Cælestes acies, atque in certamine cælum,
Et quæ cælestes pugna deceret agros ! Quantus in æthereis tollit se Lucifer armis !
Atque ipso graditur vix Michaele minor !
Quantis, & quàm funestis concurritur iris,
Dum ferus hic stellas protegit, ille rapit !
Dum vulsos montes, ceu tela reciproca, torquent;
Et non mortali desuper igne pluunt;
Stat dubius cui se parti concedat Olympus ;
Et metuit pugnæ non superesse suæ.
At fimul in cælis MESSIÆ insignia fulgent,
Et currus animes, armaque digna DEO;
Horrendúmque rotæ strident, & fæva rotarum
Erumpunt torvis fulgura luminibus ;
Et flammæ vibrant, & vera tonitrua rauco
Admistis flammis insonuere polo:
Excidit attonitis mens omnis, & impetus omnis,
Et cassis dextris irrita tela cadunt.
Ad pænas fugiunt, & (ceu foret Orcus asylum !)
Infernis certant condere fe tenebris.
Cedite Romani Scriptores, cedite Graii,
Et
quos Fama recens, vel celebravit anus : Hæc quicunque leget, tantùm cecinisse putabit Mæonidem Ranas, Virgilium Culices.
S A M. BARROW, M. D.
Spectatissimo Viro,
GUILIELMO BENSON Armigero,
Serenissimo Mag. Britann. Regi
Erudito, Candido, Munifico;
Sub Ipsius Auspiciis susceptam
RIMAM Hominis Noxam, vetitâque ex Arbore fætus
Avulsos, morsu quæ degustata nefando
Humanæ genti mortem & genus omne malorum
Intulit, & miseros Edeni sedibus egit,
Donec Progenies Humano ab semine Major
Reftituat lapsos, lætisque reponat in arvis,
Diva canas : Tu, secreto quæ vertice quondam
Orebi, Sine-ve jugis, præcordia sancto
Pastori afflabas, quem lecta ab origine Proles
Audiit ingentis primordia dicere mundi,
Emersasque Chao terras cælumque profundum.
Seu tibi fit Sion cordi magis, & Siloæ fons
Celsa Dei tacito lambens Oracula rivo,
F Man's first Disobedience, and the Fruit Of Horeb, or of Sinai, didit inspire
Of that forbidden Tree, whose mortal Tafte That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed, Brought Death into the world and all our woe, In the beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Rose out of Chaos : Or if Sion Hill Restore Us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd Sing Heav’nly Muse; that on the secret top
Faft by the Oracle of GOD, I thence
A
Ritè
Ritè tuam poscentis opem præsentior audi
Inde preces, non vulgari qui carminis alá
Aonium fpernit montem, impavidoque volatu
Ardua molitur, nulli fermone soluto
Dicta priùs, nulli veterum celebrata camænæ.
Tuque adeò, qui, templorum penetralibus altis
Posthabitis, purum pectus sanctosque recessus
Casti animi colis; O fari da, SPIRITUS alme,
Scis etenim & memorare potes; Tu semina mundi
Prima fovens, alisque, parentis more columbæ,
Expansis super incumbens, immane Profundum
Vi fæcundabas genitali: Tu mihi lustra
Corda bonus; lucem cæco, invalidoque vigorem
Suffice, ut ingenti non impar Argumento
Consurgam; legesque Dei venerandaque jura
Defendens, pandam di&tis quàm numine justo
Torquet res Hominum, atque æquis moderatur habenis.
Fare age, namque patent superas tibi cuncta per oras
Perque altos Erebi tractus, quæ Causa Parentes
Invoke thy aid to my advent'rous Song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above th’ Aonian Mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.
And chiefly Thou, O Spirit, that doft prefer
Before all temples th’upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know'st: Thou from the first
Waft present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like fat'st brooding on the vast Abyss,
And mad't it pregnant; What in Me is dark,
Illumine ; what is low, raise and support;
That to the height of this great Argument
I may affert Eternal Providence,
And justifie the ways of God to Men.
Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view,
Nor the deep Tract of Hell; fay first what Cause
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