That with'd the mountains now might be again
Thrown on them as a fhelter from his ire.
Nor lefs on either fide tempeftuous fell

His arrows, from the fourfold vifag'd Four, 845
Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels
Distinct alike with multitude of eyes;
One spirit in them rul'd, and every eye
Glar'd lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire
Among th' accurs'd, that wither'd all their
ftrength,

850

And of their wonted vigor left them drain'd,
Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fall'n.
Yet half his strength he put not forth, but
check'd

His thunder in mid voly; for he meant

Not to destroy, destroy, but root them out of

Heav'n.

855

The overthrown he rais'd, and as a herd
Of goats or timorous flock together throng'd,
Drove them before him thunder-ftruck, pursued
With terrors, and with furies, to the bounds
And chryftal wall of heav'n; which op'ning
wide,

860

Roll'd inward, and a fpacious gap difclos'd Into the wasteful deep: the monstrous fight Struck them with horror backward; but far

worfe

Urg'd them behind: headlong themselves they

threw

Po

Down from the verge of Heav'n; eternal

wrath

Burn'd after them to the bottomless pit.

865

Hell heard th' unfufferable noife, Hell faw Heav'n ruining from Heav'n, and would have fled

Affrighted; but strict fate had caft too deep Her dark foundations, and too faft had

Nine days they fell; confounded Chaos roar'd, And felt tenfold confufion in their fall Through his wild anarchy, so huge a rout Incumber'd him with rain! Hell at laft Yawning receiv'd them whole, and on them

clos'd;

.875 Hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain. Disburden'd Heav'n rejoic'd, and foon repair'd Her mural breach, returning whence it roll'd.

Sole Victor, from th' expulfion of his foes 880 Meffiah his triumphal chariot turn'd: To meet him all his Saints, who filent stood Eye-witnelles of his almighty acts,

With jubilee advanc'd; and as they went, Shaded with branching palm, each order

Sung triumph, and him fung victorious King, Son, Heir, and Lord, to him dominion given, Worthieft to reign: He celebrated rode

Triumphant through mid-heav'n, into the courts
And temple of his mighty Father thron'd 890
On high; who into glory him receiv'd,
Where now he fits at the right hand of bliss.
Thus, measuring things in Heav'n by things
on earth,

At thy request, and that thou may'st beware
By what is past, to thee I have reveal'd 895
What might have else to human race been hid;
The difcord which befel, and war in heav'n
Among th' Angelic Powr's, and the deep fall
Of those too high afpiring, who rebell'd
With Satan, he who envies now thy state, goo
Who now is plotting, how he may feduce
Thee alfo from obedience, that with him
Bereav'd of happiness, thou may'st partake
His punishment, eternal miferý;

Which would be all his folace and revenge, 905
As a despite done against the Most High,
Thee once to gain companion of his woe:
But liften not to his temptations; warn
Thy weaker: let if profit thee to have heard,
By terrible example, the reward

910

Of disobedience: firm they might have stood, Yet fell: Remember, and fear to tranfgrefs.

The End of the Sixth Book.

BOOK VII.

Defcend from Heav'n, Urania! by that name If rightly thou art call'd, whofe voice divine Following, above th' Olympian hill I foar, Above the flight of Pegáléan wing..

The meaning, not the name I call: for thou 5
Nor of the Mufes nine, nor on the top

Of old Olympus dwell'ft; but heav'nly born,
Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd,
Thou with eternal Wifdom didft converfet
Wisdom thy fifter, and with her didst play 10
In prefence of th' almighty Father, pleas'd
With thy celestial fong. Up led by thee
Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns I have prefum'd,
An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air,
Thy temp'ring: With like safety guided down, 15
Return me to my
native element:

Left from this flying fteed unrein'd, as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower clime,
Difmounted, on th' Aleian field I fall,
Erroneous there to wander, and forlorn.
Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound

20

Within the visible diurnal sphere:
Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole,
More fafe I fing with mortal voice; unchang'd
To hoarfe or mute, though fall'n on evil
days.
25

On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues;
In darkness, and with dangers compafs'd round,
And folitude! Yet not alone, while thou
Vifit'st my flumbers nightly; or when morn
Purples the eaft: ftill govern thou my fong, 30
Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
But drive for off the barbarous dissonance
Of Bacchus and his revellers; the race

Of that wild rout, that tore the Thracian bard
In Rhodope, where woods and rocks had

To rapture, 'till the favage clamor drown'd Both harp and voice; nor could the Mufe de

fend

Her fon. So fail not thou, who thee implores: For thou art heav'nly, she an empty dream. Say, Goddess, what enfued, when Raphaël,

Adam, by dire example to beware
Apoftafy, by what befel in Heav'n

40

The affable Arch-Angel, had forewarn'd

To thofe apoftates, left the like befal

In Paradife to Adam or his race,

45

Charg'd not to touch the interdicted tree,