And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear
Seen in the Galaxy, that milky way
Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest
Powdered with stars. And now on Earth the seventh
Evening arose in Eden-for the sun
Was set, and twilight from the east came on, Forerunning night-when at the holy mount Of Heaven's high-seated top, the imperial throne Of Godhead, fixed for ever firm and sure, The Filial Power arrived, and sat him down With his great Father; for He also went. Invisible, yet stayed (such privilege
Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordained, Author and end of all things, and, from work
Now resting, blessed and hallowed the seventh Day, 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, Tempered soft tunings, intermixed with voice Choral or unison; of incense clouds,
Fuming from golden censers, hid the Mount. Creation and the Six Days' acts they sung :-
'Great are thy works, Jehovah! infinite
Thy power! what thought can measure thee, or tongue Relate thee greater now in thy return.
Than from the Giant-angels? Thee that day
Thy thunders magnified; but to create
Is greater than created to destroy.
Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound Thy empire? Easily the proud attempt Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain, Thou hast repelled, while impiously they thought Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshipers.
To lessen thee, against his purpose, serves To manifest the more thy might; his evil Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more good. Witness this new-made World, another Heaven From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea; Of amplitude almost immense, with stars Numerous, and every star perhaps a world Of destined habitation-but thou know'st Their seasons; among these the seat of men, Earth, with her nether ocean circumfused, Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy men, And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanced, 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 worshipers Holy and just! thrice happy, if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright!'
"So sung they, and the Empyrean rung With halleluiahs. Thus was Sabbath kept. And thy request think now fulfilled, that asked How first this World and face of things began, And what before thy memory was done
From the beginning, that posterity,
Informed by thee, might know.
Aught, not surpassing human measure, say."
THE END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK
Adam inquires 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 fixed to hear; Then, as new-waked, thus gratefully replied:- "What thanks sufficient, or what recompense
Equal, have I to render thee, divine
Historian, who thus largely hast allayed The thirst I had of knowledge, and voutsafed 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 Heaven and Earth consisting, and compute Their magnitudes-this Earth, a spot, a grain,
An atom, with the Firmament compared
And all her numbered 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 survey Useless besides-reasoning, I oft admire How Nature, wise and frugal, could commit Such disproportions, with superfluous hand So many nobler bodies to create, Greater so manifold, to this one use,
For aught appears, and on their Orbs impose Such restless revolution day by day Repeated, while the sedentary Earth,
That better might with far less compass move, Served by more noble than herself, attains Her end without least motion, and receives, As tribute, such a sumless journey brought Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light: Speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails."
So spake our Sire, and by his countenance seemed Entering on studious thoughts abstruse; which Eve 40. Perceiving, where she sat retired in sight,
With lowliness majestic from her seat,
And grace that won who saw to wish her stay, Rose, and went forth among her fruits and flowers, To visit how they prospered, bud and bloom, Her nursery; they at her coming sprung, And, touched by her fair tendance, gladlier grew. Yet went she not as not with such discourse Delighted, or not capable her ear
Of what was high. Such pleasure she reserved, Adam relating, she sole auditress;
Her husband the relater she preferred
Before the Angel, and of him to ask
Chose rather; he, she knew, would intermix Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute
With conjugal caresses: from his lip
Not words alone pleased her. Oh, when meet now Such pairs, in love and mutual honour joined ? With goddess-like demeanour forth she went, Not unattended; for on her as Queen A pomp of winning Graces waited still, And from about her shot darts of desire Into all eyes, to wish her still in sight. And Raphael now to Adam's doubt proposed Benevolent and facile thus replied:-
"To ask or search I blame thee not; for Heaven Is as the Book of God before thee set,
'Wherein to read his wondrous works, and learn His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years. This to attain, whether Heaven move or Earth Imports not, if thou reckon right; the rest From Man or Angel the great Architect Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge
His secrets, to be scanned by them who ought Rather admire. Or, if they list to try Conjecture, he his fabric of the Heavens Hath left to their disputes-perhaps to move His laughter at their quaint opinions wide Hereafter, when they come to model Heaven, And calculate the stars; how they will wield The mighty frame; how build, unbuild, contrive To save appearances; how gird the Sphere With Centric and Eccentric scribbled o'er, Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb. Already by thy reasoning this I guess,
Who art to lead thy offspring, and supposest
That bodies bright and greater should not serve
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