By all the Prophets; of thy birth at length
Announc'd by Gabriel with the first I knew,
And of th' angelic fong in Bethlehem field,
On thy birth-night, that fung thee Saviour born.
From that time feldom have I ceas'd to eye
Thy infancy, thy childhood, and thy youth,
Thy manhood laft, though yet in private bred;
Till at the ford of Jordan, whither all
Flock to the Baptist, I among the reft,
Though not to be baptiz'd, by voice from Heaven
Heard thee pronoune'd the Son of God belov❜d.
Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view
And narrower fcrutiny, that I might learn
In what degree or meaning thou art call'd
The Son of God, which bears no fingle fenfe;
The Son of God I alfo am, or was,
And if I was, I am relation stands;
All men are Sons of God; yet thee I thought
In fome respect far higher so declar’d.
Therefore I watch'd thy footsteps from that hour,
And follow'd thee ftill on to this waste wild;
Where by all beft conjectures I collect
Thou art to be my fatal enemy.
Good reason then, if I before-hand feek
To understand my adversary, who
And what he is; his wifdom, pow'r, intent;
By parl, or compofition, truce, or league,
To win him, or win from him what I can.
And opportunity I here have had
To try thee, fift thee, and confefs have found thee
Proof against all temptation, as a rock
Of adamant, and as a center, firm,
To th' utmost of mere man both wife and good,
Not more; for honors, riches, kingdoms, glory,
Have been before contemn'd, and may again:
Therefore to know what more thou art than man,
Worth naming Son of God by voice from Heaven,
Another method I must now begin.
So fay'ing he caught him up, and without wing
Of hippogrif bore through the air fublime
Over the wilderness and o'er the plain;
Till underneath them fair Jerufalem,
The holy city, lifted high her towers,
And higher yet the glorious temple rear'd
Her pile, far off appearing like a mount
Of alabafter, topt with golden fpires:
There on the highest pinnacle he fet
The Son of God, and added thus in fcorn.
There ftand, if thou wilt ftand; to stand upright,
Will ask thee skill; I to thy Father's house
Have brought thee', and highest plac'd, highest is best, Now show thy progeny; if not to stand,
Caft thyself down; fafely, if Son of God:
For it is written, He will give command
Concerning thee to his Angels, in their hands
They shall up lift thee, left at any time
Thou chance to dafh thy foot against a stone.
To whom thus Jefus; Also it is written,
Tempt not the Lord thy God: he faid, and stood:
But Satan fmitten with amazement fell,
As when earth's fon Antæus (to compare
Small things with greateft) in Iraffa ftrove
With Jove's Alcides, and oft foil'd still rose,
Receiving from his mother earth new strength,
Fresh from his fall, and fiercer grapple join'd,
Throttled at length in th' air, expir'd, and fell ;
So after many a foil the Tempter proud,
Renewing fresh assaults, amidst his pride
Fell whence he ftood to fee his victor fall.
And as that Theban monster that propos'd
Her riddle', and him who folv'd it not, devour'd,
That once found out and solv'd, for grief and spite
Caft herself headlong from th' Ifmenian steep;
So ftruck with dread and anguish fell the Fiend,
And to his crew, that fat confulting, brought
Joylefs triumphals of his hop'd fuccefs,
Ruin, and defperation, and dismay,
Who durft so proudly tempt the Son of God.
So Satan fell; and strait a fiery globe
Of Angels on full fail of wing flew nigh,
Who on their plumy vans receiv'd him soft
From his uneafy ftation, and upbore
As on a floting couch through the blithe air,
Then in a flow'ry valley set him down
On a green bank, and set before him spread
A table of celeftial food, divine,
Ambrofial fruits, fetch'd from the tree of life,
And from the fount of life ambrosial drink,
That foon refresh'd him wearied, and repair'd
What hunger, if ought hunger had impair'd,
Or thirst; and as he fed, angelic quires
Sung heav'nly anthems of his victory
Over temptation, and the Tempter proud.
True image of the Father, whether thron'd
In the bofom of blifs, and light of light
Conceiving, or remote from Heav'n, inshrin'd
In fleshly tabernacle, and human form,
Wand'ring the wilderness, whatever place,
Habit, or state, or motion, ftill expreffing
The Son of God, with God-like force indued
Against th' attempter of thy Father's throne,
And thief of Paradife; him long of old
Thou didst debel, and down from Heaven caft
With all his army, now thou haft aveng'd
Supplanted Adam, and by vanquishing
'Temptation, haft regain'd loft Paradife;
And frustrated the conqueft fraudulent :
He never more henceforth will dare fet foot
In Paradise to tempt; his fnares are broke :
For though that feat of earthly bliss be fail'd,
A fairer Paradife is founded now
For Adam and his chofen fons, whom thou
A Saviour art come down to re-inftall
Where they shall dwell fecure, when time shall be,
Of Tempter and temptation without fear.
But thou, infernal Serpent, shalt not long
Rule in the clouds; like an autumnal star
Or lightning thou shalt fall from Heav'n, trod down
Under his feet: for proof, ere this thou feel'st
Thy wound, yet not thy last and deadliest wound,
By this repulfe receiv'd, and hold'st in Hell
No triumph; in all her gates Abaddon rues
Thy bold attempt; hereafter learn with awe
To dread the Son of God: he all unarm'd
Shall chace thee with the terror of his voice
From thy demoniac holds, poffeffion foul,
Thee and thy legions; yelling they fhall fly,
And beg to hide them in a herd of fwine,
Left he command them down into the deep
Bound, and to torment fent before their time.
Hail, Son of the moft high, heir of both worlds,
Queller of Satan, on thy glorious work
Now enter, and begin to fave mankind.
Thus they the Son of God our Saviour meek Sung victor, and from heavenly feast refresh'd Brought on his way with joy; he unobferv'd Home to his mother's house private return'd.
END OF PARADISE REGAIN'D.
|