630

Glad was the Spi'rit impure, as now in hope
To find who might direct his wand'ring flight
To Paradise the happy feat of Man,
His journey's end and our beginning woe.
But first he cafts to change his proper shape,
Which elfe might work him danger or delay: 635
And now a stripling Cherub he

appears,

Not of the prime, yet fuch as in his face
Youth fmil'd celestial, and to every limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, fo well he feign'd:

Under a coronet his flowing hair

In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore
Of many a color'd plume fprinkled with gold,
His habit fit for speed fuccinct, and held
Before his decent steps a filver wand.

640

He drew not nigh unheard; the Angel bright, 645
Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turn'd,
Admonish'd by his ear, and ftrait was known
Th' Arch-Angel Uriël, one of the seven
Who in God's prefence, nearest to his throne,

Stand ready at command, and are his eyes

650

That run through all the Heav'ns, or down to th' Earth Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,

O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accosts.

Uriel, for thou of those seven Spi'rits that stand
In fight of God's high throne, gloriously bright, 655
The first art wont his great authentic will
Interpreter through highest Heav'n to bring,
Where all his fons thy embassy attend;
And here art likelieft by supreme decree
Like honour to obtain, and as his eye
To vifit oft this new creation round;
Unfpeakable defire to fee, and know

All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man,
His chief delight and favor, him for whom
All thefe his works fo wondrous he ordain'd,

650. and are his eyes &c.] An expreflion borrow'd from Zech. IV. 10. Thofe ferven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. The Jews therefore believed there were Jeven principal Angels, who were the captains and leaders as it were of the heavenly hoft. See Tobit XII. 15 Rev. I. 4. V. 6. VIII. 2.

654 Uriel,] His name is derived from two Hebrew words

660

665 Hath

which fignify God is my light. He
is mentioned as a good Angel in
the fecond Book of Efdras, chap-
ters 4 and 5; and the Jews and
fome Christians conceive him to be
an Angel of light according to his
name, and therefore he has pro-
perly his ftation in the fun.

663. but chiefy Man,
His chief delight and favor, him
for whom &c.] Dr. Bent-

Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim

Alone thus wand'ring.

Brightest Seraph, tell

In which of all these fhining orbs hath Man

His fixed feat, or fixed seat hath none,

But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell; 670 That I may find him, and with fecret

gaze

On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd

Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd;
That both in him and all things, as is meet; 675
The univerfal Maker we may praise;

Who justly hath driven out his rebel foes
To deepest Hell, and to repair that loss
Created this new happy race of Men

To ferve him better: wife are all his

ways.

So fpake the falfe diffembler unperceiv'd;

680

For

ley reads and favorite for whom, and fays that Man his chief favor is not English. But, as Dr. Pearce replies, by favor furely may be meant the object of his favor; as by delight is plainly meant not his delight itfelf but the object of his delight. And, as Mr. Upton obferves, it is only using the abftract for the concrete. So Terence ufes fcelus for fceleftus. Andria, Aa V.

Scelus quem hic laudat. And Virgil. n. V. 541.

Nec bonus Eurytio prælato invi

dit honori.

honori is the honourable perfon, prelato which was preferr'd before him.

678. that lofs] This is Milton's own reading in both his editions. Dr. Bentley and Mr. Fenton read not fo well their lofs. R 3 683. Hy

For neither Man nor Angel can difcern

Hypocrify, the only' evil that walks

Invifible, except to God alone,

684

By his permiffive will, through Heav'n and Earth :
And oft though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps
At wisdom's gate, and to fimplicity

Refigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill feems: Which now for once beguil'd
Uriel, though regent of the fun, and held

The sharpeft fighted Spi'rit of all in Heaven;
Who to the fraudulent impoftor foul
In his uprightness answer thus return'd.

Fair Angel, thy defire which tends to know
The works of God, thereby to glorify
The great Work-mafter, leads to no excels
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise.

683. Hypocrify &c.] What is faid here of hypocrify is cenfur'd as a digreffion, but it seems no more than is abfolutely neceffary; for otherwife it might be thought very ftrange, that the evil Spirit fhould pafs undifcover'd by the Arch-Angel Uriel, the regent of the fun, and the fharpeft-fighted Spirit in Heaven, and therefore the poet endevors to account for it by faying, that hypocrify cannot be difcern'd by Man or Angel, it is invifible to all but God, &c. But yet

690

695

The

the evil Spirit did not pafs wholly undifcover'd, for though Uriel was not aware of him now, yet he found reafon to fufpect him afterwards from his furious geftures in the mount.

686 And aft though avifdom wake &c.] He must be very critically fplene ic indeed, who will not pardon this little digreffional obfervation. There is not in my opinion a nobler fentiment, or one more poetically exprefs'd, in the whole poem. What great art has the

poet