To objects distant far, whereby he soon The same whom John saw also in the sun : His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid; 625 Circled his head, nor less his locks behind Illustrious on his shoulders fledge with wings Lay waving round; on some great charge employ Glad was the Spirit impure, as now in hope 630 To find who might direct his wandering flight To Paradise, the happy seat of Man, His journey's end and our beginning woe. But first he casts to change his proper shape, Which else might work him danger or delay: 635 And now a stripling Cherub he appears, Not of the prime, yet such as in his face Youth smiled celestial, and to every limb Suitable grace diffused, so well he feign'd: Under a coronet his flowing hair 640 In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore Of many a colour'd plume, sprinkled with gold; He drew not nigh unheard; the Angel bright, 645 650 That run through all the Heavens, or down to the Earth Bear his swift errands over moist and dry, O'er sea and land: him Satan thus accosts: Uriel, for thou of those seven Spirits that stand In sight of God's high throne, gloriously bright, 655 And here art likeliest by supreme decree 660 To visit oft this new creation round; Unspeakable desire to see and know All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man, 665. 670 Or open admiration him behold, On whom the great Creator hath bestowed Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd; 675 The universal Maker we may praise; Who justly hath driven out his rebel focs To serve him better: Wise are all his ways. Invisible, except to God alone, 680 By his permissive will, through Heaven and Earth And oft, though Wisdom wake, Suspicion sleeps 686 At Wisdom's gate, and to Simplicity Resigns her charge, while Goodness thinks no ill Where no ill seems; which now for once beguiled 690 In his uprightness, answer thus return'd: Fair Angel, thy desire, which tends to know 'The works of God, thereby to glorify 695 The great Workmaster, leads to no excess That reaches blame, but rather merits praise The more it seems excess, that led thee hither 700 705 710 To witness with thine eyes what some perhaps, 715 720 725 Still ending, still renewing, through mid Heaven, 730 Adam's abode; those lofty shades, his bower. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IV. Satan, now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where ho must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alono against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil; journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation are described; overleaps the bounds; sits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse: thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thercon intends to found his temptation by seducing them to transgress: Then leaves them awhile to know further of their state by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel descending an a sunbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradise, that some evil Spirit had escaped the deep, and passed at noon by his sphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious gestures on the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest: Their bower described; their evening worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adam's bower, lest the evil Spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping: there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel: by whom questioned, he scornfully answers; prepares resistance; but, hindered by a sign from Heaven, flies out of Pa radise O FOR that warning voice, which he who saw 5 The tempter ere the accuser of mankind, 10 Of that first battle, and his flight to Hell 15 |