"If it may stand him more in stead to lie, "Her dictates from thy mouth? Most men admire 66 Virtue, who follow not her lore: permit me "To hear thee when I come, (since no man comes), "And talk at least, though I despair to attain. 66 Thy Father, who is holy, wise, and pure, "Suffers the hypocrite, or atheous priest "To tread his sacred courts, and minister "About his altar, handling holy things, 66 Praying or vowing; and vouchsafed his voice "To Balaam reprobate,―a prophet yet "Inspired: disdain not such access to me." 66 To whom our Saviour, with unaltered brow: Thy coming hither-though I know thy scope— "I bid not, nor forbid; do as thou findst "Permission from above; thou canst not more." His gray dissimulation, disappeared, The desert; fowls in their clay nests were couched ; 480 490 500 THE disciples of Jesus, uneasy at his long absence, reason amongst themselves concerning it. Mary also gives vent to her maternal anxiety; in the expression of which she recapitulates many circumstances respecting the birth and early life of her Son. Satan again meets his infernal council, reports the bad success of his first temptation of our blessed Lord, calls upon them for counsel and assistance. Belial proposes the tempting of Jesus with women. Satan rebukes Belial for his dissoluteness, charging on him all the profligacy of that kind ascribed by the poets to the heathen gods, and rejects his proposal as in no respect likely to succeed. Satan then suggests other modes of temptation, particularly proposing to avail himself of our Lord's hungering; and, taking a band of chosen spirits with him, returns to resume his enterprise. Jesus hungers in the desert: night comes on; the manner in which our Saviour passes the night is described. Morning advances: Satan again appears to Jesus; and, after expressing wonder that he should be so entirely neglected in the wilderness, where others had been miraculously fed, tempts him with a sumptuous banquet of the most luxurious kind: this he rejects, and the banquet vanishes. Satan, finding our Lord not to be assailed on the ground of appetite, tempts him again by offering him riches, as the means of acquiring power: this Jesus also rejects, producing many instances of great actions performed by persons under virtuous poverty, and specifying the danger of riches, and the cares and pains inseparable from power and greatness. MEANWHILE the new-baptized, who yet remained Him (whom they had so late expressly called Jesus), Messiah, Son of God declared, And on that high authority had believed, And with him talked, and with him lodged; I mean With others though in Holy Writ not named; Now missing him, their joy so lately found,— So lately found, and so abruptly gone,— And, as the days increased, increased their doubt. The city of palms, Ænon, and Salem old, Then on the bank of Jordan, by a creek Where winds with reeds and osiers whispering play, Their unexpected loss and plaints out breathed: "His words-his wisdom-full of grace and truth: "The kingdom shall to Israel be restored : "Thus we rejoiced, but soon our joy is turned "Into perplexity and new amaze : "For whither is he gone? what accident "Hath rapt him from us? will he now retire "After appearance, and again prolong 40 "Our expectation? God of Israel, "Send thy Messiah forth; the time is come! 66 Thy chosen ;-to what height their power unjust 66 They have exalted, and behind them cast "All fear of thee: arise, and vindicate "Thy glory; free thy people from their yoke! "But let us wait; thus far he hath performed, "Sent his Anointed, and to us revealed him, By his great prophet, pointed at and shown "In public, and with him we have conversed: "Let us be glad of this, and all our fears 66 Lay on his providence; he will not fail, "Mock us with his blest sight, then snatch him hence: Thus they, out of their plaints, new hope resume To find whom at the first they found unsought: But, to his mother Mary, when she saw Others returned from baptism,—not her Son,— Within her breast though calm, her breast though pure, Some troubled thoughts, which she in sighs thus clad: 66 6 Hail, highly favoured, among women blest!' "Thence into Egypt, till the murderous king "From Egypt home returned, in Nazareth 50 60 70 80 Spoken against; that through my very soul "A sword shall pierce: this is my favoured lot— "My exaltation to afflictions high: "Afflicted I may be, it seems, and blest! "I will not argue that, nor will repine. "But where delays he now? Some great intent 90 "Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had seen, Since first her salutation heard, with thoughts All his great work, to come, before him set ;- Had left him vacant; and with speed was gone 100 ΠΙΟ There without sign of boast, or sign of joy, Solicitous and blank, he thus began: 120 66 'Princes, Heaven's ancient Sons, ethereal Thrones! "Demonian Spirits now, from the element "Each of his reign allotted, rightlier called "Powers of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth beneath, "So may we hold our place and these mild seats "Without new trouble!-such an enemy "Is risen to invade us, who no less "Threatens than our expulsion down to Hell; "I, as I undertook, and with the vote |