Embracing round this florid earth; what cause
Mov'd the Creator in his holy rest
Through all eternity so late to build
In chaos, and the work begun, how soon
Absolv'd, if unforbid thou may'st unfold
What we not to explore the secrets 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 rising birth
Of Nature from the unapparent deep:
Or if the star of ev'ning and the moon
Haste to thy audience, Night with her will bring 105
Silence, and Sleep list'ning to thee will watch;
Or we can bid his absence, till thy song
End, and dismiss thee ere the morning shine.
Thus Adam his illustrious guest besought;
And thus the godlike angel answer'd mild.
This also thy request with caution ask'd
Obtain though to recount almighty works
What words or tongue of seraph can suffice,
Or heart of man suffice to comprehend?
90 florid] Globous. Bentl. MS.
99 heaven] In the first edition there was no comma after 'heaven ;' Pearce altered the punctuation.
103 unapparent] dogaros. Bentl. MS.
108 End] for ending dismiss thee;' so ii. 917, Stood, and look'd' for 'standing look'd.' Todd.
Yet what thou canst attain, which best may serve 115
To glorify the Maker, and infer
Thee also happier, shall not be withheld
Thy hearing, such commission from above
I have receiv'd, to answer thy desire
Of knowledge within bounds; beyond abstain
To ask, nor let thine own inventions hope
Things not reveal'd, which th' invisible King,
Only omniscient, hath supprest in night,
To none communicable in earth or heaven:
Enough is left besides to search and know.
But knowledge is as food, and needs no less
Her temperance over appetite, to know
In measure what the mind may well contain;
Oppresses else with surfeit, and soon turns
Wisdom to folly, as nourishment to wind.
Know then, that after Lucifer from heaven,
(So call him, brighter once amidst the host
Of angels, than that star the stars among,)
Fell with his flaming legions through the deep
Into his place, and the great Son return'd
Victorious with his saints, th' omnipotent
123 night] Hor. Od. iii. 29. 29.
'Prudens futuri temporis exitum
Caliginosa nocte premit Deus.' Thyer.
129 surfeit] See Davenant's Gondibert, c. viii. st. 22.
'For though books serve as diet of the mind,
If knowledge early got, self-value breeds,
By false digestion it is turn'd to wind,
And what should nourish on the eater feeds.'
Embracing round this florid earth; what cause
Mov'd the Creator in his holy rest
Through all eternity so late to build
In chaos, and the work begun, how soon
Absolv'd, if unforbid thou may'st unfold
What we not to explore the secrets 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 rising birth
Of Nature from the unapparent deep:
Or if the star of ev'ning and the moon
Haste to thy audience, Night with her will bring 105
Silence, and Sleep list'ning to thee will watch;
Or we can bid his absence, till thy song
End, and dismiss thee ere the morning shine.
Thus Adam his illustrious guest besought;
And thus the godlike angel answer'd mild.
This also thy request with caution ask'd
Obtain though to recount almighty works
What words or tongue of seraph can suffice,
Or heart of man suffice to comprehend?
90 florid] Globous. Bentl. MS.
99 heaven] In the first edition there was no comma after 'heaven;' Pearce altered the punctuation.
103 unapparent] dogaros. Bentl. MS.
108 End] for ending dismiss thee;' so ii. 917, 'Stood, and look'd' for 'standing look'd.' Todd.
Yet what thou canst attain, which best may serve 115
To glorify the Maker, and infer
Thee also happier, shall not be withheld
Thy hearing, such commission from above
I have receiv'd, to answer thy desire
Of knowledge within bounds; beyond abstain
To ask, nor let thine own inventions hope
Things not reveal'd, which th' invisible King,
Only omniscient, hath supprest in night,
To none communicable in earth or heaven:
Enough is left besides to search and know.
But knowledge is as food, and needs no less
Her temperance over appetite, to know
In measure what the mind may well contain;
Oppresses else with surfeit, and soon turns
Wisdom to folly, as nourishment to wind.
Know then, that after Lucifer from heaven,
(So call him, brighter once amidst the host
Of angels, than that star the stars among,)
Fell with his flaming legions through the deep
Into his place, and the great Son return'd
Victorious with his saints, th' omnipotent
123 night] Hor. Od. iii. 29. 29.
'Prudens futuri temporis exitum
Caliginosa nocte premit Deus.' Thyer.
129 surfeit] See Davenant's Gondibert, c. viii. st. 22.
'For though books serve as diet of the mind,
If knowledge early got, self-value breeds,
By false digestion it is turn'd to wind,
And what should nourish on the eater feeds.'
Eternal Father from his throne beheld
Their multitude, and to his Son thus spake.
At least our envious foe hath fail'd, who thought
All like himself rebellious, by whose aid
This inaccessible high strength, the seat
Of deity supreme, us dispossest,
He trusted to have seiz'd, and into fraud
Drew many, whom their place knows here no more:
Yet far the greater part have kept, I see,
Their station; heaven yet populous retains
Number sufficient to possess her realms
Though wide, and this high temple to frequent
With ministeries due and solemn rites.
But lest his heart exalt him in the harm
Already done, to have dispeopled heaven,
My damage fondly deem'd, I can repair
That detriment, if such it be to lose
Self-lost, 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 themselves at length the way
Up hither, under long obedience try'd,
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
139 least] Mr. Thyer saith, 'That I do not like taking liberties with the text, or I should read "at last."'
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