From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd
Fierce rain with lightning mix'd, water with fire
In ruin reconcil'd: nor flept the winds
Within their ftony caves, but rush'd abroad
From the four hinges of the world, and fell
On the vex'd wilderness, whose tallest pines,
Though rooted deep as high, and fturdieft oaks
Bow'd their stiff necks, loaden with stormy blasts,
Or torn up sheer: ill waft thou fhrouded then,
O patient Son of God, yet only stood'st
Unfhaken; nor yet ftay'd the terror there,
Infernal ghosts, and Hellish furies, round (fhriek'd,
Environ'd thee, fome howl'd, fome yell'd, fome
Some bent at thee their fiery darts, while thou
Satst unappall'd in calm and finless peace.
Thus pass'd the night fo foul, till morning fair
Came forth with pilgrim fteps in amice gray,
Who with her radiant finger ftill'd the roar
Of thunder, chas'd the clouds, and laid the winds,
And grisly spectres, which the Fiend had rais'd 430
To tempt the Son of God with terrors dire.
And now the fun with more effectual beams
Had chear'd the face of earth, and dry'd the wet
From drooping plant, or dropping tree; the birds,
Who all things now behold more freshandgreen, 435
After a night of storm so ruinous,
Clear'd up their choiceft notes in bush and spray
To gratulate the sweet return of morn;
Nor yet amidst this joy and brightest morn
Was abfent, after all his mischief done,
The prince of darkness, glad would also seem
Of this fair change, and to our Saviour came,
Yet with no new device, they all were spent,
Rather by this his laft affront resolv'd,
Defp'rate of better course, to vent his rage,
And mad despite to be fo oft repell'd.
Him walking on a funny hill he found,
Back'd on the north and weft by a thick wood;
Out of the wood he ftarts in wonted fhape,
And in a careless mood thus to him faid.
Fair morning yet betides thee, Son of God, After a difmal night; I heard the wrack As earth and sky would mingle; but myself (them Was diftant; and thefe flaws, though mortals fear As dang'rous to the pillar'd frame of Heaven, 455 Or to the earth's dark bafis underneath,
Are to the main as inconfiderable,
And harmless, if not wholesome as a sneeze
To man's lefs univerfe, and foon are gone;
Yet as being oft times noxious where they light 460
On man, beaft, plant, waftful and turbulent,
Like turbulencies in th' affairs of men,
Over whofe heads they roar, and feem to point,
They oft fore-fignify and threaten ill :
This tempeft at this defert moft was bent;
Of men at thee, for only thou here dwell'ft.
Did I not tell thee, if thou didst reject
The perfect season offer'd with my aid
To win thy deftin'd feat, but wilt prolong
All to the push of fate, pursue thy way
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,
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 Ifrael's fcepter get fast 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 stay'd not, but in brief him answer'd thus. 485
Me worse than wet thou find'st not; other harm Those terrors which thou spak'st of, did me none; I never fear'd they could, though noifing 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 fhall reign paft thy preventing, Obtrud'ft thy offer'd aid, that I accepting At least might feem to hold all pow'r of thee,
Ambitious Spiʼrit, and wouldft be thought my God,
And storm'ft refus'd, thinking to terrify
Me to thy will; defift, thou art discern'd
And toil'ft in vain, nor me in vain molest.
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 first I knew,
And of th' angelic fong in Bethlehem field,
505
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 last, 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 Heaven
Heard thee pronounc'd the Son of God belov'd.
Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view
A narrower fcrutiny, that I might learn
In what degree or meaning thou art call'd
The Son of God, which bears no single sense;
The 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 still on this waste wild;
Where by all beft conjectures I collect
Thou art to be my fatal enemy.
Good reason, then if I before-hand seek
To understand my adversary, 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.
And opportunity I here have had
To try thee, fift thee, and confefs have found thee Proof against all temptation, as a rock
Of adamant, and as a centre, firm,
To th' utmost of mere man both wife 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 Heav'n, Another method I must now begin.
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 alabafter, topt with golden spires: There on the highest pinnacle he set
The Son of God, and added thus in fcorn.
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