1

Now had the great Proclamer, with a voice
More awful than the found of trumpet, cry'd
Repentance, and Heav'n's kingdom nigh at hand 20
To all baptiz'd: to his great baptism flock'd
With awe the regions round, and with them came
From Nazareth the son of Jofeph deem'd
To the flood Jordan, came as then obfcure,
Unmark'd, unknown; but him the Baptist soon 25
Defcry'd, divinely warn'd, and witness bore

As to his worthier, and would have refign'd
To him his heav'nly office, nor was long
His witness unconfirm'd: on him baptiz'd
Heav'n open'd, and in likeness of a dove
The Spi'rit descended, while the Father's voice
From Heav'n pronounc'd him his beloved Son.
That heard the Adversary, who roving ftill
About the world, at that affembly fam'd
Would not be last, and with the voice divine

૩૦

35 Nigh

the Baptift had notice given him before, that he might certainly know the Meffiah by the Holy Ghoft defcending and abiding upon him. And I knew him not, but he that fent me to baptize with water the fame faid unto me, Upon whom thou shalt fee the Spirit defcending and remaining on him, the fame is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghoft. John I. 33. But it appears from St. Matthew, that the Baptist knew he was baptized and before the him and acknowledged him, before Holy Ghost defcended upon him. Mat. III. 14. I have need to be bap→ tized of thee, and comeft thou to me? To account for which we must admit with Milton, that another divine revelation was made to him at this very time, fignifying that this was the perfon, of whom he had had fuch notice before.

1

26. divinely warn'd] To comprehend the propriety of this word divinely the reader must have B 4

his

Nigh thunder-ftruck, 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 refts, 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 aghaft and fad he thus befpake.

O ancient Pow'rs of air and this wide world,
For much more willingly I mention air,
This our old conqueft, than reme nber Hell,
Our hated habitation; well

his eye upon the Latin divinitus, from Heaven, fince the word divinely in our language fcarce ever comes up to this meaning. Milton ufes it in much the fame fenfe in Paradife Loft. VIII. 500.

She heard me thus, and though divinely brought. Thyer.

41. Within thick clouds &c] Milton in making Satan's refidence to be in mid air, within thick clouds and dark, feems to have St. Auftin in his eye, who speaking of the region of clouds, ftorms, thunder &c ays ad ifta caliginofa, id eft, ad hunc aerem, tanquam ad carcerem, damnatus eft diabolus &c. Enarr. in Pf. 148. S. 9. Tom. 5. p. 1677. Edit. Bened. Thyer.

ye

know

40

45

1

50

How many ages, as the years of men,
This universe we have poffefs'd, 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 compafs'd, wherein we
Muft bide the stroke of that long threaten'd wound,

55

At least if so we can, and by the head
Broken be not intended all our power

60

650

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
Deftin'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, difplaying
All virtue, grace, and wisdom to achieve
Things higheft, greatest, multiplies my fear.
Before him a great prophet, to proclame
His coming, is fent harbinger, who all
Invites, and in the confecrated stream
Pretends to wash off fin, and fit them fo
Purified to receive him pure, or rather
To do him honor as their king; all come,

fpeeches in his former council, and therefore has affign'd the best reafon he could for not making any in this.

74. Purified to receive him pure,] Alluding to the Scripture expreffion 1 John III. 3. And every man that bath this hope in him, purifieth himfelf even as he is pure.

83. A perfect dove defcend,] He had expreffed it before ver. 30. in Likeness of a dove, agreeably to

70H

75 And

St. Matthew, the Spirit of God defcending like a dove, III. 16. and to St. Mark, the Spirit like a dove defcending upon him, I. 10. But as Luke fays, that the Holy Ghoft defcended in a bodily fhape, III. 22. the poet fuppofes with Tertullian, Auftin, and others of the fathers, that it was a real dove, as the painters always represent it.

91. Who this is we must learn,] Our author favors the opinion of

those