He enter'd now the bordering desert wild,

And, with dark shades and rocks environ'd round, His holy meditations thus pursu'd.

195

200

O what a multitude of thoughts at once
Awaken'd in me swarm, while I consider
What from within I feel my self, and hear
What from without comes often to my ears,
Ill sorting with my present state compar'd!
When I was yet a child, no childish play
To me was pleasing, all my mind was set
Serious to learn and know, and thence to do
What might be public good; my self I thought
Born to that end, born to promote all truth,
All righteous things: therefore, above my years,
The law of God I read, and found it sweet,
Made it my whole delight, and in it grew
To such perfection, that, ere yet my age
Had measur'd twice six years, at our great feast 210
I went into the temple, there to hear
The teachers of our law, and to propose

What might improve my knowledge or their own,
And was admir'd by all; yet this not all

To which my spirit aspir'd; victorious deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts; one while
To rescue Israel from the Roman yoke,
Then to subdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud tyrannic pow'r,
Till truth were freed, and equity restor❜d:
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly, first

205

215

220

225

230

By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make persuasion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring soul,
Not wilfully misdoing, but unaware
Misled; the stubborn only to subdue.
These growing thoughts my Mother soon perceiving
By words at times cast forth, inly rejoic'd,
And said to me apart. High are thy thoughts
O son, but nourish them, and let them soar
To what highth sacred virtue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchless deeds express thy matchless Sire.
For know, thou art no son of mortal man;
Though men esteem thee low of parentage,
Thy father is the eternal King who rules
All heav'n and earth, angels and sons of men:
A messenger from God foretold thy birth
Conceiv'd in me a virgin; he foretold

Thou shouldst be great, and sit on David's throne,
And of thy kingdom there should be no end.
At thy nativity a glorious quire

222 willing] Virg. Georg. iv. 561.

Victorque volentes

Per populos dat jura.'

Jortin.

235

241

226 subdue] All the editions, except Tonson's, 1747, read' destroy ;' but in the errata of the first edition, the reader is desired to read 'subdue.' Newton.

233 express] So P. L. viii. 440.

'Expressing well the Spirit within thee free.' Dunster.

241 should] Tickell and Fenton, after Tonson, read 'shall.' Newton restored the right reading. Todd.

Of angels in the fields of Bethlehem sung
To shepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Messiah now was born,

245

Where they might see him; and to thee they came,
Directed to the manger where thou lay'st,
For in the inn was left no better room.
A star, not seen before, in heav'n appearing
Guided the wise men thither from the east,
To honour thee with incense, myrrh, and gold,

250

By whose bright course led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy star new grav'n in heav'n,

By which they knew the king of Israel born.
Just Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd
By vision, found thee in the temple, and spake,
Before the altar and the vested Priest,

Like things of thee to all that present stood.
This having heard, straight I again revolv❜d

255

The law and prophets, searching what was writ 260 Concerning the Messiah, to our scribes

265

Known partly, and soon found of whom they spake
I am; this chiefly, that my way must lie
Through many a hard assay, even to the death,
Ere I the promis'd kingdom can attain,
Or work redemption for mankind, whose sins
Full weight must be transferr'd upon my head.
Yet, neither thus dishearten'd or dismay'd,
The time prefixt I waited, when, behold!
The Baptist, of whose birth I oft had heard,

257 vested] Virg. Æn. xii. 169. Purâque in veste sacerdos.'

Dunster.

270

Not knew by sight, now come, who was to come
Before Messiah and his way prepare.

I, as all others, to his baptism came,

Which I believ'd was from above; but he

274

Straight knew me, and with loudest voice proclaim'd

Me him, (for it was shown him so from heav'n,)
Me him whose harbinger he was; and first
Refus'd on me his baptism to confer,

As much his greater, and was hardly won:
But as I rose out of the laving stream,
Heaven open'd her eternal doors, from whence
The Spirit descended on me like a dove;
And last, the sum of all, my Father's voice,
Audibly heard from heav'n, pronounc'd me his,
Me his beloved Son, in whom alone

He was well pleas'd; by which I knew the time
Now full, that I no more should live obscure,
But openly begin, as best becomes
The authority which I deriv'd from heav'n.
And now by some strong motion I am led
Into this wilderness, to what intent
I learn not yet; perhaps, I need not know ;
For what concerns my knowledge God reveals.

So spake our Morning Star, then in his rise,
And looking round on every side beheld
A pathless desert, dusk with horrid shades;

271 knew] Hence all the pictures of Raphael and the great Itali painters, representing the infant Jesus and John, are historically fal. 296 dusk] Virg. Æn. i. 165.

• Horrentique atrum nemus imminet umbra. Dunster.

280

285

290

2

The

way he came not having mark'd, return Was difficult, by human steps untrod;

And he still on was led, but with such thoughts
Accompanied of things past and to come
Lodg'd in his breast, as well might recommend
Such solitude before choicest society.
Full forty days he pass'd, whether on hill
Sometimes, anon in shady vale, each night
Under the covert of some ancient oak
Or cedar, to defend him from the dew,
Or harbour'd in one cave, is not reveal'd;
Nor tasted human food, nor hunger felt

300

305

Till those days ended; hunger'd then at last
Among wild beasts: they at his sight grew mild, 310
Nor sleeping him nor waking harm'd; his walk
The fiery serpent fled and noxious worm,
The lion and fierce tiger glar'd aloof.

But now an aged man in rural weeds,

310 beasts] Giles Fletcher, in his Christ's Victorie and Triumph, ed. 1632, p. 27, says that when the beasts, in the wilderness,

6 saw their Lord's bright cognizance

Shine in his face, soon did they disadvance,

And some unto him kneel, and some about him dance.' A. Dyce.

313 glar'd] Jul. Cæs. act i. iv. 'I met a lion

Who glar'd upon me, and went surly by.' Dunster.

314 weeds] Spens. F. Q. i. i. 29.

'An aged man in long black weeds yclad.' Dunster.

Compare Giles Fletcher's Christ's Victorie and Triumph, ed. 1632, p 30. 32:

'At length an aged syre farre off he saw

Come slowly footing