There without fign of boaft, or fign of joy, Sollicitous and blank he thus began.
Princes, Heavens antient Sons, Æthereal Thrones, Demonian Spirits now, from the Element Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call'd, Powers of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth beneath, So may we hold our place and these mild feats Without new trouble; fuch an Enemy Is ris'n to invade us, who no less
Threat'ns then our expulfion down to Hell; I, as I undertook, and with the vote Confenting in full frequence was impowr'd,
Have found him, view'd him, tafted him, but find Far other labour to be undergon
Then when I dealt with Adam first of Men, Though Adam by his Wives allurement fell, However to this Man inferior far,
If he be Man by Mothers fide at least,
With more then humane gifts from Heav'n adorn'd, Perfections abfolute, Graces divine,
And amplitude of mind to greatest Deeds. Therefore I am return'd, left confidence Of my fuccefs with Eve in Paradise Deceive ye to perswasion over-sure 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 the old Serpent doubting, and from all With clamour was affur'd thir utmost aid At his command; when from amidst them rose Belial the diffoluteft Spirit that fell
The fenfualleft, and after Afmodai
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 Skie; more like to Goddeffes Then Mortal Creatures, graceful and discreet, Expert in amorous Arts, enchanting tongues Perfwafive, Virgin majefty with mild And sweet allay'd, yet terrible to approach, Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw Hearts after them tangl'd in Amorous Nets. Such object hath the power to soft'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 breft, 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 thy felf; because of old Thou thy felf doat'ft on womankind, admiring Thir shape, thir colour, and attractive grace, None are, thou think'st, but taken with fuch toys. Before the Flood thou with thy lufty Crew, False titl❜d Sons of God, roaming the Earth Caft wanton eyes on the daughters of men, And coupl'd 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 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'st thy scapes on names ador'd, Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,
Satyr, or Fawn, or Silvan? But thefe haunts Delight not all; among the Sons of Men,
How many have with a smile made small account Of beauty and her lures, easily scorn'd All her affaults, on worthier things intent? Remember that Pellean Conquerour, A youth, how all the beauties of the East He flightly view'd, and slightly over-pass'd; How hee firnam'd of Africa dismiss'd In his prime youth the fair Iberian maid. For Solomon he liv'd at eafe, and full
Of honour, wealth, high fare, aim'd not beyond Higher design then to enjoy his State; Thence to the bait of Women lay expos'd; But he whom we attempt is wiser far Then Solomon, of more exalted mind, Made and set wholly on the accomplishment Of greatest things; what woman will you find, Though of this Age the wonder and the fame, On whom his leisure will vouchsafe an eye Of fond defire? or fhould fhe confident, As fitting Queen ador'd on Beauties Throne, Descend with all her winning charms begirt To enamour, as the Zone of Venus once
Wrought that effect on Jove, fo Fables tell; How would one look from his Majestick brow Seated as on the top of Vertues hill, Discount'nance her defpis'd, and put to rout All her array; her female pride deject, Or turn to reverent awe? for Beauty ftands In the admiration only of weak minds
Led captive; cease to 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 fuch 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 satisfie Lawful defires of Nature, not beyond;
And now I know he hungers where no food Is to be found, in the wide Wilderness;
The rest commit to me, I fhall let pafs No advantage, and his ftrength as oft afsay.
He ceas'd, and heard thir grant in loud acclaim; 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 fome active Scene Of various perfons each to know his part; Then to the Desert takes with these his flight; Where still from shade to shade the Son of God After forty days fasting had remain'd,
Now hungring first, and to himself thus faid. Where will this end? four times ten days I have
Wandring this woody maze, and humane food Nor tafted, nor had appetite: that Fast To Vertue I impute not, or count part Of what I fuffer here; if Nature need not, Or God fupport Nature without repaft 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 fome other way, Though hunger ftill remain: fo it remain Without this bodies wafting, I content me, And from the fting of Famine fear no harm, Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts that feed Mee hungring more to do my Fathers 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, Natures refreshment sweet; Him thought, he by the Brook of Cherith stood And saw the Ravens with their horny beaks Food to Elijah bringing Even and Morn, Though ravenous, taught to abstain from what they He saw the Prophet also how he fled [brought: Into the Desert, and how there he slept Under a Juniper; then how awakt, He found his Supper on the coals prepar'd, And by the Angel was bid rife and eat, And eat the second time after repose, The strength whereof fuffic'd him forty days; Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,
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