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BOOK in. PARADISE REGAINED. 51
Short fojourn; and what thence could'ft thou obferve?
The world thou haft not feen, much leis her glory,
Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts,
Beft fchool of beft experience, quickeft infight
In all things that to greateft actions lead.
The wifeft, unexperienc'd, will be ever
Timorous and loath, with novice modefty,
(As he who ieeking afles found a kingdom)
Irrefolute, unhardy,
unadvent'rous :
But I will bring thee where thou foon fhalt quit
Thofe rudiments, and fee before thine eyes
The monarchies of th' earth, their pomp and ftate,
Sufficient introduction to inform
Thee, of thyfelf fo apt, in regal arts,
And regal myfteries, that thou may'ft know
How beft their oppofition to withftand."
With that (fuch pow'r was giv'n him then) he took
The Son of God up to a mountain high.
It was a mountain at whofe verdant feet
A fpacious plain out-ftretch'd in circuit wide
Lay pleafant ; from his fide two rivers flow'd,
Th' one winding, th' other ftrait, and left between
Fair champain with lefs rivers intervein'd,
Then meeting join'd their tribute to the fea:
Fertile of corn the glebe, of oil and wine;
With herds the paftures throng'd, with flocks the hills;
Huge cities and high towr'd, that well might feem
The feats of mightieft monarchs, and fo large
The profpecl: was, that here and there was room
For barren defert fountainlefs and dry.
To this high mountain top the Tempter brought