold Humbled themselves, or penitent besought
By prophet or by angel, unless thou

The God of their forefathers; but so died
Endeavor, as thy father David did,

Impenitent, and left a race behind
Thou never shalt obtain; prediction still

Like to themselves, distinguishable scarce
In all things, and all men, supposes means ; From Gentiles, but by circumcision vain ;
Without means us’d, what it predicts revokes. And God with idols in their worship join'd.
But, say thou wert possess'd of David's throne, Should I of these the liberty regard,
By free consent of all, none opposite,

Who, freed, as to their ancient patrimony,
Samaritan or Jew; how couldst thou hope Unhumbled, unrepentant, unreform'd,
Long to enjoy it, quiet and secure,

Headlong would follow; and to their gods perha) .
Between two such inclosing enemies,

Of Bethel and of Dan? No; let them serve
Roman and Parthian? Therefore one of these Their enemies, who serve idols with God.
Thou must make sure thy own; the Parthian first Yet he at length, (time to himself best known.)
By my advice, as nearer, and of late

Remembering Abraham, by some wondrous call
Found able by invasion to annoy

May bring them back, repentant and sincere,
Thy country, and captive lead away her kings, And at their passing cleave the Assyrian flood,
Antigonus and old Hyrcanus, bound,

While to their native land with joy they haste;
Maugre the Roman: it shall be my task

As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft,
To render thee the Parthian at dispose;

When to the Promis'd Land their fathers passid:
Choose which thou wilt, by conquest or by league: To his due time and providence I leave them."
By him thou shalt regain, without him not,

So spake Israel's true king, and to the fiend
That which alone can truly re-install thee

Made answer meet, that made void his wiles.
In David's royal seal, his true successor,

So fares it, when with truth falsehood contends.
Deliverance of thy brethren, those ten tribes,
Whose offspring in his territory yet serve,
In Habor, and among the Medes dispersd:

BOOK IV.
Ten sons of Jacob, two of Joseph, lost
Thus long from Israel, serving, as of old

THE ARGUMENT.
Their fathers in the land of Egypt serv'd,
This offer sets before thee to deliver.

Satan, persisting in the temptation of our Lord,
These if from servitude thou shalt restore

shows him imperial Rome in its greatest pomp To their inheritance, then, nor till then,

and splendor, as a power which he probably Thou on the throne of David in full glory,

would prefer before that of the Parthians; and

tells him that he might with the greatest ease ex- fernal compeers to relate the bad success of his pel Tiberius, restore the Romans to their liberty, enterprise. Angels in the mean time convey our and make himself master not only of the Roman blessed Lord to a beautiful valley, and, while Empire, but by so doing of the whole world, and they minister to him a repast of celestial food, inclusively of the throne of David. Our Lord, celebrate his victory in a triumphant hymn. in reply, expresses his contempt of grandeur and worldly power, notices the luxury, vanity, and PERPLEX'D and troubled at his bad success profligacy of the Romans, declaring how little The tempter stood, nor had what to reply, they merited to be restored to that liberty, which Discoverd in his fraud, thrown from his hope they had lost by their misconduct, and briefly re- So oft, and the persuasive rhetoric fers to the greatness of his own future kingdom. That sleek’d his tongue, and won so much on Eve : Satan, now desperate, to enhance the value of his So little here, nay lost; but Eve was Eve; proffered gifts, professes that the only terms, on This far his over-match, who, self-deceivid which he will bestow them, are our Savior's fall. And rash, beforehand had no better weigh'd ing down and worshipping him. Our Lord ex. The strength he was to cope with, or his own: presses a firm but temperate indignation at such But as a man, who had been matchless held a proposition, and rebukes the tempter by the title In cunning, over-reach'd where least he thought, of “ Satan for ever damned.” Satan, abashed, To salve his credit, and for every spite, attempts to justify himself: he then assumes a Still will be tempting him who foils him still, new ground of temptation, and proposing to Jesus And never cease, though to his shame the more : the intellectual gratifications of wisdom and Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time, knowledge, points out to him the celebrated seat About the wine-press where sweet must is pour'd, of ancient learning, Athens, its schools, and other Beat off, returns as oft with humming sound; various resorts of learned teachers and their dis- Or surging waves against a solid rock, ciples ; accompanying the view with a highly. Though all to shivers dash'd, the assault renew finished panegyric on the Grecian musicians, po- (Vain battery!) and in froth or bubbles end ; ets, orators and philosophers of the different sects. So Satan, whom repulse upon repulse Jesus replies, by showing the vanity and insuf Met ever, and to shameful silence brought, ficiency of the boasted heathen philosophy; and Yet gives not o'er, though desperate of success, prefers to the music, poetry, eloquence and didac- And his vain importunity pursues. tic policy of the Greeks, those of the inspired He brought our Savior to the western side Hebrew writers. Satan, irritated at the failure of that high mountain, whence he might behold of all his attempts, upbraids the indiscretion of Another plain, long, but in breadth not wide, our Savior in rejecting his offers; and, having, in Wash'd by the southern sea, and, on the north, ridicule of his expected kingdom, foretold the suf To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills ferings that our Lord was to undergo, carries him That screen'd the fruits of the earth, and seats of men back into the wilderness, and leaves him there. From cold Septentrion blast; thence in the midst Night comes on : Satan raises a tremendous Divided by a river, of whose banks storm, and attempts further to alarm Jesus with On each side an imperial city stood, frightful dreams, and terrific threatening spectres; With towers and temples proudly elevate which, however, have no effect upon him. A On seven small hills, with palaces adorn'd, calm, bright, beautiful morning succeeds to the Porches, and theatres, baths, aqueduets, horrors of the night. Satan again presents him- Statues, and trophies, and triumphal arcs, self to our blessed Lord, and, from noticing the Gardens, and groves, presented to his eyes, storm of the preceding night as pointed chiefly at Above the height of mountains interpos'd : him, takes occasion once more to insult him with (By what strange parallax, or optic skill an account of the sufferings which he was cer. Of vision, multiplied through air, or glass tainly to undergo. This only draws from our Of telescope, were curious to inquire :) Lord a brief rebuke. Satan, now at the height And now the tempter thus his silence broke. of his desperation, confesses that he had frequent- The city which thou seest, no other deem ly watched Jesus from his birth, purposely to dis- Than great and glorious Rome, queen of the Earth cover if he was the true Messiah; and, collecting So far renown'd, and with the spoils enrich'd from what passed at the river Jordan that he most of nations; there the Capitol thou seest, probably was so, he had from that time more as- Above the rest lifting his stately head siduously followed him, in hopes of gaining some On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel advantage over him. which would most effectual. Impregnable, and there mount Palatine ly prove that he was not really that Divine Per- The imperial palace, compass huge and high son destined to be his “ fatal enemy.” In this he The structure, skill of noblest architects, acknowledges that he has hitherto completely With gilded battlements conspicuous far, failed; but still determines to make one more Turrets, and terraces, and glittering spires : trial of him. Accordingly he conveys him to the Many a fair edifice besides, more like Temple at Jerusalem, and, placing him on a point- Houses of Gods, (so well I have dispos’d ed eminence, requires him to prove his divinity My aery microscope,) thou may'st behold, either by standing there, or casting himself down Outside and inside both, pillars and roofs, with safety. Our Lord reproves the tempter, and Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd artificers, at the same time manifests his own divinity by In cedar, marble, ivory, or gold. standing on this dangerous point. Satan, amazed Thence to the gates cast round thine eye, and see and terrified, instantly falls; and repairs to his in- What conflux issuing forth, or entering in;

Pretors, proconsuls, to their provinces

That people, victor once, now vile and base ; Hasting, or on retum, in robes of state,

Deservedly made vassal ; who, once just, Lictors and rods, the ensigns of their power, Frugal, and mild, and temperate, conqner'd well, Legions and cohorts, turms of horse and wings. But govern ill the nations under yoke, Or embassies from regions far remote,

Peeling their provinces, exhausted all
In various habits, on the Appian road,

By lust and rapine; first ambitious grown
Or on the Emilian; some from farthest south, Of triumph, that insulting vanity ;
Syene, and where the shadow both way falls, Then cruel, by their sports to blood inur'd
Meroe, Nilotic isle; and, more to west,

Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd
The realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor sea ; Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier still,
From the Asian kings, and Parthian among these ; And from the daily scene effeminate,
From India and the golden Chersonese,

What wise and valiant man would seek to free And utmost Indian isle T'aprobane,

These, thus degenerate, by themselves enslav'd ! Dusk faces with white silken turbans wreath'd; Or could of inward slaves make outward free? From Gallia, Gades, and the British west;

Know therefore, wben my season comes to sil Germans, and Scythians, and Sarmatians, north On David's throne, it shall be like a tree Beyond Danubius to the Tauric pool.

Spreading and overshadowing all the Earth ;
All nations now to Rome obedience pay ;

Or as a stone, that shall to pieces dash
To Rome's great emperor, whose wide domain, All monarchies besides throughout the world;
In ample territory, wealth, and power,

And of my kingdom there shall be no end :
Civility of manners, arts and arms,

Means there shall be to this; but what the means And long renown, thou justly may’st prefer Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell." Before the Parthian. These two thrones except, To whom the tempter, impudent, replied. The rest are barbarous, and scarce worth the sight," I see all offers made by me how slight Shar'd among petty kings too far remov'd ; Thou valuest, because offer'd, and reject'st: These having shown thee, I have shown thee all Nothing will please the difficult and nice, The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory. Or nothing more than still to contradict: This emperor hath no son, and now is old, On the other side know also thou, that I Old and lascivious, and from Rome retird

On what I offer set as high esteem, To Capreæ, an island small, but strong,

Nor what I part with mean to give for nought; On the Campanian shore, with purpose there All these, which in a moment thou behold'st, His horrid lusts in private to enjoy ;

The kingdoms of the world, to thee I give, Committing to a wicked favorite

(For, given to me, I give to whom I please,) All public cares, and yet of him suspicious ; No trifle; yet with this reserve, not else, Hated of all, and hating. With what ease, On this condition, if thou wilt fall down, Endued with regal virtues, as thou art,

And worship me as thy superior lord, Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,

(Easily done,) and hold them all of me; Might'st thou expel this monster from his throne, For what can less so great a gift deserve ?" Now made a sty, and, in his place ascending,

Whom thus our Savior answer'd with disdain. A victor people free from servile yoke!

“ I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers less ; And with my help thou may'st; to me the power Now both abhor, since thou hast dar'd to utter Is given, and by that right I give it thee.

The abominable terms, impious condition : Aim therefore at no less than all the world; But I endure the time, till which expir'd Aim at the highest : without the highest attain'd, Thou hast permission on me. It is written, Will be for thee no sitting, or not long,

The first of all commandments, Thou shalt wor On David's throne, be prophesied what will."

ship To whom the Son of God, unmoy'd, replied. The Lord thy God, and only him shalt serve;' “Nor doth this grandeur and majestic show And darst thou to the Son of God propound Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,

To worship thee accurs'd ? now more accurs'd More than of arms before, allure mine eye, For this attempt, bolder than that on Eve, Much less my mind; though thou shouldst add to And more blasphemous; which expect to rue. tell

The kingdoms of the world to thee were given? Their sumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts Pernitted rather, and by thee usurp'd ; On citron tables or Atlantic stone,

Other donation none thou canst produce. (For I have also heard, perhaps have read,) If given, by whom but by the King of kings Their wines of Setia, Cales, and Falerne,

God over all supreme? If given to thee, Chios, and Crete, and how they quaff in gold, By thee how fairly is the giver now Crystal, and myrrhine cups, emboss'd with gerns Repaid! But gratitude in thee is lost And studs of pearl; to me shouldst tell, who thirst Long since. Wert thou so void of fear or shame, And hunger still. Then embassies thou show'st As offer them to me, the Son of God ? From nations far and nigh: what honor that, To me my own, on such abhorred pact, But tedious waste of time, to sit and hear

That I fall down and worship thee as God? So many hollow compliments and lies,

Get thee behind me; plain thou now appearst Outlandish flatteries? Then proceed'st to talk That Evil-one, Satan for ever damn'd." Of the emperor, how easily subdued,

To whom the fiend, with fear abashid, replied. How gloriously: I shall, thou say'st, expel

“ Be not so sore offended, Son of God, A brutish monster; what if I withal

Though sons of God both angels are and men, Expel a devil who first made him such ?

If I, to try whether in higher sort Let his formenter conscience find him out; Than these thou bear'st that title, have propos'd For him I was not sent; nor yet to free

What both from men and angels I receive,