WHO e're while the happy Garden fung,
By one mans difobedience loft, now fing Recover'd Paradife to all mankind,
By one mans firm obedience fully tri'd Through all temptation, and the Tempter foil'd In all his wiles, defeated and repuls't, And Eden rais'd in the waft Wilderness.
Thou Spirit who ledft this glorious Eremite Into the Defert, his Victorious Field
Against the Spiritual Foe, and broughtft him thence By proof the undoubted Son of God, infpire, As thou art wont, my prompted Song elfe mute, And bear through highth or depth of natures bounds With profperous 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 then the found of Trumpet, cri'd
Repentance, and Heavens Kingdom nigh at hand To all Baptiz'd: to his great Baptism flock'd With aw 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 Defcri'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 Heaven open'd, and in likeness of a Dove The Spirit defcended, while the Fathers voice From Heav'n pronounc'd him his beloved Son. That heard the Adversary, who roving still About the world, at that affembly fam'd Would not be last, and with the voice divine Nigh 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 rests, but in mid air To Councel fummons all his mighty Peers, Within thick Clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd, A gloomy Confiftory; and them amidst With looks agaft and fad he thus bespake.
O ancient Powers of Air and this wide world, For much more willingly I mention Air, This our old Conqueft, then remember Hell Our hated habitation; well ye know How many Ages, as the years of men,
This Universe we have poffeft, and rul'd
In manner at our will th' affairs of Earth,
Since Adam and his facil confort Eve
Loft Paradise deceiv'd by me, though fince With dread attending when that fatal wound Shall be inflicted by the Seed of Eve Upon my head, long the decrees of Heav'n Delay, for longest time to him is short; And now too foon for us the circling hours This dreaded time have compaft, wherein we Must bide the stroak of that long threatn'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 Womans feed Deftin'd to this, is late of woman born, His birth to our just fear gave no small cause, But his growth now to youths full flowr, difplaying All vertue, grace and wisdom to atchieve Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear. Before him a great Prophet, to proclaim His coming, is sent 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 Heaven, that who he is Thenceforth the Nations may not doubt; I saw The Prophet do him reverence, on him rifing 80 Out of the water, Heav'n above the Clouds Unfold her Crystal Dores, thence on his head A perfect Dove defcend, what e're it meant,
And out of Heav'n the Sov'raign 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 first-begot we know, and fore have felt, When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep; 90 Who this is we must learn, for man he seems In all his lineaments, though in his face The glimpses of his Fathers glory shine. Ye fee 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't fraud, well woven fnares, E're in the head of Nations he
Their King, their Leader, and Supream on Earth. I, when no other durst, sole undertook
The dismal expedition to find out
And ruine Adam, and the exploit perform'd Successfully; a calmer voyage now
Will waft me; and the way found profperous once Induces beft to hope of like fuccefs.
He ended, and his words impreflion left Of much amazement to th' infernal Crew, Distracted and furpriz'd with deep difmay 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 so well had thriv'd In Adam's overthrow, and led thir 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 easie steps; girded with fnaky wiles, Where he might likelieft find this new-declar'd, This man of men, attested Son of God, Temptation and all guile on him to try; So to fubvert whom he fufpected rais'd To end his Raign on Earth so long enjoy'd: But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd
The purpos'd Counsel pre-ordain'd and fixt Of the most High, who in full frequence bright Of Angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake. Gabriel this day by proof thou shalt behold, 130 Thou and all Angels converfant on Earth With man or mens affairs, how I begin To verifie that folemn meffage late, On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure
In Galilee, that she should bear a Son
Great in Renown, and call'd the Son of God; Then toldst 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're-shadow her: this man born and now up-grown, To shew him worthy of his birth divine And high prediction, henceforth I expose To Satan; let him tempt and now affay His utmost subtilty, because he boasts And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng Of his Apoftafie; he might have learnt
Lefs over-weening, fince he fail'd in Job,
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