To win him, or win from him what I can
And opportunity I here have had!

To try thee, sift thee, and confess have found thes
Proof against all temptation, as a rock

adamant, and, as a centre, firm; To the utmost of mere man both wise and good, Not more; for honours, riches, kingdoms, glory, Have been before contemn'd, and may againo Therefore, to know what more thou art than man, Worth naming Son of God by voice from heaven, Another method I must now begin."

So saying, he caught him up, and without wing! Of hippogriff, bore through the air sublime, Over the wilderness and o'er the plain, Till underneath them fair Jerusalem, The holy city, lifted high her towersAnd higher yet the glorious temple rear'de Her pile, far off appearing like a mount Of alabaster, topt with golden spires: There, on the highest pinnacle, he set The Son of God; and added thus in scorn: "There stand, if thou wilt stand; to standup. right

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Will ask thee skill; I to thy Father's house
Have brought thee, and highest plac'd: highest.is/
Now show thy progeny; if not to stand, best
Cast thyself down; safely, if Son of God:
For it is written, He will give command
Concerning thee to his angels; in their hands:
They shall uplift thee, lest at any time
Thou chance to dash thy foot against a stone."

To whom thus Jesus: "Also it is written,
Tempt not the Lord thy God." He said and stood.
But Satan, smitten with amazement, fell,
As when Earth's son, Antæus, (to compare
Small things with greatest,) in Irassa strover
With Jove's Alcides, and, oft foil'd, still rose.
Receiving from his mother Earth new strength
Fresh from his fall, and fiercer grapple join'd

Throttled at length in the air, expir'd and fell; So, after many a foil, the Tempter proud Renewing fresh assaults. amidst his pride, Fell whence he stood to see his victor fall: And as that Theban monster, that propos'd Her riddle, and him who solv'd it not devour'd, That once found out and solv'd, for grief ief and spite Cast herself headlong from the Ismenian steep; So, struck with dread and anguish, fell the Fiend. And to his crew, that sat consulting, brough (Joyless triumphals of his hop'd success) Ruin and desperation, and dismay, Who durst so proudly tempt the Son of God. So Satan fell; and straight a fiery globe Of angels on full sail of wing flew nigh, Who on their plumy vans receiv'd him soft From this uneasy station, and upbore, As on a floating couch, through the blithe air; Then, in a flowery valley, set him down On a green bank, and set before him spread A table of celestial food, divine Ambrosial fruits, fetch'd from the tree of life, And, from the fount of life, ambrosial drink, That soon refresh'd him wearied, and repair'd What hunger, if aught hunger, had impair'd, Or thirst; and, as he fed, angelic quires Sung heavenly anthems of his victory Over temptation and the Tempter proud:

!:

"True image of the Father: whether thron'd

In the bosom of bliss, and light of light
Conceiving, or, remote from heaven, enshrin'd
In fleshly tabernacle, and human form,
Wandering the wilderness; whatever place.
Habit, or state, or motion, still expressing
The Son of God, with godlike force endued
Against the attempter of thy Father's throne,
And thief of Paradise! Him long of old
Thou didst debel, and down from heaven cast
With all his army now thou hast aveng'd

١٢٤

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i

I : SAMSON AGONISTES.

Supplanted Adam, and, by vanquishing
Temptation, hast regain'd lost Paradise,
And frustrated the conquest fraudulent.
He never more henceforth will dare set foot
In Paradise to tempt; his snares are broke:
For, though that seat of earthly bliss be fail'd,
A fairer Paradise is founded now
For Adam and his chosen sons, whom thou,
A Saviour, art come down to reinstal,
Where they shall dwell secure, when time shall b
Of Tempter and temptation without fear.
But thou, infernal serpent! shalt not long
Rule; in the cloud, like an autumnal star
Or lightning, thou shalt fall from heaven, trod down
Under his feet: for proof, ere this thou feel'st
Thy wound, (yet not thy last and deadliest wound,)
By this repulse receiv'd, and hold'st in hell
No triumph; in all her gates Abaddon ruet
Thy hold attempt. Hereafter learn with awe
To dread the Son of God: he, all unarm'd,
Shall chase thee, with the terror of his voice,
From thy demoniac holds, possession foul,
Thee and thy legions: yelling they shall fly,
And beg to hide them in a herd of swine,
Lest he command them down into the deep,
Bound, and to torment sent before their time.
Hail, Son of the Most High, heir of both worlds,
Queller of Satan! on thy glorious work...
Now enter; and begin to save mankind."

Thus they the Son of God, our Saviour meek, Sung victor, and, from heavenly feast refresh'd, Brought on his way with joy; he, unobserv'd, Home to his mother's house private return'd.

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AND OF PARADISE REGAINED.

THE ARGUMENT.

Samson, made captive, blind, and now in the prison at Gaza, there to labour as in a common workhouse, on a festival day, in a general cessation from labour, comes forth into the open air, to a place nigh, somewhat retired, there to sit awhile and bemoan his condition; where he happens at length to be visited by certain friends and equals of his tribe, which makes the Chorus, who seek to comfort him what they can; then by his old father Manoah, who endeavours the like, and withal tells him his purpose to procure his liberty by ransom; lastly, that this feast was proclaimed by the Philistines as a day of thanksgiving for their deliverance trom the hands of Samson, which yet more troubles him. Manoah then departs to prosecute his endeavour with the Philistine lords for Samson's redemption; who, in the meanwhile, is visited by other persons; and lastly by a public officer to require his coming to the feast before the lords and people, to play or show his strength in their presence. He at first refuses, dismissing the public officer with absolute denial to come; at length, persuaded inwardly that this was from God, he yields to go along with him, who came now the second time with great threatenings to fetch him. The Chorus yet remaining on the place, Manoah returns full of joyful hope, to procure ere long his son's deliverance; in the midst of which discourse an Hebrew comes in haste, confusedly at first, and afterward more distinctly, relating the catastrophe, what Samson had done to the Philistines, and by accident to himself; wherewith the tragedy ends.