As in his prefence, ever to obferve
His providence, and on him fole depend,
Merciful over all his works, with good
Still overcoming evil, and by fmall
Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd weak
Subverting worldly ftrong, and worldly wife
By fimply meek: that fuffering for truth's fake
ls fortitude to highest victory,

And to the faithful death the gate of life;
Taught this by his example whom I now
Acknowledge my Redeemer ever bleft.

To whom thus alfo th' angel laft reply'd:
Thus having learn'd, thou haft attain'd the fum
Of wildom; hope no higher, though all the stars
Thou knew'ft by name, and all th' ethereal powers,
All fecrets of the deep, all Nature's works,
Or works of God in Heav'n, air, earth, or sea,
And all the riches of this world enjoy'dít,
And all the rule, one empire; only add
Deeds to thy knowledge anfwerable, add faith,
Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,
By name to come call'ft Charity, the foul

Of all the reft: then wilt thou not be loath To leave this Paradife, but fhalt poffefs A Paradife within thee, happier far. Let us defcend now therefore from this top Of fpeculation; for the hour precife Exacts our parting hence; and fee the guards, Ey me incamp'd on yonder hill, expect Their motion, at whofe front a flaming fword, In fil of remove, waves ficrcely round; We may no longer flay : go, waken Eve; Her ato I with gentle dreams have calm'd Portending good, and all her fpirits compos'd To metk fubmillion: thou at feafon fit Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard, Chiefly what may concern her faith to know, The great deliverance by her feed to come For by the woman's feed) on all mankind: That ye may live, which will be many days, Bath in one faith unanimous though fad,

With caufe, for evils paft, yet much more cheer'd With meditation on the happy end.

He ended; and they both defcend the hill:

Defcended, Adam to the bower where Eve
Lay fleeping ran before, but found her wak'd;
And thus with words not fad fhe him receiv'd.
Whence thou return'ft, and whither went'st I

knów;

For God is alfo in fleep, and dreams advise,
Which he hath fent propitious, fome great good
Prefaging, fince with forrow and heart's distress
Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on,

In me is no delay; with thee to go,
Is to ftay here; without thee here to stay,
Is to go hence unwilling; thou to me
Art all things under Heav'n, all places thou,
Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence.
This further confolation yet fecure

I carry hence; though all by me is loft,
Such favour I unworthy am vouchsaf'd,
By me the promis'd Seed fhall all restore.

So fpake our mother Eve, and Adam heard
Well pleas'd, but anfwer'd not; for now too nigh
Th' arch-angel ftood, and from the other hill
To their fix'd station, all in bright array
The cherubim defcended; on the ground
Gliding meteorous, as evening mist
Ris'n from a river o'er the marifh glides,
And gathers ground fast at the lab'rer's heel
Homeward returning. High in front advanc'd,
The brandish'd sword of God before them blaz'd
Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat,
And vapour as the Lybian air aduft,
Began to parch that temp'rate clime; whereat
In either hand the haft'ning angel caught
Our ling'ring Parents, and to the eastern gate
Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast
To the fubjected plain; then disappear'd.
They looking back, all th' eaftern fide beheld
Of Paradife, fo late their happy feat,
Wav'd over by that flaming brand, the gate
With dreadful faces throng'd and fiery arms:
Some natural tears they dropt, but wip'd them foon;
The world was all before them, where to choose
Their place of reft, and Providence their guide :
They hand in hand, with wand'ring fteps and flow,
Through Eden took their folitary way.

Gj

I wEO e'er while the happy Garden fung,
By one Man's difobedience loft, now fing
Recover'd Paradife 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 wafte wilderness.

:

Thou Spirit who ledft this glorious eremite Into the defert, his victorious field, Again the fpiritual foe, and brought'ft him thence By proof th' undoubted Son of God, infpire, As thou art wont, my prompted fong elfe mute, And bear thro' height or depth of Nature's bounds With profp'rous wing full fumm'd, to tell of deeds Above heroic, though in fecret done, And unrecorded left through many an age, Worthy t' have not remain'd fo long unfung. Now had the great Proclaimer, with a voice More awful than the found of trumpet,, cry'd Repentance, and Heav'n's kingdom nigh at hand To all baptis'd to his great baptifm flock'd With awe the regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the fon of Jofeph deem'd To the flood Jordan came, as then obscure, L'amark'd, unknown; but him the Baptist foon Defcry'd, divinely warn'd, and witness bore As to his worthier, and would have refign'd To him his heav'nly office, nor was long His witnefs unconfirm'd: on him baptis'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 Adverfary, who roving still About the world, at that affembly fam'd Would not be laft, and with the voice divine Night thunder-ftruck, th' exalted Man to whom Such high atteft was giv'n, a while furvey'd With wonder, then with envy fraught and rage Flies to his place, nor refts, but in mid air To counsel fummons all his mighty peers, Within thick clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd, A gloomy confiftory; and them amidft With looks aghaft and fad he thus bespake : 9 ancient Pow'rs of Air and this wide world,

For much more willingly 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 poffeff'd, and rul'd
In manner at our will th' affairs of Earth,
Since Adam and his facile confort Eve
Loft Paradife deceiv'd by me, though fince
With dread attending when that fatal wound
Shall be inflicted by the feed of Eve
Upon my head: long the decrees of Heav'n
Delay, for longeft time to him is short;
And now too foon for us the circling hours
This dreaded time have compafs'd, wherein we
Muft 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 feed:
Deftin'd to this, is late of woman born:
His birth to our juft fear gave no small caufe,
But his growth now to youth's full flower, dif-
playing

All virtue, grace, and wisdom to achieve
Things higheft, greatest multiplies my fear,
Before him a great prophet to proclaim
His coming, is fent harbinger, who all
Invites, and in the confecrated stream
Pretends to wash off fin, and fit them fo
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 teftimony of Heav'n, that who he is
Thenceforth the nations may not doubt; I saw
The prophet do him reverence, on him rifing
Out of the water, Heav'n above the clouds
Unfold here cryftal doors, thence on his head
A perfect dove defcend, whate'er it meant,
And out of Heav'n the Sovreign 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 Heav'n

And what will he not do to advance his Son?
His firft-beget we know, and fore have felt,
When his fierce thunder drove us to the Deep;
Who this is we must learn, for man he feems
In all his lineaments, though in his face
The glimpfes of his Father's glory fhine.
Ye fee our danger on the utmost edge
Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But muft with fomething sudden be oppos'd,
Not force, but well-couch'd fraud, well woven
E'er in the head of nations he appear [fnares,
'Their king, their leader, and fupreme on Earth.
I, when no other durft, fole undertook
The difmal expedition to find out

And ruin Adam, and th' exploit perform'd
Successfully; a calmer voyage now

Will waft me; and the way found profp'rous once
Induces best to hope of like fuccefs.

He ended; and his words impreffion left Of much amazement to the infernal crew, Distracted and furpris'd with deep dilmay At these fad 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 enterprize To him their great dictator, whose attempt At first against mankind fo 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 pleafant realm and province wide. So to the coaft of Jordan he directs His eafy fteps, girded with fnaky wiles, Where he might likelieft find this new-declar'd, This Man of Men, attefted Son of God, Temptation and all guile on him to try; So to fubvert whom he suspected rais'd To end his reign on Earth so long enjoy'd: But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd The purpos'd counfel pre-ordain'd and fix'd Of the Moft High, who in full frequence bright Of angels, thus to Gabriel fmiling fpake :

Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, Thou and all angels converfant on Earth With man or men's affairs, how I begin To verify that folemn meffage late, On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure In Galilee, that she should bear a fon Great in renown, and call'd the Son of God; Then toldft her doubting how these things could be To her a virgin, that on her should come The Holy Ghoft, and the power of the Highest O'er-fhadow her: this Man born and now upTo fhew him worthy of his birth divine [grown, And high prediction, henceforth I expofe To Satan; let him tempt and now affay His utmost fubtlety, because he boasts And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng Of his apoftacy; he might have learnt Lefs overweening fince he fail'd in Job, Whofe conftant perfeverance overcame Whate'er his cruel malice could invent. He now shall know I can produce a Man Of female feed, far abler to refift All his folicitations, and at length

All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell,
Winning by conqueft what the first man loft
By fallacy furpris'd. But firft I mean
To exercife him in the wilderness,
There he shall first lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, e'er I fend him forth
To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes,
By humiliation and strong fufferance.
His weakness shall o'ercome Satanic ftrength,
And all the world, and mass of finful flesh;
That all the angels and ethereal powers,
They now, and men hereafter may discern,
From what confummate virtue I have chose
This perfect Man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.

So fpake th' eternal Father, and all Heav'n
Admiring stood a space, then into hymns
Burst forth, and in celeftial measures mov'd,
Circling the throne and finging, while the hand
Sung with the voice, and this the argument.

Victory and triumph to the Son of God Now ent'ring his greal duel, not of arms, But to vanquish by wifdom hellish wiles. The Father knows the Son; therefore fecure Ventures his filial virtue, though untry'd, Against whate'er may tempt, whate'er feduce, Allure, or terrify, or undermine. Be fruftrate all ye ftratagems of Hell, And devilish machinations come to nought.

So they in Heav'n their odes and vigils tun'd: Meanwhile the Son of God, who yet fome days Lodg'd in Bethabara where John baptiz'd, Mufing and much revolving in his breaft, How beft the mighty work he might begin Of Saviour to mankind, and which way firft Publifh his God-like office now mature, One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading, And his deep thoughts, the better to converic With folitude, till far from track of men, Thought following thought, and step by step led He enter'd now the bord'ring defert wild, And with dark fhades and rocks environ'd round, His holy meditations thus purfu'd.

[on,

O what a multitude of thoughts at once Awaken'd in me fwarm, while I confider What from within I feel myself, and hear What from without comes often to my cars, Ill forting with my prefent ftate compar'd! When I was yet a child, no childish play To me was pleafing; all my mind was fet Serious to learn and know, and thence to do What might be public good; myfelf I thought Born to that end, born to promote all truth, All righteous things: therefore above my years, The law of God I read, and found it sweet, Made it my whole delight, and in it grew To fuch perfection, that e'er yet my age Had meafur'd twice fix years, at our great feaft I went into the temple, there to hear The teachers of our law, and to propofe What might improve my knowledge or their own; And was admir'd by all; yet this not all To which my fpirit afpir'd; victorious deeds Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while To refcue Ifrael from the Roman yoke,

Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proad tyrannic power,
Tis truth were freed, and equity reflor'd:
Yat held it more humane, more heav'nly firft
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfuafion do the work of Fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring foul
No wilfully mis-doing, but unware
Miled; the ftubborn only to fubdue.

Their growing thoughts my mother foon perceiving
By words at times caft forth, inly rejoic'd,
And faid to me apart, High are thy thoughts, .
0 Son; but nourish them, and let them foar
To what height facred virtue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchless deeds exprefs thy matchlefs Sire.
For know, thou art no fon of mortal man;
Though men efteem thee low of parentage,
Thy Father is th' eternal King who rules
All Heav'n and Earth, angels and fons of men;
A meffenger from God foretold thy birth
Conceiv'd in me a virgin, he foretold

Thou fould't be great, and fit on David's throne,
And of thy kingdom there fhould be no end.
At thy nativity a glorious quire

Of angels in the fields of Bethlehem fung
To hepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Meffiah now was born,
Where they might fee him, and to thee they came,
Directed to the manger where thou lay'st,
For in the inn was left no better room:
A ftar, not feen before, in Heav'n appearing
Guided the Wife Men thither from the Eaft,
To honour thee with incenfe, myrrh, and gold,
By whofe bright courfe led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy ftar new grav'n in Heaven,
By which they knew the King of Ifrael born.
Jat Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd
By vifion, found thee in the temple, and spake
Before the altar and the vested priest,
Lake things of thee to all that prefent flood.
This having heard, ftrait I again I revolv'd
The Law and Prophets, fearching what was writ
Concerning the Meffiah, to our scribes

Known partly, and foon found of whom they fpake
am: this chiefly, that my way must lie
Through many a hard aflay ev'n to the death,
F'er I the promis'd kingdom can attain,
Or work redemption for mankind, whofe fins
Full weight must be tranferr'd upon my head.
Yet neither thus dishearten'd or difmay'd,
The time prefix'd I waited, when behold
The Baptift (of whofe birth I oft had heard,
Net knew by fight) now come, who was to come
Before Meffiah, and his way prepare.
as all others to his baptism came,
Which I believ'd was from above; but he
Strait knew me, and with loudeft voice proclaim'd
Me him (for it was fhewn him fo from Heaven)
Me him whofe harbinger he was; and first
Refes'd on me his baptifm to confer,
As much his greater, and was hardly won:
But as I rofe out of the laving stream,
Heav'n open'd her eternal doors, from whence
The fp'rit defcended on me like a dove,

And laft the fum of all, my Father's voice,
Audibly heard from Heav'n, pronounc'd me his,
Me his beloved Son, in whom alone

He was well pleas'd; by which I knew the time
Now full, that I no more fhould live obfcure,
But openly begin, as beft becomes

Th' authority which I deriv'd from Heav'n.
And now by fome ftrong motion I am led
Into this wildernefs, to what intent

I learn not yet, perhaps I need not know;
For what concerns my knowledge God reveals.

So fpake our Morning Star, then in his rife,
And looking round on every fide beheld
A pathlefs defert, dufk with horrid fhades;
The way he came not having mark'd, return
Was difficult, by human fteps untrod;
And he ftill on was led, but with fuch thoughts
Accompanied of things paft and to come
Lodg'd in his breast, as well might recommend
Such folitude before choiceft fociety.
Full forty days he pafs'd, whether on hill
Sometimes, anon in fhady vale, each night
Ur.ter the covert of fome ancient oak,
Or cedar, to defend him from the dew,
Or harbour'd in lone cave, is not reveal'd;
Nor tafted human food, nor hunger felt
Till those days ended, hunger then at laft
Among wild beasts: they at his fight grew mild,
Nor fleeping him nor waking harm'd, his walk
The fiery ferpent fled, and noxious worm,
The lion and fierce tiger glar'd aloof.
But now an aged man in rural weeds,
Following as feem'd, the queft of fome ftray ewc,
Or wither'd sticks to gather, which might serve
Against a winter's day when winds blow keen,
To warm him wet return'd from field at eve,
He faw approach, who first with curious eye
Perus'd him, then with words thus utter'd fpake:

Sir, what ill chance hath brought thec to this So far from path or road of men, who pafs [place In troop or caravan? for fingle none

Durft ever, who return'd, and dropt not here
His carcafs, pin'd with hunger and with drouth.
I ask the rather, and the more admire,
For that to me thou feem'ft the Man whom late
Our new baptizing Prophet at the ford

Of Jordan honour'd fo, and call'd thee Son
Of God; I faw and heard, for we fometimes
Who dwell this wild, constrain'd by want, come
forth

To town or village nigh (nigheft is far)
Where ought we hear, and curious are to hear,
What happens new; fame alfo finds us out.

To whom the fon of God. Who brought me hither,

Will bring me hence; no other guide I seek.
By miracle he may, reply'd the fwain;
What other way I fee not, for we here
Live on tough roots, and stubs, to thirst inur'd
More than the camel, and to drink go far,
Men to much misery and hardship born;
But if thou be the Son of God, command
That out of these hard ftones be made thee bread,
So fhalt thou fave thyself and us relieve
With food, whereof we wretched feldom taste.