Omnia, quæ Dominus dudum memoranda peregit.
Hinc fibi de variis adfcifcunt undique plures
Gentibus, amplexos præconia dia falutis.
At ftadiis bene confectis, fanctoque foluto
Munere, præceptis faftos vitifque relatis
In memores, obeunt: mox (quod cecinere) luporum
Turba subit scelerata, furentum immane luporum;
Quæ munus mentita facrum, myfteria cœli
Artibus invertent fædis, ut fuaferit auri
Infatiata fames, & honorum immenfa cupido.
Exin vera facris folùm confcripta tabellis,
Ipfe Dei lucem pandit quêis Spiritus unus,
Dira fuperftitio involvet, commentaque vana.
Deinde fibi titulos laudumque infignia quærent,
Imperiumque & opes, cœleftia fola profeffi,
Heu nimis in terras curvi, & cœleftium inanes.
Afferere audebunt fibi dona, patentia latè
Arduum iter Veri ingreffis, & flumina amoris
Great numbers of each nation to receive With joy the tidings brought from heav'n: length,
Their miniftry perform'd, and race well run,
Their doctrine and their ftory written left,
They die. But in their room, as they fore-warn,
Wolves fhall fucceed for teachers, grievous wolves!
Who all the facred myfteries of heav'n,
To their own vile advantages fhall turn,
Of lucre and ambition; and the truth
With fuperftitions and traditions taint,
Left only in those written records pure;
Though not but by the spirit understood.
Then shall they seek t'avail themselves of names,
Places and titles; and with these to join
Secular pow'r; though feigning ftill to act
By spiritual to themselves appropriating
The spirit of God, promis'd alike, and giv'n
Divini claudent; ftatuentque immania jura,
Jura, homini quæ non infculpferit alta Dei mens.
Non vim Animæ faciant fanctæ, comitemque catenis
Subjiciant libertatem ? non perdere certent
Viva Dei delubra, fide fervanda valenti,
Quæque fide propriâ, atque alienæ immunia? nam quis
Mortalis falli tam nefcius, ut regat omnem
Ipse fidem, et tacitum alterius fub pectore testem ?
Quin hoc jactabunt multi, cunctofque laceffent
Tormentis, jus qui fervent, Verique tenaces,
Pectoris ingenuo numen venerentur honore.
At reliqui facros, longè pars maxima, cultus
Ritibus ac fpecie vanâ conftare putabunt;
Transfixum opprobrii multâ Fas cufpide terras
Deferet; & fidei veftigia rara legentur.
Perpetuâ hinc ferie terrarum degener orbis
Ufque pios odio excipiet, pravofque favore,
Ipfe fuâ fub mole gemens: dum venerit olim
To all believers: and from that pretence,
Spiritual laws by carnal pow'r fhall force
On every conscience, laws, which none fhall find
Left them inroll'd: or, what the Spirit within
Shall on the heart ingrave. What will they then.
But force the Spirit of grace itself, and bind
His confort Liberty? what, but unbuild
His living temples, built by faith to ftand,
Their own faith, not another's? for on earth,
Who against faith and confcience, can be heard
Infallible? Yet many will prefume:
Whence heavy perfecution shall arise
On all, who in the worship perfevere
Of fpirit and truth. The reft, far greater part,
Will deem in outward rites, and fpecious forms,
Religion fatisfy'd; Truth fhall retire
Beftuck with fland'rous darts, and works of faith
Rarely be found. So fhall the world go on,
Sancta
Summa Dies, juftos meritâ quæ pace fovebit,
Vindictâque premet fontes: quum deinde redibit
Ille tibi columen dictus, fpefque unica, Semen
Fœmineum; obscuræ dictus fub imaginis umbrâ ;
Nunc formâ propiore patens Dominufque Redemptorque:
At tandem, explicitâ per nubila luce, paternis
Effulgens aderit radiis, ac numine toto
Defcendens Satanam temeratumque obruet orbem.
Hinc, conflagrantis maffæ cum excoxerit omnem
Flamma luem, cœlofque novos terrasque recentes
Attollet: Fas, Pax, & Amor, fundamina rupe
Perpetuâ ftatuent; ibi fefe uberrima pandet
Lætitia, æternasque effundent gaudia fruges.
Finierat: deinde hæc Genitor responsa remisit
Ultima: quàm celeri curfu, Sanctiffime vatum,
Faticinis dictis ftadium omne volubilis ævi
Vox tua metita eft, fluxique fugacia mundi
Sæcula, dum fixo fteterit rota temporis orbe.
To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight groaning; 'till the day
Appear of refpiration to the just,
And vengeance to the wicked: at return
Of Him fo lately promis'd to thy aid,
The woman's Seed; obfcurely then foretold;
Now amplier known thy Saviour, and thy Lord;
Laft, in the clouds from heav'n to be reveal'd
In glory of the Father, to diffolve
Satan, with his perverted world; then raise
From the conflagrant mass, purg'd, and refin'd,
New heav'ns, new earth, ages of endless date,
Founded in righteousness, and peace, and love;
To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal blifs.
He ended: and thus Adam last reply'd :
How foon hath thy prediction, Seer bleft,
Meafur'd this tranfient world, the race of time,
Till time ftand fix'd? Beyond is all abyss,
Hinc fefe expandit vafta atque immanis Abyffus,
Æterna, omnipatens; quam non pervaferit unquam
Ulla tuendo acies. At pectora lumine puro
Perfufus, placidâque expletus pace, recedam;
Fluxit enim largo mihi fonte Scientia, quantam
Vas capere hoc potis eft: Demens, qui eniterer ultra!
Tandem animo fedet, imperiis parere, Deumque
Diligere & venerari unum; latus ufque prementem
Affiduè meminiffe, revolvere provida longè
Confilia, & patriæ penitùs confidere curæ.
Ille fuæ monumenta manûs fovet omnia amore,
Ufque bonis mala pervincens; opera inftrumentis
Grandia molitur parvis: Illo aufpice, fummas
Terrenæ virtutis opes tenuiffima frangunt,
Atque animis rudibus fuccumbit confilii vis.
Pro verâ pugnare fide, & difcrimina poffe
Cuncta pati, quæ palma fiet, qualifque triumphus;
Utque piis vitæ portam mors unica pandat,
Eternity, whofe end no eye can reach.
Greatly inftructed I fhall hence depart;
Greatly in peace of thought; and have my fill
Of knowledge, what this veffel can contain:
Beyond which was my folly to afpire!
Henceforth I learn, that to obey is beft,
And love with fear the only God; to walk
As in his prefence; ever to obferve
His providence; and on him fole depend;
Merciful over all his works; with good
Still overcoming evil; and by fmall
Accomplishing great things; 'by things deem'd
weak
Subverting worldly strong; and worldly wife
By fimply meek; that fuffering for truth's fake,
Is fortitude to highest victory;.
Illius exemplo didici, quem lætus adorans
Jam nofco columenque meum, fanctamque falutem.
Tum deinde extremùm affatur venerabilis Hofpes:
His adeò tibi perfpectis fapientia fumma
Acceffit; ne fpem arrectam fublimius effer;
Non, fi ftellarum numeros ac nomina nôris,
Æthereas latè vires, arcana profundi
Vasta capaci animo prorfum comprenderis, & quæ
Per terras Pater omnipotens, perque aeris auras
Condidit, immenfumque polum, pontumque patentem:
Non, fi omnes gazafque, & cun&ta coegeris unus
Imperia. At donis tu digna opera adde receptis;
Adde fidem, virtutem, animum fortem adde, potentem
Exiguo, docilemque pati; fuper omnia Amorem,
Cetera vi penitus vegetâ flammifque animantem
Lætificis; Pietas qui cara vocabitur olim.
Finibus his lætis deinde haud invitus abibis;
Intus enim Paradifus erit tibi corde fub ipfo
And to the faithful death the gate of life;
Taught this by his example, whom I now
Acknowledge my Redeemer ever bleft!
To whom thus alfo th' Angel laft reply'd:
This having learn'd, thou haft attain'd the fum
Of wisdom; hope no higher; tho' all the stars
Thou knew'ft by name, and all th' ethereal pow'rs,
All fecrets of the deep, all nature's works,,
Or works of God in heav'n, air, earth, or fea;
And all the riches of this world enjoy'dft,
And all the rule, one empire. Only add
Deeds to thy knowledge anfwerable; add faith;
Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,
By name to come call'd charity, the foul
Of all the reft, then wilt thou not be loth
To leave this Paradise, but shalt poffefs
A Paradife within thee, happier far!-
Let us defcend now therefore from this top
Lætior.
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