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 streets of Bethlehem;
From Egypt home return'd, in Nazareth
Hath been our dwelling many years; his life 80
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; 85 I look'd for fome great change; to honor? no, But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold, That to the fall and rising he should be Of many in Ifraël, and to a sign Spoken againft, that through my very foul A fword shall pierce; this is my favor'd lot, My exaltation to afflictions high; Afflicted I may be, it seems, and bleft; I will not argue that, nor will repine. But where delays he now? some great intent Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had seen, 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 absence 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 son tracing the defert wild,
Sole but with holiest meditations fed, Into himself defcended, and at once All his great work to come before him fet; 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 sign of boast, or sign 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; such 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, tasted him, but find Far other labor 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,
Deceive ye to perfuafion over-fure Of like fucceeding here; I summon all Rather to be in readiness, with hand
Or counsel to assist; lest I who erst Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd.
So fpake th' old Serpent doubting, and from all With clamor was assur'd their utmost aid At his command; when from amidst them rose Belial, the diffolutest Spirit that fell, The fenfuallest, and after Afmodai The fleshliest 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 sky; more like to Goddesses Than mortal creatures, graceful and difcreet, Expert in amorous arts, inchanting tongues
Perfuafive; virgin majesty with mild And fweet 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'st brow, Enerve, and with voluptuous hope diffolve, Draw out with credulous defire, and lead At will the manliest, resolutest breaft, 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 thyfelf doat'dst on womankind, admiring 175 Their shape, their color, and attractive grace, None are, thou think'st, but taken with such 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 mossy fountain fide, In valley or green meadow, to way-lay Some beauty rare, Calisto, Clymene,
Daphne,
Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,
Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more
Too long, then lay'st thy scapes 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 eaft He flightly view'd, and flightly overpass'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 ftate;
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 should she 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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