z6o
��A sword shall pierce. This is my favoured
lot,
My exaltation to afflictions high ! Afflicted I may be, it seems, and blest ! 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 lost him, but so found as well I saw He could not lose himself, but went about His Father's business. What he meant I
mused Since understand; much more his absence
now ioo
Thus long to some great purpose he ob- scures.
But I to wait with patience am inured; My heart hath been a storehouse long of
things And sayings laid up, portending strange
events." Thus Mary, pondering oft, and oft to
mind
Recalling what remarkably had passed Since first her Salutation heard, with
thoughts
Meekly composed awaited the fulfilling: The while her Son, tracing the desert wild, Sole, but with holiest meditations fed, no Into himself descended, and at once All his great work to come before him
set
How to begin, how to accomplish best His end of being on Earth, and mission
high.
For Satan, with sly 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 sate. There, without sign of boast, or sign of
jy
Solicitous and blank, he thus began: 120 " Princes, Heaven's ancient Sons, Ethe- real Thrones
Dsemonian Spirits now, from the element Each of his reign allotted, rightlier called Powers of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth be- neath (So may we hold our place and these mild
seats
Without new trouble !) such an enemy Is risen to invade us, who no less Threatens than our expulsion down to Hell.
��I, as I undertook, and with the vote Consenting in full frequence was impow- ered, 130
Have found him, viewed him, tasted him;
but find
Far other labour 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 side, at least With more than human gifts from Heaven
adorned,
Perfections absolute, graces divine, And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds. Therefore I am returned, lest confidence Of my success with Eve in Paradise 141 Deceive ye to persuasion over-sure Of like succeeding 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- matched." So spake the old Serpent, doubting, and
from all
With clamour was assured their utmost aid At his command; when from amidst them
rose
Belial, the dissolutest Spirit that fell, 150 The sensualest, and, after Asmodai, The fleshliest Incubus, and thus ad vised:
" Set women in his eye and in his walk, Among daughters of men the fairest found. Many are in each region passing fair As the noon sky, more like to goddesses Than mortal creatures, graceful and dis- creet,
Expert in amorous arts, enchanting tongues Persuasive, virgin majesty with mild And sweet allayed, yet terrible to ap- proach, 160 Skilled to retire, and in retiring draw Hearts after them tangled in amorous nets. Such object hath the power to soften and
tame Severest temper, smooth the rugged'st
brow,
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope dissolve, Draw out with credulous desire, and lead At will the manliest, resolutest breast, As the magnetic hardest iron draws. Women, when nothing else, beguiled the
heart Of wisest Solomon, and made him build, 170
�� �
