And lovers of their country, as may
But herein to our prophets far beneath,
As men divinely taught, and better teaching The folid rules of civil government
In their majestic unaffected ftile
Than all the' oratory of Greece and Rome. In them is plaineft taught, and easiest learnt, What makes a nation happy', and keeps it fo, What ruins kingdoms, and lays cities flat; These only with our law beft form a king.
So fpake the Son of God; but Satan now 365 Quite at a lofs, for all his darts were spent, Thus to our Saviour with ftern brow reply'd. Since neither wealth, nor honor, arms nor arts, Kingdom nor empire pleases thee, nor ought By me propos'd in life contemplative, Or active, tended on by glory', or fame, What doft thou in this world? the wilderness For thee is fitteft place; I found thee there, And thither will return thee; yet remember What I foretel thee, foon thou fhalt have cause 375 To wish thou never hadft rejected thus
Nicely or cautioufly my offer'd aid,
Which would have fet thee in fhort time with ease On David's throne, or throne of all the world, Now at full age, fulness of time, thy feafon, 380 When prophecies of thee are best fulfill'd. Now contrary, if I read ought in Heaven,
Or Heav'n write ought of fate, by what the stars Voluminous, or fingle characters,
In their conjunction met, give me to spell, Sorrows, and labors, oppofition, hate Attends thee, fcorns, reproaches, injuries, Violence and ftripes, and lastly cruel death; A kingdom they portend thee, but what kingdom, Real or allegoric I difcern not,
Nor when, eternal fure, as without end, Without beginning; for no date prefix'd Directs me in the starry rubric set.
So faying he took (for ftill he knew his power Not yet expir'd) and to the wilderness 395 Brought back the Son of God, and left him there, Feigning to disappear. Darkness now rose, As day-light funk, and brought in louring night Her fhadowy ofspring, unsubstantial both, Privation mere of light and absent day. Our Saviour meek and with untroubled mind After his aery jaunt, though hurried fore, Hungry and cold betook him to his rest, Wherever, under fome concourse of shades, 404 Whose branching arms thick interwin'dmightshield From dews and damps of night his shelter'd head, But shelter'd slept in vain, for at his head The Tempter watch'd, and foon with ugly dreams Disturb'd his fleep; and either tropic now 409 'Gan thunder, and both ends of Heav'n, the clouds
From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd Fierce rain with lightning mix'd, water with fire In ruin reconcil'd: nor slept the winds Within their ftony caves, but rush'd abroad From the four hinges of the world, and fell On the vex'd wilderness, whofe tallest pines, Though rooted deep as high, and sturdieft oaks Bow'd their stiff necks, loaden with stormy blasts, Or torn up sheer: ill waft thou fhrouded then, O patient Son of God, yet only stood'st Unfhaken; nor yet ftay'd the terror there, Infernal ghosts, and Hellish furies, round (fhriek’d, Environ'd thee, fome howl'd, fome yell'd, fome Some bent at thee their fiery darts, while thou Satft unappall'd in calm and finless peace. Thus pafs'd the night fo foul, till morning fair Came forth with pilgrim fteps in amice gray, Who with her radiant finger ftill'd the roar Of thunder, chas'd the clouds, and laid the winds, And grifly spectres, which the Fiend had rais'd 430 To tempt the Son of God with terrors dire. And now the fun with more effectual beams Had chear'd the face of earth, and dry'd the wet From drooping plant, or dropping tree; the birds, Who all things now behold more fresh and green, 435 After a night of storm so ruinous, Clear'd up their choicest notes in bush and spray To gratulate the sweet return of morn;
Nor yet amidst this joy and brightest morn Was absent, after all his mischief done, The prince of darkness, glad would also-seem Of this fair change, and to our Saviour came, Yet with no new device, they all were spent, Rather by this his last affront resolv'd, Defp'rate of better course, to vent his rage, And mad despite to be so oft repell'd. Him walking on a funny hill he found, Back'd on the north and weft by a thick wood; Out of the wood he starts in wonted shape, And in a careless mood thus to him said.
Fair morning yet betides thee, Son of God, After a dismal night; I heard the wrack As earth and sky would mingle; but myself (them Was diftant; and these flaws, though mortals fear As dang'rous to the pillar'd frame of Heaven, 455 Or to the earth's dark bafis underneath,
Are to the main as inconfiderable,
And harmless, if not wholesome as a fneeze To man's lefs univerfe, and foon are gone; Yet as being oft times noxious where they light 460 Oǹ man, beaft, plant, waftful and turbulent, Like turbulencies in th' affairs of men, Over whose heads they roar, and seem to point, They oft fore-fignify and threaten ill : This tempeft at this defert most was bent; Of men at thee, for only thou here dwell'ft.
Did I not tell thee, if thou didst reject The perfect feason offer'd with my aid To win thy destin'd seat, but wilt prolong All to the push of fate, pursue thy way Of gaining David's throne no man knows when, For both the when and how is no where told, Thou shalt be what thou art ordain'd, no doubt; For Angels have proclaim'd it, but concealing The time and means :- each act is rightlieft done, Not when it must but when it may be best. If thou obferve not this, be fure to find, What I foretold thee, many a hard assay Of dangers, and adversities, and pains, Ere thou of Ifrael's fcepter get faft hold. Whereof this ominous night that clos'd thee round, So many terrors, voices, prodigies
May warn thee, as a fure fore-going fign.
So talk'd he, while the Son of God went on And stay'd not, but in brief him answer'd thus. 485
Me worse than wet thou find'st not; other harm Those terrors which thou spak'ft of, did me none; I never fear'd they could, though noifing loud And threatning nigh; what they can do as figns: Betokening, or ill boding, I contemn 490 As false portents, not fent from God, but thee; Who knowing I shall reign past thy preventing, Obtrud'ft thy offer'd aid, that I accepting At least might seem to hold all pow'r of thee,
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