His flight precipitant, and winds with ease
Through the pure marble air his oblique way
Amongst innumerable stars, that shone
Stars diftant, but nigh hand feem'd other worlds;
Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy iles,
Like thofe Hefperian gardens fam'd of old,
Fortunate fields, and groves, and flow'ry vales,
Thrice happy iles, but who dwelt happy there
He ftay'd not to inquire: above them all
The golden fun in fplendor likeft Heaven
Allur'd his eye thither his courfe 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,
Difpenfes light from far; they as they move
Their ftarry dance in numbers that compute
Days months and years, tow'ards his all-chearing lamp
There lands the Fiend, a fpot 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 moft or chryfolite,
Ruby or topaz, to the twelve that shone
In Aaron's breaft-plate, and a stone befides.
Imagin'd rather oft than elfewhere feen,
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 fea,
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 fo many precious things
Of color glorious, and effect fo rare ?
Here matter now 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, fharpen'd his vifual 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 lefs his locks behind
Illustrious 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 Paradife 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 fuch as in his face
Youth fmil'd celeftial, 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,
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 seven
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 swift errands over moist and dry,
O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accofts.
Uriel, for thou of thofe feven Spi'rits that ftand
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 embaffy attend;
And here art likelieft by fupreme decree
Like honor to obtain, and as his eye
To vifit oft this new creation round;
Unspeakable defire to fee, and know
All thefe his wondrous works, but chiefly Man,
His chief delight and favor, him for whom
All thefe his works fo wondrous he ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim
Alone thus wand'ring. Brightest Seraph, tell
In which of all these thining orbs hath Man
His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,
But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell;
That I may find him, and with fecret gaze
Or open admiration him behold,
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,
The univerfal Maker we may praife;
Who justly hath driv'n out his rebel foes
• To deepest Hell, and to repair that lofs
Created this new happy race of Men
To serve him better: wife are all his ways.
So fpake the falfe diffembler unperceiv'd;
For neither Man nor Angel can difcern
Hypocrify, the only' evil that walks
Invisible, except to God alone,
By his permiffive will, through Heav'n and Earth: 685
And oft, though wifdom wake, fufpicion fleeps
At wifdom'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 fharpeft-fighted Spirit of all in Heaven;
Who to the fraudulent impoftor foul
In his uprightnefs anfwer, 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 excess
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it feems 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 worthieft to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight;;
But what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wifdom infinite.
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 intnitude confin'd;
Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled,.
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