The Subject proposed. Invocation of the Holy Spirit.- The Poem opens with John baptizing at the river Jordan. Jesus
ming there is baptized; and is attested, by the descent of the Holy Ghost, and by a voice from Heaven, to be the Son of God. Satan, who is present, upon this immediately flies up into the regions of the air: where, summoning lis Infernal Council, he acquaints them with his a pprehensions that Jesus is that seed of the Woman, destined to destroy all their power, and points out to them the immediate necessity of bringing the matter to proof: and of attempting, by snares and fraud, to counteract and defeat the person, from whom they have so much to dread. This office he offers himself to undertake; and, his offer being acceptel, sets out on his enterprise.-In the mean time God, in the assem. bly of holy Angels, declares that he has given up his Son to be tempted by Satan; bat foretels that the Tempier shall be com. pletely deteated by him :-upon which the Angels sing a hymn of triumph. Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, while he is meditating on the commencement of his great office of Saviour of Mankind. Pursuing his meditations he narrates, in a soliloquy, what divine and philanthropic impulses he had felt from his early youth, and how his mother Mary, on perceiving these dispositions in him, had acquainted him with the circum. stances of his birth, and informed him that he was no less a person than the Son of God; to which he adds what bis own in
To all baptiz'd.' To his great baptism flock'd With awe the regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the son of Joseph deem'd To the flood Jordan; came, as then obscure, Unmark'd, unknown; but him the Baptist soon Descried, divinely warn'd, and witness bore As to his worthier, and would have resign'd To him his heavenly office; nor was long His witness unconfirm’d; on him baptiz'd Heaven open'd, and in likeness of a dove The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice From Heaven pronounc'd him his 'belov'd Son!' That heard the Adversary, (who, roving still About the world, at that assembly fam’d Would not be last) and, with the voice divine Nigh thunder-struck, the exalted Man, to whom Such high attest was given, a while survey'd With wonder; then, with envy fraught and rage, Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air To counsel summons all his mighty peers, Within thick clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd, A gloomy consistory; and them amidst, With looks aghast and sad, he thus bespake:
O ancient Powers of air, and this wide world, (For much more willing I mention air, This our old conquest, than remember Hell, Our hated habitation,) well ye know How many ages, as the years of men, This universe we have possess'd, and ruld, In manner at our will, the affairs of earth, Since Adam and his facile consort Eve Lost Paradise, deceiv'd by me; though since With dread attending when that fatal wound Shall be inflicted by the seed of Eve
Upon my head. Long the decrees of Heaven Delay, for longest time to him is short; And now, too soon for us, the circling hours This dreaded time have compass'd, wherein we Must bide the stroke of that long-threaten'd wound, (At least if so we can, and by the head Broken be not intended all our power To be infring'd, our freedom and our being, In this fair empire won of earth and air,) For this ill news I bring, the Woman's Seed, Destin'd to this, is late of Woman born. His birth to our just fear gave no small cause : But his growth now to youth's full flower, displaying All virtue, grace, and wisdom to achieve Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear. Before him a great Prophet, to proclaim His coming, is sent harbinger, who all Invites, and in the consecrated stream Pretends to wash off sin, and fit them, so Purified, to receive him pure, or rather To do him honour as their king: all come, And he himself among them was baptiz'd; Not thence to be more pure, but to receive The testimony' of Heaven, that who he is Thenceforth the nations may not doubt; I saw The Prophet do him reverence; on him, rising Out of the water, Heaven above the clouds Unfold her crystal doors; thence on his head A perfect dove descend, (whate'er it meant) And out of Heaven the sov'reign voice I heard, * This is my Son belov’d, in him am pleas’d.' His mother then is mortal, but his Sire He who obtains the monarchy of Heaven: And what will he not do to advance his Son?
His first-begot we know, and sore have felt, When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep: Who this is we must learn, for Man he seems In all his lineaments, though in his face The glimpses of his Father's glory shine. Ye see our danger on the utmost edge Of hazard, which admits no long debate, But must with something sudden be oppos'd, (Not force, but well-couch'd fraud, well-woven Ere in the head of nations he appear, (snares) Their king, their leader and supreme on earth. I, when no other durst, sole undertook The dismal expedition to find out And ruin Adam; and the exploit perform’d Successfully: a calmer voyage now Will waft me; and the way, found prosperous once, Induces best to hope of like success.'
He ended, and his words impression left Of much amazement to the infernal crew, Distracted and surpris'd with deep dismay At these sad tidings; but no time was then For long indulgence to their fears or grief: Unanimous they all commit the care And management of this main enterprise To him, their great dictator, whose attempt At first against mankind so well had thriv'd In Adam's overthrow, and led their march From Hell's deep-vaulted den to dwell in light, Regents, and potentates, and kings, yea gods, Of many a pleasant realm and province wide. So to the coast of Jordan he directs His easy steps, girded with snaky wiles, Where he might likeliest find this new-declar'd, This Man of men attested Son of God,
Temptation and all guile on him to try; So to subvert whom he suspected rais'd To end his reign on earth, so long enjoy'd: But, contrary, unweeting he fulfill'd The purpos'd counsel, pre-ordain'd and fix'd, Of the Most High; who, in full frequence bright Of Angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake :
'Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, Thou and all Angels conversant on earth With man or men's affairs, how I begin To verify that solemn message, late On which I sent thee to the Virgin pure In Galilee, that she should bear a son, Great in renown, and call’d the Son of God; Then told'st her, doubting how these things could be To her a virgin, that on her should come The Holy Ghost, and the power of the highest O’ershadow her. This Man, born and now upgrown, To show him worthy of his birth divine And high prediction, henceforth I expose To Satan; let him tempt, and now assay His utmost subtlety, because he boasts And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng Of his apostasy: he might have learnt Less over-weening, since he fail'd in Job, Whose constant perseverance overcame Whate'er his cruel malice could invent. He now shall know I can produce a Man, Of female seed, far abler to resist All his solicitations, and at length All his vast force, and drive him back to Hell; Winning, by conquest, what the first man lost, By fallacy surpris'd. But first I mean To exercise him in the wildernese,
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