AIL holy Light, offspring of Heav'n first born!

Or of th' Eternal Coeternal beam

May I express thee unblam'd? fince God is
light,

And never but in unapproached light
Dwelt from Eternity, dwelt then in thee,
Bright effluence of bright effence increate.
Or hear'st thou rather pure Ethereal stream,
Whofe Fountain who shall tell? before the Sun,
Before the Heav'ns thou wert, and at the voice
Of God, as with a Mantle didst invest
The rifing world of waters dark and deep,
Won from the void and formless infinite.
Thee I revifit now with bolder wing,

Escap'd the Stygian Pool, though long detain'd
In that obfcure fojourn, while in my flight

Through utter and through middle darkness borne,
With other notes than to th' Orphean Lyre,

I fung of Chaos and Eternal Night,

Taught by the Heav'nly Mule to venture down
The dark defcent, and up to re-ascend,
Though hard and rare: Thee I revisit safe,
And feel thy fov'reign vital Lamp; but thou
Revifit'ft not thefe eyes, and rowle in vain
To find thy piercing ray, and find no dawn;
So thick a drop ferene hath quencht their Orbs,
Or dim fuffufion veil'd. Yet not the more
Cease I to wander where the Muses haunt
Clear Spring or fhady Grove, or Sunny Hill,
Smit with the love of facred Song: But chief
Thee Sion and the flowrie Brooks beneath,
That wash thy hallow'd feet, and warbling flow,
Nightly I vifit: nor fometimes forget

Those other two equal'd with me in Fate,

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30

So were I equal'd with them in renown,

Blind Thamyris and blind Maonides,

35

And

And Tirefias and Phinens Prophets old.
Then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move
Harmonious numbers; as the wakeful Bird
Sings darkling, and in fhadieft Covert hid
Tunes her nocturnal Note. Thus with the Year
Seafons return, but not to me returns

Day, or the sweet approach of Ev'nor Morn,
Or fight of vernal bloom, or Summer's Rose,
Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine;
But cloud inftead, and ever during dark
Surrounds me, from the chearful ways of men
Cut off, and for the Book of knowledge fair
Prefented with an univerfal Blank.

Of natures works to me expung'd and ras'd,
And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out.
So much the rather thou, Celestial light,
Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers
Irradiate, there plant eyes, all mist from thence
Purge and difperfe, that I may fee and tell

Of things invisible to mortal sight.

Now had th' Almighty Father from above,

From the pure Empyrean where he fits

High thron❜d above all height, bent down his cye,
His own works and their works at once to view:
About him all the Santities of Heav'n

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Stood thick as ftars, and from his fight receiv'd
Beatitude paft utterance: on his right
The radiant Image of his glory fat,
His only Son. On Earth he first beheld
Our two firft Parents, yet the only two
Of mankind, in the happy Garden plac'd,
Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love,
Uninterrupted joy, unrival'd love
In blissful folitude; he then furvey'd
Hell and the Gulf between, and Satan there
Coafting the wall of Heav'n on this fide Night
In the dun air fublime, and ready now,

E 3

65

то

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Toftoop, with wearied wings and willing feet,
On the bare outside of this World, that seem'd
Firm Land imbofom'd without Firmament,
Uncertain which, in Ocean or in Air.
Him God beholding from his profpect high,
Wherein paft, prefent, future he beholds,
Thus to his only Son foreseeing spake.

Only begotten Son, feeft thou what rage
Tranfports our Adverfary, whom no bounds
Prefcrib'd, no bars of hell, nor all the chains
Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main abyss
Wide interrupt can hold; fo bent he feems'
On defperate revenge, that fhall redound
Upon his own rebellious head. And now
Through all restraint broke loose he wings his way
Not far off Heav'n, in the Precincts of light,
Directly towards the new created World,
And Man there plac'd; with purpose to affay
If him by Force he can deftroy, or worse,
By fome falfe Guile pervert; and fhall pervert.
For Man will hearken to his glozing lyes,
And easily tranfgrefs the fole Command,
Sole Pledge of his obedience: So will fall,
He and his faithlefs Progeny. Whofe fault?
Whofe, but his own? Ingrate, he had of Me
All he could have; I made him juft and right,
Sufficient to have stood, though Free to fall,
Such I created all th' Ethereal Powers

And Spirits,both them who stood and them who fail'd; Freely they flood who stood, and fell who fell.

Not Free, what proof could they have gain'd sincere
Öf true Allegiance, conftant Faith or Love,
Where only what they needs Muft do, appear'd,
Not what they would? what Praise could they receive?
What Pleasure I from fuch obedience paid?

When Will and Reafon (Reason alfo is Choice)
Useless and vain, of Freedom both defpoil'd,

Made