THE CHKISTIAD. 51 



'' What then ! — shall Satan's spirit crouch to fear ? 

 Shall he who shook the pillars of God's reign, 

 Drop from his unnerved arm the hostile spear ! 

 Madness ! The very thought v>-ould make me fain 

 To tear the spanglets from yon gaudy plain, 

 And hurl them at their Maker ! — Fixed as fate 



I am his Foe 1 Yea, though his pride should deign 

 To soothe mine ire with half his regal state, 

 Still would I burn with fixt unalterable hate. 



" Xow hear the issue of ray curst emprize, 

 When from our last synod I took flight, 

 Buoy'd with false hopes, in some deep-laid disguise, 

 To tempt this vaunted Holy One to write 

 His own self-condemnation ; in the plight 

 Of aged man in the lone wilderness, 



Gathering a few stray sticks, I met his sight ; 

 And leaning on my staff seem'd much to guess 

 What cause could mortal l:.riiig to that forlorn recess. 



*' Then thus in homely guise I featly framed 



My lowly speech : — ' Good Sir, what leads this way 

 Your wandering steps ? must hapless chance be blamed 

 That you so far from haunt of mortals stray ; 

 Here have I dwelt for many a lingering day, 

 No trace of man have seen. — But how ! methouglit 



Thou wert the youth on wliom God's holy ray 

 I saw descend in Jordan, when John taught 

 That he to fallen man the saving promise brought.'* 



XVII. 



" * I am that man,' said Jesus ; " I am he. 



But truce to questions. — Canst thou point my feet 

 To some low hut, if haply such there be 

 In this wild labyrinth, where I rany meet 



