440

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 last affront resolv'd,

Defp'rate of better course, to vent his rage, 445
And mad despite to be so 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 starts in wonted shape,

And in a careless mood thus to him faid.

450

Fair morning yet betides thee, Son of God,
After a dismal night; I heard the wrack
As earth and sky would mingle; but myself (them
Was diftant; and these 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 universe, and soon 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 whose heads they roar, and seem to point,
They oft fore-fignify and threaten ill :
This tempeft at this desert most was bent;
Of men at thee, for only thou here dwell'st.
L 2

465

Did

470

Did I not tell thee, if thou didst reject
The perfect feafon offer'd with my aid
To win thy deftin'd seat, 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,

476

Ere thou of Ifrael'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 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'ft not; other harm Those terrors which thou spak'st of, did me none; I never fear'd 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 fent from God, but thee; Who knowing I fhall reign paft thy preventing, Obtrud'ft thy offer'd aid, that I accepting At least might seem to hold all pow'r of thee,

Am

Ambitious Spi'rit, 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 moleft.

496

500

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 laft, though yet in private bred;
Till at the ford of Jordan whither all
Flock'd to the Baptist, 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
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 alfo am, or was,

And if I was, I am; relation ftands;

510

515

All men are Sons of God; yet thee I thought 520 In some respect far higher fo declar'd.

Therefore I watch'd thy footsteps from that hour,

And

And follow'd thee still on this wafte wild;

Where by all beft conjectures I collect

Thou art to be my fatal enemy.

525

Good reason, then if I before-hand feek

To understand my adversary, who

And what he is; his wifdom, 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

530

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 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 Heav'n, Another method I must now begin.

540

and without wing

So fay'ing he caught him up,
Of hippogrif bore through the air fublime
Over the wilderness and o'er the plain;
Till underneath them fair Jerufalem,
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 fpires:
There on the highest pinnacle he fet

The Son of God, and added thus in fcorn.

545

550 There

555

560

There stand, if thou wilt ftand; to stand upright Will ask thee skill; I to thy Father's house Have brought thee', and highest plac'd, higheft is best, Now show thy progeny; if not to stand, Caft thyself down; fafely, if Son of God: For it is written, He will give command Concerning thee to his Angels, in their hands They fhall up lift thee, left at any time Thou chance to dash thy foot against a stone. To whom thus Jefus; Also it is written, Tempt not the Lord thy God: he said and flood: But Satan fmitten with amazement fell. As when earth's fon Antæus (to compare Small things with greatest) in Irassa strove With Jove's Alcides, and oft foil'd still rose, Receiving from his mother earth new ftrength, 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 assaults, amidst his pride Fell whence he flood to see his victor fall. And as that Theban monster that propos'd Her riddle', and him, who folv'd it not, devour'd, That once found out and folv'd, for grief and spite. Caft herself headlong from th' Ifmenian steep; 575 So ftruck with dread and anguish fell the Fiend, And to his crew, that fat confulting, brought Joylefs triumphals of his hop'd fuccefs,

565

570