BOOK SECOND
��261
��And made him bow, to the gods of his
wives."
To whom quick answer Satan thus re- turned:
" Belial, in much uneven scale thou weigh' st All others by thyself. Because of old Thou thyself doat'st on womankind, admir- ing Their shape, their colour, and attractive
grace, None are, thou think'st, but taken with
such toys.
Before the Flood, thou, with thy lusty crew,
False titled Sons of God, roaming the
Rarth, 179
Cast 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-side, In valley or green meadow, to waylay Some beauty rare, Calisto, Clymene, Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa, Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more Too long then lay'st thy scapes on names
adored,
Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan, 190
Satyr, or Faun, or Silvan ? But these
haunts
Delight not all. Among the sons of men How many have with a smile made small
account
Of beauty and her lures, easily scorned All her assaults, on worthier things intent ! Remember that Pellean conqueror, A youth, how all the beauties of the East He slightly viewed, and slightly over- passed;
How he surnamed of Africa dismissed, In his prime youth, the fair Iberian maid. For Solomon, he lived at ease, and, full 201 Of honour, wealth, high fare, aimed not be- yond
Higher design than to enjoy his state ; Thence to the bait of women lay exposed. But he whom we attempt is wiser far Than Solomon, of more exalted mind, Made and set wholly on the accomplish- ment Of greatest things. What woman will you
find,
Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
��On whom his leisure will voutsafed an
eye 2IO
Of fond desire ? Or should she, confident, As sitting queen adored on Beauty's throne, Descend with all her winning charms be- girt
To enamour, as the zone of Venus once Wrought that effect on Jove (so fables
tell), How would one look from his majestic
brow,
Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill, Discountenance her despised, and put to
rout
All her array, her female pride deject, Or turn to reverent awe ! For Beauty
stands 2 zo
In the admiration only of weak minds Led captive; cease to admire, and all her
plumes
Fall flat, and shrink into a trivial toy, At every sudden slighting quite abashed. Therefore with manlier objects we must try His constancy with such as have more
shew Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular
praise (Rocks whereon greatest men have oftest
wrecked) ;
Or that which only seems to satisfy Lawful desires of nature, not beyond. 230 And now I know be hungers, where no
food
Is to be found, in the wide Wilderness: The rest commit to me; I shall let pass No advantage, and his strength as oft as- say." He ceased, and heard their grant in loud
acclaim ;
Then forthwith to him takes a chosen band Of Spirits likest to himself in guile, To be at hand and at his beck appear, If cause were to unfold some active scene Of various persons, each to know his part; Then to the desert takes with these his
flight, 24 i
Where still, from shade to shade, the Son
of God,
After forty days' fasting, had remained, Now hungering first, and to himself thus
said: " Where will this end ? Four times ten
days I have passed Wandering this woody maze, and human
food
�� �
