325 "The summoning Archangels to proclaim "Thy dread tribunal; forthwith, from all winds, "Shall hasten; such a peal shall rouse their sleep! "The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring 335"New heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell; "And, after all their tribulations long, "See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds, "With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth: "Then thou thy regal sceptre shalt lay by, 340"For regal sceptre then no more shall need; "God shall be all in all. But, all ye gods, "Adore him who, to compass all this, dies;"Adore the Son, and honour him as me." No sooner had the Almighty ceas'd, but all 345 The multitude of angels, with a shout Loud as from numbers without number, sweet The eternal regions. Lowly reverent 350 Towards either throne they bow, and to the ground, With solemn adoration, down they cast Their crowns inwove with amarant and gold- In Paradise, fast by the tree of life, 355 Began to bloom; but soon for man's offence To heaven remov'd, where first it grew, there grows, And where the river of bliss, through midst of heaven, 360 With these, that never fade, the spirits elect Bind their resplendent locks, inwreath'd with beams; Pavement, that like a sea of jasper shone, 365 Then, crown'd again, their golden harps they took— Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their side. Like quivers hung; and, with preamble sweet Their sacred song, and waken raptures high: 370 No voice exempt-no voice but well could joi Melodious part: such concord is in heaven. Thee, Father, first they sung, Omnipotent Eternal King! Thee, Author of all being, 375 Fountain of light, thyself invisible Amidst the glorious brightness where thou sitt'st The full blaze of thy beams, and through a cloud 385 In whose conspicuous countenance, without cloud 390 He heaven of heavens, and all the Powers therein, Back from pursuit thy Powers with loud acclaim 400 Not so on man: him, through their malice fallen, Father of mercy and grace! thou didst not doom So strictly, but much more to pity incline. No sooner did thy dear and only Son Perceive thee purposed not to doom frail man 405 So strictly, but much more to pity inclin'd, He, to appease thy wrath, and end the strife Of mercy and justice in thy face discern'd, Regardless of the bliss wherein he sat Second to thee, offer'd himself to die Love nowhere to be found less than divine! Henceforth, and never shall my harp thy praise Meanwhile upon the firm opacous globe Of this round world, whose first convex divides 420 The luminous inferior orbs, enclos'd From Chaos, and the inroad of darkness old, It seem'd; now seems a boundless continent, Whose snowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds, To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids 435 On hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the springs Of Ganges, or Hydaspes, Indian streams; But in his way lights on the barren plains Of Sericana, where Chineses drive With sails and wind their cany waggons light: 440 So, on this windy sea of land, the fiend Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey; Of all things transitory and vain, when sin All who have their reward on earth, the fruits Nought seeking but the praise of men, here find 455 All the unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand, Dissolv'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain, (Not in the neighbouring moon, as some have dream'd; 460 Those argent fields more likely habitants, Translated saints, or middle spirits, hold, Hither, of ill-join'd sons and daughters born, 475 White, black, and gray, with all their trumpery. Here pilgrims roam, that stray'd so far to seek Blows them transverse, ten thousand leagues awry 490 Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tost And flutter'd into rags; then relics, beads, Indulgences, dispenses, pardons, bulls, The sport of winds. All these, upwhirl'd aloft, Fly o'er the backside of the world far off, 495 Into a Limbo large and broad, since call'd The Paradise of Fools, to few unknown Long after, now unpeopled, and untrod. All this dark globe the fiend found as he pass'd; Up to the wall of heaven, a structure high; 505 The work as of a kingly palace-gate, With frontispiece of diamond and gold 510 The stairs were such as whereon Jacob saw |