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What we, not to explore the fecrets ask
Of his eternal empire, but the more
To magnify his works, the more we know.
And the great light of day yet wants to run
Much of his race though steep; suspense in heaven,
Held by thy voice, thy potent voice, he hears,
And longer will delay to hear thee tell
His generation, and the rifing birth
Of nature from the unapparent deep :

Or if the ftar of evening and the moon

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Haste to thy audience, night with her will bring 105
Silence, and fleep list'ning to thee will watch;
Or we can bid his abfence, till thy fong
End, and dismiss thee ere the morning shine.
Thus Adam his illuftrious gueft befought:
And thus the godlike angel anfwer'd mild.
This alfo thy request with caution afk'd
Obtain: though to recount almighty works
What words or tongue of Seraph can suffice,
Or heart of man fuffice to comprehend?

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Yet what thou canft attain, which beft may ferve 115 To glorify the Maker, and infer

Thee also happier, fhall not be withheld

Thy hearing; fuch commiffion from above.
I have receiv'd, to answer thy defire
Of knowledge within bounds; beyond abstain
To afk, nor let thine own inventions hope
Things not reveal'd, which th' invifible King,
Only omniscient, hath fupprefs'd in night,
To none communicable in earth or heaven :
Enough is left befides to search and know.
But knowledge is as food, and needs no lefs
Her temp'rance over appetite, to know
In measure what the mind may well contain;
Oppreffes elfe with furfeit, and foon turns

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Wisdom to folly', as nourishment to wind.

Know then, that after Lucifer from heaven
(So call him, brighter once amidst the hoft
Of angels, than that ftar the stars among)
Fell with his flaming legions through the deep
Into his place, and the great Son return'd
Victorious with his faints, the omnipotent
Eternal Father from his throne beheld

Their multitude, and to his Son thus fpake.

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At least our envious foe hath fail'd, who thought All like himself rebellious, by whofe aid

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This inacceffible high ftrength, the feat
Of Deity fupreme, us difpoffefs'd,

He trufted to have feiz'd, and into fraud

Drew many, whom their place here knows no more :

Yet far the greater part have kept, I fee,

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Already done, to have difpeopled heaven,
My damage fondly deem'd, I can repair
That detriment, if fuch it be, to lofe
Self-loft; and in a moment will create
Another world, out of one man a race
Of men innumerable, there to dwell,

Not here; till by degrees of merit rais'd,
They open to themfelves at length the way
Up hither, under long obedience try'd ;

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And earth be chang'd to heaven, and heaven to earth,
One kingdom, joy and union without end.
Meanwhile inhabit lax, ye powers of heaven;
And thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee
This I perform; fpeak thou, and be it done:

My overshadowing Spi'rit and might with thee 165
I fend along; ride forth, and bid the deep
Within appointed bounds be heaven and earth,
Boundless the deep, because I Am who fill
Infinitude, nor vacuous the space.
Though I uncircumfcrib'd myself retire,
And put not forth my goodness, which is free
To act or not, neceffity and chance
Approach not me, and what I will is fate.

So fpake th' Almighty, and to what he spake
His Word, the Filial Godhead, gave effect.
Immediate are the acts of God, more fwift
Than time or motion; but to human ears
Cannot without procéfs of fpeech be told,
So told as earthly notion can receive.

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Great triumph and rejoicing was in heaven,

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When fuch was heard declar'd th' Almighty's will:

Glory they fung to the Most High, good will

To future men, and in their dwellings peace!
Glory to him, whose just avenging ire

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Had driv'n out th' ungodly from his fight,
And th' habitations of the juft; to him
Glory and praife, whose wisdom had ordain'd
Good out of evil to create, instead

Of fpi'rits malign a better race to bring
Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse
His good to worlds and

ages infinite!

So fang the Hierarchies. Mean while the Son
On his great expedition now appear'd,

Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crown'd
Of majesty divine; fapience and love
Immenfe, and all his Father in him fhone.
About his chariot numberlefs were pour'd

Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones,
And virtues, winged fpi'rits, and chariots wing'd

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From th' armoury of God; where stand of old
Myriads between two brazen mountains lodge'd
Against a folemn day, harnefs'd at hand,
Celestial equipage; and now came forth
Spontaneous, for within them fpirit liv'd,
Attendant on their Lord: heaven open'd wide
Her ever-during gates, harmonious found
On golden hinges moving, to let forth
The King of Glory in his powerful Word
And Spirit coming to create new worlds.

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On heavenly ground they ftood, and from the fhore
They view'd the vaft immeafurable abyfs,
Outrageous as a fea, dark, wasteful, wild,
Up from the bottom turn'd by furieus winds,
And furging waves, as mountains, to affault
Heaven's height, and with the centre mix the pole.
Silence, ye troubled waves! and thou deep, peace!
Said then th' emnific Word, your discord end:
Nor ftay'd; but on the wings of Cherubim
Uplifted, in paternal glory rode

Far into Chaos, and the world unborn;

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For Chaos heard his voice: him all his train

Follow'd in bright proceffion, to behold
Creation, and the wonders of his might.

Then ftay'd the fervid wheels, and in his hand
He took the golden compaffes, prepar'd

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In God's eternal store, to circumfcribe

This universe, and all created things:

One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd
Round thro' the vast profundity obfcure,

And faid, Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds, 230
This be thy juft circumference, O world.

Thus God the heaven created, thus the earth,
Matter unform'd and void: darknefs profound
Cover'd th' abyfs: but on the watry calm
Y

His brooding wings the Spi'rit of God outfpread, 235
And vital virtue' infus'd, and vital warmth
Throughout the fluid mafs; but downward purge'd
The black, tartareous, cold, infernal dregs,
Adverfe to life: then founded, then conglob'd
Like things to like, the reft to feveral place
Difparted, and between fpun out the air,
And earth felf-balanc'd on her centre hung.

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Let there be light, faid God; and forthwith light Ethereal, firft of things, quinteffence pure,

Sprung from the deep, and from her native east 245
To journey through the airy gloom began,
Spher'd in a radiant cloud; for yet the fun
Was not; fhe in a cloudy tabernacle

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Sojourn'd the while. God faw the light was good;
And light from darkness by the hemisphere
Divided light the day, and darkness night
He nam'd. Thus was the first day ev'n and morn :
Nor past uncelebrated, nor unfung

By the celestial quires, when orient light
Exhaling first from darkness they beheld;

Birth-day of heaven and earth; with joy and fhout
The hollow univerfal orb they fill'd,

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And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning prais'd God and his works; Creator him they fung,

Both when first ev'ning was, and when first morn.

Again, God faid, Let there be firmament

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Amid the waters, and let it divide

The waters from the waters: and God made
The firmament, expanfe of liquid, pure,

Tranfparent, elemental air, diffus'd

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In circuit to the uttermoft convex

Of this great round: partition firm and fure,
The waters underneath from those above
Dividing for as earth, fo he the world

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