PARADISE REGAIN'D.

BOOK

II.

M

EAN while the new-baptis'd, who yet remain'd At Jordan with the Baptift, and had seen Him whom they heard fo late exprefsly call'd

Jefus Meffiah Son of God declar'd,

And on that high authority had believ'd,

And with him talk'd, and with him lodg'd, I mean

Andrew and Simon, famous after known,
With others, though in holy writ not nam'd,
Now miffing him their joy fo lately found,
So lately found, and fo abruptly gone,
Began to doubt, and doubted many days,
And as the days increas'd, increas'd their doubt:
Sometimes they thought he might be only shown,
And for a time caught up to God, as once
Mofes was in the mount, and miffing long ;
And the great Thisbite, who on fiery wheels
Rode up to heav'n, yet once again to come.
Therefore as thofe young prophets then with care
Sought loft Elijah, fo in each place thefe
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jericho

The city of palms, Enon, and Salem old,
Machærus, and each town or city wall'd

On this fide the broad lake Genezaret,

Or in Perea; but return'd in vain.

Then on the bank of Jordan, by a creek,

Where winds with reeds and offers whifp'ring play,
Plain fisher-men, no greater men them call,
Clofe in a cottage low together got,

Their unexpected lofs and plaints out-breath'd
Alas, from what high hope to what relapfe
Unlook'd-for are we fall'n! our eyes beheld
Meffiah certainly now come, fo long

Expected of our fathers; we have heard
His words, his wifdom full of grace and truth;
Now, now, for fure deliverance is at hand,
The kingdom fhall to Ifrael be reftor'd:
Thus we rejoic'd, but foon our joy is turn'd
Into perplexity and new amaze :

For whither is he gone, what accident
Hath rapt him from us? will he now retire
After appearance, and again prolong
Our expectation? God of Ifrael,

Send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come;
Behold the kings of th' earth how they opprefs
Thy chofen, to what heighth their pow'r unjust
They have exalted, and behind them caft
All fear of thee; arife and vindicate
Thy glory, free thy people from their yoke.
But let us wait; thus far he hath perform'd,
Sent his Anointed, and to us reveal'd him,
By his great Prophet, pointed at and shown
In public, and with him we have convers'd;
Let us be glad of this, and all our fears
Lay on his providence; he will not fail,
Nor will withdraw him now, nor win recal,

Mock us with his bleft fight, then fnatch him hence:
Soon we fhall fee our hope, our joy return.

Thus they out of their plaints new hope refume
To find whom at the first they found unfought :
But to his mother Mary, when the faw
Others return'd from baptifm, not her fon,
Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none;

Within her breaft, though calm, her breaft, though pure,
Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd
Some troubled thoughts, which the in fighs thus clad.
O what avails me now that honour high
To have conceiv'd of God, or that falute,
Hail highly favour'd, among women bleft!
While I to forrows am no lefs advanc'd,
And fears as eminent, above the lot
Of other women, by the birth I bore;
In fuch a feafon born when fearce a fhed
Could be obtain'd to fhelter him or me
From the bleak air; a ftable was our warmth,
A manger his, yet foon enforc'd to fly
Thence into Egypt, till the murd'rous king
Were dead, who fought his life, and miffing fill'd
With infant-blood the ftreets of Bethlehem ;
From Egypt home return'd, in Nazareth
Hath been our dwelling many years, his life
Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,
Little fufpicious to any king; but now.
Full grown to man, acknowledg'd, as I bear,
By John the baptift, and in public fhown,
Son own'd from heav'n by his Father's voice:
I look'd for fome great change; to honour? no,
But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold,

That to the fall and rising he should be
Of many in Ifrael, and to a sign

Spoken against, that through my very foul
A fword fhall pierce; this is my favour'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? fome great intent
Conceals him: When twelve years he scarce had seen,
I loft him, but fo found, as well I faw
He could not lofe himself, but went about
His Father's bufinefs; what he meant I mus'd,
Since understand; much more his abfence now
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 fayings laid up, portending strange events.

Thus Mary pond'ring oft, and oft to mind
Recalling what remarkably had pafs'd
Since first her falutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling:
The while her fon tracing the defart 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 fign of boast, or sign of joy,

Sollicitous and blank he thus began.

Princes, heav'n's ancient fons, aetherial thrones,
Demonian fpirits 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
Without new trouble; fuch an enemy
Is risen to invade us, who no lefs

Threatens than our expulfion down to hell;
I, as I undertook, and with the vote
Confenting in full frequence was impower'd,
Have found him, view'd him, tafted him, but find
Far other labour to be undergone

Than when I dealt with Adam firft of men,

Though Adam hy his wife's allurement fell,
However to this man inferior far,

If he be man by mother's fide at least,

With more than human gifts from heav'n adorn'd,
Perfections abfolute, graces divine,

And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds.
Therefore I am return'd, left confidence
Of my fuccefs with Eve in Paradife
Deceive you to perfuafion over-fure
Of like fucceeding here; I fummon all
Rather to be in readiness, with hand
Or counsel to affift; left I who erst

Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd.
So fpake th' old ferpent doubting, and from all
With clamour was affur'd their utmost aid
At his command; when from amidst them rofe
Belial, the diffoluteft fpirit that fell,

The fenfualleft, and after Afmodai