Raphael at the request of Adam relates how and wherefore this world was firft created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his Angels out of Heaven, declared his pleasure to create another world and other creatures to dwell therein; fends his Son with glory and attendance of Angels to perform the work of creation in fix days: the Angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reafcenfion into Heaven.
ESCEND from Heav'n, Urania, by that name
If rightly thou art call'd, whofe voice divine
Following, above th' Olympian hill I foar,
Above the flight of Pegaféan wing.
The meaning, not the name I call: for thou
Nor of the Mufes nine, nor on the top
Of old Olympus dwell'ft, but heav'nly born,
Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd,
Thou with eternal Wifdom didft converse,
Wisdom thy fifter, and with her didst play
In presence of th' almighty Father, pleas'd
With thy celestial fong. Up led by thee
Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns I have prefum'd,
An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air,
Thy temp'ring; with like safety guided down
Return me to my native element:
Left from this flying steed unrein'd, (as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower clime)
Difmounted, on th' Aleian field I fall
Erroneous there to wander and forlorn.
Half yet remains unfung, but narrower bound
Within the visible diurnal sphere;
Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole,
More fafe I fing with mortal voice, unchang'd
To hoarfe or mute, though fall'n on evil days,
On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues;
In darkness, and with dangers compafs'd round,
And folitude; yet not alone, while thou
Vifit'ft my flumbers nightly, or when morn
Purples the caft: ftill govern thou my song,
Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
But drive far off the barbarous diffonance
Of Bacchus, and his revelers, the race
Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard
In Rhodope, where woods and rocks had ears
To rapture, till the favage clamor drown'd
Both harp and voice; nor could the Muse defend
Her fon. So fail not thou, who thee implores :
For thou art heav'nly, the an empty dream.
Say Goddess, what enfued when Raphaël,
The affable Arch-Angel, had forewarn'd
Adam by dire example to beware
Apoftafy, by what befel in Heaven
To thofe apoftates, left the like befal
In Paradife to Adam or his race.
Charg'd not to touch the interdicted tree,
If they tranfgrefs, and flight that fole command,
Of things fo high and ftrange, things to their thought
So unimaginable as hate in Heaven,
And war so near the peace of God in blifs
With fuch confufion: but the evil foon
Driv'n back redounded as a flood on thofe
From whom it sprung, impoffible to mix
With bleffednefs. Whence Adam foon repeál'd
The doubts that in his heart arofe: and now
Led on, yet finlefs, with defire to know
What nearer might concern him, how this world
Of Heav'n and Earth confpicuous first began,
When, and whereof created, for what cause,
What within Eden or without was done
Before his memory, as one whofe drouth
Yet fcarce allay'd ftill eyes the current stream,
Whofe liquid murmur heard new thirft excites,
Proceeded thus to ask his heav'nly guest.
Great things, and full of wonder in our ears, Far differing from this world, thou haft reveal'd, Divine interpreter, by favor sent
Down from the empyréan to forewarn
Us timely' of what might else have been our lofs,
Unknown, which human knowledge could not reach :
For which to th' infinitely Good we owe
Immortal thanks, and his admonishment
Receive with folemn purpose to observe
Immutably his fovran will, the end
Of what we are. But fince thou haft vouchfaf'd 80
Gently for our inftruction to impart
Things above earthly thought, which yet concern'd
Our knowing, as to highest wisdom feem'd,
Deign to defcend now lower, and relate
What may no lefs perhaps avail us known,
How firft began this Heav'n which we behold
Diftant fo high, with moving fires adorn'd
Innumerable, and this which yields or fills
All space, the ambient air wide interfus'd
Embracing round this florid earth, what cause
Mov'd the Creator in his holy reft
Through all eternity fo late to build
In Chaos, and the work begun, how foon
Abfolv'd, if unforbid thou may'st unfold
What we not to explore the fecrets afk
Of his eternal empire, but the more
To magnify his works, the more we know.
And the great light of day yet wants to run
Much of his race though fteep; fufpenfe in Heaven,
Held by thy voice, thy potent voice, he hears,
And longer will delay to hear thee tell
His generation, and the rifing birth
Of Nature from the unapparent deep:
Or if the star of evening and the moon
Hafte to thy audience, night with her will bring 105
Silence, and fleep lift'ning to thee will watch,
Or we can bid his abfence, till thy fong
End, and difmifs thee ere the morning fhine.
Thus Adam his illuftrious gueft befought:
And thus the Godlike Angel anfwer'd mild.
This alfo thy requeft with caution ask'd
Obtain: though to recount almighty works
|