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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.

540

So fay'ing he caught him up, and without

wing

545

Of hippogrif bore through the air sublime
Over the wilderness and o'er the plain;
Till underneath them fair Jerusalem,
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. 550
The ftand, if thou wilt ftand; to stand

upright

1;

Will ask thee fkill; I to thy Father's house Have brought thee', and highest plac'd, highest is beft,

Now fhow thy progeny; if not to ftand,
Caft thyself down; fafely, if Son of God: 555
For it is written, He will give command
Concerning thee to his Angels, in their hands
They fhall up lift thee, left at any time
Thou chance to dafh thy foot against a stone.

To whom thus Jefus; Alfo it is written, 560 Tempt not the Lord thy God: he faid and ftood:

But Satan fmitten with amazement fell.
As when earth's fon Antaeus (to compare
Small things with greatest) in Irassa strove
With Jove's Alcides, and of foil'd ftill role, 565
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 570
Fell whence he stood 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 folv'd, for grief and spite

Caft herself headlong from th' Ifmenian

steep;

575

So ftruck with dread and anguish fell the

Fiend,

And to his crew, that fat confulting, brought
Joyless 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

580

Of Angels on full fail of wing flew nigh,.

Who on their plumy vans receiv'd him foft
From his uneasy station, and upbore
As on a floting couch through the blithe
air,

585

Then in a flow'ry valley fet him down
On a green bank, and fed before him spread
A table of celeftial food, divine,.

Ambrofial fruits, fetch'd from the tree of life,
And from the fount of life ambrofial drink, 590
That foon refreshd 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. 595

True Image of the Father, whether thron'd In the bofom of blifs, and light of light Conceiving, or remete from Heav'n, infhrin'd In fleshly tabernacle, and human form, Wand'ring the wilderness, whatever place, 600 Habit, or state, or motion, still 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 :

605

He never more henceforth will dare fet

foot

..610

In Paradife to tempt; his fnares are 'broke: For though that feat of earthly blifs 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, 615 Where they fhall dwell fecure, when time. shall be,

Of Tempter and temptation without fear. But thou, infernal Serpent, fhallt not long Rule in the clouds; like an autumnal star Or linghtning thou shalt fall from Heav'n, trod down

620

Under his feet: for proof, ere this thòu

feel'ft

Thy wound, yet not thy laft and deadlieft wouud,

By this repulfe receiv'd, and hold'ft in Hell
No triumph; in all her gates Abaddon rues
Thy bold attempt; hereafter learn
learn with

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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 shall fly, And beg to hide them in a herd of fwine, 630 Left he command them down into thee deep Bound, and to torment fent before their time.

Hail Son of the most high, heir of both worlds,

Queller of Satan, on thy glorious work Now enter, and begin to fave mankind. 635 Thus they the Son of God our Saviour

meek

Sang victor, and from heav'nly feaft refresh'd Brought on his way with joy; he unobserv'd Home to his mother's house private return'd.

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