272
��PARADISE REGAINED
��Hated of all, and hating. With what ease, Endued with regal virtues as thou art, Appearing, and beginning noble deeds, Might'st thou expel this monster from his
throne, 100
Now made a sty, and, in his place ascend- ing*
A victor-people free from servile yoke ! And with my help thou may'st; to me the
power
Is given, and by that right I give it thee. Aim, therefore, at no less than all the
world; Aim at the highest; without the highest
attained,
Will be for thee no sitting, or not long, On David's throne, be prophesied what
will."
To whom the Son of God, unmoved, re- plied: " Nor doth this grandeur and majestic
shew no
Of luxury, though called magnificence, More than of arms before, allure mine
eye, Much less my mind; though thou should'st
add to tell Their sumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous
feasts
On citron tables or Atlantic stone (For I have also heard, perhaps have read), Their wines of Setia, Gales, and Falerue, Chios and Crete, and how they quaff in
gold, Crystal, and myrrhine cups, imbossed with
gems And studs of pearl to me should'st tell,
who thirst 120
And hunger still. Then embassies thou
shew'st From nations far and nigh ! What honour
that,
But tedious waste of time, to sit and hear So many hollow compliments and lies, Outlandish flatteries ? Then proceed'st to
talk
Of the Emperor, how easily subdued, How gloriously. I shall, thou say'st, expel A brutish monster: what if I withal Expel a Devil who first made him such ? Let his tormentor, Conscience, find him
out; 130
For him I was not sent, nor yet to free That people, victor once, now vile and base, Deservedly made vassal who, once just,
��Frugal, and mild, and temperate, conquered
well,
But govern ill the nations under yoke, Peeling their provinces, exhausted all By lust and rapine; first ambitious grown Of triumph, that insulting vanity ; Then cruel, by their sports to blood inured Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts ex- posed ; 140 Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier
still,
And from the daily Scene effeminate. What wise and valiant man would seek to
free
These, thus degenerate, by themselves en- slaved, Or could of inward slaves make outward
free? Know, therefore, when my season comes to
sit
On David's throne, it shall be like a tree Spreading and overshadowing all the earth, Or as a stone that shall to pieces dash All monarchies besides throughout the world; 150
And of my Kingdom there shall be no end. Means there shall be to this; but what the
means
Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell." To whom the Tempter, impudent, re- plied:
" I see all offers made by me how slight Thou valuest, because offered, and reject'st. Nothing will please the difficult and nice, Or nothing more than still to contradict. On the other side know also thou that I On what I offer set as high esteem, 160 Nor what I part with mean to give for
naught. All these, which in a moment thou be-
hold'st,
The kingdoms of the world, to thee I give (For, given to me, I give to whom I please), No trifle ; yet with this reserve, not else On this condition, if thou wilt fall down, And worship me as thy superior Lord (Easily done), and hold them all of me; For what can less so great a gift deserve ? " Whom thus our Saviour answered with disdain : 170
" I never liked thy talk, thy offers less; Now both abhor, since thou hast dared to
utter
The abominable terms, impious condition. But I endure the time, till which expired
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