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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,

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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

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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;

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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

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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

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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;

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Or that which only feems to fatisfie
Lawful defires of Nature, not beyond;

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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

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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

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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,

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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,

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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

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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,

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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

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Of Ifrael here had famish'd, had not God

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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.

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To whom thus Jefus ; What conclud'ft thou hence? They all had need, I as thou feeft have none. C &

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