And he himself among them was baptis'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; I saw
The prophet do him reverence, on him rifing
Out of the water, Heav'n above the clouds
Unfold her crystal doors, thence on his head
A perfect dove defcend, whate'er it meant,
And out of Heav'n the fov'ran voice I heard,
This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd.
His mother then is mortal, but his fire
He who obtains the monarchy of Heaven,
And what will he not do to' advance his Son?
His first-begot we know, and fore have felt,

80

85

When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep; 90 Who this is we must learn, for man he seems

thofe writers, Ignatius and others among the Ancients, and Beza and others among the Moderns, who believed that the Devil, tho' he might know Jefus to be fome extraordinary perfon, yet knew him not to be the Meffiah, the Son of God and the words of the Devil If thou be the Son of God feem to exprefs his uncertainty concerning that matter. The Devils indeed afterwards knew him and pro

In

claimed him to be the Son of God, but they might not know him to be fo at this time, before this tempta tion, or before he had enter'd upon his public miniftry, and manifefted himself by his miracles. And our author, who makes the Devil to hear the voice from Heaven This is my beloved Son, ftill makes him doubt in what fenfe Jefus was fo called. See IV. 514.

Thence

1

In all his lineaments, though in his face
The glimpses of his father's glory shine.
Ye fee our danger on the utmost edge

Of hazard, which admits no long debate,

95

But must with something sudden be oppos'd,

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

appear

Their king, their leader, and supreme 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

Will waft me; and the way found profp'rous once

Induces best to hope of like success.

100

105

He

We'll ftrive to bear it for your worthy fake,

To th' extreme edge of hazard.

Milton applies this title very pro113. To him their great dictator,] perly to Satan in his prefent fituation, as the authority he is now vefted with is quite dictatorial, and the expedition on which he is going of the utmost consequence to the fallen Angels. Thyer.

119. So to the coaft of Jordan he directs

His eafy teps, girded with fnaky wiles,] For as Lightfoot obferves Vol. II. P. 299. the wilder

I

nefs,

He ended, and his words impreffion left
Of much amazement to th' infernal crew,
Distracted and furpris'd with deep dismay
At these fad tidings; but no time was then
For long indulgence to their fears or grief;
Unanimous they 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

nefs, where our Saviour underwent his forty days temptation, was on the fame bank of Jordan where the baptifm of John was, St. Luke witnefling it, that Jefus being now baptized υπέσρεψεν απο το Ιορδανε, returned from Jordan, namely from the fame tract, whereby he came thither. His eafy steps, for here was not that danger and difficulty as in his first expedition to ruin mankind. It is faid in reference to what he had spoken before,

I, when no other durft, fole undertook

The difmal expedition to find out

And ruin Adam

His eafy steps, girded with fnaky wiles,
Where he might likelieft find this new-declar'd,
This man of men, attested Son of God,
Temptation and all guile on him to try;
So to fubvert whom he suspected rais'd
To end his reign on earth so long enjoy'd :
But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd

120

125

The purpos'd counsel pre-ordain'd and fix’d
Of the most High, who in full frequence bright
Of Angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake.
Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, 130
Thou and all Angels converfant on earth
With man or mens affairs, how I begin

120. girded with fnaky wiles,] The imagery very fine, and the circumftance extremely proper. Satan is here figured engaging on a great expedition, fuccinct, and his habit girt about him with a girdle of Inakes; which puts us in mind of the inftrument of the fall.

Warburton.

122. This man of men, attefted Son of God,] The phrafe is low and idiotic; and I wish the poet had rather written

This man, of Heav'n attefted
Son of God.

To

and Heaven of Heavens are truly grand expreffions: but then there is an idea of greatnefs in the words themselves to fupport the dignity of the phrafe; which is wanting in Milton's man of men. Calton.

129. thus to Gabriel fmiling

Spake,] This fpeech is properly addrefs'd to Gabriel particularly among the Angels, as he seems to have been the Angel particularly employed in the embaffies and tranfactions relating to the Gofpel. Gabriel was fent to inform Daniel of the famous prophecy of the feventy weeks; Gabriel notified the

In the holy Scriptures God of Gods, conception of John the Baptift to

his

B

To verify that folemn meffage late,

On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure

In Galilee, that the should bear a fon

Great in renown, and call'd the Son of God

Then toldft her doubting how these things could be

To her a virgin, that on her should come

The Holy Ghoft, and the pow'r of the Highest

O'er-fhadow her; this man born and now up-grown,
To show him worthy of his birth divine

And high prediction, henceforth I expofe

To Satan; let him tempt and now affay
His utmost fubtlety, because he boasts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng