On high behefts his Angels to and fro
Pass'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard
From Paneas the fount of Jordan's flood
To Beerfaba, where the Holy Land
Borders on Egypt and th' Arabian fhore;
So wide the opening feem'd, where bounds were fet
To darknefs, fuch as bound the ocean wave.
Satan from hence, now on the lower stair
That fcal'd by steps of gold to Heaven gate,
Looks down with wonder at the fudden view
Of all this world at once. As when a fcout
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 seen,
The Spirit malign, but much more envy feis'd,
At fight of all this world beheld fo fair.
Round he furveys (and well might, where he stood
So high above the circling canopy
Of night's extended fhade) from castern point
Of Libra to the fleecy star that bears
Andromeda far off Atlantic feas
Beyond th' horizon; then from pole to pole
He views in breadth, and without longer pause
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 diftant, but nigh hand feem'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 distance 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 saw.
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 ftone, carbuncle most 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 ftone, 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 fhade,
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 Angèl 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 fimil'd celeftial, and to every limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, fo 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 prefence, 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 moift and dry,
O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accofts.
Uriel, for thou of those seven Spi'rits that stand
In fight of God's high throne, gloriously bright, 655
The first art wont his great authentic will
Interpreter through higheft 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;
Unfpeakable defire to fee, and know
All thefe his wondrous works, but chiefly Man,
His chief delight and favor, him for whom
All these 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 fhining orbs hath Man
His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,
But all these fhining orbs his choice to dwell;
That I may find him, and with secret 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 praise;
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 ferve him better: wife are all his ways.
So fpake the falfe diffembler unperceiv'd;
For neither Man nor Angel can difcern
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