Women, when nothing elfe, beguil'd the heart
Of wifeft Solomon, and made him build,
And made him bow to the Gods of his Wives. 170 To whom quick answer Satan thus return'd: Belial, in much uneven fcale thou weigh'ft All others by thy felf; because of old
Thou thy felf doat'dft on woman-kind, admiring Their fhape, their colour, and attractive grace, 175 None are, thou think'st, 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 feen, 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 190 Delight not all, among the Sons of Men,
How many have with a fmile 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 overpafs'd;
How he firnam'd of 'Africa difmifs'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 defign than to enjoy his State; Thence to the bait of Women lay expos'd; But he whom we attempt is wifer 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 fhould the confident, As fitting Queen ador'd on Beauty's Throne, Descend 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 Majestick brow, 215 Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill, Discount'nance her despis'd, and put to rout All her array; her female pride deject,
Or turn to rev'rent awe? for Beauty ftands 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 ev'ry sudden flighting quite abasht: Therefore with manlier objects we must try His conftancy, with fuch as have more fhew 225 Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular praise; Rocks whereon greatest Men have often wreck'd;
Or that which only feems to fatisfie Lawful defires of Nature, not beyond;
And now I know he hungers where no food Is to be found, in the wild Wilderness, The reft commit to me, I fhall 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 chofen band 235 Of Spirits likeft to himself in guile
To be at hand, and at his beck appear,
If caufe were to unfold some active Scene Of various Perfons each to know his part;
Then to the Defart takes with these his flight; 240 Where still from fhade 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 245 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? 250 But now I feel I hunger, which declares
Nature hath need of what the asks; yet God Can fatise that need fome other way, Though hunger ftill remain: so 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 Commun'd in filent walk, then laid him down 260 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; Him thought, he by the Brook of Cherith food 265 And faw the Ravens with their horny beaks Food to Elijah bringing Even and Morn, Though rav'nous, taught t'abstain from what they He saw the Prophet alfo how he fled [brought:
Into the Defart, and how there he slept Under a Juniper; then how awak'd,
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 suffic'd him forty days; 275 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 The morn's approach, and greet her with his Song: As lightly from his graffie couch up rofe Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream, Fafting he went to sleep, and fasting wak’d. Up to a hill anon his fteps he rear'd,
From whofe high top to ken the prospect round, 285 If Cottage were in view, Sheep-cote or Herd; But Cottage, Herd, or Sheep-cote none he faw,
Only in a bottom saw 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 High rooft and walks beneath, and alleys brown That open'd in the midst a woody Scene, Nature's own work it feem'd (Nature taught Art) And to a Superftitious eye the haunt
Of Wood-Gods and Wood-Nymphs; he view'd it When suddenly a man before him stood, [round, Not ruftic as before, but feemlier clad,
As one in City, or Court, or Palace bred,
And with fair fpeech these words to him addrefs'd. With granted leave officious I return,
But much more wonder that the Son of God
In this wild folitude fo long should bide Of all things deftitute, and well I know, Not without hunger. Others of some note, As ftory tells, have trod this Wilderness; The fugitive Bond woman with her Son Out-caft Nebaieth, yet found here relief By a providing Angel; all the race
Of Ifrael here had famish'd, had not God
Rain'd from Heav'n Manna, and that Prophet bold
Native of Thebes wandring here was fed
Twice by a voice inviting him to eat;
Of thee thefe forty days none hath regard, Forty and more deferted here indeed.
To whom thus Jefus ; What conclud'ft thou hence? They all had need, I as thou feeft have none. C &
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