Of dangers, and adversities, and pains,

Ere thou of Ifrael's Scepter get faft hold;

Whereof this ominous night that clos'd thee round,
So many terrors, voices, prodigies

May warn thee, as a fure fore-going fign.

So talk'd he, while the Son of God went on
And ftaid not, but in brief him answer'd thus.

Me worse than wet thou find'ft not; other harm
Those terrors which thou speak'st of, did me none;
I never fear'd they could, though noifing loud
And threatning nigh, what they can do as signs
Betok'ning, or ill boding, I contemn

As falfe portents, not fent from God, but thee;
Who knowing I fhall reign past thy preventing,
Obtrud'ft thy offer'd aid, that I accepting
At least might seem to hold all pow'r of thee,
Ambitious fpirit, and woud'ft be thought my God,
And ftorm'ft refus'd, thinking to terrifie
Me to thy will; defift, thou art discern'd

And toil'ft in vain, nor me in vain moleft,

To whom the Fiend now fwoln with rage reply'd: Then hear, O Son of David, Virgin-born;

For Son of God to me is yet in doubt,

Of the Meffiah I have heard foretold
By all the Prophets; of thy birth at length
Announc'd by Gabriel with the firft I knew,
And of th' Angelic Song in Bethlehem field,
On thy birth-night, that fung thee Saviour born,
From that time seldom 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'd to the Baptift, I among the reft,
Though not to be Baptiz'd, by voice from Heav'n
Heard thee pronounc'd the Son of God belov'd.
Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view
And narrower Scrutiny, that I might learn
In what degree or meaning thou art call'd

The Son of God which bears no fingle fenie;

The Son of God I alfo am, or was,

And if I was, I am; relation ftands ;

All men are Sons of God; yet thee I thought

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In fome refpe& far higher fo declar'd.

Therefore I watch'd thee from foot steps that hour,

And follow'd thee ftill on to this waste wild ;

Whereby all beft conjectures I collec

Thou art to be my fatal enemy.

525

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 composition, truce, or league
To win him, or win from him what I can.

530

And opportunity I here have had.

To try thee, fift thee, and confess have found thee
Proof against all temptation as a rock

Of Adamant, and as a Center, firm

To th' utmost of meer man both wife and good,

535

Not more; for Honours, Riches, Kingdoms, Glory

Have been before condemn'd, and may again:
Therefore to know what more thou art than man,

Worth naming Son of God by voice from Heav'n,

Another method I must now begin,

540

So faying 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 Tow'rs,
And higher yet the glorious Temple rear'd
Her pile, far off appearing like a Mount
Of Alabafter, top'd with Golden Spires :
There on the highest Pinnacle he fet

545

The Son of God; and added thus in fcorn:

5500

There ftand, if thou wilt ftand; to ftand upright

Will ask thee skill; Ito thy Father's house

Have brought thee, and highest plac'd, highest is best, Now fhew thy Progeny; if not to stand,

Caft

Caft thy self down; fafely if Son of God:
For it is written, He will give command
Concerning thee to his Angels, in their hands
They fhall uplift thee, left at any time
Thou chance to dash'thy foot against a stone.

To whom thus Jefus : Also it is written,

Tempt not the Lord thy God; he said and ftood,

But Satan fmitten with amazement fell

As when Earth's Son Antaus (to compare
Small things with greateft) in Irassa, ftrové
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 affaults, amidst his pride
Fell whence he ftood to fee his Victor fall.
And as that Theban Monster that propos'd

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Her riddle, and him, who folv'd it not, devour'd;

That once found out and folv'd, for grief and spight
Caft her felf headlong from th' Ifmenian steep,

575

So ftrook with dread and anguish fell the Fiend,
And to his crew, that fat confulting, brought
Joyless Triumphals of his hop'd fuccefs,
Ruin, and desperation, and dismay,

Who durft fo proudly tempt the Son of God.
So Satan fell; and ftrait a fiery Globe
Of Angels on full fail of wing flew nigh,
Who on their plumy Vans receiv'd him soft
From his uneafie ftation, and upbore

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As on a floating couch through the blithe Air,

585

Then in a flow'ry valley fet him down

On a green bank, and set before him spred
A table of Celestial Food, Divine,

Ambrofial fruits, fetch't from the Tree of Life,
And from the fount of Life Ambrofial drink,
That foon refresh'd him weary'd, and repair'd

What hunger, if aught hunger had impair'd,
Bb

Or thirft, and as he fed, Angelic Quires
Sung Heav'nly Anthems of his victory
Over temptation, and the Temper proud.

True Image of the Father whether thron'd
In the bosom of bliss, and light of light
Conceiving, or remote from Heav'n, enfhrin'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 indu'd
Against th' Attempter of thy Father's Throne,
And Thief of Paradife; him long of old
Thou did't debel, and down from Heav'n caft
With all his Army, now thou haft aveng'd
Supplanted Adam, and by vanquishing
Temptation, hath regain'd loft Paradife;
And fruftrated the conqueft fraudulent :
He never more henceforth will dare fet foot
In Paradife 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 Sons, whom thou

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A Saviour art come down to re-instal

615

Where they fhall 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 laft and deadliest wound
By this repulfe receiv'd, and hold'ft in Hell

616

No triumph; in all her Gates Abadon rues

Thy bold attempt; hereafter learn with aw
To dread the Son of God: he all unarm'd
Shall chafe thee with the terror of his voice
From thy Demoniac holds, poffeffion foul,
Thee and thy Legions, yelling they shall fly,
And beg to hide them in a herd of Swine,

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Left

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 Heav'nly Feast refresht
Brought on his way with joy; he unobserv'd
Home to his Mother's house private return'd,

635