Undaunted. "If I must contend," said he, 66 Or less be lost."- Thy fear," said Zephon bold, 66 O friends! I hear the tread of nimble feet 855 860 865 870 And fierce demeanour, seems the Prince of Hell— Not likely to part hence without contèst. He scarce had ended when those two approach'd, 875 66 To whom, with stern regard, thus Gabriel spake : 880 885 Though thither doom'd? Thou wouldst thyself, no doubt, 890 And boldly venture to whatever place, Furthest from pain, where thou mightst hope to change Torment with ease, and soonest recompense Dole with delight; which in this place I sought: To thee no reason, who know'st only good, His will who bound us? Let him surer bar But evil hast not tri'd. And wilt object His iron gates, if he intends our stay In that dark durance. Thus much what was askt. 895 The rest is true: they found me where they say; Thus he in scorn. The warlike angel mov'd "O loss of one in Heav'n to judge of wise, 900 905 Or not, who ask what boldness brought him hither, So judge thou still, presumptuous! till the wrath But wherefore thou alone? wherefore with thee 910 915 920 Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive." To which the Fiend thus answer'd, frowning stern: "Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain, Insulting angel! well thou know'st I stood Thy fiercest, when, in battle, to thy aid 925 The blasting vollied thunder made all speed, To wing the desolate abyss, and spy This new-created world, whereof in Hell 930 935 940 Though, for possession, put to try once more What thou and thy gay legions dare against; Whose easier business were to serve their Lord High up in Heav'n, with songs to hymn his throne, And practis'd distances to cringe, not fight." 945 "To say, and straight unsay-pretending first Wise to fly pain, professing next the spy Argues no leader, but a liar trac't, Satan! and couldst thou faithful add? O name, 950 Was this your discipline and faith engag'd, 955 Allegiance to th' acknowledg'd Power supreme? Once fawn'd, and cring'd, and servilely ador'd Heav'ns awful Monarch? Wherefore, but in hope 960 To dispossess him, and thyself to reign? But mark what I aread thee now: Avaunt! Fly thither whence thou fledd'st! If from this hour 965 66 So threaten'd he; but Satan to no threats From my prevailing arm; though Heav'ns King Of Ceres, ripe for harvest, waving bends Her bearded grove of ears which way the wind Lest on the threshing-floor his hopeful sheaves Sways them; the careful ploughman doubting stands, Prove chaff. On th' other side Satan, alarm'd, Now dreadful deeds 970 975 980 985 991 At least, had gone to wrack, disturb'd and torn 995 Hung forth in Heav'n his golden scales—yet seen Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion sign-- 1000 Battles, and realms. In these he put two weights, The sequel each of parting and of fight. The latter quick up flew, and kickt the beam; Which Gabriel spying, thus bespake the Fiend: 1005 "Satan! I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine; 1010 For proof look up, And read thy lot in yon celestial sign; Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, how weak, Murmuring; and with him fled the shades of night. 1015 PARADISE REGAINED. BOOK II I. THE ARGUMENT.-Satan, in a speech of much flattering commendation, endeavours to awaken in Jesus a passion for glory, by particularizing various instances of conquests achieved, and great actions performed, by persons at an early period of life. Our Lord replies, by showing the vanity of worldly fame, and the improper means by which it is generally attained; and contrasts with it the true glory of religious patience and virtuous wisdom, as exemplified in the character of Job. Satan justifies the love of glory from the example of God himself, who requires it from all his creatures. Jesus detects the fallacy of this argument, by showing that as goodness is the true ground on which glory is due to the great Creator of all things, sinful man can have no right whatever to it. Satan then urges our Lord respecting his claim to the throne of David: he tells him, that the kingdom of Judea, being at that time a province of Rome, cannot be got possession of without much personal exertion on his part, and presses him to lose no time in beginning to reign. Jesus refers him to the time allotted for this, as for all other things; and, after intimating somewhat respecting his own previous sufferings, asks Satan why he was so solicitous for the exaltation of one whose rising was destined to be his fall. Satan replies, that his own desperate state, by excluding all hope, leaves little room for fear; and that, as his own punishment was equally doomed, he is not interested in preventing the reign of one from whose apparent benevolence he might rather hope for some interference in his favour. Satan still pursues his former incitements; and, supposing that the seeming reluctance of Jesus to be thus advanced might arise from his being unacquainted with the world and its glories, conveys him to the summit of a high mountain, and from thence shows him most of the kingdoms of Asia, particularly pointing out to his notice some extraordinary military preparations of the Parthians to resist the incursions of the Scythians. He then informs our Lord that he showed him this purposely, that he might see how necessary military exertions are to retain the possession of kingdoms, as well as to subdue them at first; and advises him to consider how impossible it was to maintain Judea against two such powerful neighbours as the Romans and the Parthians, and how necessary it would be to form an alliance with one or other of them. He recommends, and engages to secure to him, that of the Parthians; and tells him that by this means his power will be defended against any attempt of Rome, that he will be able to extend his glory wide, and even accomplish, what alone would make his throne the throne of David, the restoration of the ten tribes, still in captivity. Jesus, having noticed the vanity of military efforts or of the arm of flesh, says, that at the appointed time for ascending his allotted throne he shall not be slack; remarks on Satan's zeal for the deliverance of the Israelites, whose constant enemy he had been; declares their servitude to be the reward of their idolatry; but adds, that at a future time it may perhaps please God to restore them to liberty and their country. So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood |