Up to the wall of Heav'n a structure high; At top whereof, but far more rich appear'd The work as of a kingly palace gate, With frontispiece of diamond and gold Embellifh'd; thick with fparkling orient gems The portal fhone, inimitable on earth By model, or by fhading pencil drawn. The stairs were fuch as whereon Jacob faw Angels afcending and defcending, bands
Of guardians bright, when he from Efau fled To Padan-Aram, in the field of Luz
Dreaming by night under the open sky,
And waking cry'd, This is the gate of Heaven. 515 Each stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood There always, but drawn up to Heav'n fometimes Viewless; and underneath a bright fea flow'd Of jafper, or of liquid pearl, whereon
Who after came from earth, failing arriv'd
Wafted by Angels, or flew o'er the lake
Rapt in a chariot drawn by fiery fteeds.
The stairs were then let down, whether to dare The Fiend by easy' ascent, or aggravate
His fad exclufion from the doors of bliss:
Direct against which open'd from beneath,
Juft o'er the blifsful feat of Paradife,
A paffage down to th' Earth, a paffage wide, Wider by far than that of after-times
Over mount Sion, and, though that were large, Over the Promis'd Land to God fo dear,
By which, to visit oft those happy tribes,
On high behefts his Angels to and fro
Pafs'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard From Paneas the fount of Jordan's flood
To Beërfaba, where the Holy Land
Borders on Egypt and th' Arabian shore;
So wide the opening feem'd, where bounds were set To darknefs, fuch as bound the ocean wave. Satan from hence, now on the lower stair That fcal'd by fteps of gold to Heaven gate, Looks down with wonder at the fudden view As when a fcout
Of all this world at once. Through dark and defert ways with peril gone All night, at last by break of chearful dawn Obtains the brow of fome high-climbing hill, Which to his eye difcovers unaware The goodly profpect of fome foreign land Firft feen, or fome renown'd metropolis With glift'ring fpires and pinnacles adorn'd Which now the rifing fun gilds with his beams: Such wonder feis'd, though after Heaven feen, The Spi'rit malign, but much more envy feis'd, At fight of all this world beheld so fair. Round he furveys (and well might, where he ftood So high above the circling canopy
Of night's extended fhade) from eastern point Of Libra to the fleecy ftar that bears Andromeda far off Atlantic feas Beyond th' horizon; then from pole to pole He views in breadth, and without longer paufe Down right into the world's first region throws
His flight precipitant, and winds with ease Through the pure marble air his oblique way Amongst innumerable stars, that shone
Stars distant, but nigh hand seem'd other worlds; Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy iles, Like those Hefperian gardens fam'd of old, Fortunate fields, and groves, and flow'ry vales, Thrice happy iles, but who dwelt happy there He stay'd not to inquire: above them all The golden fun in fplendor likeft Heaven Allur'd his eye: thither his course he bends Through the calm firmament, (but up or down, By center, or eccentric, hard to tell,
Or longitude,) where the great luminary Aloof the vulgar conftellations thick,
That from his lordly eye keep diftance due, Dispenses light from far; they as they move Their ftarry dance in numbers that compute
Days months and years, tow'ards his all-chearing lamp Turn swift their various motions, or are turn'd By his magnetic beam, that gently warms
The universe, and to each inward part
With gentle penetration, though unfeen,
Shoots invifible virtue ev'n to the deep;
So wondrously was fet his station bright. There lands the Fiend, a spot like which perhaps Aftronomer in the fun's lucent orb
Through his glaz'd optic tube yet never faw. The place he found beyond expreffion bright, Compar'd with ought on earth, metal or stone;
Not all parts like, but all alike inform'd
With radiant light, as glowing ir'on with fire; If metal, part feem'd gold, part filver clear; If stone, carbuncle most or chryfolite, Ruby or topaz, or the twelve that fhone In Aaron's breast-plate, and a stone besides Imagin'd rather oft than elsewhere seen, That stone, or like to that, which here below Philofophers in vain fo long have fought, In vain, though by their pow'rful art they bind Volatil Hermes, and call up unbound In various shapes old Proteus from the sea, Drain'd through a limbec to his native form. What wonder then if fields and regions here Breathe forth Elixir pure, and rivers run Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch Th' arch-chemic fun, fo far from us remote, Produces, with terreftrial humor mix'd, Here in the dark so many precious things Of color glorious, and effect fo rare ? Here matter new to gaze the Devil met Undazled; far and wide his eye commands; For fight no obftacle found here, nor shade, But all fun-fhine, as when his beams at noon Culminate from th' equator, as they now Shot upward ftill direct, whence no way round Shadow from body opaque can fall; and th' air No where fo clear, sharpen'd his visual ray
To objects diftant far, whereby he foon
Saw within ken a glorious Angel ftand,
The fame whom John faw alfo in the fun:
His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid; Of beaming funny rays a golden tiar
Circled his head, nor less his locks behind Illuftrious on his shoulders fledge with wings
Lay waving round; on fome great charge employ'd He feem'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.
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:
And now a stripling Cherub he appears,
Not of the prime, yet such as in his face Youth fmil'd celestial, and to every limb Suitable grace diffus'd, so 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 sprinkled with gold,
His habit fit for speed fuccinct, and held Before his decent steps a filver wand.
He drew not nigh unheard; the Angel bright, 645 Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turn'd, Admonish'd by his ear, and strait was known Th' Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the feven Who in God's presence, nearest to his throne, Stand ready at command, and are his eyes That run through all the Heav'ns, or down to th' Earth Bear his fwift errands over moist and dry,
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