Thy pow'r! What thought can measure thee, or tongue Relate thee! Greater now in thy return Than from the giant Angels! thee that day 605 Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound 610 615 620 624 And worship him, and in reward to rule So sung they, and the empyrean rung 630 And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd 635 From the beginning, that posterity Inform'd by thee might know; if else thou seek'st Aught, not surpassing human measure, say. 640 605. Giant, not in allusion to their stature it is supposed, but to their pride and fierceness. 624. Nether, to distinguish it from the water? above the firma ment. BOOK VIII. THE ARGUMENT. Adam inquires concerning celestial motions; is doubtfully anwered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam assents: and, still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and Bt society, his first meeting and nuptials with Eve, his discourse with the Angel thereupon; who, after admonitions repeated, departs. THE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he awhile Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear; Then, as new waked, thus gratefully reply'd: What thanks sufficient, or what recompense Equal have I to render thee, divine 5 Historian, who thus largely hast allay'd The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsafed This friendly condescension to relate Things else by me unsearchable, now heard 10 With wonder, but delight, and, as is due, Creator? Something yet of doubt remains, When I behold this goodiy frame, this world, Their distance argues, and their swift return Round this opacous earth, this punctual spot, 15 20 15. Allusion is made in the following part of the discourse be tween Raphael and Adam, to the two most celebrated systems of astronomy, those of Ptolemy and Copernicus: the difference in which was, that the former made the earth, the latter the sun, the centre of the universe. Adam speaks in allusion to the Ptolemaic system, and the Angel answers by detailing the usual explanations formerly given of the difficulties alleged. 19. Number'd, Ps. cxlvii. 4. Useless besides; reasoning I oft admire For aught appears, and on their orbs impose So spake our sire, and by his count'nance seem'd Ent'ring on studious thoughts abstruse; which Eve Perceiving where she sat retired in signt, With lowliness majestic from her seat, 41 45 And grace that won who saw to wish her stay, Of what was high: such pleasure she reserved, 50 Her husband, the relator, she preferr'd Before the Angel, and of him to ask Chose rather. He, she knew, would intermix Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute 55 With conjugal caresses; from his lip Not words alone pleased her. O when meet now Such pairs, in love and mutual honour join'd! With Goddess-like demeanour forth she went, 60 Not unattended, for on her, as queen, A pomp of winning graces waited still, And from about her shot darts of desire And Raphael, now to Adam's doubt proposed, 65 To ask or search I blame thee not; for Heav'n Is as the book of God before thee set, Wherein to read his wondrous works, and learn Already by thy reasoning this I guess, Who art to lead thy offspring, and supposest That bodies bright and greater should not serve 90 The less not bright, nor Heav'n such journeys run, 95 And for the Heav'n's wide circuit, let it speak 100 So spacious, and his line stretch'd out so far, Lodged in a small partition, and the rest 80. Calculate, to observe scientifically. 105 83. Centric, or concentric, are spheres whose centre is the same with that of the earth.-Eccentric are the contrary.-Cycle is a circle, and Epicycle a circle upon a circle. They are terms invented by the Ptolemaics, and used in explaining their system. 102. Job xxviii. 5. the Ordain'd for uses to his Lord best known. 139 Speed almost spiritual. Me thou think'st not slow, In Eden, distance inexpressible But this I urge, By numbers that have name. 115 To thee who hast thy dwelling here on earth. Placed Heav'n from Earth so far, that earthly sight, If it presume, might err in things too high, 121 And no advantage gain. What if the sun Be centre to the world, and other stars, By his attractive virtue and their own Incited, dance about him various rounds? 125 130 135 Their wand'ring course now high, now low, then hid, Fields and inhabitants. Her spots thou seest 140 145 122. The Copernican system is now mentioned. 134. Diurnal rhomb, explained in the next line, as, the wheel of day and night |