Paradife Regain'd.

A

POEM.

In Four BOOKS.

To which is added

SAMSON AGONISTES

AND

POEMS upon several Occasions.

Compos'd at several Times.

The AUTHOR

JOHN MILTON.

1

The FIFTH EDITION.

LONDON,

Printed for Jacob Tonson, within Grays-Inn Gate next

Grays-Inn Lane. 1707.

!

10

Paradise Regain'd.

BOOK I.

I

Who e'er while the happy Garden sung,
By one man's Disobedience loft, now fing
Recover'd Paradise to all mankind,

By one man's firm Obedience fully try'd
Through all temptation, and the Tempter foil'd
In all his wiles, defeated and repuls'd,
And Eden rais'd in the waste Wilderness.
Thou Spirit who ledst this glorious Eremite
Into the Desart, his Victorious Field
Against the spiritual Foe, and brought'st him thence
By proof the undoubted Son of God, inspire,

As thou art wont, my prompted Song else mute,

B

And

And bear thro' heighth or depth of Nature's bounds
With profperous wing full fumm'd to tell of deeds

Above Heroic, though in secret done,
And unrecorded left through many an Age,
Worthy t'have not remain'd so long unfung.
Now had the great Proclaimer with a voice
More awful than the found of Trumpet, cry'd
Repentance, and Heaven's Kingdom nigh at hand
To all Baptiz'd: to his great Baptifm flock'd
With awe the Regions round, and with them came
From Nazareth the Son of Jofeph deem'd
To the flood Jordan came, as then obfcure,
Unmarkt, unknown; but him the Baptist soon
Descry'd, divinely warn'd, and witness bore
As to his worthier, and would have refign'd
To him his Heavenly Office, nor was long
His witness unconfirm'd: on him baptiz'd
Heav'n open'd, and in likeness of a Dove
The Spirit defcended, while the Father's voice
From Heav'n pronounc'd him his beloved Son.
That heard the Adversary, who roving still
About the World, at that Afssembly fam'd
Would not be last, and with the voice divine