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His end on 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 counsil sat:
There without sign of boast, or sign of joy,
Solicitous and blank he thus began.

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Princes, Heav'ns ancient Sons, etherial Thrones,
Demonian Spirits now, from th' element
Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call'd
Powers of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth beneath,
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 impower'd, 130
Have found him, view'd him, tasted him, but find
Far other labor to be undergone

Than when I dealt with Adam first of men,
Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell,
However to this Mau inferior far,

If he be man by mother's side at least,

With more than human gifts from Heav'n adorn'd,
Perfections absolute, graces divine,

And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds;
Therefore I am return'd, lest confidence
Of my success with Eve in Paradise

Deceive ye to persuasion over-sure
Of like succeeding here; I summon all

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Rather to be in readiness, with hand

Or council to assist: lest I who erst

Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd.
So spake th' old Serpent doubting, and from a
With clamour was assur'd their utmost aid
At his command; when from amidst them rose
Belial, the dissolutest spi'rit that fell,
The sensualest, and after Asmodai

The fleshliest incubus, and thus advis'd.

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 discreet,
Expert in amorous arts, enchanting tongues
Persuasive, virgin majesty with mild

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And sweet allay'd, yet terrible to' approach, 16.
Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw

Hearts after them tangled in amorous nets.
Such object hath the pow'r to soften and tame
Severest temper, smooth the rugg'dst brow
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope, disolve,
Draw out with credulous desire, and lead
At will the manliest, resolutest breast,
As the magnetic hardest iron draws.
Women when nothing else, beguil'd the heart
Of wisest Solomon, and made him build,
And made him bow to the gods of his wives.
To whom quick answer, Satan thus return'd:
Belial, in much uneven scale thou weighst

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All others by thyself; because of old

Thou thyself doat'dst on woman kind, admiring 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,

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False titled Sons of God, roaming the earth
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 way-lay.
Some beauty rare, Calisto, Clymene,
Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,

Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more.

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

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Satir, or Faun, or Sylvan? 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 scorn'd
All her assaults, on worthier things intent ?
Remember that Pellean conqueror,

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A youth, of all the beauties of the East
He slightly view'd, and slightly overpass'd :
How he surnam'd of Africa dismiss'd
In his prime youth the fair Iberian maid,
For Solomon, he liv'd at ease, and full-
Of Honour, wealth, high fair'd, aim'd not beyond
Higher design than to enjoy his state;

Thence to the bait of women lay expos'd:
But he whom we attempt is wiser far
Than Solomon, of more exalted mind,
Made and set wholly on th' accomplishment
Of greatest things; what woman will you find,
Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
On whom his leisure will vouchsafe an eye 210
Of fond desire? or should she confident,
As sitting queen ador'd on Beauty's throne,
Descend with all her winning charms begirt,
T'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 despis'd, and put to rout
All her array; her female pride deject,

Or turn to reverent awe; for Beauty stands 220
In th' 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 abash'd:
Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His constancy, with such as have more show
Of worth, of honor, glory', and popular praise;
Rocks whereon greatest men have oftest wreck'd
Or that which only seems to satisfy

Lawful desires of Nature, not beyond;
And now I know he hungers where no food
Is to be found, in the wide wilderness;

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The rest commit to me, I shall let pass

No advantage, and his strength as oft assay.

He ceas'd, 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; 240 Then to the desert takes with these his flight; Where still from shade to shade the Son of God After forty days fasting had remain’d,

Now hung'ring first, and to himself thus said, Where will this end? four times, ten days I've pass'd

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Wand'ring this woody maze, and human food
Nor tasted, nor had appetite; that fast
To virtue I impute not, or count part
Of what I suffer here; if nature need not,
Or God support Nature without repast
Though needing; what praise is it to endure?
But now I feel I hunger, which declares
Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God
Can satisfy that need some other way,
Though hunger still remain: so it remain
Without this body's wasting, I content me,
And from the sting of famine fear no harm,
Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts that feed,
Me hung'ring more to do my Father's will.

It was the hour of night, when thus the Son 260 Commun'd in silent walk, then laid him down

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