The Complete Poetry of John Milton (131 page)

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Heav’n open’d, and in likeness of a Dove

               
The Spirit descended, while the Fathers voice

               
From Heav’n pronounc’d him his beloved Son.

               
That heard the Adversary,
⁵
who roving still

               
About the world, at that assembly fam’d

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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

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To Councel summons all high mighty Peers,

               
Within thick Clouds and dark ten-fold involv’d,

               
A gloomy Consistory; and them amidst

               
With looks agast and sad he thus bespake.

    
             O ancient Powers of Air and this wide world,

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For much more willingly I mention Air,

               
This our old Conquest, then remember Hell

               
Our hated habitation; well ye know

               
How many Ages, as the years of men,

               
This Universe we have possest, and rul’d

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In manner at our will th’ affairs of Earth,

               
Since
Adam
and his facil 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

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Upon my head.
⁶
Long the decrees of Heav’n

               
Delay, for longest time to him is short;

               
And now too soon for us the circling hours

               
This dreaded time have compast, wherein we

               
Must bide the stroak of that long threat’n’d wound,

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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 Womans seed

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Destin’d to this, is late of woman born:

               
His birth to our just fear gave no small cause,

               
But his growth now to youths full flowr, displaying

               
All vertue, grace and wisdom to atchieve

               
Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear.

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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

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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 Heav’n, that who he is

               
Thenceforth the Nations may not doubt; I saw

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The Prophet do him reverence, on him rising

               
Out of the water, Heav’n above the Clouds

               
Unfold her Crystal Dores, thence on his head

               
A perfect Dove descend, what e’re it meant,

               
And out of Heav’n the Sov’raign voice I heard,

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This is my Son belov’d, in him am pleas’d.

               
His Mother then is mortal, but his Sire,

               
He who obtains
⁷
the Monarchy of Heav’n,

               
And what will he not do t’ advance his Son?

               
His first-begot we know, and sore have felt,

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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 Fathers glory shine.

               
Ye see our danger on the utmost edge

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Of hazard, which admits no long debate,

               
But must with something sudden be oppos’d,

               
Not force, but well couch’t fraud, well woven snares,

               
E’re in the head of Nations he appear

               
Their King, their Leader, and Supream on Earth.

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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 prosperous once

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Induces best to hope of like success.

           
      
       He ended, and his words impression left

               
Of much amazement to th’ infernal Crew,

               
Distracted and surpriz’d with deep dismay

               
At these sad tidings; but no time was then

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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

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In
Adam
’s overthrow, and led thir 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

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His easie steps, girded with snaky wiles,

               
Where he might likeliest find this new-declar’d,

               
This man of men, attested Son of God,

               
Temptation and all guile on him to try;

               
So to subvert whom he suspected rais’d

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To end his Raign on Earth so long enjoy’d:

               
But contrary unweeting
⁸
he fulfill’d

               
The purpos’d Counsel pre-ordain’d and fixt

               
Of the most High, who in full frequence
⁹
bright

               
Of Angels, thus to
Gabriel
¹⁰
smiling spake.

   130  
      
       
Gabriel
this day by proof thou shalt behold,

               
Thou and all Angels conversant on Earth

               
With man or mens affairs, how I begin

               
To verifie that solemn message late,

               
On which I sent thee to the Virgin pure

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In
Galilee
, that she should bear a Son

               
Great in Renown, and call’d the Son 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

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O’re-shadow her: this man born and now up-grown,

               
To shew him worthy of his birth divine

               
And high prediction, henceforth I expose

               
To Satan; let him tempt and now assay

               
His utmost subtilty, because he boasts

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And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng

               
Of his Apostasie; he might have learnt

               
Less over-weening, since he fail’d in
Job
,

               
Whose constant perseverance overcame

               
Whate’re his cruel malice could invent.

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He now shall know I can produce a man

               
Of female Seed, far abler to resist

               
All his sollicitations, and at length

               
All his vast force, and drive him back to Hell,

               
Winning by Conquest what the first man lost

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By fallacy surpriz’d. But first I mean

               
To exercise him in the Wilderness;

               
There he shall first lay down the rudiments
¹¹

               
Of his great warfare, e’re I send him forth

               
To conquer Sin and Death the two grand foes,

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By Humiliation and strong Sufferance:

               
His weakness shall o’recome Satanic strength

               
And all the world, and mass of sinful flesh;

               
That all the Angels and Ætherial Powers,

               
They now, and men hereafter may discern,

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From what consummate vertue I have chose

               
This perfect Man, by merit call’d my Son,

               
To earn Salvation for the Sons of men.

           
      
       So spake th’ Eternal Father, and all Heav’n

               
Admiring stood a space, then into Hymns

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Burst forth, and in Celestial measures mov’d,

               
Circling the Throne and Singing, while the hand

               
Sung with the voice, and this the argument.

           
      
       Victory and Triumph to the Son of God

               
Now entring his great duel, not of arms,

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But to vanquish by wisdom hellish wiles.

               
The Father knows the Son; therefore secure

               
Ventures his filial Vertue, though untri’d,

               
Against whate’re may tempt, whate’re seduce,

               
Allure, or terrifie, or undermine.

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Be frustrate all ye stratagems of Hell,

               
And devilish machinations come to nought.

           
      
       So they in Heav’n their Odes and Vigils tun’d:

               
Mean while the Son of God, who yet some days

               
Lodg’d in
Bethabara
where
John
baptiz’d,

   185     
Musing and much revolving in his brest,

               
How best the mighty work he might begin

               
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first

               
Publish his God-like office now mature,

               
One day forth walk’d alone, the Spirit leading;