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Tow'ards either throne they bow, and to the ground
With folemn adoration down they caft

Their crowns, inwove with amarant and gold ;-
Immortal amarant, a flower which once-

In Paradise, fast by the tree of life,

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Began to bloom; but foon for man's offence

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To heav'n remov'd, where firft it grew, there grows,

And flowers aloft shading the fount of life,

And where the riv'r of blifs through midit of heav'n Rolls o'er Elyfian flow'rs her amber stream:

With thefe, that never fade, the spirits elect

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Bind their refplendent locks, inwreath'd with beams,
Now in loofe garlands thick thrown off, the bright
Pavement, that like a fea of jafper fhone,
Impurpled with celeftial rofes fmil'd.

Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took;
Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their fide 366 ·
Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet-
Of charming fymphony they introduce
Their facred fong, and waken raptures high;
No voice exempt, no voice but well could join
Melodious part, fuch concord is in heaven.
Thee, Father, first they fung omnipotent,
Immutable, immortal, infinite,

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Eternal King; thee Author of all being,

Fountain of light, thyfelf invisible

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Amidst the glorious brightnefs where thou fitt'st

Thron'd inacceffible; but when thou fhad'ft

The full blaze of thy beams, and through a cloud.
Drawn round about thee like a radiant fhrine,
Dark with excefive bright thy fkirts appear;

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Yet dazzle heaven, that brightest feraphim
Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes.
Thee next they fang of all creation first,
Begotten Son, divine fimilitude,

In whofe confpicuous count'nance, without cloud 385
G3.

Made

Made vifible, th' almighty Father fhines,
Whom elfe no creature can behold; on thee
Imprefs'd th' effulgence of his glory' abides,
Transfus'd on thee his ample Spirit rests.

He heav'n of heav'ns, and all the powers therein, 390
By thee created; and by thee threw down
Th' afpiring dominations: thou that day
Thy Father's dreadful thunder didft not fpare,
Nor ftop thy flaming chariot-wheels, that fhook
Heav'n's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks 395
Thou drov't of warring angels difarray'd.
Back from purfuit thy pow'rs with loud acclaim
Thee only' extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might,
To execute fierce vengeance on his foes.

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Not fo on man: him through their malice fall'n, 400
Father of mercy' and grace, thou didst not doom
So ftrictly, but much more to pity' incline:
No fooner did thy dear and only Son
Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail man
So ftrictly, but much more to pity' inclin'd,
He to appease thy wrath, and end the ftrife
Of mercy' and juftice in thy face difcern'd,
Regardless of the blifs wherein he fat
Second to thee, offer'd himself to die
For man's offence. O unexampled love!
Love no where to be found lefs than divine!
Hail Son of God, Saviour of men! thy name
Shall be the copious matter of my fong
Henceforth, and never fhall my harp thy praise
Forget, nor from thy Father's praife disjoin.

Thus they in heav'n, above the starry sphere,
Their happy hours in joy and hymning fpent.
Mean while upon the firm opacous globe

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Of this round world, whose first convex divides
The luminous inferior orbs inclos'd
From Chaos, and th' inroad of darkness old.

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Satan

Satan alighted walks: a globe far off

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It feem'd, now seems a boundless continent
Dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of night
Starlefs expos'd, and ever-threat'ning ftorms
Of Chaos bluft'ring round, inclement sky;
Save on that fide which from the wall of heav'n,
Though diftant far, fome fmall reflection gains
Of glimm'ring air, lefs vex'd with tempeft loud.
Here walk'd the fiend at large in fpacious field: 430
As when a vulture on Imaus bred,

Whofe fnowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds,
Diflodging from a region fcarce of prey,

To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids,

On hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the fprings Of Ganges or Hydafpes, Indian ftreams;

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But in his way lights on the barren plains
Of Sericana, where Chinefes drive

With fails and wind their cany wagons light.
So on this windy fea of land, the fiend
Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey;
Alone, for other creature in this place,
Living or lifeless, to be found was none;
None
yet, but flore hereafter from the earth
Up hither like aëriab vapours flew

Of all things tranfitory' and vain, when fin
With vanity had fill'd the works of men ;
Both all things vain, and all who in vain things
Built their fond hopes of glory' or lasting fame,
Or happiness in this or th' other life;

All who have their reward on earth, the fruits
Of painful fuperftition and blind zeal,

Nought feeking but the praise of men, here find
Fit retribution, empty as their deeds;

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All th' unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand, 455 Abortive, monftrous, or unkindly mix'd,

Diffolv'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain,

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Till final diffolution, wander here;

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Not in the neighb'ring moon, as fome have dream'd;.
Thofe argent fields more likely habitants,
Tranflated faints, or middle fpirits hold
Betwixt th' angelical and human kind:
Hither of ill-join'd fons and daughters born
Firft from the ancient world thofe giants came
With many a.
vain exploit, tho' then renown'd: 465
The builders next of Babel on the plain

Of Sennaar, and still with vain design

New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build :
Others came fingle; he who to be deem'd
A god, leap'd fondly into Etna flames,
Empedocles; and he who to enjoy
Plato's Elyfium, leap'd into the fea,
Cleombrotus; and many more too long,.

Embryos, and idiots, eremites, and friers

.470

White, black, and gray, with all their trumpery. 475
Here pilgrims roam, that stray'd so far to seek
In Golgotha him dead, who lives in, heav'n;
And they who, to be fure of Paradise,

Dying put on the weeds of Dominic,

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Or in Franciscan think to pafs difguis'd;

They pafs the planets feven, and pafs the fix'd,
And that cryftalline sphere whofe balance weighs
The trepidation talk'd, and that first mov'd;
And now Saint Peter at heav'n's wicket feems
To wait them with his keys, and now at foot
Of heav'n's afcent they lift their feet, when lo

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A violent crofs wind from either coaft

Blows them tranverfe, ten thousand leagues awry Into the devious air; then might ye fee

- Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, toft 490: And flutter'd into rags; then reliques, beads, Indulgences, difpenfes, pardons, bulls,

The fport of winds: all thefe upwhirl'd aloft

Fly

Fly o'er the backside of the world far off
Into a limbo large and broad, fince call'd
The Paradife of Fools, to few unknown
Long after, now unpeopled and untrod.
All this dark globe the fiend found as he pafs'd;
And long he wander'd, till at last a gleam
Of dawning light turn'd thitherward in hafte
His travell'd fteps: far diftant he defcries,
Afcending by degrees magnificent

Up to the wall of heav'n, a ftructure high;
At top whereof, but far more rich, appear'd
The work as of a kingly palace-gate,
With frontispiece of diamond and gold
Embellifh'd;' thick with fparkling orient gems
The portal fhone, inimitable on earth
By model, or by fhading pencil drawn.
The stairs were fuch as whereon Jacob faw
Angels afcending and defcending, bands
Of guardians bright, when he from Efau fled
To Padan-Aram, in the field of Luz ..
Dreaming by night under the open sky,"

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910

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And waking cry'd, This is the gate of heav'n. 515).
Each stair mysteriously was meant, nor flood-
There always, but drawn up to heav'n fometimes
Viewless; and underneath a bright fea flow'd
Of jafper, or of liquid pearl, whereon
Who after came from earth failing arriv'd,
Wafted by angels, or flew o'er the lake
Rapt in a chariot drawn by fiery fteeds.
The stairs were then let down, whether to dare
The fiend by eafy' afcent, or aggravate
His fad exclufion from the doors of blifs:
Direct against which open'd from beneath,
Juft o'er the blissful feat of Paradife,
A paffage down to th' earth, a paffage wide,
Wider by far than that of after-times

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