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《Paradise Lost Ⅶ》
THE ARGUMENT
Raphael at the request of Adam relates how and wherefore this world wa九九藏书s first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and .99lib.
his Angels out of Heaven, declard his pleasure to create another World and other Creatures to dwell therein; sends his Son with Glo99lｉｂ?ry and attendance of Ao perform the work of Creation in six dayes: the Angels celebrate with Hymns the performahereof, and his reastion into Heaven.
1
DEsd from Heavn Urania, by that name
If rightly thou art calld, whose Voice divine
Following, above th Olympian Hill I soare,
Above the flight of Pegasean wing.
The meaning, not the Name I call: for thou [ 5 ]
Nor of the Muses nine, nor oop
Of old Olympus dwellst, but Heavnlie borne,
Before the Hills appeerd, or Fountain flowd,
Thou with Eternal Wisdom didst verse,
Wisdom thy Sister, and with her didst play [ 10 ]
In presence of th Almightie Father, pleasd
With thy Celestial Song. Up led by thee
Into the Heavn of Heavns I have presumd,
Ahlie Guest, and drawn Empyreal Aire,
Thy tempring; with like safetie guided down [ 15 ]
Returo my Native E藏书网lement:
Least from this flying Steed unreind, (as once
Bellerophon, though f９9ｌiｂ?rom a lower Clime)
Dismounted, on th Aleian Field I fall
Err..oneous there to wander and forlorne. [ 20 ]
Half yet remaines unsung, but narrower bound
Within the visible Diurnal Spheare;
Standing oh, not rapt above the Pole,
More safe I Sing with mortal voice, ungd
To hoarute, though falln on evil dayes, [ 25 ]
On evil dayes though falln, and evil tongues;
In darkness, and with dangers past round,
And solitude; yet not alone, while thou
Visitst my slumbers Nightly, or when Morn
Purples the East: still govern thou my Song, [ 30 ]
Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
But drive farr off the barbarous dissonance
Of Bacchus and his Revellers, the Race
Of that wilde Rout that tore the Thra Bard
In Rhodope, where Woods and Rocks had Eares [ 35 ]
To rapture, till the savage clamor dround
Both Harp and Voior could the Muse defend
Her Son. So fail not thou, who thee implores:
For thou art Heavnlie, shee ay dreame.
2
Say Goddess, what ensud when Raphael, [ 40 ]
The affable Ar.９９ｌｉｂ?gel, had forewarnd
Adam by dire example to beware
Apostasie, by what befell in He９９lｉｂ?
aven
To those Apostates, least the like befall
In Paradise to Adam or his Race, [ 45 ]
Chargd not to touch the interdicted Tree,
If they transgress, and slight that so..le and,
So easily obeyd amid the choice
Of all tastes else to please thir appetite,
Though wandring. He with his sorted Eve [ 50 ]
The storie heard attentive, and was filld
With admiration, and deep Muse to heare
Of things so high and strahings to thir thought
So unimaginable as hate in Heavn,
And Warr so he Peace of God in bliss [ 55 ]
With such fusion: but the evil soon
Drivn back redounded as a flood on those
From whom it sprung, impossible to mix
With Blessedness. Whence Adam soon repeald
The doubts that in his heart arose: and now [ 60 ]
Led o sinless, with desire to know
What neerer might him, how this World
Of Heavn ah spicious first began,
When, and whereof created, for what cause,
What within Eden or without was done [ 65 ]
Before his memorie, as one whose drouth
Yet scarce allayd still eyes the current streame,
Whose liquid murmur heard hirst excites,
Proceeded thus to ask his Heavnly Guest.
Great things, and full of wonder in our eares, [ 70 ]
Farr differing from this World, thou hast reveald
Divierpreter, by favour sent
Down from the Empyrean to forewarne
Us timely of what might else have bin our loss,
Unknown, which h>uman knowledg could not reach: [ 75 ]
For which to the infinitly Good we owe
Immortal thanks, and his admonishment
Receave with solemne purpose to observe
Immutably his sovran will, the end
Of what we are. But sihou hast voutsaft [ 80 ]
Gently for our instru to impart
Things above Earthly thought, which yet d
Our knowing, as to highest wisdom seemd,
Deign to desd now lower, ae
What may no less perhaps availe us known, [ 85 ]
How first began this Heavn which we behold
Distant so high, with moving Fires adornd
Innumerable, and this which yeelds or fills
All space, the ambient Aire, wide interfusd
Imbrag round this florid Earth, what cause [ 90 ]
Movd the Creator in his holy Rest
Through all Eternitie so late to build
In Chaos, and the work begun, how soon
Absolvd, if unforbid thou maist unfould
What wee, not to explore the secrets aske [ 95 ]
Of his Eternal Empire, but the more
To magnifie his works, the more we know.
3
And the great Light of Day yet wants to run
Much of his Race though steep, suspens in Heavn
Held by thy voice, thy potent voice he heares, [ 100 ]
And longer will delay to heare thee tell
His Geion, and the rising Birth
Of Nature from the unapparent Deep:
Or if the Starr of Eevning and the Moon
Haste to thy audienight with her will bring [ 105 ]
Silence, and Sleep listning to thee will watch,
Or we bid his abseill thy Song
End, and dismiss thee ere the M shine.
Thus Adam his illustrious Guest besought:
And thus the Godlike Angel answerd milde. [ 110 ]
This also thy request with caution askt
Obtaihough to ret Almightie works
What words or tongue of Seraph suffice,
Or heart of man suffiprehend?
Yet what thou st attain, which best may serve [ 115 ]
To glorifie the Maker, and inferr
Thee also happier, shall not be withheld
Thy hearing, suission from above
I have receavd, to ahy desire
Of knowledge within bounds; be藏书网yond abstain [ 120 ]
To ask, nor let thine o.wn iions hope
Things not reveald, which th invisible King,
Onely Omnist hath supprest in Night,
To none unicable ih or Heaven:
Anough is left besides to seard know. [ 125 ]
But Knowledge is as food, and needs no less
Her Temperance over Appetite, to know
In measure what the mind may well tain,
Oppresses else with Surfet, and soon turns
Wisdom to Folly, as Nourishment to Winde. [ 130 ]
Know then, that after Lucifer from Heavn
(So call him, brighter once amidst the Host
Of Angels, then that Starr the Starrs among)
Fell with his flaming Legions through the Deep
Into his place, and the great Sournd [ 135 ]
Victorious with his Saints, th Omnipotent
Eternal Fath藏书网er from his Throne beheld
Thir multitude, and to his Son thus spake.
4
At least our envious Foe hath faild, who thought
All like himself rebellious, by whose aid [ 140 ]
This inaccessible high strength, the seat
Of Deitie supream, us dispossest,
He trusted to have seisd, and into fraud
Drew many, whom thir plaows here no more;
Yet farr the greater part have kept, I see, [ 145 ]
Thir station, Heav populous retaines
Number suffit to possess her Realmes
Though wide, and this high Temple to frequent
With Ministeries due and solemn Rites:
But least his heart exalt him in the harme [ 150 ]
Already doo have dispeopld Heavn
My damage fondly deemd, I repaire
That detriment, if such it be to lose
Self-lost, and in a moment will create
Another Wor?ct or not, ie and ce
Approaee, and what I will is Fate.
So spake th Almightie, and to what he spake
His Word, the Filial Godhead, gave effect. [ 175 ]
Immediate are the Acts of God, more swift
Then time or motion, but to human ears
ot without pr９9ｌｉｂ?ocess of speech be told,
So told as earthly notion receave.
5
Great triumph and rejoyg was in Heavn [ 180 ]
When such was heard declard the Almighties will;
Glorie they sung to the most High, good will
To future men, and in thir dwellings peace:
Glorie to him whose just avenging ire
Had driven out th ungodly from his sight [ 185 ]
And th habitations of the just; to him
Glorie and praise, whose wisdom had ordaind
Good out of evil to create, in stead
Of Spirits maligne a better Race t
Into thir vat room, and thence diffuse [ 190 ]
His good to Worlds and Ages infinite.
So sang the Hierarchies: Mean while the Son
On his great Expedition noeerd,
Girt with Omnipotence, with Radiance d
Of Majestie Divine, Sapiend Love [ 195 ]
Immense, and all his Father in him shon.
About his Chariot numberless were pourd
Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones,
Aues, winged Spirits, and Chariots wingd,
From the Armoury of God, where stand of old [ 200 ]
Myriads between two brazen Mountains lodgd
Against a solemn day, har at hand,
Celestial Equipage; and now came forth
Spontaneous, for within them Spirit livd,
Attendant on thir Lord: Heavn opnd wide [ 205 ]
Her ever during Gates, Harmonious sound
On golden Hinges moving, to let forth
The King of Glorie in his powerful Word
And Spirit ing to create new Worlds.
On heavnly ground they stood, and from the shore [ 210 ]
They viewd the vast immeasurable Abyss
eous as a Sea, dark, wasteful, wilde,
Up from the bottom turnd by furious windes
And surging waves, as Mountains to assault
Heavns highth, and with the ter mix the Pole. [ 215 ]
Silence, ye troubld waves, and thou Deep, peace,
Said then th Omnific Word, your discord end:
Nor staid, but on the Wings of Cherubim
Uplifted, in Paternal Glorie rode
Farr into Chaos, and the World unborn; [ 220 ]
For Chaos heard his voice: him all his Traine
Followd in bright procession to behold
Creation, and the wonders of his might.
6
Then staid the fervid Wheeles, and in his hand
He took the golden passes, prepard [ 225 ]
In Gods Eternal store, to circumscribe
This Universe, and all created things:
One foot he terd, an>?d the other turnd
Round through the vast profunditie obscure,
And said, thus farr extend, thus farr thy bounds, [ 230 ]
This be thy just Circumference, O World.
Thus G.od the Heaved, thus the Earth,
Matter unformd and void: Darkness profound
Coverd th Abyss: but orie calme
His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspred, [ 235 ]
And vital vertue infusd, and vital warmth
Throughout the fluid Mass, but dourgd
The black tartareous cold Infernal dregs
Adverse to life: then fouhen globd
Like things to like, the rest to several place [ 240 ]
Disparted, aween spun out the Air,
Ah self ballan her ter hung.
Let ther be Light, said God, and forthwith Light
Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure
Sprung from the Deep, and from her Native East [ 245 ]
To jourhrough the airie gloom began,
Spheard in a radiant Cloud, for yet the Sun
Was not; shee in a cloudie Tabernacle
Sojournd the while. God saw the Light was good;
And light from darkness by the Hemisphere [ 250 ]
Divided: Light the Day, and Darkness Night
He namd. Thus was the first Day Eevn and Morn:
Nor past ued, nor unsung
By the Celestial Quires,９9ｌｉｂ? when Orient Light
Exhaling first from Darkhey beheld; [ 255 ]
Birth-day of Heavn ah; with joy and shout
The hollow Universal Orb they filld,
And touchd thir Golden Harps, and hymning praisd
God and his works, Creatour him they sung,
Both when first Eevning was, and when first Morn. [ 260 ]
Again, God said, let ther be Firmament
Amid the Waters, a divide
The Waters from the Waters: and God made
The Firmament, expanse of liquid, pure,
Transparent, Elemental Air, diffusd [ 265 ]
In circuit to the uttermost vex
Of this great Round: partition firm and sure,
The Waters underh from those above
Dividing: for as Earth, so he the World
Built on circumfluous Waters calme, in wide [ 270 ]
Crystallin O, and the loud misrule
Of Chaos farr removd, least fierce extreames
tiguous might distemper the whole frame:
And Heavn he namd the Firmament: So Eevn
藏书网And M Chorus sung the sed Day. [ 275 ]
The Earth was formd, but in the Womb as yet
Of Waters, Embryon immature involvd,
Appeerd not: over all the face of Earth
Main O flowd, not idle, but with warme
Prolific humour softning all her Globe, [ 280 ]
Fermehe great Mother to ceave,
Satiate with genial moisture, when God said
Be gatherd now ye Waters under Heavn
Into one place, a dry Land appeer.
7
Immediately the Mountains huge appeer [ 285 ]
Emergent, and thir broad bare backs upheave
Into the Clouds, thir tops asd the Skie:
So high as heavd the tumid Hills, so low
Down sunk a hollow bottom broad and deep,
Capacious bed of Waters: thither they [ 290 ]
Hasted with glad precipitance, uprowld
As drops on dust globing from the drie;
Part rise in crystal Wall, e direct,
For haste; such flight the great and impressd
On the swift flouds: as Armies at the call [ 295 ]
Of Trumpet (for of Armies thou hast heard)
Troop to thir Standard, so the watrie throng,
Wave rowling after Wave, where way they found,
If steep, with torrent rapture, if through Plaine,
Soft-ebbing; nor withstood them Rock or Hill, [ 300 ]
But they, or under ground, or circuit wide
With Serpent errour wandring, found thir way,
And on the washie Oose deep els wore;
Easie, ere God had bid the ground be drie,
All but within those banks, where Rivers now [ 305 ]
Stream, aual draw thir humid traine.
The dry Lah, and the great receptacle
Of gregated Waters he calld Seas:
And saw that it was good, and said, Let th Earth
Put forth the verdant Grass, Herb yielding Seed, [ 310 ]
And Fruit Tree yielding Fruit after her kind;
Whose Seed is in her self upon the Earth.
He scarce had said, when the bare Earth, till then
Desert and bare, unsightly, unadornd,
Brought forth the tender Grass, whose verdure clad [ 315 ]
Her Universal Face with pleasant green,
Then Herbs of every leaf, that sudden flourd
Opning thir various colours, and made gay
Her bosom smelling sweet: and these scarce blown,
Forth flourisht thick the clustring Vine, forth crept [ 320 ]
The smelling Gourd, up stood the ie Reed
Embattelld in her field: and the humble Shrub,
And Bush with frizld hair implicit: last
Rose as in Dahe stately Trees, and spred
Thir branches hung with copious Fruit; emmd [ 325 ]
Thir blossoms: with high woods the hills were d,
With tufts the vallies and each fountain side,
With borders long the Rivers. That Earth now
Seemd like to Heavn, a seat where Gods might dwell,
Or wander with delight, and love to haunt [ 330 ]
Her sacred shades: though God had yet not raind
Upon the Earth, and man to till the ground
None was, but from the Earth a dewie Mist
Went up and waterd all the ground, and each
Plant of the field, which ere it was in the Earth [ 335 ]
bbr>.99liｂ?God made, and every Herb, before it grew
On the green stemm; God saw that it was good.
8
So Eevn and Morn recorded the Third Day.
Again th Almightie spake: Let there be Lights
High in th expanse of Heaven to divide [ 340 ]
The Day from Night; ahem be fnes,
For Seasons, and for Dayes, and cirg Years,
Ahem be fhts as I ordaine
Thir Offi the Firmament of Heavn
To give Light on the Earth; and it was so. [ 345 ]
And God made two great Lights, great for thir use
To Man, the greater to have rule by Day,
The less by Night alterne: and made the Starrs,
Ahem in the Firmament of Heavn
To illumihe Earth, and rule the Day [ 350 ]
In thir vicissitude, and rule the Night,
And Light from Darko divide. God saw,
Surveying his great Work, that it was good:
For of Celestial Bodies first the Sun
A mightie Spheare he framd, unlightsom first, [ 355 ]
Though of Ethereal Mould: then formd the Moon
Globose, and every magnitude of Starrs,
And sowd with Starrs the Heavn thick as a field:
Of Light by farr the greater part he took,
Transplanted from her cloudie Shrine, and placd [ 360 ]
In the Suns Orb, made porous to receive
And drink the liquid Light, firm to retaine
Her gatherd beams, great Palaow of Light.
Hither as to thir Fountain other Starrs
Repairing, in th９９lｉｂ?ir goldn Urns draw Light, [ 365 ]
And hehe M Pla guilds her horns;
By tincture or refle they augment
Thir small peculiar, though from human sight
So farr remote, with diminution seen.
First in his East the glorious Lamp was seen, [ 370 ]
Regent of Day, and all th Horizon round
Ied with bright Rayes, jod to run
His Longitude through Heavns high rode: the gray
Dawn, and the Pleiades before him dancd
Shedding sweet influence: less bright the Moon, [ 375 ]
But ９9lｉb?opposite in leveld West was set
His mirror, with full face borrowing her Light
From him, for ht she needed none
In that aspect, and still that distance keepes
Till night, then in the East her turn she shines, [ 380 ]
Revolvd on Heavns great Axle, and her Reign
With thousand lesser Lights dividual holds,
With thousand thousand Starres, that then appeerd
Spangling the Hemisphere: then first adornd
With thir bright Lumihat Set and Rose, [ 385 ]
Glad Eevning and glad Morn d the fourth day.
And God sa>?id, let the Waters gee
Reptil with Spawn abundant, living Soule:
A Fowle flie above the Earth, wit?.h wings
Displayd on the opn Firmament of Heavn. [ 390 ]
9
And God created the great Whales, and each
Soul living, each that crept, which plenteously
The waters geed by thir kindes,
And every Bird of wing after his kinde;
And saw that it was good, and blessd them, saying, [ 395 ]
Be fruitful, multiply, and in the Seas
And Lakes and running Streams the waters fill;
An藏书网d let the Fowle be multiplyd on the Earth.
Forthwith the Sounds and Seas, each Creek and Bay
With Frie innumerable swarme, and Shoales [ 400 ]
Of Fish that with thir Finns and shining Scales
Glide uhe green Wave, in Sculles that oft
Bank the mid Sea: part single or with mate
Graze the Sea weed thir pasture, and through Groves
Of Coral stray, or sp with quick glance [ 405 ]
Show to the Sun thir wavd coats dropt with Gold,
Or in thir Pearlie shells at ease, attend
Moist nutriment, or under Rocks thir food
In jointed Armour watooth the Seale,
And bended Dolphins play: part huge of bulk [ 410 ]
Wallowing unweildie, enormous in thir Gate
Tempest the O: there Leviathan
Hugest of living Creatures, on the Deep
Stretcht like a Promontorie sleeps or swimmes,
And seems a moving Land, and at his Gilles [ 415 ]
Draws in, and at his Trunck spouts out a Sea.
Mean while the tepid Caves, and Fens and shoares
Thir Brood as numerous hatch, from the Egg that soon
Bursting with kindly rupture forth disclosd
Thir callow young, but featherd soon and fledge [ 420 ]
They summd thir Penns, and s th air sublime
With g despisd the ground, under a cloud
In prospect; there the Eagle and the Stork
On Cliffs and Cedar tops thir Eyries build:
Part loosly wing the Region, part more wise [ 425 ]
In d in figure wedge thir way,
Intelligent of seasons, a forth
Thir Aierie Caravan high over Seas
Flying, and over Lands with mutual wing
Easing thir flight; so stears the prudent e [ 430 ]
Her annual Voiage, born on Wihe Aire,
Floats, as they pass, fannd with unnumberd plumes:
From Branch to Branch the smaller Birds with song
Solacd the Woods, and spred thir painted wings
Till Evn, nor then the solemn Nightingal [ 435 ]
Ceasd warbling, but all night tund her soft layes:
Others on Silver Lakes and Rivers Bathd
Thir downie Brest; the Swan with Arched neck
Between her white wings mantling proudly, Rowes
Her state with Oarie feet: yet oft they quit [ 440 ]
The Dank, and rising on stiff Pennons, towre
The mid Aereal Skie: Others on ground
Walkd firm; the crested Cock whose clar９９lｉb?ion sounds
The silent hours, and th other whose gay Traine
Adorns him, colourd with the Florid hue [ 445 ]
Of Rainbows and Starrie Eyes. The Waters thus
With Fish replenisht, and the Aire, with Fowle,
Evning and> Morn solemnizd the Fift day.
10
The Sixt, and of Creation last arose
With Eevning H藏书网arps and Mattin, when God said, [ 450 ]
Let th Earth bring forth Soul living in her kinde,
Cattel and Creeping things, a of the Earth,
Ea their kihe Earth obeyd, and strait
opning her fertile Woomb teemd at a Birth
Innumerous living Creatures, perfet formes, [ 455 ]
Limbd and full grown: out of the ground up rose
As from his Laire the wilde Beast where he wonns
In Forrest wilde, in Thicket, Brake, or Den;
Among the Trees in Pairs they rose, they walkd:
The Cattel in the Fields and Meddowes green: [ 460 ]
Those rare and solitarie, these in flocks
Pasturing at once, and in broad Herds upsprung.
The grassie Clods now Calvd, now half appeerd
The Tawnie Lion, pawing to get free
His hinder parts, then springs as broke from Bonds, [ 465 ]
And Rampant shakes his Brinded main; the Ounce,
The Libbard?99liｂ., and the Tyger, as the Moale
Rising, the crumbld Earth above them threw
In Hillocks; the swift Stag from under ground
Bore up his brang head: scarse from his mould [ 470 ]
Behemoth biggest born of Earth upheavd
His vastness: Fleect the Flocks and bleating rose,
As Plants: ambiguous between Sea and Land
The River Horse and scalie Crocodile.
At once came forth whatever creeps the ground, [ 475 ]
I or Worme; those wavd thir limber fans
For wings, and smallest Lis exact
In all the Liveries dect of Summers pride
With spots of Gold and Purple, azure and green:
These as a lihir long dimension drew, [ 480 ]
Streaking the ground with sinuous traot all
Minims of Nature; some of Serpent kinde
Wondrous ih and corpulenvolvd
Thir Snakie foulds, and added wings. First crept
The Parsimonious Emmet, provident [ 485 ]
Of future, in small room large heart enclosd,
Pattern of just equalitie perhaps
Hereafter, joind in her popular Tribes
Of onaltie: swarmi appeerd
The Female Bee that feeds her Husband Drone [ 490 ]
Deliciously, and builds her waxen Cells
With Hoord: the rest are numberless,
And thou thir Natures knowst, & gavst them Names,
Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown
The Serpent suttlst Beast of all the field, [ 495 ]
Of huge extent somtimes, ..with brazen Eyes
And hairie Main terrific, though to thee
Not noxious, ..but obedient at thy call.
11
Now Heavn in all her Glorie shon, and rowld
Her motions, as the great first-Movers hand [ 500 ]
First wheeld thir c..ourse; Earth in her rich attire
mate lovly smild; Aire,, Water, Earth,
By Fowl, Fish, Beast, was flown, was swum, was walkt
Frequent; and of the Sixt day yet remaind;
There wanted yet the Master work, the end [ 505 ]
Of all yet don; a Creature who not prone
And Brute as other Creatures, but endud
With Sanctitie of Reason, might erect
His Stature, and upright with Front serene
Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence [ 510 ]
Magnanimous to correspond with Heavn,
But grateful to aowledge whence his good
Desds, thither with heart and void eyes
Directed iion, to adore
And worship God Supream, who made him chief [ 515 ]
Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent
Eternal Father (For where is not hee
Present) thus to his Son audibly spake.
Let us make now Man in our image, Man
In our similitude, ahem rule [ 520 ]
Over the ?Fish and Fowle of Sea and Aire,,
Beast of the Field, and over all the Earth,
And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.
This said, he formd thee, Adam, thee O Man
Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breathd [ 525 ]
The breath of Life; in his own Image hee
Created thee, in the Image of God
Express, and thou becamst a living Soul.
M.t>ale he created thee, but thy sort
Female for Race; then blessd Mankinde, and said, [ 530 ]
Be fruitful, multiplie, and fill the Earth,
Subdue it, and throughout Dominion hold
Over Fish of the Sea, and Fowle of the Aire,,
And every living thing that moves on the Earth.
12
Wherever thus created, for no place [ 535 ]
Is yet distinct by hence, as thou knowst
He brought thee into this delicious Grove,
This Garden, planted with the Trees of God,
Delectable both to behold and taste;
And freely all thir pleasant fruit for food [ 540 ]
Gave thee, all sorts are here that all th Earth yields,
Varietie without end; but of the Tree
Which tasted works knowledge of Good and Evil,
Thou maist not; in the day thou eatst, thou dist;
Death is the penaltie imposd, beware, [ 545 ]
And goverhy appetite, least sin
Surprise thee, and her black attendah.
Here finishd hee, and all that he had made
Viewd, and behold all was entirely good;
So Evn and Morn aplisht the Sixt day: [ 550 ]
Yet not till the Creator from his work
Desisting, though unwearied, up returnd
Up to the Heavn of Heavns his high abode,
Theo behold this new created World
Th addition of his Empire, how it shewd [ 555 ]
In prospect from his Throne, how good, how faire,
Answering his great Idea. Up he rode
Followd with acclamation and the sound
Symphonious of ten thousand Harpes that tund
Angelic harmohe Earth, the Aire, [ 560 ]
Resounded, (thou rememberst for thou heardst)
The Heavns and all the stellati,
The Plas in thir stations listning stood,
While the bright Pomp asded jubilant.
Open, ye everlasting Gates, they sung, [ 565 ]
Open, ye Heavns, your living dores; let in
The great Creator from his work returnd
Magnifit, his Six days work, a World;
Open, and heh oft; fod will deigne
To visit oft the dwellings of just Men [ 570 ]
Delighted, and with frequent intercourse
Thither will send his winged Messengers
On errand.99ｌib?s of supernal Grace. So sung
The glorious Train asding: He through Heavn,
That opend wide her blazing Portals, led [ 575 ]
To Gods Eternal house direct the way,
A broad and ample rode, whose dust is Gold
And pavement Starrs, as Starrs to thee appeer,
Seen in the Galaxie, that Milkie way
Whiightly as a cirg Zohou seest [ 580 ]
Pouderd with Starrs. And now oh the Seventh
Eevning arose in Eden, for the Sun
Was set, and twilight from the East came on,
Forerunning Night; when at the holy mount
Of Heavns high-seated top, th Impereal Throne [ 585 ]
Of Godhead, fixt for ever firm and sure,
The Filial Power arrivd, and sate him down
With his great Father (for he also went
Invisible, yet staid, such priviledge
Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordaind, [ 590 ]
Author and end of all things, and from work
Now resting, blessd and hallowd the Seavnth day,
As resting on that day from all his work,
But not in silence holy kept; the Harp
Had work aed not, the solemn Pipe, [ 595 ]
And Dulcimer, all ans of sweet stop,
All sounds o by String olden Wire
Temperd soft Tunings, intermixt with Voice
Choral or Unison; of inse Clouds
Fuming from Golden sers hid the Mount. [ 600 ]
Creation and the Six dayes acts they sung,
Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite
Thy power; what thought measure thee or tongue
Relate thee; greater now in thy return
Then from the Giant Angels; thee that day [ 605 ]
Thy Thunders magnifid; but to create
Is greater theed to destroy.
13
Who impair thee, mighty King, or bound
Thy Empire? easily the proud attempt
O