Deceive ye to perfuafion over-fure
Of like fucceeding here; I fummon all
Rather to be in readiness, with hand
Or counfel 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 clamour was affur'd their utmoft aid
At his command; when from amidst them rofe
Belial, the diffoluteft Spirit that fell,
The fenfualleft, and, after Asmodai,
The flefhlieft 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 Sky; more like to Goddeffes
Than mortal Creatures, graceful and discreet,
Expert in am'rous Arts, enchanting Tongues
Perfuafive, Virgin majesty with mild
And sweet allay'd, yet terrible t'approach,
Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw
Hearts after them, tangl'd in amorous Nets.
Such object hath the pow'r to foft'n and tame
Severeft temper, fmooth the rugged'ft brow,
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope diffolve,
Draw out with credulous defire, and lead
At will the manlieft, refoluteft 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 anfwer Satan thus return'd :.
Belial, in much uneven scale thou weigh'ft
All others by thyfelf, because of old
Thou thyself doat’dst on woman-kind, admiring 175
Their fhape, their colour, and attractive grace:
None are, thou think'ft, but taken with fuch toys.
Before the Flood thou with thy lufty Crew,
Falfe-titled Sons of God, roaming the Earth,
Caft wanton eyes on the daughters of men,
And coupled with them, and begot a race.
Have we not seen, or by relation heard,
In Courts and Regal Chambers how thou lurk'dft,
In Wood or Grove by moffie 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'dft thy fcapes on names ador'd, Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,
Satyr, or Fawn, or Silvan? But these haunts
Delight not all; among the Sons of Men,
How many have with a smile 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 Eaft
He flightly view'd, and flightly overpass'd;
How he firnam'd of Africa dismiss'd
In his prime youth the fair Iberian Maid.
For Solomon, he liv'd at ease, and full
Of honour, wealth, high fare, aim'd not beyond
Higher design 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 set 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 fhould fhe 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; 215
How would one look from his Majestick brow,
Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill,
Discount'nance her defpis'd, and put to rout
All her array, her female pride deject,
Or turn to rev'rent awe? for Beauty stands
In th' admiration only of weak minds
Led captive; cease t'admire, and all her Plumes
Fall flat and fhrink into a trivial toy,
At every fudden flighting quite abasht:
Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His conftancy, with such as have more shew
Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular praise,
Rocks whereon greatest Men have ofteft wreck'd;
Or that which only seems to satisfy
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 shall let pafs
No advantage, and his ftrength as oft affay.
He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim: Then forthwith to him takes a chosen band
Of Spirits likeft to himself in guile
To be at hand, and at his beck appear,
If cause were to unfold fome active Scene
Of various Perfons each to know his part:
Then to the Desart takes with these his flight;
Where still from shade to fhade the Son of God
After forty days fafting had remain'd,
Now hungring first, and to himself thus faid:
Where will this end? four times ten days I've pass'd Wandring this woody Maze, and human food Nor tafted, nor had appetite; that Faft 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 praise is it to endure? But now I feel I hunger, which declares Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God Can fatisfie that need some other way, Tho' hunger ftill remain: fo it remain Without this body's wafting, I content me, And from the fting of Famine 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 260 Commun'd in filent walk, then laid him down Under the hofpitable covert nigh
Of trees thick interwoven; there he slept
And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream,
Of meats and drinks, Nature's refreshment sweet;
He thought, he by the Brook of Cherith flood
And saw the Ravens with their horny beaks
Food to Elijab bringing even and morn, [brought:
Tho rav'nous, taught t'abstain from what they
He faw the Prophet alfo how he fled
Into the Defart, 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 fecond time after repofe,
The strength whereof fuffic'd him forty days;
Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,
Or as a guest with Daniel at his Pulfe.
Thus wore out night, and now the Herald Lark Left his ground-neft, high tow'ring to defcry 280 The morn's approach, and greet her with his Song: As lightly from his graffie couch up rose
Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream;
Fafting he went to fleep, and fasting wak'd.
Up to a hill anon his fteps he rear'd,
From whose high top to ken the Prospect round,
If Cottage were in view, Sheep-cote or Herd;
But Cottage, Herd, or Sheep-cote none he saw,
Only 'n a bottom saw a pleasant Grove,
With chaunt of tuneful Birds refounding loud; 290
Thither he bent his way, determin'd there
To reft at noon, and enter'd foon the fhade
High rooft, and walks beneath, and alleys brown,
That open'd in the midst a woody Scene;
Nature's own work it seem'd,(Nature taught Art) 295
And to a fuperftitious eye the haunt
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