Thus we rejoic'd, but foon our joy is turn'd
Into perplexity and new amaze :
For whither is he gone, what accident
Hath wrapt him from us? will he now retire
After appearance, and again prolong
Our expectation? God of Ifrael,
Send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come.
Behold the kings of th' earth how they opprefs
Thy chofen, to what height their power unjust
They have exalted, and behind them caft
All fear of thee: arife, and vindicate
Thy glory, free thy people from their yoke.
But let us wait; thus far he hath perform'd,
Sent his Anointed, and to us reveal'd him,
By his great Prophet, pointed at and shown
In public, and with him we have convers'd;
Let us be glad of this, and all our fears
Lay on his Providence; he will not fail,
Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recal,
Mock us with his blest sight, then snatch him hence;
Soon we shall see our hope, our joy, return.
Thus they out of their plaints new hope resume
To find whom at the firft they found unfought:
But to his mother Mary, when she faw
Others return'd from baptifm, not her fon,
Nor left at Jordan tidings of him none,
Within her breaft, though calin, her breaft, though
Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd
Some troubled thoughts, which the in fighs thus clad :
O what avails me now that honour high
To have conceiv'd of God, or that falute,
Hail highly favour'd, among women bleft!
While I to forrows am no less advanc'd,
And fears as eminent, above the lot
Of other women, by the birth I bore,
In fuch a feafon born, when scarce a fhed
Could be obtain'd to shelter him and me
From the bleak air; a ftable was our warmth,
A manger his; yet soon enforc'd to fly
Thence into Egypt, till the murd'rous king
Were dead, who fought his life, and miffing fill'd
With infant blood the streets of Bethlehem:
From Egypt home return'd, in Nazareth
Hath been our dwelling many years; his life
Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,
Little fufpicious to any king; but now
Full grown to man, acknowledg'd, as I hear,
By John the Baptift, and in public shown,
Son own'd from heaven by his Father's voice;
I look'd for fome great change: to honour? no,
But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold,
That to the fall and rifing he should be
Of many in Ifrael, and to a fign
Spoken against, that through my very foul
A fword fhall pierce; This is my favour'd lot,
My exaltations to afflictions high:
Afflicted I may be, it feems, and bleft:
I will not argue that, nor will repine:
But where delays he now? fome great intent
Conceals him. When twelve years he scarce had feen,
I loft him, but fo found, as well I faw
He could not lose himself; but went about
His father's business; what he meant I mus'd,
Since understand; much more his abfence now
Thus long to fome great purpose he obicures.
But I to wait with patience am inur'd;
My heart hath been a ftore-house long of things
And fay'ngs laid up, portending ftrange events.
Thus Mary, pond'ring oft, and oft to mind
Recalling what remarkably had pass'd
Since first her falutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling;
The while her Son tracing the defert wild,
Sole, but with holieft meditations fed,
Into himself defcended, and at once
All his great work to come before him fet;
How to begin, how to accomplish beft
His end of being on earth, and miffion high :
For Satan with fly preface to return
Had left him vacant, and with speed was gone
Up to the middle region of thick air,
Where all his potentates in council fat;
There, without fign of boaft, or fign of joy,
Solicitous and blank, he thus began:
Princes, Heav'n's ancient Sons, etherial thrones,
Demonian Spirits now, from th' element
Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call'd
Powers of Fire, Air, Water, aad Earth beneath,
So may we hold our place and thefe mild feats
Without new trouble; fuch an enemy
Is rifen to invade us, who no less
Threatens than our expulfion down `to hell.
I, as I undertook, and with the vote
Confenting in full frequence was impower'd,
Have found him, view'd him, tafted him, but find
Far other labour to be undergone
Than when I dealt with Adam, first of men.
Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell,
However to this Man inferior far,
If he be man by mother's fide at least,
With more than human 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 Paradife
Deceive ye to perfuafion over-fure
Of like fucceeding here; I fummon all
Rather to be in readiness, with hand
Or council to affilt; 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 utmost aid
At his command; when from amidst them rofe
Belial, the diffoluteft fp'rit that fell,
The fenfualeft, and after Almodai,
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 god deles.
Than mortal creatures, graceful and discreet,
Expert in amorous arts, inchanting tongues
Perfuafive, virgin majefty with mild
And fweet allay'd, yet terrible to approach,
Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw
Hearts after them tangled in amorous nets.
Such object has the pow'r to foft'n and tame
Severeft temper, fimooth the rugged'ft brow,
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope diffolve,
Draw out with credulous defire, and lead
At will the manlieft, resolutest breast,
As the magnetic hardeft iron draws.
Women, when nothing else, beguil'd the heart
Of wifeft Soloinon, 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 fcale thou weigh't
All others by thyfelf: because of old
Thou thyself doat'äft on woman kind, admiring 175
Their fhape, their colour, and attracting grace,
None are, thou think'ft, but taken with fuch toys.
Before the flood, toou with thy lufty crew,
Falfe titled fons 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'ft,
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,
Satyr, or Faun, or Sylvan? But these haunts
Delight not all; among the fons of men,
Flow many have with a smile made finall account
Of beauty and her lures, easily scorn'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 furnam'd of Africa, difmifs'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 defign than to enjoy his state;
Thence to the bait of women lay expos'd :
But he whom we attempt is wiler far
Than Solomon, of more exalted mind,
Made and set wholly on th' accomplishment
Of greatest things: what women 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
To enamour, as the zone of Venus once
Wrought that effect on Jove, fo fables tell;
How would one look from his majestic 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 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,
At every fudden flighting quite abafh'd:
Therefore, with manlier objects we must try
His conftancy, with fuch as have more show
Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular praise;
Rocks whereon greateft 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 ftrength as oft affay.
He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim;
Then forthwith to him takes a chofen band.
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