BooK IV. PARADISE REGAIN'D So talk'd he while the Son of God went on And ftay'd not, but in brief him anfwer'd thus. 485 Me worfe than wet thou find'it not ; other harm Thole terrors which thou fpeak'ft of, did me none ; I never fear'd they could, though noifing loud And threatning nigh ; what they can do as figns Betokening, or ill boding, I contemn 490 As falfe portents, not fent from GA, but thee ; Who knowing 1 !hall reign paft thy preventing, Obtrud'ft thy cffer'd aid, that I accepting At leaft might feem to hold all pow'r of thee, Ambitious Spi'rit, and wouldft be thought my God, And florm'ft refus'd, thinking to terrify 496 Me to thy will ; defift, thou art difcern'd And tont in vain, nor me in vain moleft. To whom the Fiend now fwoln with rage reply'd. Then hear, 0 Son of David, Virgin-born ; 500 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 firft I knew, And of th' angelic long in Bethlehem field, 505 On thy birth-night, that Tung thee Saviour born. From that time feldom have I ceas'd to eye Thy infancy, thy childhood, and thy youth, Thy manhood fall, though yet in private bred ; Till at the ford of Jordan whither all 510 Flock'd to the Baptift, I among the reit, 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 And narrower fcrutiny, that 1 might learn 515 In what degree or meaning thou art call'd The Son of God, which bears no fingle fenfe ; The Son of God 1 alfo am, or was, 541 And
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