Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/303

 BOOK SECOND

��261

��And made him bow, to the gods of his

wives."

To whom quick answer Satan thus re- turned:

" Belial, in much uneven scale thou weigh' st All others by thyself. Because of old Thou thyself doat'st on womankind, admir- ing 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,

False titled Sons of God, roaming the

Rarth, 179

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 waylay Some beauty rare, Calisto, Clymene, Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa, Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more Too long then lay'st thy scapes on names

adored,

Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan, 190

Satyr, or Faun, 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, easily scorned All her assaults, on worthier things intent ! Remember that Pellean conqueror, A youth, how all the beauties of the East He slightly viewed, and slightly over- passed;

How he surnamed of Africa dismissed, In his prime youth, the fair Iberian maid. For Solomon, he lived at ease, and, full 201 Of honour, wealth, high fare, aimed not be- yond

Higher design than to enjoy his state ; Thence to the bait of women lay exposed. But he whom we attempt is wiser far Than Solomon, of more exalted mind, Made and set wholly on the accomplish- ment Of greatest things. What woman will you

find,

Though of this age the wonder and the fame,

��On whom his leisure will voutsafed an

eye 2IO

Of fond desire ? Or should she, confident, As sitting queen adored on Beauty's throne, Descend with all her winning charms be- girt

To 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 despised, and put to

rout

All her array, her female pride deject, Or turn to reverent awe ! For Beauty

stands 2 zo

In the 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 abashed. Therefore with manlier objects we must try His constancy with such as have more

shew Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular

praise (Rocks whereon greatest men have oftest

wrecked) ;

Or that which only seems to satisfy Lawful desires of nature, not beyond. 230 And now I know be hungers, where no

food

Is to be found, in the wide Wilderness: The rest commit to me; I shall let pass No advantage, and his strength as oft as- say." He ceased, 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; Then to the desert takes with these his

flight, 24 i

Where still, from shade to shade, the Son

of God,

After forty days' fasting, had remained, Now hungering first, and to himself thus

said: " Where will this end ? Four times ten

days I have passed Wandering this woody maze, and human

food

�� �