Primigenam rerum, Divinæ ô Lucis Imago, Te læti dixere; illuftri cujus in ore Effulget Pater, haud alias fine nube videndus. In Te clara Patris radians impreffa moratur Gloria, transfufufque ingens Te Spiritus implet. Ille etiam per Te Cœlorum fumma, Chorumque Condidit æthereum; Sceptra ambitiosa potentum Per Te disjecit Procerum. Non tempore in illo Vel tonitru Patris horrendum Tu parcus agebas; Vel piger inftabas rapidis auriga quadrigis, Agmina dum disjecta & colla rebellia victor Obrueres, tremerentque æterni mœnia Cœli. Te multo reducem plaufu excepere Tuorum Agmina, Te folum, ô patriæ veriffima Proles Virtutis; datur hoftiles Cui frangere turmas, Aft Hominem mifereri. Hominem Tu fraude malignâ Illufum, Pater alme, (ea Te Clementia vestit) Haud tam crudeles voluifti expendere pœnas.
Made vifible, th' Almighty FATHER fhines, Whom else no creature can behold. 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 Pow'rs therein, By Thee created; and by Thee threw down Th' afpiring Dominations. Thou that day Thy FATHER'S dreadful Thunder didst not fpare; Nor ftop thy flaming Chariot wheels, that fhook
Heav'n's everlafting Frame, while o'er the necks Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarraid. Back from pursuit 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, 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
Te mollis flexit Pietas; hinc ubere rivo Exiit, inque tui defcendit pectora Nati: Dumque ore in patrio blando pugnaret Amori Juftitia, Ille ardens litem componere, fummi Gaudia deftituit folii & Tibi proxima regna Humanum ob fcelus, ac morti fefe obtulit ultro. O verè divinus Amor! Clementia foli
Concipienda DEO! O Magnum Patris Incrementum ! Æternum ô falve, Humanæ Stator optime Gentis! Te jam perpetuam fumam mihi, Sancte, canoræ Materiem Citharæ; Tuaque æternique Parentis Facta canam, & junctas miscebo in carmine laudes. Talia per cœlum Superi modulamine dulci Concelebrant, lætifque agitant concentibus horas. At noftri interea Satanas fuper Orbis opacâ Confidens fphærâ, cujus Convexa fupremo Circuitu dirimunt radiatos luminis ignes Disclufos nigrante Chao Noctifque vetustæ
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 strife Of Mercy and Justice in Thy face discern'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 Song Henceforth; and never fhall my Harp Thy praise Forget, nor from Thy FATHER's praise disjoin.
Thus they in Heav'n, above the ftarry Sphear, Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent. Mean while upon the firm opacous Globe
Of this round World, whofe firft Convex divides The luminous inferior Orbs, inclos'd From Chaos, and th' inroad of Darkness old,
Incurfu, ftabili gaudens incedit arenâ.
Sphæra videbatur longè; nunc æquore vasto Porrecta apparet tellus, caligine circum Horrens continuâ, fine fidere, turbinibusque Indomitoque Chao fævifque obnoxia nimbis; Pars modò languentis fenfit veftigia lucis, Manibus à cœli quæ longè emiffa resultat Subluftris, rapidifque minus vexata procellis : Hic Satanas latis folus fpatiatur in arvis. Qualis atrox Vultur, Tauri qua monte nivoso Meta vago præfcripta Scythe, de triftibus agris Præcipitat, teneros lætis in collibus agnos Lactentesve petens hædos, ut fanguine fauces Expleat: ad Gangem aut pennis ablatus Hydafpem, Incidit in faltus & quæ male pinguia Seres Arva colunt, ubi aperta tenens Auriga Sinenfis Flectit arundineos velifque & flamine currus. Talis ventoso hoc terræ fuper æquore folus
Satan alighted walks. A Globe far off
It seem'd, now seems a boundless Continent Dark, wafte, and wild, under the frown of Night Starlefs expos'd, and ever threat'ning storms Of Chaos bluft'ring round, inclement Sky: Save on that fide, which from the wall of Heav'n (Tho' 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.
As when a Vultur on Imaus bred, (Whose fnowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds) Diflodging from a Region (carce of prey, To gorge the flesh of Lambs or yeanling Kids, On hills where flocks are fed, flies tow'rd the Springs Of Ganges, or Hydafpes, Indian Streams: But in his way lights on the barren Plains Of Sericana, where Chineses drive With fails and wind their cany Waggons light:
Errabat Satanas prædæque intentus agebat;
Solus oberrabat; neque enim loca nuda Creati
Quidquam aliud penetrârat adhuc : pòft tempore longo Agmine turbato levium & farragine rerum
(Quæ velut aerii furfum huc fugere vapores)
Undique fervebat regio, ut fallacibus Ate
Corda hominum inflârat nugis. Venere frequentes,
Qui falfas inhiant fpecies, quos Gloria curru Ventofo rapit, & longæ Spes credula famæ, Falfaque felicis ludunt infomnia vitæ ;
Quofque errore vago miferifque ambagibus urget Cæca Superftitio, popularifque evehit Aura. Hic avidos nugarum animos ac vana morantes Digna manet Merces, cœptis nec inanibus impar. Hìc quæcunque rudi finxit Natura labore, Confufum genus, agglomerant, refolutaque terris Portenta; hic, rerum dum concidat ardua moles, Circum incerta volant: Quæ Lunam vana canentes
So on this windy Sea of Land the Fiend
Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey; Alone, for other Creature in this place Living, or lifelefs, to be found was none; None yet, but ftore hereafter from the earth Up hither like aereal vapours flew, Of all things tranfitory and vain, when Sin 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 Superftition, and blind Zeal, Nought fecking but the praife of men, here find Fit retribution, empty as their deeds. All th' unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand, 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;
Incoluiffe ferunt: Sed lucida veriùs arva
Evecti fubeunt Divi, Heroefque beati,
Quique Homines medius Superis difterminat Ordo. Huc primùm veteri à mundo venere Gigantes, Non bene junctorum Proles infaufta Parentum, Plurima nequicquam conati: huc deinde Babeli Artifices; vanosque, vetent ni fata, labores Jam repetant. Alii nullis comitantibus ibant, Quique Ætnam infiliens Deus immortalis haberi Geftiit, Empedocles; quemque egit in alta cupido Indomita Elyfii, commentaque vana Platonis, Demens Ambracia Juvenis. Glomerantur & una, Dicere quos longum eft, fanæ rationis egentes, Unà & Eremitæ fanctorumque agmina Fratrum, Quos fectâ atque habitu varios idem abftulit Error. Huc, qui per Cranium Solymæaque rura vagantes Illum inter tumulos & triftia bufta requirunt, Qui fedes dudum in patrias fuaque aftra redivit:
Thofe argent fields more likely Habitants, Tranflated Saints, or middle Spirits hold, Betwixt th' Angelical and Human kind) Hither, of ill-join'd Sons and Daughters born, Firft from the antient World thofe Giants came, With many a vain exploit, tho' then renown'd: 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 Elyfium, leap'd into the Sea, Cleombrotus: and many more too long, Embryo's, and Idiots, Eremites, and Friars White, Black, and Grey, with all their trumpery. Here Pilgrims roam, that stray'd so far to seek In Golgotha Him dead, who lives in Heav'n:
« PreviousContinue » |