Satan had not to answer, but stood struck

With guilt of his own sin—for he himself,

Insatiable of glory, had lost all;

Yet of another plea bethought him soon:—

“Of glory, as thou wilt,” said he, “so deem;

Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass.

But to a Kingdom thou art born—ordained

To sit upon thy father David’s throne,

By mother’s side thy father, though thy right

Be now in powerful hands, that will not part

Easily from possession won with arms.

Judaea now and all the Promised Land,

Reduced a province under Roman yoke,

Obeys Tiberius, nor is always ruled

With temperate sway: oft have they violated

The Temple, oft the Law, with foul affronts,

Abominations rather, as did once

Antiochus. And think’st thou to regain

Thy right by sitting still, or thus retiring?

So did not Machabeus. He indeed

Retired unto the Desert, but with arms;

And o’er a mighty king so oft prevailed

That by strong hand his family obtained,

Though priests, the crown, and David’s throne usurped,

With Modin and her suburbs once content.

If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal

And duty—zeal and duty are not slow,

But on Occasion’s forelock watchful wait:

They themselves rather are occasion best—

Zeal of thy Father’s house, duty to free

Thy country from her heathen servitude.

So shalt thou best fulfil, best verify,

The Prophets old, who sung thy endless reign—

The happier reign the sooner it begins.

Reign then; what canst thou better do the while?”

To whom our Saviour answer thus returned:—

“All things are best fulfilled in their due time;

And time there is for all things, Truth hath said.

If of my reign Prophetic Writ hath told

That it shall never end, so, when begin

The Father in his purpose hath decreed—

He in whose hand all times and seasons rowl.

What if he hath decreed that I shall first

Be tried in humble state, and things adverse,

By tribulations, injuries, insults,

Contempts, and scorns, and snares, and violence,

Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting

Without distrust or doubt, that He may know

What I can suffer, how obey? Who best

Can suffer best can do, best reign who first

Well hath obeyed—just trial ere I merit

My exaltation without change or end.

But what concerns it thee when I begin

My everlasting Kingdom? Why art thou

Solicitous? What moves thy inquisition?

Know’st thou not that my rising is thy fall,

And my promotion will be thy destruction?”

To whom the Tempter, inly racked, replied:—

“Let that come when it comes. All hope is lost

Of my reception into grace; what worse?

For where no hope is left is left no fear.

If there be worse, the expectation more

Of worse torments me than the feeling can.

I would be at the worst; worst is my port,

My harbour, and my ultimate repose,