Did wifely to conceal, and not divulge
His fecrets to be scann'd by them who ought Rather admire; or if they lift to try Conjecture, he his Fabric of the Heav'ns Hath left to their difputes, perhaps to move His laughter at their quaint Opinions wide Hereafter, when they come to model Heav'n And calculate the Stars; how they will weild The mighty frame, how build, unbuild, contrive To fave appearances, how gird the Sphere With Centric and Eccentric fcribl'd oer, Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb. Already by thy reasoning this I guess,
Who art to lead thy off-spring, and fapposeft
That bodies bright and greater should not serve The lefs not bright, nor Heav'n fuch journies run, Earth fitting ftill, when she alone receives The benefit. Confider first, that Great Or Bright infers not Excellence: the Earth Though, in comparison of Heav'n, so small, Nor gliftering, may of folid Good contain More plenty than the Sun that barren shines, Whofe Virtue on it felf works no effect, But in the fruitful Earth; there first receiv'd His beams, unactive elfe, their vigour find. Yet not to Earth are those bright Luminaries Officious, but to thee Earth's habitant. And for the Heav'ns wide Circuit, let it speak The Maker's high magnificence, who built So fpacious, and his Line ftretcht 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 uses to his Lord best known. The fwiftnefs of those Circles attribute, Though numberless, to his Omnipotence, That to corporeal fubftances could add Speed almoft Spiritual. Me thou think'ft not flow, IIO
Who fince the Morning-hour fet out from Heav'n 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 fhew 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 sense, Plac'd Heav'n from Earth so far, that earthly fight, If it prefume, might err in things too high, And no advantage gain. What if the Sun Be Center to the World, and other Stars By his attractive virtue and their own
Incited, dance about him various rounds?
Their wandring courfe now high, now low, then hid,
Progreffive, retrograde, or ftanding still,
In fix thou feeft, and what if feventh to thefe The Planet Earth, so ftedfast though she seem, Infenfibly three different Motions move? Which else to several Spheres thou must ascribe, Mov'd contrary with thwart obliquities, Or fave the Sun his labour, 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 industrious of her felf fetch Day Travelling East, and with her part averfe
From the Sun'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 terrestial Moon be as a Star
Enlightning her by Day, as the by Night
This Earth; reciprocal, if Land be there,
Fields and Inhabitants: Her fpots thou seeft
As Clouds; and Clouds may rain, and Rain produce
Fruits in her foften'd Soil, for fome to eat
Allotted there; and other Suns perhaps
With their attendant Moons thou wilt defery 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 unpoffeft By living Soul, defert and defolate,
Only to fhine, yet scarce to contribute
Each Orb a glimps of Light, convey'd so far Down to this habitable, which returns Light back to them, is obvious to difpute. But whether thus these things, or whether not, Whether the Sun predominant in Heav'n Rife on the Earth, or Earth rife on the Sun, He from the Eaft his flaming rode begin, Or fhe from Weft her filent courfe advance With inoffenfive pace that spinning fleeps On her foft Axle, while she paces even, And bears thee foft with the smooth Air along, Sollicit not thy thoughts with matters hid, Leave them to God above, him ferve and fear; Of other Creatures, as him pleases best, Where ever 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 Live, in what ftate, condition or degree,
Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd
Not of Earth only, but of highest Heav'n.
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 easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts To interrupt the fweet of Life, from which God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,
And not moleft us, unless we our felves
Seek them with wandring thoughts, and notions vain. But apt the Mind or Fancy is to Love
Uncheckt, and of her roving is no end;
'Till warn'd, or by experience taught, she learn, That not to know at large of things remote
From ufe, obfcure and futtle, but to know That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime Wisdom; what is more, is fume, Or emptiness, or fond impertinence,
And renders us in things that most concern Unpractis'd, unprepar'd, and ftill to feek. Therefore from this high pitch let us defcend A lower flight, and speak of things at hand Useful, whence haply mention may arise Offomething not unfeasonable to ask
By fufferance, and thy wonted favour 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 spent, 'till then thou seeft
How futtly to detain thee I devise,
Inviting thee to hear while I relate, Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply: For while I fit with thee, I seem in Heav'n, And sweeter thy difcourfe is to my ear Than Fruits of Palm-tree pleasantest to thirft And hunger both, from labour, at the hour Offweet repaft: they fatiate, and foon fill, Tho' pleasant; but thy Words with Grace Divine Imbu'd, bring to their sweetness no fatiety.
To whom thus Raphael anfwer'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 comliness 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 honour'd thee, and fet On Man his Equal Love. Say therefore on; For I that day was absent, as befel,
Bound on a voyage uncouth and obfcure, Far on excurfion toward the Gates of Hell; Squar'd in full Legion (fuch command we had) To fee that none thence iffu'd forth a spy,
Or enemy, while God was in his work, Left he incenft at fuch eruption bold,
Destruction with Creation might have mixt. Not that they durft without his Leave attempt, But us he fends upon his high behefts
For ftate; as Sov'reign King, and to enure
Our prompt obedience. Faft we found, faft shut The dismal Gates, and barricado'd strong; But long ere our approaching heard within Noise, other than the found of Dance or Song, Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage. Glad we return'd up to the coafts of Light Ere Sabbath Eev'ning: fo we had in charge. But thy relation now; for I attend,
Pleas'd with thy Words no less than thou with mine.
So fpake the Godlike Power, and thus our Sire. For Man to tell how human Life began
Is hard; for who himself beginning knew? Defire with thee ftill longer to converse Induc'd me. As new wak'd from foundest fleep Soft on the flowry herb I found me laid In balmy Sweat, which with his Beams the Sun Soon dry'd, and on the reaking moisture fed. Strait toward Heav'n my wondring Eyes I turn'd, And gaz'd a-while the ample Sky, 'till rais'd
By quick inftinctive Motion up I fprung,
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