A manger his; yet foon enforc'd to fly
Thence into Egypt, till the murd'rous king'
Were dead, who fought his life, and missing fill'd
With infant blood the ftreets 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 Baptist, and in public shown,
Son own'd from Heaven by his Father's voice;
I look'd for fome great change; to honor? no,
But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold,
That to the fall and rifing he should be
Of many in Ifraël, and to a sign
Spoken against, that through my very foul
A sword shall pierce; this is my
My exaltation 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 seen,
I lost him, but fo found, as well I faw
He could not lofe himself; but went about
His Father's bufinefs; what he meant I mus'd,
Since understand; much more his abfence now 100
Thus long to fome great purpose he obfcures.
But I to wait with patience am inur'd;
My heart hath been a store-house long of things
And fay'ings laid up, portending strange 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 fon tracing the defert wild,
Sole but with holieft meditations fed,
Into himself defcended, and at once
All his great work to come before him set;
How to begin, how to accomplish best
His end of being on earth, and mission 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 boast, or fign of joy,
Solicitous and blank he thus began.
Princes, Heav'n's ancient Sons, ethereal Thrones,
Demonian Spirits now, from th' element
Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call'd
Pow'rs of fire, air, water, and earth beneath,
So may we hold our place and these mild feats 125 Without new trouble; fuch an enemy
Is risen to invade us, who no less
Threatens than our expulfion down to Hell;
I, as I undertook, and with the vote
Consenting in full frequence was impower'd,
Have found him, view'd him, tafted him, but find Far other labor to be undergone
Than when I dealt with Adam firft 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 persuasion over-fure
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 spake th' old Serpent doubting, and from all With clamor was affur'd their utmost aid
At his command; when from amidst them rose
Belial, the diffolutest Spirit that fell,
The fenfualleft, and after Asmodai
The fleshlieft Incubus, and thus advis'd.
Set woman 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 Goddesses
Than mortal creatures, graceful and discreet,
Expert in amorous arts, inchanting tongues
Persuasive, virgin majesty with mild
And sweet allay'd, yet terrible t' approach,
Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw
Hearts after them tangled in amorous nets.
Such object hath the pow'r to soft'n and tame
Severest temper, smooth 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 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 thyself; because of old
Thou thyself doat'dft on womankind, admiring 175
Their shape, their color, and attractive grace,
None are, thou think'st, but taken with fuch toys.
Before the flood thou with thy lufty crew,
False 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 seen, or by relation heard,
In courts and regal chambers how thou lurk'st,
In wood or grove by moffy fountain side,
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,
Satir, or Faun, or Sylvan? But these haunts
Delight not all; among the fons of men,
How many have with a fmile made fmall 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 east
He flightly view'd, and flightly overpafs'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 honor, 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 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 leisure 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
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