Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,

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on earth the seventh

Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest

Powder'd with stars. And now on

Evening arose in Eden, for the sunder the esisell mort

Was set, and twilight from the east came on,
Forerunning night; when at the holy mount
Of Heav'n's high-seated top, th' imperial throne
Of Godhead, fix'd for ever
firm and sure,

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The Filial Pow'r arriv'd, and sat him down
With his great Father, for he also went
Invisible, yet stay'd (such privilege
Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordain'd,
Author and end of all things, and from work,
Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the seventh
As resting on that day from all his work,
But not in silence holy kept; the harp
Had work and rested not, the solemn pipe
And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,
All sounds on fret by string or golden wire,
Temper'd soft tunings intermix'd with voice
Choral or unison: of incense clouds
Fuming from golden censers hid the mount.dd Joby ɓoà
Creation and the six days acts they sung,hlani oli kor
'Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinitei

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

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Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound
Thy empire? easily the proud attempt

Of Spirits apostate and their counsels vain

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Thou hast repell'd, while impiously they thought

Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw

The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks
To lessen thee, against his purpose serves

To manifest the more thy might: his evil

Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more good.

od mi 615

Witness this new-made world, another Heaven, hobet From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view

On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea;

Of amplitude almost immense, with stars
Numerous, and
and every star perhaps a world
Of destin❜d habitation; but thou know'st
Their seasons: among these the seat of Men,

Earth with her nether oce

ocean circumfus'd,

Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men,

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And sons of Men, whom God hath thus advanc'd,
Created in his image, there to dwell

And worship him, and in reward to rule
Over his works, on earth, , in sea, or air,
And multiply a race of worshippers
Holy and just thrice happy if they know
Their happiness, and persevere upright.'

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"So sung they, and the empyréan rung
With Halleluiahs: thus was sabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd
How first this world and face of things began,

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And what before thy memory was done

From the beginning, that posterity

Inform'd by thee might know; if else thou seek'st
Ought, not surpassing human measure, say.”

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ARGUMENT.

120112KAGAG

ЯЛЯ Adam enquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answered, 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 fit 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 a while

Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear; an
Then, as new-wak'd, thus gratefully replied.

"What thanks sufficient, or what recompense

Equal have I to render thee, divine

Historian, , who t thus largely hast allay'd

The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsaf'd stay on

This friendly condescension, to relate

Things else by me unsearchable, now heard
With wonder, but delight, and, as is due,
With glory attributed to the high
Creator? Something yet of doubt remains,
Which only thy solution can resolve.
When I behold this goodly frame, this world,
Of Heav'n and Earth consisting, and compute
Their magnitudes, this earth a spot, a grain,
An atom, with the firmament compar'd
And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll
Spaces incomprehensible (for such
Their distance argues and their swift return
Diurnal), merely to officiate light

Round this opacous earth, this punctual spot,
One day and night, in all their vast surveyi
Useless besides; reasoning, I oft admire,
How nature, wise and frugal, could commit
Such disproportions, with superfluous hand
So many nobler bodies to create,

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