Up to the heav'n of heav'ns his high abode,
Thence to behold this new created world
Th'addition of his empire, how it fhew'd

In prospect from his throne, how good, how faire,
Answering his great idea. Up he rode
Follow'd with acclamation and the found
Symphonious of ten thousand harpes that tun'd:
Angelic harmonies: the earth, the aire
Refounded, (thou remember'st, for thou heardst);
The heav'ns and all the conftellations rung,
The planets in their stations liftning flood,
While the bright pomp afcended-jubilant.
Open, ye everlasting gates, they fung,
Open, ye heav'ns, your living dores; let in
The great creator from his work return'd
Magnificent, his fix days work, a world ;
Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign
To vifit oft the dwellings of juft men
Delighted, and with frequent intercourse
Thither will fend his winged messengers

On errands of fupernal grace. So fung
The glorious train ascending: he through heav'n,
That open'd wide her blazing portals, lėd
To God's eternal house direct the way,
A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold
And pavement stars, as stars to thee appeer,
Seen in the galaxie, that milkie way

Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest

Pouder'd with ftars. And now on earth the feaventh

Ev'ning arofe in Eden, for the fun

Was fet, and twilight from the east came on.

Forerunning night; when at the holy mount
Of heav'n's high-feated top, th'imperial throne
Of godhead, fixt for ever firm and sure,
The filial power arriv'd, and fat him down
With his great father (for he also went
Invisible,) yet staid (such priviledge

Hath omnipresence) and the work ordam'd,
Author, and end of all things, and from work
Now refting, blefs'd and hallow'd the feav'nth day,
As refting 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 foft tunings, intermixt with voice
Choral or unifon of incenfe clouds

Fuming from golden cenfers hid the mount.
Creation and the fix dayes acts they fung,
Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite

Thy power; what thought can measure thee or tongue
Relate thee; greater now in thy return

Then from the giant angels; thee that day,
Thy thunders magnifi'd; but to create

Is greater than created to destroy.

Who can impair thee, mighty king, or bound
Thy empire? easily the proud attempt

Of spirits apoftate and their counfels vain
Thou haft repell'd, while impiously they thought-
Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshippers, who seeks
To leffen thee, against his purpose serves

To manifeft thee more thy might: his evil

Thou ufeft, and from thence creat'ft more good.
Witness this new-made world, another heav'n
From heav'n gate not far, founded in view
On the clear Hyaline, the glaffe fea;
Of amplitude almost immense, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world
Of deftin'd habitation; but thou know'st
Their feafons among these the feat of men,
Earth with her nether ocean circumfus'd,
Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happie men,
And fons of men, whom God hath thus advanc't,
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 worshippers
Holy and juft: thrice happie if they know
Their happiness, and perfevere upright.
So fung they, and the empyrean rung,
With Halleluias: thus was fabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd
How firft this world and face of things began,
And what before thy memorie was done

From the beginning, that posteritie

Inform'd by thee might know; if elfe thou feek'st Aught, not furpaffing human measure, fay.

The End of the Seventh Book.

T

HE angel ended, and in Adam's eare So charming left his voice, that he a while Thought him still speaking, still stood fixt to hear; Then as new wak't thus gratefully repli'd, What thanks. fufficient, or what recompence Equal have I-to render thee, divine. Hiftorian, who thus largely haft allay'd The thirst. I had of knowledge, and voutfaf't This friendly condefcenfion to relate

1

Things elfe by me unfearchable, now heard
With wonder, but delight, and, as is due,
With glorie attributed to the high
Creator; fomething yet of doubt remains,
Which onely thy folution can refolve.
When I behold this goodly frame, this world
Of heav'n and earth confifting, and compute,
Their magnitudes, this earth a spot, a graine,
An atom, with the firmament compar'd
And all her number'd stars, that feem'd to rowle
Spaces incomprehensible (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
Useless besides, reasoning. I oft admire,
How nature wife and frugal could commit

Such difproportion, with superfluous hand
So many nobler bodies to create,

Greater fo manifold to this one use,

For aught appeers, and on their orbs impofe
Such restless revolution day by day

Repeated, while the fedentarie earth,

That better might with far lefs compass move,
Serv'd by more noble then herself, attains
Her end without leaft motion, and receives;
As tribute fuch a fumless journey brought
Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light;
Speed, to describe whose swiftness number failes.

So fpake our fire, and by his count'nance feem'd-
Entring on ftudious thoughts abstruse, which Eve
Perceaving where she fat retir'd in fight,
With lowlinefs majestic from her feat,

And grace that won who faw to wish her stay,
Rofe, and went forth among her fruits and flours,
To vifit how they profper'd, bud and bloom,
Her nurferie; they at her coming sprung
And toucht by her fair tendance g'adlier grew.
Yet went fhe not, as not with fuch difcourfe
Delighted, or not capable her eare

Of what was high: fuch pleasure she referv'd,
Adam relating, fhe fole auditress;

Her husband the relater the preferr'd

Before the angel, and of him to ask

Chofe rather; he, the knew would intermix
Grateful digreffions, and folve high difpute
With conjugal careffes, from his lip

Not words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now