Descry'd, divinely warn'd, and witness bore
As to his worthier, and would have resign'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 pronounc'd him his beloved son.
That heard the adversary, who roving still
About the world, at that assembly fam'd
Would not be last, and with the voice divine
Nigh thunder-struck, th' exalted man, to whom
Such high attest was giv'n, a while survey'd
With wonder, then with envy fraught, and rage,
Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air
To council fummons all his mighty peers,
Within thick clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd,
A gloomy confiftory; and them amidst
With looks agafst and sad he thus bespake.

O antient pow'rs of air and this wide world,
For much more willingly I mention air,
This our old conquest, than remember hell
Our hated habitation; well ye know
How many ages, as the years of men,
This universe we have possest, and rul'd
In manner at our will th' affairs of earth,
Since Adam and his facil confort Eve
Loft paradise deceiv'd by me, though fince
With dread attending when that fatal wound
Shall be inflicted by the feed of Eve
Upon my head, long the decrees of heav'n
Delay, for longest time to him is short;

And now too foon for us the circling hours
This dreaded time have compast, wherein we
Must bide the stroak of that long threatn'd wound,

At least if so 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 Destin'd to this, is late of woman born, His birth to our just fear gave no small cause, But his growth now to youth's full flow'r, displaying All virtue, grace, and wisdom to atchieve Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear. Before him a great prophet, to proclaim His coming, is sent 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; I saw The prophet do him reverence, on him rising Out of the water, heav'n above the clouds Unfold her chrystal doors, thence on his head A perfect dove descend, what e'er it meant, And out of heav'n the sov'reign voice I heard, This is my fon belov'd, in him am pleas'd. His mother then is mortal, but his fire, He who obtains the monarchy of heav'n,

And what will he not do to advance his fon?
His first-begot we know, and fore have felt,
When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep;
Who this is we must learn, for man he seems
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,
But must with fomething sudden be oppos'd,
Not force, but well couch'd fraud, well woven snares,
Ere in the head of nations he appear

Their king, their leader, and supream on earth.
I, when no other durst, sole 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 beft to hope of like fuccess.
He ended, and his words impression left
Of much amazement to th' infernal crew.
Distracted and furpriz'd with deep dismay
At these sad 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 coast of Jordan he directs
His easie steps; girded with snaky 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
The purpos'd counsel pre-ordain'd and fixt
Of the most high, who in full frequence bright
Of angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake.
Gabriel this day by proof thou shall behold,
Thou and all angels conversant on earth
With man or mens affairs, how I begin
To verifie that folemn message late,.
On which I fent thee to the virgin pure
In Galilee, that she should bear a fon
Great in renown, and call'd the fon of God;
Then toldst her, doubting how these things could be
To her a virgin, that on her should come
The Holy Ghost, and the power of the highest
O'er-shadow her: this man born and now up-grown,
To shew him worthy of his birth divine
And high prediction, henceforth I expose
To fatan; let him tempt and now aflay
His utmost subtility, because he boafts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng
Of his apoftafie; he might have learnt
Less overweening, since he fail'd in Job,
Whose constant perseverance overcame
What e'er his cruel malice could invent.

He now shall know I can produce a man
Of female feed, far abler to refift

All his follicitations, and at length

All his vast force, and drive him back to hell,
Winning by conquest what the first man loft

By fallacy surpriz'd. But first I mean
To exercise him in the wilderness,
There he small first lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I send him forth
To conquer fin and death the two grand foes,
By humiliation and strong fufferance:
His weakness shall o'ercome satanick strength
And all the world, and mass of finful flesh;
That all the angels and aetherial powers,
They now, and men hereafter may difcern,
From what confummate virtue I have chose
This perfect man, by merit call'd my fon,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.

So spake th' eternal father, and all heav'n
Admiring stood a space, then into hymns
Burst forth, and in celestial measures mov'd
Circling the throne and finging, while the hand
Sung with the voice, and this the argument.

Victory and triumph to the son of God Now entering his great duel, not of arms, But to vanquish by wifdom hellish wiles. The father knows the fon; therefore fecure Ventures his filial virtue, though untry'd, Against what e'er may tempt, what e'er feduce, Allure, or terrifie, or undermine.

Be fruftrate all ye stratagems of hello st