Of like fucceeding here; I fummon all
Rather to be in readiness, with hand
Or counsel to affift; left I, who erst
Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd.
So fpake th' old Serpent doubting, and from all
With clamor was affur'd their utmost aid
At His command; when from amidst them rose
Belial, the diffoluteft Spi'rit that fell,
The fenfualleft, and after Asmodai
The fleshlieft Incubus, and thus advis'd.
Set women in his eye, and in his walk,
Among daughters of men the fairest found;
Many are in each region paffing fair
As the noon fky; more like to Goddeffes
Than mortal creatures, graceful and discreet,
Expert in amorous arts, inchanting tongues
Perfuafive, virgin majefty with mild
And sweet allay'd, yet terrible t' approach,
Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw
Hearts after them tangled in amorous nets.
Such object hath the pow'r to foft'n and tame
Severeft temper, smooth the rugged'st brow,
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope diffolve,
Draw out with credulous defire, and lead
At will the manlieft, refolutest breast,
As the magnetic hardest iron draws.
Women, when nothing else, beguil'd the heart
Of wifeft Solomon, and made him build,
And made him bow to the Gods of his wives.
To whom quick answer Satan thus return'd.
Belial, in much uneven scale thou weigh'st
All others by thyself; because of old
Thou thyself doat'dft on womankind, admiring 175
Their fhape, their color, and attractive grace,
None are, thou think'st, but taken with such toys.
Before the flood thou with thy lufty crew,
Falfe titled fons of God, 10aming the earth
Caft wanton eyes on the daughters of men,
And coupled with them, and begot a race.
Have we not feen, or by relation heard,
In courts and regal chambers how thou lurk'st,
In wood or grove by moffy fountain fide,
In valley or green meadow, to way-lay
Some beauty rare, Califto, Clymene,
Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,
Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more
Too long, then lay'ft thy fcapes on names ador'd,
Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,
Satir, or Faun, or Sylvan? But these haunts
Delight not all; among the fons of men,
How many have with a finile made fmall account
Of beauty and her lures, eafily fcorn'd
All her affaults, on worthier things intent?
Remember that Pellean conqueror,
A youth, how all the beauties of the east
He flightly view'd, and flightly overpafs'd;
How he furnam'd of Africa difmifs'd
In his prime youth the fair Iberian maid.
For Solomon, he liv'd at ease, and full
Of honor, wealth, high fare, aim'd not beyond
Higher defign than to enjoy his state;
Thence to the bait of women lay expos'd:
But he whom we attempt is wiser far
Than Solomon, of more exalted mind,
Made and fet wholly on th' accomplishment
Of greatest things; what woman will you find,
Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
On whom his leifure will vouchsafe an eye
Of fond defire? or should the confident,
As fitting queen ador'd on beauty's throne,
Defcend with all her winning charms begirt
T'enamour, as the zone of Venus once
Wrought that effect on Jove, so fables tell ;
How would one look from his majestic brow
Seated as on the top of virtue's hill,
Difcount'nance her defpis'd, and put to rout
All her array; her female pride deject,
Or turn to reverent awe? for beauty stands
In th' admiration only of weak minds
Led captive; cease to' admire, and all her plumes
Fall flat and fhrink into a trivial toy,
fudden flighting quite abafh'd:
Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His conftancy, with fuch as have more show
Of worth, of honor, glory', and popular praise;
Rocks whereon greatest men have ofteft wreck'd;
Or that which only feems to fatisfy
Lawful defires of nature, not beyond;
And now I know he hungers where no food
Is to be found, in the wide wilderness ;
The reft commit to me, I fhall let pafs
No' advantage, and his strength as oft assay.
He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclame; Then forthwith to him takes a chofen band
Of Spirits likeft to himself in guile
To be at hand, and at his beck appear,
If cause were to unfold some active scene
Of various perfons, each to know his part;
Then to the desert takes with these his flight;
Where ftill from fhade to fhade the Son of God
After forty days fafting had remain'd,
Now hungring firft, and to himself thus faid.
Where will this end? four times ten days I've pass'd
Wand'ring this woody maze, and human food
Nor tafted, nor had appetite; that fast
To virtue I impute not, or count part
Of what I fuffer here; if nature need not,
Or God fupport nature without repast
Though needing, what praife is it to endure
But now I feel I hunger, which declares
Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God
Can fatisfy that need fome other way,
Though hunger ftill remain: fo it remain
Without this body's wafting, I content me,
And from the fting of famin fear no harm,
Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts that feed
Me hungring more to do my Father's will.
It was the hour of night, when thus the Son
Commun'd in filent walk, then laid him down
Under the hofpitable covert nigh
Of trees thick interwoven; there he flept,
And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream,
Of meats and drinks, nature's refreshment sweet; 265
Him thought, he by the brook of Cherith stood,
And faw the ravens with their horny beaks
Food to Elijah bringing ev'n and morn,
Though ravenous, taught t' abstain from what they
He faw the prophet' alfo how he fled
Into the defert, and how there he slept
Under a juniper; then how awak'd
He found his fupper on the coals prepar'd,
And by the Angel was bid rise and eat,
And eat the second time after repose,
The strength whereof fuffic'd him forty days;
Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,
Or as a guest with Daniel at his pulse.
Thus wore out night, and now the herald lark
Left his ground-neft, high tow'ring to descry
The morn's approach, and greet her with his fong:
As lightly from his graffy couch up rofe
Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream,
Fasting he went to fleep, and fasting wak'd.
Up to a hill anon his steps he rear'd,
From whofe high top to ken the profpect round,
If cottage were in view, fheep-cote, or herd;
But cottage, herd, or fheep-cote, none he faw,
Only' in a bottom faw a pleasant grove,
With chaunt of tuneful birds refounding loud;
Thither he bent his way, determin'd there
To reft at noon, and enter'd foon the shade
|