So lately found, and so abruptly gone,—
Began to doubt, and doubted many days,
And, as the days increased, increased their doubt.
Sometimes they thought he might be only shown,

And for a time caught up to God—as once
Moses was in the mount and missing long;
And the great Thisbite, who on fiery wheels
Rode up to Heaven—yet once again to come.
Therefore, as those young prophets then with care
Sought lost Elijah; so in each place these,
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jericho

The city of palms, Ænon, and Salem old,
Machærus, and each town or city walled
On this side the broad lake Genezaret,
Or in Perea; but returned in vain.

Then on the bank of Jordan, by a creek

Where winds with reeds and osiers whispering play,
Plain fishermen, (no greater men them call)
Close in a cottage low together got,

Their unexpected loss and plaints out breathed :
"Alas, from what high hope to what relapse
"Unlooked for are we fallen! our eyes beheld
"Messiah certainly now come,-so long

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Expected of our fathers; we have heard

"His words-his wisdom-full of grace and truth:
"Now-now, for sure-deliverance is at hand;
"The kingdom shall to Israel be restored :

"Thus we rejoiced, but soon our joy is turned
"Into perplexity and new amaze :

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"For whither is he gone? what accident

"Hath rapt him from us? will he now retire

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"After appearance, and again prolong

"Our expectation? God of Israel,

"Send thy Messiah forth; the time is come!

"Behold the kings of the earth, how they oppress

"Thy chosen ;-to what height their power unjust

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They have exalted, and behind them cast

"All fear of thee: arise, and vindicate

"Thy glory; free thy people from their yoke!

"But let us wait; thus far he hath performed,

"Sent his Anointed, and to us revealed him,

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'By his great prophet, pointed at and shown "In public, and with him we have conversed: "Let us be glad of this, and all our fears

66 Lay on his providence; he will not fail,
"Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recall,

"Mock us with his blest sight, then snatch 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 first they found unsought:

But, to his mother Mary, when she saw

Others returned from baptism,-not her Son,—
Nor left at Jordan,-tidings of him none;

Within her breast though calm, her breast though pure,
Motherly cares and fears got head, and raised

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Some troubled thoughts, which she in sighs thus clad:
O, what avails me now that honour high
"To have conceived of God, or that salute,

"Hail, highly favoured, among women blest!'
"While I to sorrows am no less advanced,
"And fears as eminent, above the lot
"Of other women, by the birth I bore;

"In such a season born, when scarce a shed
"Could be obtained to shelter him or me
"From the bleak air; a stable was our warmth,
"A manger his; yet soon enforced to fly

"Thence into Egypt, till the murderous king
"Were dead, who sought his life, and missing filled
"With infant blood the streets of Bethlehem :

"From Egypt home returned, in Nazareth
"Hath been our dwelling many years; his life
"Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,
"Little suspicious to any king; but now,
"Full grown to man,-acknowledged, as I hear,

'By John the Baptist, and in public shown,— "Son owned from Heaven by his Father's voice,"I looked for some great change; to honour ?-no; "But trouble; as old Simeon plain foretold, "That to the fall and rising he should be "Of many in Israel, and to a sign

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'Spoken against; that through my very soul

"A sword shall pierce: this is my favoured lot— "My exaltation to afflictions high:

"Afflicted I may be, it seems, and blest!

"I will not argue that, nor will repine.

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"But where delays he now? Some great intent
"Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had seen,
"I lost him, but so found, as well I saw
"He could not lose himself; but went about
"His Father's business: what he meant I mused,
"Since understand; much more his absence now
"Thus long, to some great purpose, he obscures.
"But I to wait with patience am inured;

'My heart hath been a storehouse long of things
"And sayings laid up, portending strange events.
Thus Mary, pondering oft, and oft to mind
Recalling what remarkably had passed
Since first her salutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly composed, awaited the fulfilling :
The while her Son, tracing the desert wild,
Sole, but with holiest meditations fed,
Into himself descended, and at once

All his great work, to come, before him set ;-
How to begin,-how to accomplish best
His end of 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 regions of thick air,

Where all his potentates in council sat :

There without sign of boast, or sign of joy,

Solicitous and blank, he thus began:

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"Princes, Heaven's ancient Sons, ethereal Thrones !

"Demonian Spirits now, from the element

"Each of his reign allotted, rightlier called

"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 empowered,

"Have found him, viewed him, tasted him; but find

"Far other labour to be undergone

"Than when I dealt with Adam, first of men

"(Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell), "However to this man inferior far;

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

"With more than human gifts from Heaven adorned,
"Perfections absolute, graces divine,

"And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds.
"Therefore I am returned, lest confidence
"Of my success with Eve in Paradise
"Deceive ye to persuasion over-sure
"Of like succeeding here: I summon all
"Rather to be in readiness, with hand
"Or council to assist; lest I, who erst

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Thought none my equal, now be overmatched."

So spake the old serpent, doubting; and from all, With clamour, was assured their utmost aid

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At his command: when from amidst them rose
Belial, the dissolutest spirit that fell!—

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The sensuallest; and after Asmodai,

The fleshliest incubus; and thus advised:

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"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
"And sweet allayed, yet terrible to approach-
"Skilled to retire, and, in retiring, draw
"Hearts after them tangled in amorous nets.

"Such object hath the power to soften and tame
"Severest temper, smooth the ruggedest brow,
"Enerve, and with voluptuous hope dissolve,
"Draw out with credulous desire, and lead
"At will the manliest, resolutest breast,
"As the magnetic hardest iron draws.

"Women, when nothing else, beguiled the heart

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"Of wisest Solomon, and made him build,—
"And made him bow, to the Gods of his wives."

To whom quick answer Satan thus returned:
"Belial! in much uneven scale thou weighst
"All others by thyself; because, of old,
"Thou thyself doatst on womankind, admiring
“Their shape, their colour, and attractive grace,
"None are, thou thinkst, but taken with such toys.
"Before the flood thou with thy lusty crew-
"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 lurkst,
"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 layst thy scapes on names adored,

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Satyr, 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 scorned

"All her assaults, on worthier things intent!
"Remember that Pelléan conqueror—
"A youth,-how all the beauties of the East
"He slightly viewed, and slightly overpassed;
"How he, surnamed of Africa, dismissed,
"In his prime youth, the fair Iberian maid.
"For Solomon, he lived at ease; and, full
"Of honour, wealth, high fare, aimed not beyond
Higher design than to enjoy his state;

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"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 accomplishment
"Of greatest things. What woman will you find,
Though of this age the wonder and the fame,

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