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Women, when nothing else, beguil'd the heart
Of wifeft Soloman, and made him build,

And made him bow to the Gods of his wives.

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To whom quick answer Satan thus return'd ::
Belial, in much uneven fcale thou weigh'st
All others by thy felf, because of old
Thou thy felf doat'dft on woman-kind, admiring
Their fhape, their colour, and attractive grace,
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..

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Have we not feen, or by relation heard,

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Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more

Too long, then lay'dit thy fcapes on names ador'd,
Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,

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Satyr, or Fawn, or Silvan? Bnt thefe haunts

Delight not all; among the Sons of Men,

Of beauty and her lures, eafily fcorn'd

How many have with a fmile made fmall account

All her affaults, on worthier things intent?
Remember that Pellean Conqueror,
A Youth, who all the beauties of the Eaft
He flightly view'd, and flightly overpass'd;
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

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,

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Made

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 adorn'd on Beauty's Throne,
Defcend with all her winning charms begirt
T'enamour, as the Zone of Venus once
Wrought that effect on Jove, fo Fables tell;
How would one look from his Majestick 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 rev'rent awe? for Beauty stands
In th' admiration only of weak minds

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Led captive; ceafe t' admire, and all her Plumes
Fall flat and fhrink into a trivial toy,

At every fudden flighting quite abasht:

Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His conftancy, with fuch as have more fhew
Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular praise,
Rocks whereon greatest Men have often wreck'd;
Qr 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 wild Wilderness;
The reft commit to me, I fhall let pafs

No advantage, and his ftrength as oft affy.

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He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim: 235

Then forthwith to him takes a chofen band

·Of Spirits likeft to himself in guile

To be at hand, and at his beck appear,
If caufe were to unfold fome active Scene
Of various Perfons each to know his part:
Then to the Defart takes with these his flight;
Where ftill from fhade to fhade the Son of God
After forty days fafting had remain'd,

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Now hungring firft, and to himself thus faid.

Where

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Where will this end? four times ten days I've pafs'd Wandring this woody Maze, and human food 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 repaft Though needing, what praise is it to endure? But now I feel I hunger, which declares Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God Can fatisfie that need fome other way, Tho' hunger ftill remain: fo it remain

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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
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 Under the hofpitable covert nigh

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Of trees thick interwoven; there he slept

And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream,

Of meats and drinks, Nature's refreshment sweet s

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He thought, he by the Brook of Cherith stood

And faw the Ravens with their horny beaks

Food to Elijah bringing even and morn,

Tho' rav'nous, taught t'abitain from what they brought :

He faw the Prophet also how he fled

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Into the Defart, and how there he slept

Under a Juniper; then how awak'd,
He found his fupper on the coals prepar'd,
And by the Angel was bid rife and eat,
And eat the second time after repose,
The strength whereof fuffic'd him forty days;
Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,

Or as a guest with Daniel at his Pulse,

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 +

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As lightly from his graffie couch up rofe
Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream
Fafting he went to fleep, and fafting wak'd,
Up to a hill anon his steps he rear'd,
From whofe high top to ken the Prospect round,
If Cottage were in view, Sheep-cote or Herd;
But Cottage, Herd, or Sheep-cote none he faw,
Only 'n a bottom faw a pleasant Grove,
With chaunt of tuneful Birds refounding loud;
Thither he bent his way, determin'd there
To rest at noon, and enter'd foon the fhade
High rooft, and walks beneath, and alleys brown,
That open'd in the midft a woody Scene;

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Nature's own work it seem'd (Nature taught Art
And to a fuperftitious eye the haunt

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Of Wood-Gods and Wood-Nymphs; he view'd it round, When fuddenly a man before him ftood,

(Not ruftic as before, but feemlier clad,

As one in City, or Court, or Palace bred)

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And with fair speech these words to him address'd.

With granted leave officious I return,

But much more wonder that the Son of God

In this wild folitude fo long thould bide,
Of all things deftitute, and, well I know,
Not without hunger. Others of fome note,
As ftory tells, have trod this Wilderness;
The fugitive Bond-woman with her Son,
Out-caft Nebaioth, yet found here relief
By a providing Angel; all the race

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Of Ifrael here had famifh'd, had not God

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,

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Forty and more deferted here indeed.

To whom thus Jefus: What conclud'st thou hence? They all had need, I as thou feeft have none. €

How

How haft thou hunger then? Satan reply'd;
Tell me if Food were now before thee fet,
Would'st thou not eat? Thereafter as I like
The giver, anfwer'd Jefus. Why should that
Caufe thy refufal, faid the fubtle Fiend?
Haft thou not right to all created things?
Owe not all Creatures by just right to thee
Duty and fervice, not to ftay till bid,
But tender all their pow'r ? nor mention I
Meats by the Law unclean, or offer'd first
To Idols, thofe young Daniel could refuse;
Nor proffer'd by an enemy, though who

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Would fcruple that, with want oppreft? Behold

Nature afham'd, or, better to exprefs,

Troubl'd that thou fhould't hunger; hath purvey'd

From all the Elements her choiceft store

To treat thee as. befeems, and as her Lord,

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With honour, only deign to fit and eat.

He fpake no dream; for as his words had end,

Our Saviour lifting up his eyes, beheld

In ample space under the broadeft fhade
A Table richly spread, in Regal mode,
With dishes pil'd, and meats of nobleft fort
And favour, Beafts of chafe, or Fowl of game,
In Paftry-built, or from the fpit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber-fteam'd; all Fish from Sea or Shore,
Frefhet, or purling Brook, of fhell or fin,
And exquifiteft name, for which was drain'd
Pontus and Lucrine Bay, and Afric Coast.
Alas, how fimple, to thefe Cates compar'd.
Was that crude Apple that diverted Eve!
And at a stately fide-board by the wine

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That fragrant fmell diffus'd, in order ftood
Tall ftripling youths rich clad, of fairer hue

Than Ganymed or Hylas; distant more

Under the Trees now tripp'd, now folemn flood

Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades

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With

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