With centric and eccentric fcribled o'er,
Cycle and epicycle, orb in orb:
Already by thy reasoning this I guess,
Who art to lead thy offspring, and supposest
That bodies bright and greater fhould not serve
The less not bright, nor Heav'n fuch journeys run,
Earth fitting ftill, when the alone receives
The benefit: confider firft, that great
Or bright infers not excellence: the earth
Though, in comparison of Heav'n, fo fmall,
Nor glift'ring, may of folid good contain
More plenty than the fun that barren fhines,
Whofe virtue on itself works no effect,
But in the fruitful earth; there first receiv'd
His beams, unactive else, their vigor find.
Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries
Officious, but to thee earth's habitant.
And for the Heav'n's wide circuit, let it fpeak
The Maker's high magnificence, who built
So fpacious, and his line ftretch'd out fo far;
That Man may know he dwells not in his own;
An edifice too large for him to fill,
Lodg'd in a small partition, and the reft
Ordain'd for ufes to his Lord best known.
The swiftnefs of thofe circles attribute,
Though numberless, to his omnipotence,
That to corporeal fubftances could add
Speed almoft fpiritual; me thou think'st not flow, 110 Who fince the morning hour fet out from Heaven
Where God refides, and ere mid-day arriv'd
In Eden, distance inexpreffible
By numbers that have name. But this I urge,
Admitting motion in the Heav'ns, to show
Invalid that which thee to doubt it mov'd;
Not that I fo affirm, though so it seem
To thee who haft thy dwelling here on earth.
God to remove his ways from human fenfe,
Plac'd Heav'n from Earth fo far, that earthly fight,
If it prefume, might err in things too high,
And no advantage gain. What if the fun
Be center to the world, and other stars
By his attractive virtue and their own
Incited, dance about him various rounds ?
Their wand'ring course now high, now low, then hid,
Progreffive, retrograde, or standing still,
In fix thou feest, and what if fev❜nth to thefe
The planet earth, fo ftedfaft though the feem,
Infenfibly three different motions move?
Which else to several spheres thou must ascribe,
Mov'd contrary with thwart obliquities,
Or fave the fun his labor, and that swift
Nocturnal and diurnal rhomb fuppos'd,
Invisible else above all stars, the wheel
Of day and night; which needs not thy belief,
If earth induftrious of herself fetch day
Traveling caft, and with her part averfe
From the fun's beam meet night, her other part
Still luminous by his ray. What if that light
Sent from her through the wide tranfpicuous air,
To the terreftrial moon be as a ftar
Inlightning her by day, as fhe by night
This earth? reciprocal, if land be there,
Fields and inhabitants: Her spots thou feest
As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce
Fruits in her foften'd foil, for fome to eat
Allotted there; and other funs perhaps
With their attendant moons thou wilt descry
Communicating male and female light,
Which two great sexes animate the world,
Stor❜d in each orb perhaps with some that live.
For fuch vaft room in nature unpoffefs'd
By living foul, defert and defolate,
Only to shine, yet scarce to contribute
Each orb a glimpse of light, convey'd fo far
Down to this habitable, which returns
Light back to them, is obvious to dispute.
But whether thus these things, or whether not,
Whether the fun predominant in Heaven
Rife on the earth, or earth rise on the fun,
He from the east his flaming road begin,
Or fhe from weft her filent courfe advance
With inoffenfive pace that spinning fleeps.
On her foft axle, while fhe paces even,
And bears thee foft with the smooth air along,
Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,
Leave them to God above, him ferve and fear;
Of other creatures, as him pleases best,
Wherever plac'd, let him dispose: joy thou
In what he gives to thee, this Paradise
And thy fair Eve; Heav'n is for thee too high
To know what paffes there; be lowly wife :
Think only what concerns thee and thy being;
Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there 175
Live, in what state, condition, or degree,
Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd
Not of Earth only but of highest Heaven.
To whom thus Adam, clear'd of doubt, reply'd.
How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure
Intelligence of Heav'n, Angel ferene,
And, freed from intricacies, taught to live
The eafieft way, nor with perplexing thoughts
To interrupt the sweet of life, from which
God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,
And not moleft us, unless we ourselves
Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain. But apt the mind or fancy is to rove
Uncheck'd, and of her roving is no end;
Till warn'd, or by experience taught, fhe learn, 190
That not to know at large of things remote
From use, obfcure and subtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fume,
Or emptinefs, or fond impertinence,
And renders us in things that most concern
Unpractis'd, unprepar'd, and still to seek.
Therefore from this high pitch let us defcend
A lower flight, and speak of things at hand
Useful, whence haply mention may arise
Of fomething not unseasonable to ask
By fufferance, and thy wonted favor deign'd.
Thee I have heard relating what was done
Ere my remembrance: now hear me relate
My story, which perhaps thou haft not heard;
And day is not yet fpent; till then thou feest
How fubtly to detain thee I devife,
Inviting thee to hear while I relate,
Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply:
For while I fit with thee, I feem in Heaven,
And sweeter thy difcourfe is to my ear
Than fruits of palm-tree pleasantest to thirst
And hunger both, from labor, at the hour
Of sweet repaft; they fatiate, and foon fill
Though pleasant, but thy words with grace divine 215 Imbued, bring to their sweetness no fatiety.
To whom thus Raphael answer'd heav'nly meek. Nor are thy lips ungraceful, Sire of men, Nor tongue ineloquent; for God on thee Abundantly his gifts hath also pour'd Inward and outward both, his image fair: Speaking or mute all comeliness and grace Attends thee, and each word, each motion forms; Nor less think we in Heav'n of thee on Earth Than of our fellow-fervant, and inquire Gladly into the ways of God with Man: For God we fee hath honor'd thee, and fet On Man his equal love: fay therefore on; For I that day was abfent, as befel, Bound on a voyage uncouth and obscure, Far on excursion tow'ard the gates of Hell; Squar'd in full legion (fuch command we had)
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