I, who ere while the happy garden sung By one Man's disobedience lost, now sing Recover'd Paradise to all mankind, By one Man's firm obedience fully tried Through all temptation, and the Tempter foil'd, In all his wiles, defeated and repuls'd, And Eden rais'd in the waste wilderness.
Thou Spirit, who ledst this glorious eremite Into the desart, his victorious field, Against the spiritual foe, and brought'st him thence By proof the undoubted Son of God, inspire, As thou art wont, my prompted song, else mute, And bear, through highth or depth of Nature's
With prosperous wing full summ'd, to tell of deeds Above heroic, though in secret done, And unrecorded left through many an age; Worthy to have not remain'd so long unsung. Now had the great Proclaimer with a voice
More awful than the sound of trumpet, cried Repentance, and Heaven's kingdom nigh at hand To all baptiz'd: To his great baptism flock'd With awe the regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the son of Joseph deem'd To the flood Jordan; came, as then obscure, Unmark'd, unknown; but from the Baptist soon Descried, 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 Heaven open'd, and in likeness of a dove The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice From Heaven 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, the exalted Man, to whom Such high attest was given, a while survey'd With wonder; then, with envy fraught and rage, Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air To counsel summons all his mighty peers, Within thick clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd,
A gloomy consistory; and them amidst, With looks aghast and sad, he thus bespake. O ancient Powers 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 possess'd, and rul'd, In manner at our will, the affairs of earth, Since Adam and his facile consort Eve Lost Paradise, deceiv'd by me; though since With dread attending when that fatal wound Shall be inflicted by the seed of Eve Upon my head. Long the decrees of Heaven Delay, for longest time to him is short; And now, too soon for us, the circling hours This dreaded time have compass'd, wherein we Must bide the stroke of that long-threaten'd wound, (At least if so we can and by thy 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 Seed, 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 flower, displaying All virtue, grace, and wisdom to achieve
Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear. Before him a great Prophet, to proclaim His coming, is sent harbinger, who all Invites, and in the consecrated stream Pretends to wash off sin, and fit them, so Purified, 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 testimony of Heaven, that who he is Thenceforth the nations may not doubt: I saw The Prophet do him reverence: on him, rising Out of the water, Heaven above the clouds Unfold her crystal doors; thence on his head A perfect dove descend, (whate'er it meant,) And out of Heaven the sovran voice I heard, "This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd." His mother then is mortal, but his Sire He who obtains the monarchy of Heaven: And what will he not do to advance his Son? His first-begot we know, and sore 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 see our danger on the utmost edge Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But must with something sudden be oppos'd, (Not force, but well-couch'd fraud, well-woven
Ere in the head of nations he appear,
Their king, their leader, and supreme on earth.
I, when no other durst, sole undertook
The dismal expedition to find out
And ruin Adam; and the exploit perform'd Successfully: a calmer voyage now
Will waft me; and the way, found prosperous once, Induces best to hope of like success.
He ended, and his words impression left Of much amazement to the infernal crew, Distracted and surpris'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 enterprise 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 easy steps, girded with snaky wiles, Where he might likeliest find this new-declar'd, This Man of Men, attested Son of God,
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