710

That brought them forth, but hid their caufes deep?..
I faw when at his word the formless. mafs,
This world's material mould, came to a heap:
Confufion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood rul'd, ftood vaft infinitude confin'd:
Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung:
Swift to their feveral quarters hatted then..

720

The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire: 715
And this ethereal quinteffence of Heav'n
Flew upward, fpirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars,
Numberlefs, as thou seeft, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his courfe;
The reft in circuit walls this universe.
Look downward on that globe, whose hither fide
With light from hence, tho but reflected, fhines:
That place is Earth, the feat of man, that light
His day, which elfe as th' other hemifphere
725
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon,
So call that oppofite fair star, her aid
Timely interpofes, and her monthly round.
Still endig, ftill renewing, through mid Heav'n,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties, to enlighten th' earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradise,
Adam's abode, those lofty fhades his bower.

730

Thy way thou canst not miss, me mine requires. 735 Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low,

As to fuperior fpirits wont in Heav'n,.

Where honor due and reverence none neglects,
Took leave, and toward the coaft of earth beneath,
Down from th' ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs, 740
Throws his feep flight in many an aery wheel,

Nor stay'd, till on Niphates top-he lights...

The End of the Third Book.

BOOK IV.
воок

O for that warning voice, which he who faw
Th' Apocalyps heard cry in Heav'n aloud,
Then when the Dragón, put to fecond rout,
Came furious down to be reveng'd on men,"
Woe to th inhabitants on earth! that now!
While time was, our first parents had been warn'd
The coming of their fecret foe, and scap'd,
Haply fo fcap'd his mortal fhare; for now
Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down,
The tempter e're th' accufer of mankind,
To wreck on innocent frail man his lofs:
Of that first battel, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoicing in his speed though bold,
Far off and fearlefs, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth
Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast,
And like a devilish engine back recoils
Upon himself: horror and doubt distract
His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir
The Hell within him; for within him hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from hell
One step no more than from himself can fly
By change of place now confcience wakes defpair
That flumber'd, wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worfe; of worfe deeds worse fufferings must enfue.
Sometimes tow'rds Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes fad;
Sometimes tow'rds Heav'n and the full blazing fun,
Which now fat high in his meridian tow'r :
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.

O thou that with furpaffing glory crown'd,
Look'st from thy fole dominion like the God
Of this new world, at whofe fight all the stars
Hide their diminished heads; to thee I call,
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LO

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20

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30

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But

But with no friendly voice, and add thy name
O Sun! to tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what state
I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;
Till pride and worse ambition threw me down
Warring in Heav'n against Heav'n's matchless king.
Ah wherefore! he deferv'd no fuch return
From me, whom he created what I was
In that bright eminence, and with his good
Upbraided none; nor was his service hard.
What could be less than to afford him praise,
The easiest recompenfe, and pay him thanks;
How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice; lifted up so high

I 'fdein'd fubjection, and thought one step higher
Would fet me highest, and in a moment quit
The debt immenfe of endless gratitude,::
So burdenfome ftill paying, ftill to owe,
Forgetful what from him I ftill receiv'd,
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but ftill pays, at once
Indebted and discharg'd: what burden then?
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me fome inferior Angel! I had stood

бо

Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition. Yet why not? fome other Power
As great might have afpir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other Pow'rs as great
Fell not, but ftand unfhaken, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm❜d.
Hadft thou the fame free will and pow'r to ftand?
Thou hadft: whom haft thou then, or what, t'accuse,
But Heav'n's free love dealt equally to all?
Be then his love accurs'd, fince love or hate,
To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

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Nay curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will
Chofe freely what it now fe juftly rues.
Me miferable! which way fhall I fly

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75

Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell; 02
And in the lowest deep a lower deep
Still threat'ning to devour me opens wide,
To which the Hell I fuffer feems a Heaven.
O then at last relent! is there no place
Left for repentance, none for pardon left?
None left but by fubmiffion; and that word
Dijdain forbids me, and my dread of shame
Among the Spirits beneath, whom I feduc'd sinton
With other promifes and other vaunts
Than to fubmit, boasting I could subdue
Th' Omnipotent. Ay me! they little know
How dearly I abide that boast fo vain;
Under what torinents inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the throne of Hell.
With diadem and fceptre high advanc'd,
The lower ftill I fall, only fupreme
In mifery; fuch joy ambition finds!
But fay I could repent, and could obtain
By act of grace my former ftate; how foon

85

go

Would hight recall high thoughts, how foon unfey 95
What feign'd fubmiflion fwore! ease would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
For never can true reconcilement grow

Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep:
Which would but lead me to a worse relapse
And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase dear ›
Short intermiffion bought with double smart,
This knows my punisher; therefore as far
From granting he, 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 farewel hope, and with hope farewel fear,
Farewel remorfe! all good to me is lofts
Evil be thou my good! by thee at least
Divided empire with Heav'n's king I hold;

100

105

By

By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign:
As Man e're-long, and this new world fhall know.
Thus while he fpake, each paflion dimm'd his face/
Thrice changed with pale, ire, envy and despair; 118
Which marr'd his borrow'd vifage, and betray'd
Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.

For heav'nly minds from fuch diftempers foul
Are ever clear. Whereof he foon aware,

Each perturbation fmooth'd with outhward calm, 120
Artificer of fraud; and was the first,

That practis'd falfehood under faintly show,
Deep malice to conceal, couch'd with revenge:

Yet not enough had practis'd to deceive

Uriel once warn'd; whofe eye perfued him down 125 The way he went, and on th' Affyrian mount

Saw him disfigur'd, more than could befall

Spirit of happy fort: his gestures fierce

He mark'd, and mad demeanour, then alone,

As he suppos'd, all unobserv'd, unseen.

130

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 champaign, head
Of a steep wilderness, whose hairy fides

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With thicket overgrown, grottesque and wild,
Accefs deny'd: and over head up grew

Infuperable hight of loftiest shade,

Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm,
A fylvan scene, and as the ranks ascend
Shade above fhade, a woody theatre

*

Of statelieft view. Yet higher than their tops
The verdurous wall of Paradife up-fprung:
Which to our general fire gave prospect large
Into his neather empire, neighb'ring round.
And higher than that wall a circling row
Of goodlieft trees loaden with fairest fruit,
Bloffoms and fruits at once of golden hue,
Appear'd, with gay enamel'd colors mix'd:

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