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 foon
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 Adverfary, who roving still
About the world, at that affembly fam'd
Would not be laft, and with the voice divine
Nigh Thunder-ftruck, th' exalted man, to whom
Such high atteft was giv'n, a while survey'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 Confistory; and them amidst
With looks agaft and sad 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
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 Paradife 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 compast, 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, displaying
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 faw
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 descend, what e're it meant,
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