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From their foft wings and Flora's earliest smells.
Such was the fplendor, and the Tempter now
His invitation earnestly renew'd.

What doubts the Son of God to fit and eat.
These are not fruits forbidden, no interdict
Defends the touching of these Viands pure,
Their tafte no knowledge works at least of evil,
But life preferves, deftroys life's enemy,
Hunger, with fweer reftorative delight.

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All these are Spirits of Air, and Woods, and Springs,
Thy gentle Minifters, who come to pay

Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their Lord: 375
What doubt'ft thou Son of God fit down and eat,

To whom thus Jesus temp❜rately reply'd: Said'st thou not that to all things I had right ?

And who with-hoids my pow'r that right to use?

Shall I receive by gift what of my own,

380

When and where likes me beft, I can command?

I can at will, doubt not, as soon as thou,
Command a Table in this Wilderness,
And call swift flights of Angels miniftrant
Array'd in Glory on my Cup t'attend:

385

Why fhouldft thou then obtrude this diligence,

In vain, where no acceptance it can find,
And with my hunger what haft thou to do?
Thy pompous Delicacies I contemn,

And count thy fpecious gifts no gifts but guiles.

390

To whom thus anfwer'd Satan malecontent:
That I have alfo pow'r to give thou feeft,
If of that pow'r I bring thee volunrary.

What I might have beftow'd on whom I pleas'd,
And rather opportunely in this place
Chofe to impart to thy apparent need,
Why shouldst thou not accept it? but I fee
What I can do or offer is fufpect;

Of these things others quickly will difpofe

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Whose pains have earn'd the far fet fpoil. With that, Both Table and Provifiou yanish'd quite

Z

401 With

With found of Harpies wings, and Talons heard ;
Only th' importune Tempter ftill remain'd,
And with these words his Temptation purfu'd.

By hunger, that each other Creature tames,
Thou art not to be harm'd, therefore not mov'd;

Thy temperance invincible befides,

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410

For no allurement yields to appetite,
And all thy heart is fet on high defigns,
High actions; but wherewith to be atchiev'd?
Great acts require great means of enterprise,
Thou art unknown, unfriended, low of Birth,
A Carpenter thy Father known, thy self,
Bred up in poverty and streights at home;
Loft in a Delart here and hunger bit :
Which way or from what hope doft thou aspire
To greatnefs? whence Authority deriv❜ft,
What Followers, what Retinue canft thou gain,
Or at thy heels the dizzy Multitude,
Longer than thou canft feed them on thy cost?
Mony brings honour, Friends, Conqueft and Realms ;
What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,

And his Son Herod plac'd on Judah's Throne;

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: 420

(Thy Throne) but gold that got him puiffant friends?

Therefore, if at great things thou wouldst arrive, 425
Get Riches firft, get Wealth, and Treafure heap,
Not difficult, if thou hearken to me,

Riches are mine, Fortune is in my hand;
They whom I favour thrive in wealth amain,
While Virtue, Valour, Wisdom, fit in want.
To whom thus Jefus patiently reply'd ;
Yet Wealth without these three is impotent
To gain dominion, or to keep it gain'd.
Witness those ancient Empires of the Earth,
In heigth of all their flowing wealth dissolv'd:
But men endu❜d with these, have oft attain'd
In lowest poverty to highest deeds;
Gideon and feptha, and the Shepherd lad,
Whofe Off-fpring on the Throne of Judah fat

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So

So many Ages, and shall yet regain

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That feat, and reign in Ifrael without end.

Among the Heathen, (for throughout the World

To me is not unknown what hath been done

Worthy Memorial) canft thou not remember
Quintus, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus ?

445

For I efteem those names of men fo poor,

Who could do mighty things, and could contemn

Riches though offer'd from the hand of Kings.

And what in me seems wanting, but that I

May alfo in this poverty as foon

450

Accomplish what they did, perhaps and more?

Extol not Riches then, the toyl of Fools,

The wife man's cumbrance, if not fnare, more apt
To flacken Virtue, and abate her edge,

Than prompt her to do aught may merit praise.

455

What if with like averfion I reject

Riches and Realms; yet not for that a Crown,

Golden in shew, is but a wreath of thorns,

To him who wears the Regal Diadem,

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Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and fleepless nights

When on his fhoulders each man's burden lies;

For therein ftands the Office of a King,
His Honour, Virtue, Merit and chief Praise,
That for the Publick all this weight he bears.
Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules
Paffions, Defires, and Fears, is more a King ;
Which ev'ry wife and virtuous man attains:
And who attains not, ill afpires to rule
Cities of men, or head-ftrong multitudes.
Subject himself to Anarchy within,

Or lawless Paffions in him which he ferves.
But to guide Nations in the way of truth
By faving Doctrine, and from error lead
To know, and knowing worship God aright,
Is yet more Kingly, this attracts the Soul,
Governs the inner-man, the nobler part,
That other o'er the body only reigns,

Z 2

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And

And oft by force, which to a gen'rous mind
So reigning can be no fincere delight.
Besides to give a Kingdom hath been thought
Greater and nobler done, and to lay down
Far more magnanimous, than to affume.
Riches are needless then, both for themselves,
And for thy reason why they should be fought,
To gain a Scepter, ofteft better mifs'd.

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485

The End of the Second Book.

Para

PARADISE REGAIN'D.

BOOK III.

O fpake the Son of God, and Satan food
A while as mute, confounded what to say,
What to reply, confuted and convinc'd
Of his weak arguing, and fallacious drift;
At length collecting all his Serpent wiles,
With foothing words renew'd, him thus accofts.
I fee thou know'ft what is of ufe to know,
What beft to say canft say, to do canft do ;
Thy actions to thy words accord, thy words
To thy large heat give utterance due, thy heart
Contains of good, wife, juft, the perfect shape.
Should Kings and Nations from thy mouth consult,
Thy Counsel would be as the Oracle

Urim and Thummim, thofe oraculous gems
On Aaron's breaft; or tongue of Seers old
Infallible; or wert thou fought to deeds
That might require th' array of war, thy skill
Of conduct would be fuch, that all the world
Could not fuftain thy prowess, or fubfift

In battle, though against thy few in arms.

These God-like Virtues wherefore doft thou hide?
Affecting private life, or more obfcure

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