Thou chance to dash thy foot against a stone.

To whom thus Jesus. Also it is written,
Tempt not the Lord thy God: he said and stood;
But Satan smitten with amazement fell.
As when earth's son Antæus,1 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 strength,
Fresh from his fall, and fiercer grapple join'd,
Throttled at length in th' air, expired and fell;
So after many a foil the tempter proud,
Renewing fresh assaults, amidst his pride
Fell whence he stood to see his victor fall.
And as that Theban monster 2 that proposed
Her riddle, and him who solved it not, devour'd,
That once found out and solved, for grief and spite

Cast herself headlong from th' Ismenian steep;

So struck with dread and anguish fell the fiend,
And to his crew that sat consulting, brought
Joyless triumphals of his hoped success,
Ruin, and desperation, and dismay,
Who durst so proudly tempt the Son of God.
So Satan fell; and straight a fiery globe
Of angels on full sail of wing flew nigh,
Who on their plumy vans received Him soft
From His uneasy station, and upbore

As on a floating couch through the blithe air,
Then in a flow'ry valley set Him down
On a green bank, and set before Him spread
A table of celestial food, divine,

Ambrosial fruits, fetch'd from the Tree of Life,
And from the Fount of Life ambrosial drink,
That soon refresh'd Him wearied, and repair'd
What hunger, if aught hunger had impair'd
Or thirst; and, as He fed, angelic quires
Sung heav'nly anthems of his victory

1 A giant of Libya, son of Terra (the earth) and Neptune (the sea). Alcides (Hercules) attacked him; and as every time the giant touched the earth he received new strength, Hercules lifted

him up into the air, and squeezed him to death in his arms. Irassa was a city in Libya.

a The Sphinx.

Over temptation and the tempter proud.
True Image of the father, whether throned
In the bosom of bliss, and light of light
Conceiving, or remote from heav'n, enshrined
In.fleshly tabernacle and human form,
Wand'ring the wilderness, whatever place,
Habit, or state, or motion, still expressing
The Son of GOD, with god-like force indued
Against th' attempter of thy Father's throne,
And thief of paradise; him long of old
Thou didst debel,' and down from heav'n cast
With all his army, now thou has avenged
Supplanted Adam, and by vanquishing
Temptation, hast regain'd lost Paradise;
And frustrated the conquest fraudulent:
He never more henceforth will dare set foot
In Paradise to tempt; his snares are broke:
For though that seat of earthly bliss be fail'd,
A fairer paradise is founded now

For Adam and his chosen sons, whom thou

A Saviour art come down to re-install

Where they shall dwell secure, when time shall be,
Of tempter and temptation without fear.

But thou, infernal serpent, shalt not long
Rule in the clouds; like an autumnal star

Or light'ning thou shalt fall from heav'n, trod down
Under His feet: for proof, ere this thou feel'st
Thy wound, yet not thy last and deadliest wound,
By this repulse received, and hold'st in hell
No triumph. In all her gates Abaddon2 rues
Thy bold attempt; hereafter learn with awe
To dread the Son of GOD: he all unarm'd
Shall chase thee with the terror of his voice
From thy demoniac holds, possession foul,
Thee and thy legions; yelling they shall fly,
And beg to hide them in a herd of swine,
Lest he command them down into the deep

1 Conquer.

2 Rev. ix. 11. The name is here applied to hell.

Bound, and to torment sent before their time.
Hail Son of the most High, heir of both worlds,
Queller of Satan, on thy glorious work
Now enter, and begin to save mankind.

Thus they the Son of GOD our Saviour meek Sung victor, and from heav'nly feast refresh'd Brought on his way with joy; he unobserved Home to his mother's house private return'd.

Samson Agonistes.

A DRAMATIC POEM.

THE AUTHOR,

JOHN MILTON.

• Τραγωδία μίμησις πράξεως σπουδαίας,” &ο,

ARISTOT. Poet. c. vi

"Tragoedia et imitatio actionis seriæ, &c. per misericordiam et metum perficien talium affectuum lustrationem."