True wifdom, finds her not; or by delufion
Far worse, her false resemblance only meets
An empty cloud. However many books,
Wife men have faid, are wearifom; who reads
Inceffantly, and to his reading brings not
A fpirit and judgment equal or fuperior,

320

(And what he brings, what needs he elsewhere seek) 325: Uncertain and unfettled ftill remains,

Deep verft in books and fhallow in himself,

Crude or intoxicate, collecting toys,

And trifles for choice matters, worth a fpunge;

As Children gath'ring pebbles on the shore.
Or if I would delight my private hours
With Mufick or with Poem, where so soon
As in our native Language can I find

330

That folace? All our Law and Story ftrew'd

With Hymns, our Pfalms with artful terms infcrib'd,
Our Hebrew Songs and Harps, in Babylon,

336

That pleas'd fo well our Victors ear, declare

That rather Greece from us these arts deriv'd ;

Ill imitated, while they loudeft fing

The vices of their Deities, and their own

340*

In Fable, Hymn, or Song; fo perfonating

Their Gods ridiculous, and themselves paft fhame.
Remove their fwelling Epithets, thick laid
As varnish on a Harlot's cheek; the rest,
Thin fown with aught of profit or delight,
Will far be found unworthy to compare

345

With Sion's fongs, to all true taftes excelling,
Where God is prais'd aright, and God-like men,
The Holieft of Holies, and his Saints:

Such are from God infpir'd, not fuch from thee; ́350*
Unless where moral virtue is exprefs'd

By light of Nature, not in all quite loft.
Their Orators thou then extoll'it, as thofe
The top of Eloquence; Statists indeed,
And lovers of their Country, as may seem;
But herein to our prophets far beneath,

E. 3

355

As

As men divinely taught, and better teaching
The folid rules of civil Government,

In their Majeftic unaffected style,

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:
Thefe only with our Law best form a King,

So fpake the Son of God; but Satan now Quite at a lofs (for all his darts were spent) Thus to our Saviour with ftern brow reply'd.

Since neither wealth, nor honour, arms nor arts,
Kingdom nor Empire pleases thee, nor aught
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

360

365

370

What I foretel thee, foon thou shalt have cause
To wish thou never hadft rejected thus

375

Nicely or cautioufly my offer'd aid,

Which wou'd 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 feason

380

When Prophecies of thee are best fulfill'd.

Now contrary, if I read aught in Heav'n,

Or Heav'n write aught of Fate, by what the Stars
Voluminous, or fingle Characters,

In their conjunction met, give me to fpell,

385

Sorrows and labours, oppofition, hate,

Attends thee, fcorns, reproaches, injuries,

Violence and ftripes, and laftly cruel death:

A Kingdom they portend thee, but what Kingdom,

Real or Allegoric, I discern not,

390

Nor when; eternal fure, as without end,

Without beginning; for no date prefixt

Directs me in the Starry Rubric fet.

Sa

So faying he took, (for ftill he knew his Pow'r
Not yet expir'd) and to the Wilderness

Brought back the Son of God, and left him there,
Feigning to disappear. Darkness now rose,
As day-light funk, and brought in lowring night,
Her fhad'wy off-fpring, unfubftantial both,
Privation meer of light and absent day.
Our Saviour meek and with untroubled mind,
After his airy jaunt, though hurry'd fore,
Hungry and cold, betook him to his rest,

395

400

Wherever under fome concourse of fhades,

404

Whose branching arms thick intertwin'd might shield

From dews and damps of night his fhelter'd head;

But shelter'd flept in vain; for at his head

The Tempter watch'd, and foon with ugly dreams
Difturb'd his fleep; and either Tropic now

'Gan thunder, and both ends of Heav'n the clouds [410 From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd

Fierce rain with lightning mixt, water with fire
In ruin reconcil'd: nor flept the winds
Within their ftony caves, but rufh'd abroad
From the four hinges of the World, and fell
On the vext Wilderness, whofe tallest Pines,
Though rooted deep as high, and sturdiest Oaks
Bow'd their ftiff necks, loaden with ftormy blafts
Or torn up sheer: ill waft thou shrouded then,
O patient Son of God, yet only stoodst
Unfhaken nor yet staid the terror there;
Infernal Ghofts, and Hellish Furies, round

415

420

Environ'd thee, fome howl'd, fome yell'd, fome shriek'd, Some bent at thee their fiery darts, while thou

Sat'ft unappal'd in calm and finless Peace.

425

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,
To tempt the Son of God with terrors dire.

430

And

And now the Sun 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 beheld more fresh and
After a night of storm fo ruinous,

green,

Clear'd up their choiceft notes in buff and spray
To gratulate the fweet return of morn.
Nor yet amidst this joy and brightest morn
Was abfent, 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 laft affront refolv'd,

435

440

Defp'rate of better course, to vent his rage,

445

And mad defpight to be fo oft repell'd.

Him walking on a Sunny 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 faid.

459

Fair morning yet betides thee Son of God,

After a dismal night; I heard the rack

As Earth and Sky would mingle; but my felf

Was diftant; and these flaws, though mortals fear them, As dang'rous to the pillar'd frame of Heav'n,

་་

455

3

Or to the Earth's dark bafis underneath,

Are to the main as inconfiderable,

And harmless, if not wholefome, as a fneeze
To man's lefs univerfe, and foon are gone:
Yet as being oft-times noxious where they light
On man, beaft, plant, waftful and turbulent,
Like turbulencies in the affairs of men,
Over whose heads they roar, and feem to point,
They oft fore-fignifie, and threaten ill.
This Tempeft at this Defart moft was bent;
Of men at thee, for only thou here dwell'ft.
Did I not tell thee, if thou didft reject
The perfect feafon offer'd with my aid

460

465%

To

To win thy deftin'd feat, but wilt prolong
All to the pufh 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 rightliest done,
Not when it muft, but when it may be best.
If thou observe not this, be fure to find,
What I foretold thee, many a hard assay
Of dangers, and adverfities, and pains,
Ere thou of Ifrael's Scepter get faft hold;

470

475

480

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 ftaid not, but in brief him anfwer'd thus.

485

490

Me worse than wet thou find'ft not; other harm Those terrors which thou speak'ft of, did me none; I never fear'd they could, though noifing loud And threatning nigh: what they can do as figns Betok'ning, or ill boding, I contemn As falfe 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, Ambitious fpirit, and woud't be thought my God, 495 And ftorm'fl refus'd, thinking to terrifie Me to thy will; defift (thou art difcern'd

And toil'ft in vain) nor me in vain moleft.

To whom the Fiend now swoln with rage reply'd: Then hear, O Son of David, Virgin-born,

500

(For Son of God to me is yet in doubt)

Of the Meffiah I have heard foretold.

By all the Prophets; of thy birth at length

Announc'd