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Thouthy self doat'dst on womankind, admiring
Their shape, their colour, and attractive grace,

None are, thou think'st, but taken with fuch toys.
Before the Flood thou with thy lufty Crew,
Falfe titled Sons of God, roaming the Earth

Caft wanton eyes on the daughters of

men,

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And coupled with them, and begot a race.

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Have we not seen, or by relation heard,

In Courts and Regal Chambers how thou lurk'dft,

In Wood or Grove by moffie Fountain side,

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In Valley or green Meadow to way-lay

Some Beauty rare, Califto, Clymene,

Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,

Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more

Too long, then lay'dft thy scapes on names ador'd,
Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter or Pan,

Satyr, or Fawn, 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, eafily fcorn'd

All her affaults, on worthier things intent?

Remember that Pellean Conqueror,

A Youth, how all the Beauties of the Eaft
He flightly view'd, and flightly overpafs'd;
How he firnam'd of Africa difmifs'd
In his prime youth the fair Iberian Maid.
For Solomon, he liv'd at ease, and full

Of honour, wealth, high fare, aim'd not beyond

Higher defign than to enjoy his State;

Thence to the bait of Women lay expos'd;

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But he whom we attempt is wifer far

Than Solomon, of more exalted mind,

Made and fet wholly on th' accomplishment
Of greatest things, what Woman will you find,
Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
On whom his leifure will vouchfafe an eye
Of fond defire? or fhould fhe confident,
As fitting Queen ador'd on Beauty's Throne,

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Descend with all her winning Charms begirt
T'enamour, as the Zone of Venus once
Wrought that effect on Jove, fo Fables tell;
How would one look from his Majestick brow,
Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill,
Discount'nance her defpis'd, and put to rout
All her array; her female pride deject,

Or turn to rev'rent awe; for Beauty stands

In th' admiration only of weak minds

Led captive; ceafe t' admire, and all her Plumes
Fall flat and fhrink into a trivial toy,

At ev'ry fudden flighting quite abasht:
Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His conftancy, with fuch as have more shew
Öfworth, of honour, glory, and popular praise ;
Rocks whereon greatest Men have often wreck'd;
Or that which only feems to fatisfie
Lawful defires of Nature, not beyond;
And now I know he hungers where no food

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Is to be found, in the wild Wilderness,

The reft commit to me, I fhall let pafs

No advantage, and his ftrength as oft afsay.

He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim:

Then forthwith to him takes a chofen band

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Of Spirits likeft to himself in guile

To be at hand, and at his beck appear,

If caufe were to unfold fome active Scene
Of various Perfons each to know his part;
Then to the Defart takes with these his flight;
Where ftill from fhade to fhade the Son of God
After forty days fafting had remain'd,

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Now hungring firft, and to himself thus faid.

Where will this end? four times ten days I've pass'd

Wandring this woody maze, and human Food

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Nortafted, nor had appetite; that Faft

To Virtue I impute not, or count part
Of what I fuffer here; if Nature need not.

Or God fupport Náture without repaft

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Though

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Though needing, what praife is it to endure?
But now I feel I hunger, which declares
Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God
Can fatisfie that need fome other way,
Though hunger ftill remain: fo it remain
Without this body's wafting. I content me,
And from the fting of Famine fear no harm,
Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts that feed
Me hungring more to do my Father's will.

It was the hour of night, when thus the Son
Commun'd in filent walk, then laid him down
Under the hofpitable covert nigh

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Of trees thick interwoven; there he flept,

And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream,

Of meats and drinks, Nature's refreshment fweet ;
Him thought, he by the Brook of Cherith stood

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And faw the Ravens with their horny beaks

Food to Elijah bringing Even and Morn,

Though rav'nous, taught t'abstain from what they

He faw the Prophet alfo how he fled

Into the Defart, and how there he slept
Under a Juniper; then how awak'd,
He found his Supper on the coals prepar'd,
And by the Angel was bid rife and eat,

And eat the second time after repose

Lbrought

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The ftrength whereof fuffic'd him forty days;
Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,

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Or as a guest with Daniel at his Pulfe.

Thus wore outnight, and now the Herald Lark
Left his ground-neft, high tow'ring to defcry

The Morn's approach, and greet her with his Song:

As lightly from his graffie couch up rofe
Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream,
Fafting he went to fleep, and fafting wak’d.

Up to a hill anon his fteps he rear'd,

From whofe high top to ken the profpect round,
If Cottage were in view, Sheep-cote or Herd;
But Cottage, Herd, or Sheep-cote none he faw,

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only

Only in a bottom saw a pleasant Grove,

With chaunt of tuneful Birds refounding loud;
Thither he bent his way, determin'd there

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To reft at noon, and enter'd foon the fhade

High rooft and walks beneath, and alleys brown
That open'd in the midst a woody Scene,

Nature's own work it seem'd (Nature taught Art)
And to a Superftitious eye the haunt

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Of Wood-Gods and Wood-Nymphs; he view'd it

When fuddenly a man before him stood,

Lround,

Not ruftic as before, but feemlier clad,

As one in City, or Court, or Palace bred,

And with fair fpeech these words to him address'd.

With granted leave officious I return,

But much more wonder that the Son of God
In this wild folitude so long should bide
Of all things deftitute, and well I know,
Not without hunger. Others of fome note,
As ftory tells, have trod this Wilderness ;
The fugitive Bond-woman with her Son
Out-caft Nebaioth, yet found here relief
By a providing Angel; all the race

Of Ifrael here had famish'd, had not God

Rain'd from Heav'n Manna, and that Prophet bold

Native of Thebes wandring here was fed

Twice by a voice inviting him to eat ;

Of thee these forty days none hath regard,

Forty and more deferted here indeed.

ΠΟΣ

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To whom thus Jefus; What conclud'st thou hence? They all had need; I as thou feeft have none.

How haft thou hunger then? Satan reply'd,

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Tell me if Food were now before thee fet,
Would't thou not eat? thereafter as I like
The giver, answer'd Jefus. Why fhould that

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Cause thy refufal, faid the fubtle Fiend,
Haft thou not right to all Created things,

Owe not all Creatures by just right to thee

Duty and fervice, not to ftay till bid,

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But tender all their pow'r? nor mention I

Meats by the Law unclean, or offer'd first

To Idols, thofe young Daniel could refuse;
Nor proffer'd by an Enemy, though who

Would fcruple that, with want oppreft? Behold
Nature afham'd, or better to express,

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Troubl'd that thou should'ft hunger, hath purvey'd

From all the Elements her choiceft store

To treat thee as befeems, and as her Lord

With honour, only deign to fit and eat.

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He spake no dream, for as his words had end,

Our Saviour lifting up his eyes beheld

In ample space under the broadeft shade

A Table richly fpred, in Regai mode,

With dishes pil'd, and meats of nobleft fort
And favour, Beasts of chase, or Fowl of game,
In Paftry-built, or from the fpit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber-fteam'd; all Fish from Sea or Shore,
Frefhet, or purling brook, of fhell or fin,
And exquifiteft name, for which was drain'd
Pontus and Lucrine Bay, and Afric Coast.
Alas how fimple, to these Cates compar'd,
Was that crude Apple that diverted Eve!
And at a stately fide-board by the wine
That fragrant fmell diffus'd, in order stood

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Tall ftripling youths rich clad, of fairer hue

Than Ganymed or Hylas, diftant more

Under the Trees now tripp'd, now folemn ftood
Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades

With fruits and flow'rs from Amalthea's horn,

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