Sought loft Elijah, so in each place these
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jericho
The city' of Palms, AEnon, and Salem old,
Machærus, and each town or city wall'd
On this fide the broad lake Genezaret,
Or in Peræa; but return'd in vain.
Then on the bank of Jordan, by a creek,
Where winds with reeds and ofiers whifp'ring play,
Plain fishermen, no greater men them call,
Clofe in a cottage low together got,
Their unexpected loss and plaints out breath'd.
Alas, from what high hope to what relapse 30
Unlook'd for are we fall'n! our eyes beheld
Meffiah certainly now come, fo long
Expected of our fathers; we have heard
His words, his wifdom full of grace and truth;
Now, now, for fure, deliverance is at hand,
The kingdom fhall to Ifrael be reflor'd:
Thus we rejoic'd, but foon our joy is turn'd
Into perplexity and new amaze:
For whither is he gone, what accident
Hath rapt him from us? will he now retire
After appearance, and again prolong
Our expectation? God of Ifraël,
Send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come;
Behold the kings of th' earth how they oppress
Thy chofen, to what highth their pow'r unjuft 45
They have exalted, and behind them caft
All fear of thee; arife and vindicate
Thy glory, free thy people from their yoke.
But let us wait; thus far he hath perform'd,
Sent his Anointed, and to us reveal'd him,
By his great Prophet, pointed at and shown
In public, and with him we have convers'd;
Let us be glad of this, and all our fears
Lay on his providence; he will not fail,
Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recall, 55
Mock us with his bleft fight, then fnatch him hence;
Soon we shall see our hope, our joy return.
Thus they out of their plaints new hope resume To find whom at the firft they found unfought: But to his mother Mary, when she saw Others return'd from baptifm, not her fon, Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none, Within her breast though calm, her breast tho' pure, Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd Some troubled thoughts, which fhe in fighs thus clad. O what avails me now that honor high To have conceiv'd of God, or that falute Hail highly favor'd, among women bleft! While I to forrows am no less advanc'd, And fears as eminent, above the lot Of other women, by the birth I bore,
In such a season born when scarce a fhed
Could be obtain'd to shelter him or me
From the bleak air; a ftable was our warmth,
A manger his; yet foon enforc'd to fly
Thence into Egypt, till the murd'rous king
Were dead, who fought his life, and miffing fill'd
With infant blood the ftreets of Bethlehem;
From Egypt home return'd, in Nazareth
Hath been our dwelling many years; his life 80
Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,
Little fufpicious to any king; but now
Full grown to man, acknowledg'd, as I hear,
By John the Baptist, and in public shown,
Son own'd from Heaven by his Father's voice; 85
I look'd for fome great change; to honor? no,
But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold,
That to the fall and rising he should be
Of many in Ifraël, and to a fign
Spoken against, that through my very foul
A fword fhall pierce; this is my favor'd lot,
My exaltation to afflictions high;
Afflicted I may be, it seems, and blest;
I will not argue that, nor will repine.
But where delays he now? fome great intent
Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had seen,
I loft him, but so found, as well I saw
He could not lose himself; but went about
His Father's business; what he meant I mus'd,
Since understand; much more his abfence now 100
Thus long to fome great purpose he obscures.
But I to wait with patience am inur'd;
My heart hath been a store-house long of things And fay'ings laid up, portending strange events.
Thus Mary pond'ring oft, and oft to mind 105
Recalling what remarkably had pass'd
Since first her falutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling:
The while her fon tracing the defert wild,
Sole but with holiest meditations fed,
Into himself defcended, and at once
All his great work to come before him fet;
How to begin, how to accomplish best
His end of being on earth, and mission high:
For Satan with fly 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 council sat;
There without fign of boast, or fign of joy,
Solicitous and blank he thus began.
Princes, Heav'n's ancient Sons, ethereal Thrones,
Demonian Spirits now, from th' element
Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call'd
Pow'rs of fire, air, water, and earth beneath,
So may we hold our place and these mild feats
Without new trouble; fuch an enemy
Is rifen 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, tafted him, but find
Far other labor to be undergone
Than when I dealt with Adam firft of Men,
Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell,
However to this man inferior far,
If he be man by mother's fide at least,
With more than human gifts from Heav'n adorn'd,
Perfections abfolute, graces divine,
And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds.
Therefore I am return'd, left confidence
Of my fuccefs with Eve in Paradise
Deceive ye to perfuafion over-fure
Of like fucceeding here; I fummon all
Rather to be in readiness, with hand
Or counsel to affift; left I who erst
Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd.
So fpake th' old Serpent doubting, and from all With clamor was affur'd their utmost aid
At his command; when from amidst them rofe
Belial, the diffoluteft Spi'rit that fell,
The fenfualleft, and after Afmodai
The fleshlieft Incubus, and thus advis'd.
Set woman 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 Goddeffes
Than mortal creatures, graceful and discreet,
Expert in amorous arts, inchanting tongues
|