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 pleafant realm and province wide.
So to the coaft of Jordan he directs
His easy steps, 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 fo long enjoy'd:
But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd
The purpos'd counfel pre-ordain'd and fix'd
Of the most High, who in full frequence bright
Of Angels, thus to Gabriel fmiling spake.
Gabriel, this day by proof thou fhalt behold, 130 Thou and all Angels converfant on earth With man or mens affairs, how I begin To verify that folemn meffage late, On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure In Galilee, that the fhould 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 pow'r of the Highest
O'er-fhadow her: this man born and now up-grown,
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 apoftafy; he might have learnt
Lefs overweening, fince he fail'd in Job,
Whose 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 first I mean.
To exercise him in the wilderness,
There he shall first lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I fend him forth
To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes,
By humiliation and ftrong fufferance:
His weakness fhall 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 chofe
This perfect man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.
So fpake th' eternal Father; and all Heaven
Admiring ftood a space, then into hymns
Burst forth, and in celestial measures mov'd,
Circling the throne and singing, while the hand
Sung with the voice, and this the argument.
Victory and triumph to the Son of God
Now entring his great duel, not of arms,
But to vanquish by wisdom 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:
Mean while the Son of God, who yet fome days
Lodg'd in Bethabara where John baptiz'd,
Mufing and much revolving in his breast,
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 converse
With folitude, till far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He enter'd now the bord'ring defert wild,
And with dark shades and rocks environ'd round,
His holy meditations thus purfu'd.
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 ears,
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 set
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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 ere yet my age
Had meafur'd twice fix years, at our great feaft 210
I went into the temple, there to hear
The teachers of our law, and to propose
What might improve my knowledge or their own;
And was admir'd by all: yet this not all
To which my fpi'rit afpir'd; victorious deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To rescue Ifrael from the Roman yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud tyrannic power,
Till truth were freed, and equity restor❜d:
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly first
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfuafion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring foul
Not wilfully mif-doing, but unware
Mifled; the ftubborn only to fubdue.
These growing thoughts my mother foon perceiving
By words at times caft forth inly rejoic'd,
And faid to me apart, High are thy thoughts
O Son, but nourish them and let them foar
To what highth facred virtue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchlefs deeds exprefs thy matchlefs Sire.
For know, thou art no son of mortal man;
Though men effeem thee low of parentage,
Thy father is th' eternal King who rules
All Heav'n and Earth, Angels and Sons of men;
A meffenger from God foretold thy birth
Conceiv'd in me a virgin, he foretold
Thou should it be great, and fit on David's throne, 240
And of thy kingdom there fhould be no end.
At thy nativity a glorious quire
Of Angels in the fields of Bethlehem fung
To fhepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Meffiah now was born
Where they might see him, and to thee they came,
Directed to the manger where thou lay'st,
For in the inn was left no better room:
A star, not seen before, in Heav'n appearing
Guided the wife men thither from the east,
To honor thee with incenfe, myrrh, and gold,
By whose 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.
Juft Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd
By vision, found thee in the temple', and spake
Before the altar and the vested priest,
Like things of thee to all that prefent stood.
This having heard, ftrait I again revolv'd
The law and prophets, fearching what was writ 260
Concerning the Meffiah, to our fcribes
Known partly, and foon found of whom they spake
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