The happier reign the sooner it begins;
Reign then; what canst thou better do the

while ?

180 To whom our Saviour answer thus re

turn’d. All things are best fullfilld in their due time, And time there is for all things. Truth hath

faid; If of my reign prophetic Writ hath told, That it shall never end, so when begin 185 The Father in his purpose hath decreed, He in whose hand all times and seasons roll. What if he bath decreed, that I shall first Be try'd in humble state, and things adverse, By tribulations, injuries, insults,

190 Contempts, and (corns, and mares, and vio

lence, Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting, Without distrust or doubt, that he may know What I can suffer, how obey? who best Can suffer, best can do; best reign, who

first

195 Well hath obey'd ; juft trial ere I merit My exaltation without change or end." But what concerns it thee when I begin My everlasting kingdom, why art thou Solicitous, what moves thy inquisition ? 200 Know'st thou not that my rising is thy fall, And my promotion will be thy destruction?

210

To whom the Tempter inly rack'd reply'd:
Let that come when it comes; all hope is lost
Of my reception into grace; what worse? 205
For where no hope is left, is left no fear:
If there be worse, the expectation' more
Of worse torments me than the feeling can,
I would be at the worst; worft is my port,
My harbour and my ultimate repose,
The end I would attain, my final good,
My error was my error,

and
my

crime
My crime; whatever for itself condemn’d,
And will alike be punish'd, whether thou
Reign or reign not; though to that gentle

brow

215 Willingly I could fly, and hope thy reign, From that placid afpéct and meek regard, Rather than aggravate my evil state, Would stand between me and thy Father's ire (Whole ire I dread more than the fire of

Hell) A shelter and a kind of shading cool Interposition, as a summers cloud. If I'then to the worst that can be haste, Why move thy feet lo flow to what is best, Happiest both to thyself and all the world, 225 That thou who worthiest art should'st be their

king? Perhaps thou linger'st in deep thoughts de

tain'd

220

Of th' enterprise so hazardous and high;
No wonder, for though in thee be united
What of perfection can in man be found, 230
Or human nature can receive, consider
Thy life hath yet been private, most part

fpent
At home, scarce view'd the Galilean towns,
And once a year Jerusalem, few days
Short Cojourn; and what thence could'st thou

observe?

235 The world thou hast not seen, much less her

glory,
Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant

courts,
Best school of best experience, quickest insight
In all things, that to greatest actions lead.
The wisest, unexperienc’d, will be ever 240
Timorous and loath, with novice modesty,
(As, he who seeking alles found a kingdom)
Irresolute, unhardy, unadventrous :
But I will bring thee, where thou soon shalt

quit
Those rudiments, and see before thinc

eyes

245 The monarchies of th' earth, their pomp and

state,
Sufficient introduction to inform
Thee, of thy felf so apt, in regal arts,
And regal mysteries, that thou mayst know

How best their opposition to withstand. 250 With that (such pow'r was giv'n him then)

he took The Son of God up to a mountain high. It was a mountain, at whose verdant feet A spacious plain out - stretch'd in circuit wide Lay pleasant; from his fide two rivers flow'd, -55 Th’one winding, th' other strait, and left

between Fair champain with less rivers intervein'd, Then meeting join'd their tribute to the sea : Fertil of corn the glebe, of oil and wine; With herds the pastures throng'd, with floks

the hills;

260 Huge cities and high towr'd, that well might

seem The seats of migthiest monarchs, and lo large The prospect was, that here and there was

room

For barren desert fountainless and dry
To this high mountain top the Tempter

brought

265 Our Saviour, and new train of words began.

Well have we speeded, and o'er hill and

dale,

Forest and field and flood , temples and

towers, Cut shorter many a league; here thou be

hold'st

Allyria and her empire's ancient bounds , 270
Araxes, and the Caspian lake, thence on
As far as Indus east, Euphrates west,
And oft beyond; to south the Persian bay
And inaccesible th' Arabian drouth;
Here Nineveh, of length within her wall 275
Several days journey, built by Ninus old,
Of that first golden monarchy the seat,
And seat of Salmanallar, whose success
Israel in long captivity still mourns;
There Babylon, the wonder of all tongues, 280
As 'ancient; but rebuilt by him who twice
Judah and all thy father David's house
Led captive, and Jerusalem laid waste,
Till Cyrus set them free; Persepolis
His city there thou seest, and Bactra there; 285
Ecbatana her structure vast there shows,
And Hecatomphylos her hundred gates;
There Susa by Choafpes, amber stream,
The drink of none but kings; of later fame
Built by Emathian, or by Parthian hands, 290
The great Seleucia , Nilibis, and there
Artaxata, Teredon, Ctefiphon,
Tnrning with easy eye thou may'st behold.
All these the Parthian, now some ages past,
By great Arfaces led, who founded first 295
That empire, under his dominion holds,
From the luxurious kings of Antioch won.
And just in time thou com'st to have a view

Of