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Hypocrify, the only' evil that walks

Invisible, except to God alone,

By his permiffive will, through Heav'n and Earth: 685
And oft, though wisdom wake, fufpicion fleeps
At wifdom's gate, and to fimplicity

Refigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill seems: Which now for once beguil'd
Uriel, though regent of the fun, and held
The sharpeft-fighted Spirit of all in Heaven ;
Who to the fraudulent impoftor foul
In his uprightnefs anfwer, thus return'd."

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Fair Angel, thy defire, which tends to know
The works of God, thereby to glorify
The great Work-mafter, leads to no excess
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it seems excefs, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal mansion thus alone,
To witness with thine eyes what fome perhaps
Contented with report hear only' in Heaven :
For wonderful indeed are all his works,
Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight;;
But what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wifdom infinite

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That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep?
I faw when at his word the formless mafs,
This world's material mold, came to a heap:
Confufion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood rul'd, ftood vaft in nitude confin'd;
Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled,

710

Light fhone, and order from diforder sprung:
Swift to their several quarters hafted then
The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire;
And this ethereal quinteffence of Heaven
Flew upward, fpirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars
Numberlefs, as thou feeft, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his course;
The reft in circuit walls this universe.

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Look downward on that globe, whofe hither fide
With light from hence, though but reflected, fhines;
That place is Earth the feat of Man, that light
His day, which elfe as th' other hemifphere
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon
(So call that oppofite fair star) her aid

Timely' interposes, and her monthly round

Still ending, ftill renewing, through mid Heaven,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties to inlighten th' Earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradife,

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Adam's abode, thofe lofty fhades his bower.
Thy way thou canst not mifs, me mine requires. 735
Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low,

As to fuperior Spi'rits is wont in Heaven,
Where honor due and reverence none neglects,

Took leave, and tow'ard the coast of earth beneath,
Down from th' ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs, 740
Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel,

Nor ftay'd, till on Niphates' top he lights.

THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK.

VOL. I.

H

THE

THE

FOURTH

OF

BOOK

PARADISE LOST.

THE ARGUMENT.

Satan now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy, and defpair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradife whose outward profpect and fituation is defcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the fhape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as higheft in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcrib'd; Satan's first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with refolution 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 thereon intends to found his temptation by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while, to know further of their ftate by fome other means. Mean while Uriel defcending on a funbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradife, that fome evil Spirit had efcap'd the deep, and pafs'd at noon by his fphere in the fhape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered after by his furious geftures in the mount. Gabriel promifes to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their rest: their bower deferib'd; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradife, appoints two ftrong Angels to Adam's bower, left the evil Spirit should be there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom queftion'd, he fcornfully anfwers, prepares refiftance, but hinder'd by a fign from Heaven, flies out of Pará

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