Page images
PDF
EPUB

Of heav'n's high-feated top, th' imperial throne 585
Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and fure,
The Filial Pow'r arriv'd, and fat him down
With his great Father; for he also went
Invisible, yet stay'd, (such privilege

295

Hath Omniprefence), and the work, ordain'd, 590
Author and end of all things; and from work
Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the seventh day,
As resting on that day from all his work:
But not in filence holy kept; the harp
Had work, and rested not; the folemn pipe,
And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,
All founds on fret by string or golden wire
Temper'd soft tunings, intermix'd with voice
Choral or unifon: of incenfe clouds,
Fuming from golden cenfers, hid the mount.
Creation and the fix days acts they sung,
Great are thy works, Jehovah! infinite
Thypow'r! what thought can measure thee, or tongue
Relate thee! greater now in thy return
Than from the giant-angels: thee that day
Thy thunders magnify'd; but to create
Is greater than created to destroy.

600

605

Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound
Thy empire? easily the proud attempt
Of spi'rits apoftate, and their counsels vain,
Thou haft repell'd, while impiously they thought
Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks

610

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;

615

Of

Of amplitude almost immenfe, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world
Of destin'd habitation; but thou know'st
Their seasons: among these the feat of men,
Earth, with her nether ocean circumfus'd,
Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy men,
And fons of inen, whom God hath thus advanc'd,

620

624

Created in his image, there to dwell

And worship him; and in reward to rule
Over his works, on earth, in fea, or air,
And multiply a race of worthippers,
Holy and just: thrice happy, if they know
Their happiness, and persevere upright.

630

So fung they, and the empyréan rung With hallelujahs: thus was Sabbath kept. And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd 635 How first this world and face of things began,

And what before thy memory was done

From the beginning, that posterity,

Inform'd by thee, might know; if else thou seek'st

Ought, not furpaffing human measure, say.

640

END of the SEVENTH BOOK.

:

M

ARGU

ARGUMENT of BOOK VIII.

Adam inquires concerning celestial motions; is doubt. fully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam affents; and, ftill defirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered fince his own creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning folitude and fit fociety, bis first meeting and nuptials with Eve: his discourse with the angel thereupon, who, after admonitions repeated, departs.

PARADISE

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK VIII.

TH

HF angel ended, and in Adam's ear
So charming left his voice, that he a while
Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear;
Then, as new wak'd, thus gratefully reply'd.
What thanks sufficient, or what recompenfe
Equal have I to render thee, divine
Historian, who thus largely hast allay'd
The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsaf'd
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 refolve.

S

10

When I behold this goodly frame, this world 15
Of heav'n and earth confisting, and compute
Their magnitudes, this earth a spot, a grain,
An atom, with the firmament compar'd,
And all her number'd stars, that feem to roll
Spaces incomprehenfible, (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

M2

1

20

Uselers

Useless befides; reasoning I oft admire,
How Nature wife and frugal could commit
Such difproportions, with fuperfluous hand

25

So many nobler bodies to create,

Greater fo manifold, to this one ufe,

For ought appears, and on their orbs impose
Such restless revolution day by day
Repeated, while the fedentary earth,
That better might with far less compass move,
Serv'd 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 defcribe whose swiftness number fails.

30

35

So spake our fire, and by his count'nance feem'd Ent'ring on studious thoughts abstruse; which Eve 40 Perceiving where she sat retir'd in fight, With lowliness majestic from her feat, And grace that won who faw to with her stay, Rofe, and went forth among her fruits and flowers, To visit how they profper'd, bud and bloom, Her nursery; they at her coming sprung, And touch'd by her fair tendence gladlier grew. Yet went the not, as not with such discourse

Delighted, or not capable her ear

45

Of what was high: fuch pleasure she referv'd, 50

Adam relating, she sole auditress;
Her husband the relator the preferr'd

Before the angel, and of him to ask

Chose rather; he, she knew, would intermix

Grateful digrefsions, and folve high dispute
With conjugal caresses; from his lip

55

Not words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now
Such pairs, in love and mutual honour join'd?

With goddess-like demeanor forth the went,

Not

« PreviousContinue »