Thee next they fang of all creation first,
Begotten Son, Divine Similitude,
In whofe confpicuous count'nance, without cloud®
Made visible, th' almighty Father shines,
Whom elfe no creature can behold; on thee
Imprefs'd th' effulgence of his glory' abides,
Transfus'd on thee his ample Spirit rests.
He Heav'n of Heav'ns and all the Pow'rs therein 390
By thee created, and by thee drew down
Th' afpiring Dominations: thou that day
Thy Father's dreadful thunder didft not spare,
Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook
Heav'n's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks
Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarray'd,
Back from purfuit thy Pow'rs with loud acclame
Thee only' extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might,
To execute fierce vengeance on his foes,
Not fo on Man: Him through their malice fall'n, 400 Father of mercy' and grace, thou didst not doom
So ftrictly, but much more to pity' incline
No fooner did thy dear and only Son
Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man
So ftrictly, but much more to pity' inclin❜d,
He to appeafe thy wrath, and end the strife
Of mercy' and juftice in thy face difcern'd,
Regardless of the blifs wherein he fat
Second to thee, offer'd himself to die
For Man's offenfe. O unexampled love,
Love no where to be found lefs than Divine!
Hail Son of God, Saviour of Men, thy name
Shall be the copious matter of my song
Henceforth, and never shall my harp thy praise
Forget, nor from thy Father's praise disjoin.
Thus they in Heav'n, above the starry sphere,
Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent.
Mean while upon the firm opacous globe
Of this round world, whofe first convex divides
The luminous inferior orbs inclos'd
From Chaos and th' inroad of Darkness old,
Satan alighted walks: a globe far off
It seem'd, now feems a boundless continent
Dark, wafte, and wild, under the frown of Night
Starlefs expos'd, and ever-threatning storms
Of Chaos bluft'ring round, inclement sky;
Save on that fide which from the wall of Heaven,
Though diftant far, fome fmall reflection gains
Of glimmering air lefs vex'd with tempeft loud:
Here walk'd the Fiend at large in spacious field.
As when a vultur on Imaus bred,
Whofe fnowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds,
Diflodging from a region scaree of prey
To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids
On hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the fprings
Of Ganges or Hydafpes Indian ftreams;
But in his way lights on the barren plains
Of Sericana, where Chinefes drive
With fails and wind their cany waggons light:
So on this windy fea of land, the Fiend
Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey;
Alone, for other creature in this place
G 4
Living or lifelefs to be found was none;
None yet, but store hereafter from the earth
Up hither like aereal vapors flew
Of all things tranfitory' and vain, when fin
With vanity had fill'd the works of men;
Both all things vain, and all who in vain things
Built their fond hopes of glory' or lasting fame,
Or happiness in this or th' other life;
All who have their reward on earth, the fruits
Of painful fuperftition and blind zeal,
Nought seeking but the praise of men, here find
Fit retribution, empty as their deeds ;
All th' unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand, 455
Abortive, monftrous, or unkindly mix'd,
Diffoly'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain,
Till final diffolution, wander here,
Not in the neighb'ring moon, as fome have dream'd;
Those argent fields more likely habitants,
Tranflated Saints, or middle Spirits hold
Betwixt th' angelical and human kind.
Hither of ill-join'd fons and daughters born
Firft from the ancient world thofe giants came
With many a vain exploit, though then renown'd:
The builders next of Babel on the plain
Of Sennaar, and still with vain defign
New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build :
Others came fingle; he who to be deem'd
A God, leap'd fondly into Ætna flames,
Empedocles; and he who to enjoy
Plato's Elysium, leap'd into the fea,
Cleombrotus; and many more too long,
Embryo's and idiots, eremites and friers
White, black, and gray, with all their trumpery.
Here pilgrims roam, that tray'd fo far to seek
In Golgotha him dead, who lives in Heaven;
And they who, to be fure of Paradife,
Dying put on the weeds of Dominic,
Or in Francifcan think to pafs difguis'd;
They pafs the planets fev'n, and pafs the fix'd,
And that cryftallin fphere whofe balance weighs
The trepidation talk'd, and that first mov'd;
And now Saint Peter at Heav'n's wicket feems
To wait them with his keys, and now at foot
Of Heav'n's afcent they lift their feet, when lo
A violent crofs wind from either coaft
Blows them tranfverfe ten thousand leagues awry
Into the devious air; then might ye fee
Cowls, hoods, and habits with their wearers tot 490
And flutter'd into rags, then reliques, beads,
Indulgences, difpenfes, pardons, bulls,
The sport of winds: all thefe upwhirl'd aloft
Fly o'er the backfide of the world far off
Into a Limbo large and broad, fince call'd
The Paradife of Fools, to few unknown
Long after, now unpcopled, and untrod.
All this dark globe the Fiend found as he pafs'd,
And long he wander'd, till at laft a gleam
Of dawning light turn'd thither-ward in hafte
His travel'd fteps: far diftant he defcries
Afcending by degrees magnificent
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
Embellish'd; thick with sparkling orient gems-
The portal fhone, inimitable on earth
By model, or by fhading pencil drawn.
The stairs were such 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.
Each stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood
There always, but drawn up to Heav'n fometimes
Viewless; and underneath a bright sea 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 ftairs were then let down, whether to dare
The Fiend by eafy' afcent, or aggravate
His fad exclufion from the doors of blifs :
Direct against which open'd from beneath,
Juft o'er the blissful 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,
Över the Promis'd Land to God fo dear,
By which, to visit oft thofe happy, tribes,
|