By thee created; and by thee threw down Th' afpiring Dominations. Thou that day Thy FATHER's dreadful thunder did'ft not spare; Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook Heav'n's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks Thou drov't of warring angels difarraid. 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; Not fo on Man : him thro' 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 9 So ftrictly; but much more to pity inclin'd, He to appease thy wrath, and end the ftrife Of mercy and juffice 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 less 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 praise disjoin. 415
THUS they in heav'n, above the starry sphere,
Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent.
Mean-while, upon the firm opacous globe
Of this round world, whofe first convex divides
The luminous inferior orbs, inclos'd
From CHAOS, and th' inroad of darkness old,
SATAN alighted walks. A globe far off
It seem'd, now seems a boundless continent,
Dark, waite, and wild, under the frown of night
Starlefs expos'd, and ever-threat'ning ftorms
Of CHAOS bluftring round, inclement sky!
Save on that fide which from the wall of heav'n,
Tho' distant far, fome fmall reflection gains
Of glimm'ring air, lefs vex'd with tempeft loud.
Here walk'd the fiend at large in fpatious field.
As when a vultur on IM AUS bred,
Whose fnowy ridge the roving TARTAR bounds,
Diflodging from a region fcarce of prey,
To gorge the flesh of lambs, and weanling kids, 434
On hills where flocks are fed, flies tow'rds the fprings
Of GANGES, or HYDASPES, INDIAN ftreams,
But in his way lights on the barren plains
Of SERICANA, where CHINESES drive
With fails and wind their cany waggons 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 livelefs, to be found was none;
None yet, but ftore hereafter from the earth
Up hither like aëreal 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 lafting 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:
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,
Till final diffolution, wander here :
Not in the neighb'ring moon, as fome have dream'd;
(Those 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,
First from the antient 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 defign
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 ELYSIUM, leap'd into the fea,
CLEOMBROTUS: and many more too long,
Embryoes, and idiots, eremits, and friars
White, Black, and Grey, with all their trumpery:
Here Pilgrims roam, that stray'd fo far to feek
In GOLGOTHA him dead, who lives in heav'n :
And they who to be fure of Paradise,
Dying put on the weeds of DOMINIC,
Or in FRANCISCAN think to pafs difguis'd;
They pass the Planets fev'n, and pass the Fix'd,
And that chrystalline sphere whofe ballance weighs
The Trepidation talk'd, and that first-mov'd:
And now faint 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!
A violent crofs-wind from either coast
Blows them tranfverfe, ten thousand leagues awry
Into the devious air: then might ye fee
Cowles, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, toft,
And flutter'd into rags: then Reliques, Beads,
Indulgences, Difpenfes, Pardons, Bulls,
The fport of winds! All these up-whirl'd aloft
Fly o'er the backfide 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 untrode.
All this dark globe the fiend found as he pass'd;
And long he wander'd, till at last a gleam
Of dawning light turn'd thither-ward in haste
His travel'd steps: far diftant he descries,
Afcending by degrees magnificent
Up to the wall of heav'n, a structure high
At top whereof, but far more rich, appear'd
The work as of a kingly palace-gate,
With frontifpiece of diamond, and gold,
Imbellifh'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 ESAU fled
TO PADAN-ARAM in the field of Luz,
Dreaming by night under the open sky,
And waking cry'd, This is the gate of heav'n.
Each ftair myfteriously was meant, nor stood
There always, but drawn up to heav'n fometimes
Viewlefs, 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
Rap'd in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds.
The ftairs were then let down, whether to dare
The fiend by eafy afcent, or aggravate
His fad exclufion from the doors of bliss:
Direct against which open'd from beneath,
Juft o'er the blissful feat of Paradise,
A paffage down to th' earth, a paffage wide,
Wider by far than that of after-times
Over mount SION, and, though that were large,
Over the PROMIS'D LAND, to GOD fo dear,
By which, to vifit oft thofe happy tribes,
On high behefts his Angels to and fro
Pafs'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard,
From PANEAS, the fount of JORDAN's flood, 535
TO BEERSABA where the HOLY LAND
Borders on ÆGYPT, and th' ARABIAN fhore,
So wide the opening feem'd, where bounds were fet
To darkness, fuch as bound the ocean wave.
SATAN from hence, now on the lower stair,
That fcal'd by steps of gold to heaven-gate,
Looks down with wonder at the fudden view
Of all this world at once. As when a fcout,
Thro' dark and defert ways with peril gone
All night, at laft by break of chearful dawn
Obtains the brow of fome high-climbing hill,
Which to his eye difcovers un-aware
The goodly profpect of fome foreign land,
Firft feen or fome renown'd metropolis,
With gliftering fpires and pinnacles adorn'd,
Which now the rifing fun gilds with his beams :
Such wonder feiz'd, though after heaven seen,
The fpirit malign; but much more envy feiz'd
At fight of all this world beheld fo fair.
Round he furveys, and well might, where he stood
So high above the circling canopy
Of night's extended fhade, from eastern point
Of LIBRA, to the fleecy ftar, that bears
ANDROMEDA far off ATLANTIC feas,
Beyond th' horizon: then, from Pole to Pole 560
He views in breadth; and without longer paufe
Down right into the world's firft region throws
His flight precipitant, and winds with cafe.
Through the pure marble air his oblique way,
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