Th' Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know
How dearly I abide that boast so vaine,
Under what torments inwardly I groane:
While they adore me on the Throne of Hell,
With Diadem and Scepter high advanc't
The lower still I fall, onely fupream
In miferie; fuch joy Ambition findes.
But fay I could repent and could obtaine
By Act of Grace my former ftate; how foon
Would highth recal high thoughts, how foon unfay
What feign'd fubmiffion swore: ease would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
For never can true reconcilement grow
Where wounds of deadly hate have peirc'd so deep :
Which would but lead me to a worse relapse,
And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase deare
Short intermiffion bought with double smart.
This knows my punisher; therefore as farr
From granting hee, as I from begging peace:
All hope excluded thus, behold in stead
Of us out-caft, exil'd, his new delight,
Mankind created, and for him this World.
So farwel Hope, and with Hope farwel Fear,
Farwel Remorfe: all Good to me is loft;
Evil be thou my Good; by thee at least
Divided Empire with Heav'ns King I hold
By thee, and more then half perhaps will reigne;
As Man ere long, and this new World shall know.
Thus while he spake, each paffion dimm'd his face Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envie and despair, Which marrd his borrow'd visage, and betraid Him counterfet, if any eye beheld.
For heav'nly mindes from fuch distempers foule
Are ever cleer. Whereof hee soon aware,
Each perturbation smooth'd with outward calme,
Artificer of fraud; and was the first
That practisd falshood under faintly fhew,
Deep malice to conceale, couch't with
Yet not anough had practifd to deceive
Uriel once warnd; whofe eye purfu'd him down
The way he went, and on th' Affyrian mount
Saw him disfigur'd, more then could befall
Spirit of happie fort: his geftures fierce
He markd and mad demeanour, then alone,
As he fuppos'd, all unobserv'd, unseen.
So on he fares, and to the border comes
Of Eden, where delicious Paradise,
Now nearer, Crowns with her enclosure green,
As with a rural mound the champain head
Of a steep wilderness, whose hairie fides
With thicket overgrown, grottefque and wilde,
Access deni'd; and over head up grew
Infuperable highth of loftieft fhade,
Cedar, and Pine, and Firr, and branching Palm,
A Silvan Scene, and as the ranks afcend
Shade above shade, a woodie Theatre
Of statelieft view. Yet higher then thir tops
The verdurous wall of Paradife up fprung:
Which to our general Sire gave prospect large
Into his neather Empire neighbouring round.
And higher then that Wall a circling row
Of goodliest Trees loaden with fairest Fruit,
Bloffoms and Fruits at once of golden hue
Appeerd, with gay enameld colours mixt:
On which the Sun more glad imprefs'd his beams
Then in fair Evening Cloud, or humid Bow, 151
When God hath showrd the earth; so lovely seemd
That Lantskip: And of pure now purer aire
Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All fadness but despair: now gentle gales
Fanning thir odoriferous wings dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole Those balmie spoiles. As when to them who faile Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past Mozambic, off at Sea North-Eaft windes blow Sabean Odours from the fpicie fhoare
Of Arabie the bleft, with fuch delay
Well pleas'd they lack thir courfe, and many a
Cheard with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles.
So entertaind those odorous fweets the Fiend
Who came thir bane, though with them better
Then Afmodeus with the fishie fume, [pleas'd
That drove him, though enamourd, from the Spouse
Of Tobits Son, and with a vengeance fent
From Media poft to Egypt, there fast bound.
Now to th' afcent of that steep favage Hill
Satan had journied on, penfive and flow;
But further way found none, fo thick entwin'd,
As one continu'd brake, the undergrowth
Of fhrubs and tangling bushes had perplext
All path of Man or Beast that past that way:
One Gate there onely was, and that look'd East
On th' other fide: which when th' arch-fellon faw
Due entrance he disdaind, and in contempt,
At one flight bound high overleap'd all bound
Of Hill or highest Wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet. As when a prowling Wolfe,
Whom hunger drives to feek new haunt for prey,
Watching where Shepherds pen thir Flocks at eeve
In hurdl'd Cotes amid the field fecure,
Leaps o're the fence with ease into the Fould:
Or as a Thief bent to unhoord the cash
Of fome rich Burgher, whofe fubftantial dores,
Crofs-barrd and bolted faft, fear no affault,
In at the window climbes, or o're the tiles;
So clomb this first grand Thief into Gods Fould :
So fince into his Church lewd Hirelings climbe.
Thence up
he flew, and on the Tree of Life,
The middle Tree and highest there that grew,
Sat like a Cormorant; yet not true Life
Thereby regaind, but fat devifing Death
To them who liv'd; nor on the vertue thought
Of that life-giving Plant, but only us'd
For profpect, what well us'd had bin the pledge
Of immortalitie. So little knows
Any, but God alone, to value right
The good before him, but perverts best things
To worst abuse, or to thir meanest use.
Beneath him with new wonder now he views
To all delight of human sense expos'd
In narrow room Natures whole wealth, yea more,
A Heaven on Earth: for blifsful Paradife
Of God the Garden was, by him in the East
Of Eden planted; Eden ftretchd her Line
From Auran Eastward to the Royal Towrs
Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian Kings,
Or where the Sons of Eden long before
Dwelt in Telaffar: in this pleasant soile
His farr more pleasant Garden God ordaind;
Out of the fertil ground he caus'd to grow
All Trees of nobleft kind for fight, smell, tafte;
And all amid them ftood the Tree of Life,
High eminent, blooming Ambrofial Fruit
Of vegetable Gold; and next to Life
Our Death the Tree of Knowledge grew faft by,
Knowledge of Good bought dear by knowing ill.
Southward through Eden went a River large,
Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggie hill
Pafs'd underneath ingulft, for God had thrown
That Mountain as his Garden mould high rais'd
Upon the rapid current, which through veins
Of porous Earth with kindly thirst up drawn,
Rose a fresh Fountain, and with many a rill
Waterd the Garden; thence united fell
Down the steep glade, and met the neather Flood,
Which from his darkfom paffage now appeers,
And now divided into four main Streams,
Runs divers, wandring many a famous Realme
And Country whereof here needs no account,
But rather to tell how, if Art could tell,
How from that Saphire Fount the crifped Brooks,
Rowling on Orient Pearl and sands of Gold,
With mazie error under pendant shades
Ran Nectar, visiting each plant, and fed
Flours worthy of Paradife which not nice Art
In Beds and curious Knots, but Nature boon
Powrd forth profufe on Hill and Dale and Plaine,
Both where the morning Sun first warmly fmote
The open field, and where the unpierc't shade
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