Pasturing at once, and in broad herds up sprung.
The grassy clods now calved; now half appear'd
The tawny lion, pawing to get free
His hinder parts, then springs, as broke from bonds,
And rampant shakes his brinded mane; the ounce, 465
The libbard, and the tiger, as the mole
Rising, the crumbled earth above them threw
In hillocks; the swift stag, from under ground,
Bore up his branching head: scarce from his mould
Behemoth, biggest born of earth, upheaved

470
His vastness : fleeced the flocks, and bleating, rose
As plants : ambiguous between sea and land,
The river horse, and scaly crocodile.
At once came forth whatever creeps the ground,
Insect or worm: those waved their limber fans, 475
For wings, and smallest lineaments exact,
In all the liveries deck'd of summer's pride,
With spots of gold and purple, azure and green
These, as a line, their long dimensions drew,
Streaking the ground with sinnuous trace; not all 480
Minims of nature; some of serpent kind,
Wonderous in length and corpulence, involved
Their snaky folds, and added wings. First crept
The parsimonious emmet, provident
Of future, in small room large heart enclosed,

485 Pattern of just equality perhaps Hereafter, join'd in her popular tribes Of commonalty ; swarming next appear'd The female bee, that feeds her husband drone Deliciously, and builds her waxen cells,

490 With honey stored : The rest are numberless, And thou their natures know'st, and gav'st them names, Needless to thee repeated ; nor unknown l'he serpent, subtlest beast of all the field, 0 huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes,

495 And hairy mane terrific, though to thee Not noxious, but obedient at thy call.

• Now Heaven in all her glory shone, and rollid Her motions, as the great first Mover's hand First wheeld their course ; Earth, in her rich attire 500 Consummate lovely, smiled ; air, water, earth, By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd, Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remain’d. There wanted yet the master-work, the end Of all yet done ; a creature, who, not prone

605 And brute, as other creatures, but endued With sanctity of reason, might erect

His stature, and upright, with front serene,
Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence
Magnanimous, to correspond with Heaven;

510
But grateful, to acknowledge whence his good
Descends; thither, with heart, and voice, and eyes,
Directed in devotion, to adore
And worship God supreme, who made him chief
Of all his works; therefore the Omnipotent

515 Eternal Father, for where is not he Present? thus to his Son audibly spake.

" " Let us make now Man in our image, Man In our similitude; and let them rule Over the fish, and fowl, of sea and air,

520 Beast of the field, and over all the earth, And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.' This said, he form’d thee, Adam, thee, O Man ! Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breathed The breath of life ; in his own image he

525 Created thee, in the image of God Express, and thou becamest a living soul. Male he created thee; but thy consort Female, for race; then bless'd mankind, & said, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth;

530 Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold, Over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air, And every living thing that moves on the earth. Wherever thus created, for no place Is yet distinct by name. Thence, as thou know'st, 535 He brought thee into this delicious grove, This garden, planted with the trees of God, Delectable both to behold and taste ; And freely all their pleasant fruit for food Gave thee; all sorts are here that all the earth yields 540 Variety without end; but of the tree, Which tasted, works knowledge of good and evil, Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st, thou diest : Death is the penalty imposed; beware, And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin

545 Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death.

" Here finish'd he; and all that he had made View'd, and behold all was entirely good; So even and morn accomplish'd the sixth day: Yet not till the Creator, from his work

550 Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd, Up to the Heaven of Heavens, his high abode, Thence to behold this new-created world, The addition of bis empire. how it show'd

555

560

565

570

575

In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair,
Answering his great idea. Up he rode,
Follow'd with acclamation, and the sound,
Symphonious, of ten thousand harps, that tuned
Angelic harmonies : the earth, the air
Resounded; thou remember'st, for thou heardst;
The Heavens, and all the constellations rung,
The planets in their stations listening stood,
While the bright pomp ascended jubilant.

Open, ye everlasting gates,' they sung ;
Open, ye Heavens, your living doors; let in
The great Creator, from his work return'd
Magnificent-his six days' work, a world;
Open, and henceforth oit; for God will deign
To visit oft the dwellings of just men,
Delighted; and with frequent intercourse,
Thither will send his winged messengers,
On errands of supernal grace.' So sung
The glorious train ascending : he through Heaven,
That open'd wide her blazing portals, led
To God's eternal house, direct the way,
A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold,
And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear,
Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,
Which nightly, as a circling zone thou seest,
Powder'd with stars. And now on earth the seventh
Evening arose in Eden, for the sun
Was set, and twilight from the east came on
Forerunning night; when, at the holy moun
Of Heaven's high-seated top, the imperial throne
Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and sure,
The Filial Power arrived, and sat him down
With his great Father; for he also went
Invisible, yet stay'd, such privilege
Hath Omnipresence, and the work ordain'd,
Author and end of all things; and from work
Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the seventh day,
As resting on that day from all his work;
But not in silence holy kept: the harp
Had work, and rested not, the solemn pipe,
And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,
All sounds on fret, by string or golden wire,
Temper'd soft tunings, intermix'd with voice,
Choral or unison : of incense clouds,
Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount.
Creation, and the six days' acts, they sung:

“Great are thy works, Jebovah! infinite

580

585

590

595

600

Thy pow'r! what thought can measure thee, or tongue
Relate thee? greater now in thy return,
Than from the giant angels; thee that day
Thy thunders magnified; but to create,

605
Is greater than created to destroy.
Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bouna
Thy empire ? easily the proud attempt
Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain,
Thou hast repell’d, while impiously they thought 610
Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks
To lessen thee, against his purpose, serves
To manifest the more thy might : his evil
Thou usest, & from thence createst more good. 615
Witness this new-made world, another Heaven,
From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view
On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea;
Of amplitude almost immense, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world

620 Of destined habitation ; but thou know'st Their seasons : among these the seat of men, Earth with her nether ocean circumfused, Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy men, And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanced, 625 Created in his image, there to dwell, And worship him, and in reward to rule Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air, And multiply a race of worshippers, Holy and just : thrice bappy, if they know

630 Their happiness, and persevere upright.'

“So sung they, and the empyrean rung
With hallelujahs : Thus was sabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd,
How first this world and face of things began,

635
And what before thy memory was done,
From the beginning, that posterity,
Inform’d by thee, might know; if else thou seek'st
Ought, not surpassing human measure, say."

THE END OF BOOK VII,