460

And harmless, if not wholesomeas a sneeze
To man's less universe, and soon are gone ;
Yet as being oft times noxious, where they light
On man, beast, plant, waftful and turbulent,
Like turbulencies in th' affairs of men,
Over whose heads they roar, and seem to point,
They oft fore-signify and threaten ill:
This tempest at this defert most was bent ; 465
Of men at thee, for only thou here dwell'ft.
Did I not tell thee, if thou did'it reject
The perfect season offer'd with my aid
To win thy destin'd seat, but wilt prolong
All to the push of fate, pursue thy way

470
Of gaining David's throne no man knows when,
For both the when and how is no where told,
Thou shalt be what thou art ordain'd, no doubt ;
For Angels have proclaim'd it, but concealing
The time and means : each act is rightlieft done, 475
Not when it must, but when it may be best.
If thou observe not this, be sure to find,
What I foretold thee, many a hard assay
Of dangers, and adversities, and pains,
Ere thou of Israel's scepter get fast hold ; 480
Whereof this ominous night that clos'd thee round,
So many terrors, voices, prodigies,
May warn thee, as a fure fore-going lign.

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

485

Me worse than wet thou find it not; other harm
These terrors, which thou speak’st of, did me none;
I never feard they could, though noising loud
And threatning nigh; what they can do as figns

Betokening or ill boding I contemn

490
As false portents not sent from God. but thee;
Who knowing, I shall reign past thy preventing,
Obtrud't thy offer'd aid, that I accepting
At least might seem to hold all pow'r of thee,
Ambitious Spi'rit, and wouldt be thought my God,
And storm'it refus’d, thinking to terrify
Me to thy will; defitt, thou art discern'd
And toil'it in vain, nor me in vain moleft.

510

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

500
For Son of God to me is yet in doubt :
Of the Messiah I have heard foretold
By all the prophets ; of thy birth at length
Announc'd by Gabriel with the first I knew,
And of th' angelic song in Bethlehem field

505
On thy birth-night, that sung 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'd to the Baptift, I among the rest,
Though not to be baptiz'd, by voice from Heaven
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

5.15
In what degree or meaning thou art call'd
The Son of God, which bears no single fense ;
T'he Son of God I also am, or was,
And, if I was, I am; relation stands;
All men are Sons of God; yet thee I thought 520
In some respect far higher so declar'd.
Therefore I watch'd thy footsteps from that hour,

And follow'd thee fill on to this waste wild
Where by all best conjectures I collect
Thou art to be my fatal enemy.

525
Good reason then, if I before-hand feek
To understand my adverfary, who
And what he is; his wisdom, pow'r, intent;
By parl, or composition, truce, or league
To win him, or win from him what I can.

53.0
An opportunity I here have had
To try thee, lift thee, and confess have found thee
Proof against all temptation, as a rock
Of adamant, and as a center, firm,
To th' utmost of mere man both wise and good, 535
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
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 alabaster topt with golden fpires :
There on the highest pinacle he fet
The Son of God, and added thus in fcorn.

545

550

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 Chow thy progeny; if not to ftand,

Cast 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 shall uplift thee, left at any time
Thou chance to dash thy foot against a stone.

To whom thus Jesus ; Also it is written,

560
Tempt not the Lord thy God: he said and stood :
But Satan smitten with amazement fell.
As when earth's son Antæus (to compare
Small things with greatest) in Iraffa ftrove
With Jove's Alcides, and oft foild fill rose,

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 affaults, amidst his pride

570
Fell, whence he stood to see his victor fall.
And as that Theban monster, that propos'd
Her riddle, and him, who folvd it not, devour’d,
That once found out and solv’d, for grief and spite
Caft herself headlong from th' Ismenian steep, 575
So Aruck with dread and anguish fell the Fiend,
And to his crew, that fat consulting, brought
Joyless triumphals of his hop'd success,
Ruin, and desperation, 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 plamy vans receiv'd' him fort
From his uneasy ftation, and upbore
As on a floting couch through the blithe air,

585
Then in a flow'ry valley set him down
On a green bank, and set before him spread

580

a

590

A table of celestial 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.

595

605 debel

True Image of the Father, whether thron'd
In the bosom of bliss, and light of light
Conceiving, or remote from Heav'n inshrin'd
In feshly tabernacle and human form,
Wand'ring the wilderness, whatever place, 600
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 Paradise ; him long of old
Thou didit rebel, and down from Heaven caft
With all his army, now thou haft aveng'd
Supplanted Adam, and by vanquishing
Temptation haft regain'd loft Paradise ;
And frustrated the conqueft fraudulent:
He never more henceforth will dare set foot 610
In Paradise to tempt; his snares are broke:
For, though that feat of earthly blifs be fail'd,
A fairer Paradise is founded now
For Adam and his chosen fons, whom thou
A Saviour art come down to re-install,
Where they shall dwell secure, 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 620

615