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PARADISE REGAIN'D.

BOOK I.

I

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Who ere 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 ledst this glorious Eremite Into the Defart, his victorious Field

II

Against the fpiritual Foe, and brought'ft him thence
By proof the undoubted Son of God, inspire,
As thou art wont, my prompted Song else mute,
And bear through heighth or depth of Nature's bounds
With profp'rous wing full fumm'd to tell of deeds
Above Heroic, though in secret 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'ns Kingdom nigh at hand
To all Baptiz'd: to his great Baptifm flock'd
With awe the Regions round, and with them came

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From

rom Nazareth the Son of Joseph deem'd
To the flood Jordan came, as then obscure,
Unmark't, unknown; but him the Baptift foon
Defcry'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
Heav'n open'd, and in likeness of a Dove
The Spirit defcended, while the Father's voice
From Heav'n pronounced him his beloved son.
That heard the Adversary, 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 furvey'd
With wonder, then with envy fraught, and rage,
Flies to his place, nor refts, but in mid air
To Council fummons all his mighty Peers,
Within thick Clouds and dark ten-fold involy'd,
A gloomy Confiftory; and them amidst
With looks agaft and fad he thus befpake.

O ancient Pow'rs of Air and this wide World,
For much more willingly I mention Air,
This our old Conqueft, than 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 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 longeft time to him is fhort;

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And now too foon for us the circling hours

This dreaded time have compaft, wherein we

Muft bide the ftroke of that long threatn'd wound,

At

At least if fo 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 fmall cause,

But his growth now to youth's full flow'r, displaying
All virtue, grace, and wisdom to atchieve

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
Purifi'd 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; 1 faw
The Propher do him reverence, on him rising
Out of the Water, Heav'n above the Clouds
Unfold her Chryftal Doors, thence on his head
A perfect Dove descend, what e'er it meant,
And out of Heav'n the Sovereign voice I hear,
This is my Son belov'd in him I'm 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-begot we know, and fore have felt,
When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep;
Who this is we muft learn, for Man he feems
In all his lineaments, though in his face
The glimpfes of his Father's glory shine;
Yet fee our danger on the utmoft edge
Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But muft with fomething sudden be oppos'd,

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Not

Not force, but well couch'd fraud, well woven fnares,
Ere in the head of Nations he appear

Their King, their Leader, and Supream on Earth.
I, when no other durft, fole undertook

The dismal expedition to find out

And ruin Adam, and th' exploit perform'd

Successfully; a calmer Voyage now

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

105:

He ended, and his words impreffion left
Of much amazement to th' infernal Crew.
Distracted and furpriz'd with deep dismay
At these fad tidings; but no time was then
For long indulgence to their fears or grief:
Unanimous thy 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 their 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 Coaft of Jordan he directs

His eafie 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 fufpected rais'd

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To end his Reign on Earth fo long enjoy'd:
But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd

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The purpos'd Council pre-ordain'd and fixt

Of the moft High, who in full frequence bright
Of Angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake.
Gabriel this day by proof thou shalt behold,
Thou and all Angels converfant on Earth
With man or mens affairs, how I begin
To verifie that folemn Meffage late,

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On.

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