Thus Adam his illuftrious Gueft befought:
And thus the Godlike Angel answer'd mild.
This also thy request with caution askt
Obtain though to recount Almighty works
What words or tongue of Seraph can fuffice,
Or heart of man fuffice to comprehend?

Yet what thou canst attain, which beft may serve
To glorifie the Maker, and infer

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Thee also happier, fhall not be with-held

Thy hearing, fuch Commiffion from above
I have receiv'd, to answer thy defire

Of knowledge within bounds. Beyond abstain
To ask, nor let thine own inventions hope
Things not reveal'd, which th' invifible King,
Only Omniscient, hath supprest in Night,
To none communicable in Earth or Heav'n:
Enough is left befides to search and know.
But Knowledge is as Food, and needs no less
Her Temperance over Appetite, to know
In measure what the mind may well contain,
Oppreffes elfe with furfeit, and foon turns
Wisdom to Folly, as Nourishment to Wind.

Know then, that after Lucifer from Heav'n (So call him, brighter once amidst the Hoft of Angels, than that Star the Stars among) Fell with his flaming Legions through the Deep Into his place, and the great Son return'd Victorious with his Saints, th' Omnipotent Eternal Father from his Throne beheld

Their multitude, and to his Son thus fpake.

At least our envious Foe hath fail'd, who thought All like himself rebellious, by whofe aid

This inexceffible high ftrength, the feat

Of Deity fupreme, us difpoffeft,

He trusted to have feis'd, and into fraud

Drew many, whom their place knows here no more ;

Yet

Yet far the greater part have kept, Ifee,
Their ftation, Heav'n yet populous retains
Number fufficient to poffefs her Realms

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Though wide, and this high Temple to frequent
With Minifteries due and folemn Rites.

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But left his heart exalt him in the harm
Already done, to have difpeopl'd Heav'n,
My damage fondly deem'd, I can repair
That detriment, if fuch it be to lofe
Self-loft, and in a moment will create
Another World, out of one Man a Race
Of men innumerable, there to dwell,
Not here, 'till by degrees of Merit rais'd
They open to themselves at length the way

Up hither, under long obedience try'd,

And Earth be chang'd to Heav'n, and Heav'n to Earth,

One Kingdom, Joy and Union without end.

Mean while inhabit laxe, ye Powers of Heav'n,
And thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee
This I perform, Speak thou, and be it done.
My overshadowing Spirit and Might with thee
Ifend along; ride forth, and bid the Deep
Within appointed Bounds be Heav'n and Earth,
Boundless the Deep, because I Am who fill
Infinitude, nor Vacuous the space.
Though I uncirumscrib'd my self retire,
And put not forth my goodness, which is free
To act or not, Neceffity and Chance
Approach to me, and what I will is Fate.

So fpake th' Almighty, and to what he spake
His Word, the filial Godhead, gave effect.
Immediate are the Acts of God, more swift
Than time or motion, but to human ears
Cannot without process of speech be told,
So told as earthly Notion can receive.
Great triumph and rejoicing was in Heav'ny
When fuch was heard declar'd the Almighty's Will;

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Glory

Glory they fung to the most High, good will

To future Men, and in there dwellings peace:
Glory to him whose just avenging ire

Had driven out th' ungodly from his fight
And th' habitations of the juft; to him

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Glory and praise, whose wisdom had ordain'd
Good out of Evil to create, instead

Of Spirits malign a better Race to bring
Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse
His good to Worlds and Ages infinite.

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So fang the Hierarchies: Mean while the Son On his great Expedition now appear'd,

Immenfe, and all his Father in him shon.

About his Chariot numberless were pour'd

Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones,

And Virtues, winged Spirits, and Chariots wing'd,
From the Armoury of God, where stand of old
Myriads between two brazen Mountains lodg'd
Against a folemn day, harnest at hand,
Celestial Equipage; and now came forth

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On Heav'nly Ground they stood, and from the fhore

They view'd the vaft immeasurable Abyss

Outragious as a Sea, dark, wafteful, wild,

Up from the bottom turn'd by furious winds

And furging waves, as mountains to affault
Heav'ns heighth, and with the Center mix the Pole.

Silence, ye troubl'd waves, and thou Deep, peace, Said then th' Omnific Word, your discord end :

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Nor

Nor ftaid, but on the Wings of Cherubim Uplifted, in Paternal Glory rode

Far into Chaos, and the World unborn:

For Chaos heard his voice; him all his Train
Follow'd in bright proceffion to behold
Creation, and the wonders of his might.
Then ftaid the fervid Wheels, and in his hand
He took the Golden Compaffes, prepar'd

In God's Eternal ftore, to circumfcribe
This Universe, and all created things:
One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd
Round through the vaft profundity obscur'd,
And faid, thus far extend, thus far thy bounds,
This be thy juft Circumference, O World.
Thus God the Heav'n created, thus the Earth,
Matter unform'd and void: Darkness profound
Cover'd th' Abyss: but on the watry calm
His brooding Wings the Spirit of God outspred,
And vital virtue infus'd, and vital warmth
Throughout the fluid Mass, but downward purg'd
The black tartareous cold Infernal dregs
Adverle to life: then founded, then conglob'd
Like things to like, the rest to several place
Difparted, and between fpun out the Air,
And Earth felf balanc'd on her Center hung.

Let there be Light, faid God, and forthwith Light Ethereal firft of things, quinteffence pute

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Sprung from the Deep, and from her Native Eaft 245 To journey through the aerie gloom began,

Sphear'd in a radiant Cloud, for yet the Sun

Was not; fhe in a cloudly Tabernacle

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Sojourn'd the while. God faw the Light was good;
And light from darkness by the Hemisphere
Divided: Light the Day, and Darkness Night
He nam'd. Thus was the first Day Eev'n and Morn:
Nor paft uncelebrated, norunfung

By the Celestial Quires, when Orient Light

Exhaling firft from Darkness they beheld;

Birth-day of Heav'n and Earth; with joy and shout
The hollow univerfal Orb they fill'd,

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And touch'd their Golden Harps, and hymning prais'd. God and his works, Creator him they fung,

Both when first Eevning was, and when first Morn.

Again, God faid, let there be Firmament

Amid the Waters, and let it divide

The Waters from the Waters: and God made
The Firmament, expanfe of liquid, pure,
Transparent, Elemental Air, diffus'd
In circuit to the uttermoft convex

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Of this great Round: partition firm and fure,
The Waters underneath from those above
Dividing for as Earth, fo he the World
Built on circumfluous Waters calm, in wide
Chryftallin Ocean, and the loud mifrule
Of Chaos, far remov'd, left fierce extreams
Contiguous might diftemper the whole frame:
And Heav'n he nam'd the Firmament: So Eev❜n
And Morning Chorus fung the Second Day.

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The Earth was form'd, but in the Womb as yet
Of waters, Embryon immature involv'd,
Appear'd not: ove all the face of Earth
Main Ocean flow'd, not idle, but with warm
Prolifick humour foft'ning all her Globe,
Fermented the great Mother to conceive,
Satiate with genial moisture, when God faid
Be gather'd now ye Waters under Heav'n
Into one place, and let dry Land appear.
Immediately the Mountains huge appear
Emergent, and their broad bare backs upheave
Into the Clouds, their tops ascend the Sky:
So high as heav'n the tumid Hills, fo low
Down funk a hollow bottom broad and deep,
Capacious bed of Waters: thither they

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