Y: mifts and exhalations that now rife
From hill or freaming lake, dufky or grey,
Till the fun paint your fleecy fkirts with gold,
In honour to the world's great Author rise,
Whether to deck with clouds th' uncolour'd sky,
Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers,
Ring or failing, ftill advance his praife.

His praife, ye winds, that from four quarters blow,
Breathe foft or loud; and wave your tops, ye
Pines,

With every plant, in fign of worship wave.
Fountains, and ye that warble, as ye flow,
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praife.
Join voices, all ye living fouls: ye Birds,
That, finging, up to Heaven gate afcend,
Bear on your wings, and in your notes his praise.
Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk
The earth, and ftately tread, or lowly creep;
Winels if I be filent, morn, or even,
To hill or valley, fountain or fresh shade,
Made vocal by my fong, and taught his praise.
Hall univerfal Lord, be bounteous ftill
To give us only good, and if the night
Have gather'd ought of evil, or conceal'd,
Diperie it, as now light difpels the dark.

So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts
Fum peace recover'd foon, and wonted calm."
On to their morning's rural work they hafte
Among fweet dews and flow'rs; where any row
Of fruit-trees over-woody reach'd too far
Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check
Fruitlis embraces: or they led the vine
To wed her clm: fhe fpous'd about him twines
Her marriageable arms, and with her brings
Her dow'r th' adopted clusters, to adorn
His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld
With pity Heav'n's high King, and to him call'd
Raphael, the fociable Sp'rit, that deign'd
To travel with Tobias, and fecur'd
His marriage with the fev'n times wedded maid.
Raphael, faid he, thou hear'ft what ftir on Earth
Satan from Hell 'fcap'd through the darksome gulf
Hath rais'd in Paradife, and how disturb'd
This right the human pair, how he designs
In them at once to ruin all mankind.
Go therefore, half this day, as friend with friend,
Converse with Adam in what bow'r or fhade
Tho findft him, from the heat of noon retir'd,
To refpite his day-labour with repast,
Or with repofe; and fuch difcourfe bring on
As may advife him of his happy state,
Happiness in his pow left free to will,
Left to his own free will, his will tho' free,
Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware
He fwerve not too fecure: tell him withal
His danger, and from whom; what enemy,
Late fall'n himself from Heav'n, is plotting now
The fall of others from like state of blifs;
Ey violence? no; for that fhall be withstood;
But by deceit and lies; this let him know,
Left, wilfully tranfgreffing, he pretend
Surprifal, unadmonifh'd, unforewarn'd.

So fpake th' eternal Father, and fulfill'd All juftice: nor delay'd the winged Saint After his charge receiv'd; but from among

Thousand celestial Ardors, where he food [lights
Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, up fpringing
Flew through the midft of Heav'n; th' angelic
quires,

On each hand parting, to his speed gave way
Through all th' empyreal road; till at the gate
Of Heav'n arriv'd, the gate felf-open'd wide,
On golden hinges turning, as by work
Divine, the Sovereign architect had fram’d.
From hence no cloud, or, to obftruct his fight,
Star interpos'd, however fmall he fees,
Not unconform to other fhining globes,

Earth, and the gard'n of God, with cedars crown'd

Above all hills. As when by night the glass
Of Galileo, lefs affur'd, obferves
Imagin'd lands and regions in the moon ;
Or pilot, from amidst the Cyclades,
Delos or Samos, first appearing, kens

A cloudy spot. Down thither prone in flight
He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky
Sails between worlds and worlds, with fteady
wing.

Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan
Winnows the buxom air; till within foar
Of tow'ring eagles, to' all the fowls he seems
A Phoenix, gaz'd by all, as that sole bird,
When to infhrine his reliques in the fun's
Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies.
At once on th'eaftern cliff of Paradife
He lights, and to his proper fhape returns
A Seraph wing'd; fix wings he wore, to fhade
His lineaments divine; the pair that clad
Each fhoulder broad, came mantling o'er his
With regal ornament; the middle pair [breaft
Girt like a ftarry zone his waste, and round
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold
And colours dipt in Heav'n; the third his feet
Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail,
Sky-tinctur'd grain. Like Maia's fon he stood,
And fhook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance
fill'd

The circuit wide. Strait knew him all the bands
Of Angels under watch; and to his state,
And to his meffage high in honour rife;
For on fome meflage high they guess'd him bound.
Their glittering tents he pafs'd, and now is come
Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh,
And flow'ring odours, caffia, nard, and balm;
A wilderness of fweets; for Nature here
Wanton'd as in her prime, and play'd at will
Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet, 1
Wild above rule or art; enormous blifs.
Him through the fpicy foreft onward come
Adam difcern'd, as in the door he fat
Of his cool bow'r, while now the mounted fun
Shot down direct his fervid rays to warm [needs?
Earth's inmoft womb, more warmth than Adam
And Eve within, due at her hour prepar'd
For dinner favoury fruits, of tafte to please
True appetite, and not difrelish thirst
Of nect'rous draughts between, from milky
Berry or grape to whom thus Adam call'd.

[ftream,

Hafte hither, Eve, and worth thy fight behold Eastward among thofe trees, what glorious fhape

Comes this way moving; feeras another morn Ris'n on mid-noon; fome great beheft from Hea

ven

To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchfafe
This day to be our gueft. But go with fpeed,
And what thy ftores contain, bring forth, and
Abundance, fit to honour and receive (pour
Our heav'nly ftranger: well we may afford
Our givers their own gifts, and large beftow
From large beftow'd, where Nature multiplies
Her fertile growth, and by difburd'ning grows
More fruitful, which inftructs us not to spare.

To whom thus Eve. Adam, earth's hallow'd mould,

Of God infpir'd, small store will serve, where ftore,
All feafons, ripe for ufe, hangs on the stalk;
Save what by frugal ftoring firmness gains
To nourish, fuperfluous moift confumes :
But I will hafte, and from each bough and brake,
Each plant and jucieft gourd, will pluck fuch choice
To entertain our Angel gueft, as he
Beholding fhall confefs, that here on earth
God hath difpens'd his bounties as in Heaven.

So faying, with difpatchful looks in hafte
She turns, on hofpitable thoughts intent,
What choice to choofe for delicacy beft,
What order, fo contriv'd as not to mix
Taftes, not well join'd, inelegant, but bring
Tafte after tafte upheld with kindliest change;
Beftirs her then, and from each tender ftalk
Whatever Earth, all-bearing mother, yields
In India Eaft or Weft, or middle shore
In Pontus or the Punic coaft, or where
Alcinous reign'd, fruit of all kinds, in coat
Rough or fmooth rin'd, or bearded hufk, or fhell,
She gathers, tribute large, and on the board
Heaps with unfparing hand; for drink the grape
She crushes, inoffenfive muft, and meahs
From many a berry', and from fweet kernels prefs'd
She tempers dulcet creams; nor thefe to hold
Wants her fit veffels pure; then strows the ground
With rofe and odours from the shrub unfum'd.

Meanwhile our primitive great fire, to meet His god-like gueft, walks forth, without more

train

Accompanied than with his own complete
Perfections; in himself was all his ftate,
More folemn than the tedious pomp that waits
On princes, when their rich retinue long
Of horfes led, and grooms befmear'd with gold,
Dazzles the crowd, and fets then all agape.
Nearer his prefence Adam, tho' not aw'd,
Yet with fubmifs approach and reverence meek,
As to' a fuperior nature, bowing low,

Thus faid. Native of Heav'n, for other place None can than Heav'n fuch glorious fhape contain;

Since by defcending from the thrones above,
Thofe happy places thou haft deign'd a while
To want, and honour thefe, vouchsafe with us
Two' only, who yet by fov'reign gift poffefs
This fpacious ground, in yonder fhady bower
To reft, and what the garden choiceft bears
To fit and tafte, till this meridian heat
Be over, and the fun more cool decline.

Whom this th' angelic Virtue answer'd mild.
Adam, I therefore came; nor art thou fuch
Created, or fuch place haft here to dwell,
As may not oft invite, tho' Sp'rits of Heaven,
To vifit thee; lead on then where thy bower

O'erfhades; for thefe mid-hours, till ev'ning rife,
1 have at will. So to the fylvan lodge
They came, that like Pomona's arbour smil'd

With flow'rets deck'd and fragrant fmells; but
Eve

Undeck'd, fave with herfelf, more lovely fair
Than Wood-Nymph,or the fairest Goddess feign'd
Of three that in mount Ida naked ftrove,
Stood to' entertain her gueft from heav'n; no veil
She needed, virtue-proof; no thought infirm
Alter'd her cheek. On whom the Angel Hail
Bestow'd, the holy falutation us'd

Long after to bleft Mary, fecond Eve.

Hail Mother of Mankind, whofe fruitful womb
Shall fill the world more numerous with thy fens,
Than with thefe various fruits the trees of God
Have heap'd this table. Rais'd of graffy turf
Their table was, and moffy feats had round,
And on her ample fquare from fide to fide
All autumn pil'd, tho' fpring and autumn here
Danc'd hand in hand. A while difcourfe they
hold:

No fear left dinner cool; when thus began
Our author. Heav'nly ftranger, please to taste
These bounties, which our Nouifher, from whom
All perfect good, unmeafur'd out, defcends,
To us for food and for delight hath caus'd
The earth to yield; unfavoury food perhaps
To fpiritual natures; only this I know,
That one celeftial Father gives to all.

To whom the angel. Therefore what he gives
(Whose praise be ever fung) to Man in part
Spiritual, may of pureft Sp'rits be found
No' ingrateful food and food alike those pure
Intelligential fubftances require,

As doth your rational; and both contain
Within them every lower faculty
Of fenfe, whereby they hear, fee, fmell, toun,
Tafting concoct, digeft, aflimilate,
And corporeal to incorporcal turn.

For know, whatever was created, needs
To be fuftain'd and fed; of elements
The groffer feeds the purer, earth the fea,
Earth and the fea feed air, the air thofe fires
Ethereal, and as lowest first the moon ;
Whence in her vifage round thofe spots unpurg'd
Vapours not yet into her fubftance turn'd.
Nor doth the moon no nourishments exhale
From her moist continent to higher orbs.
The fun, that light imparts to all, receives
From all his alimental recompenfe

In humid exhalations, and at even

Sups with the ocean. Though in Heav'n the trees
Of life ambrofial fruitage bear, and vines
Yield nectar; through from off the boughs each

morn

We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground Cover'd with pearly grain: yet God hath here Varied his bounty fo with new delights,

As may compare with Heaven; and to tafte

Think not I fhall be nice. So down they sat,
And to their viands fell; nor feemingly
The Angel, nor in mift, the common glofs
The Theologians; but with keen dispatch
Of real hunger, and concoctive heat

To tabitantiate: what redounds, transpires
Through Spirits with eafe; nor wonder, if by fire
Of locrty coal th' empiric alchemist
Cartum, or holds it poffible to turn,
Metals of droffieft ore to perfect gold

As from the mine. Mean while at table Eve
Miner'd naked, and their flowing cups
With pleasant liquors crown'd: O innocence
Deferving Paradife! if ever, then,

Then had the fons of God excufe to have been
Enamour'd at that fight; but in those hearts
Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealoufy
Was understood, the injur'd lover's Hell.

Thas when with meats and drinks they had fuf'd,

Not burden'd nature, fudden mind arofe
In Adam, not to let th' occafion país

Giv's him by this great conference, to know
Of things above his world, and of their being
Who dwell in Heav'n, whofe excellence he faw
Trankead his own fo far, whofe radiant forms
Divine Fulgence, whofe high pow'r fo far
Exceed human, and his wary speech
Thus to th' in pyreal minifter he fram'd.

Inhabitant with God, now know I well
Thy faveur, in this honour done to Man,
Under whofe lowly roof thou haft vouchfaf'd
To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste,
Food not of, Angels, yet accepted so,

As that more willingly thou couldst not seem
At Heav'n's high feats to' have fed: yet, what
compare?

To whom the winged Hierarch reply'd.
O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom
All things proceed, and up to him return,
If cut deprav'd from good, created all
Suck to perfection, one fuit matter all,

with various forms, various degrees
Cfiance, and in things that live, of life;
Eat more refin'd, more ípiritous, and pure,
As nearer to him plac d, or nearer tending
Fach in their feveral active fpheres affign'd,
Till body up to fpirit work, in bounds
Propertion d to each kind. So from the root
Springs lighter the green ftalk, from thence the

leaves

More airy, laft the bright confummate flower.
Spirits odorous breathes : flow'rs and their fruit,
Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublim'd,
To vital fpirits afpire, to animal,

To intellectual; give both life and fenfe,
Fancy and understanding; whence the foul
Reason receives, and reafon is her being,
Difcurfive, or intuitive; difcourfe

Is ofteft yours, the latter moft is ours,
Differing but in degree, of kind the fame.
Wonder not then, what God for you faw good
If i refuse not, but convert, as you,

To proper fubftance: time may come, when Men
With Angels may participate, and find

No inconvenient diet, nor too light fare;
And from these corporal nutriments perhaps
Your bodies may at laft turn all to spirit,
Improv'd by tract of time, and wing'd afcend
Ethereal, as we, or may at choice
Here or in heav'nly Paradifes dwell;
If ye be found obedient, and retain
Unalterably firm his love entire,

Whofe progeny you are. Mean while enjoy
Your fill what happiness this happy state
Can comprehend, incapable of more.

To whom the patriarch of mankind reply'd.
O favourable Spirit, propitious guest,
Well haft thou taught the way that might dire
Our knowledge, and the scale of nature set
From centre to circumference, whereon
In contemplation of created things

By steps we may afcend to God. But fay,
What meant that caution join'd, If ye be found
Obedient? can we want obedience then
To him, or poflibly his love defert,
Who form'd us from the duft, and plac'd us here
Full to the utmost measure of what blifs
Human defires can feek or apprehend?

To whom the Angel. Son of Heavn and Earth,
Attend: That thou art happy, owe to God;
That thou continueft fuch, owe to thyself,
That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.
This was that caution giv'n thee; be advif'd.
God made thee perfect, not immutable;
And good he made thee, but to perfevere
He left it in thy pow'r; ordain'd thy will
By nature free, not over-rul'd by fate
Inextricable, or strict neceffity:
Our voluntary fervice he requires,
Not our neceffitated; fuch with him
Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how
Can hearts, not free, be try'd whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By deftiny, and can no other choofe?
Myfelf and all th' angelic hoft, that stand
In fight of God enthron'd, our happy state
Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds;
On other furety none; freely we serve,
Becaufe we freely love, as in our will
To love or not; in this we ftand or fall:
And fome are fall'n, to difobedience fall'n,
And fo from Heav'n to deepeft Hell; O fall
From what high ftate of blifs into what woe!

To whom our great progenitor. Thy words Attentive, and with more delighted ear, Divine inftructor, I have heard, than when Cherubic fongs by night from neighb'ring hills Aereal mufic fend: nor knew I not To be both will and deed created free; Yet that we never fhall forget to love Our Maker, and obey him whofe command Single is yet to juft, my conftant thoughts Affur'd me, and ftill affure : though what thou tell'ft

Hath paff'd in Heav'n, fome doubt within me But more defire to hear, if thou confent, [move The full relation, which muft needs be strange, Worthy of facred filence to be heard;

And we have yet large day, for fcarce the fun

Hath finish'd half his journey, and scarce begins His other half in the great zone of Heav'n.

Thus Adam made request; and Raphael After fhort paufe affenting, thus began.

High matter thou injoin'ft me, O prime of men, Sad task and hard; for how fhall I relate To human fenfe th' invifible exploits Of warring Spirits? how without remorse The ruin of fo many glorious once

And perfect while they stood? how last unfold 'The fecrets of another world, perhaps Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good 'This is difpens'd; and what furmounts the reach Of human fenfe, I fhall delineate fo, By likening fpiritual to corporal forms,

As may exprefs them beft; though what if Earth
Be but the fhadow of Heav'n, and things therein
Each to other like, more than on earth is thought?
As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild
Reign'd where thefe Heav'ns now roll, where
Earth now refts

Upon her centre pois'd; when on a day
(For time, though in eternity, apply'd
To motion, measures all things durable
By prefent, paft, and future) on fuch day

As Heav'n's great year brings forth, the empyreal
Of Angels by imperial fummons call'd, [hoft
Innumerable before th Almighty's throne
Forthwith from all the ends of Heav'n appear'd
Under their Hierarchs in orders bright:
Ten thousand thoufand enfigns high advanc'd,
Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear
Stream in the air, and for diftinction ferve
Of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees;
Or in their glittering tiflues bear imblaz'd
Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love
Recorded eminent. Thus when in orbs
Of circuit inexpreflible they ftood,
Orb within orb, the Father infinite,
By whom in blifs imbofom'd fat the Son,
Amidft as from a flaming mount, whose top
Brightness had made invifible, thus fpake.

Hear all ye Angels, progeny of light,
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues,
Powers,

Hear my decree, which unrevok'd shall stand.
This day I have begot whom I declare
My only Son, and on this holy hill
Him have anointed, whom ye now behold
At my right hand; your head I him appoint;
And by myself have fworn to him fhall bow
All knees in Heav'n, and fhall confefs him Lord;
Under his great vice-gerent reign abide
United as one individual foul

For ever happy: Him who difobeys,
Me difobeys, breaks union, and that day,
Caft out from God and blessed vifion, falls
Into utter darknefs, deep ingulf'd, his place
Ordain'd without redemption, without end.

So fpake th' Omnipotent, and with his words
All feem'd well pleas'd; all feem'd, but were not
That day, as other folemn days, they spent [all.
In fong and dance about the facred hill;
Myftical dance, which yonder starry sphere
Of planets and of fix'd in all her wheels

Refembles nearest, mates intricate,
Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular
Then molt, when moft irregular they feem;
And in their motions harmony divine

So fmooths, her charming tones, that God's own

ear

Liftens delighted. Evening now approach'd
(For we have alfo our evening and our morn,
We ours for change delectable, not need)
Forthwith from dance to fweet repaft they turn
Defirous; all in circles as they food,
Tables are fet, and on a fudden pil'd
With Angels food, and rubied nectar flows
In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold,
Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heaven.
On flow'rs repos'd, and with fresh flow'rets
crown'd,

They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet
Quaff immortality and joy, fecure

of furfeit where full measure only bounds
Excefs, before th' all-bounteous King, who showr'd
With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.
Now when ambrofial night with clouds exhal'd
From that high mount of God, whence light and
fhade

Spring both, the face of brighteft Heav'n haể chang'd

To grateful twilight (for night comes not there
In darker veil) and rofeat dews difpos'd.
All but th' unfleeping eyes of God to reft;
Wide over all the plain, and wider far,
Than all this globous earth in plain outfpread,
(Such are the courts of God) th' angelic throng,
Difpers'd in bands and files, their camp extend
By living ftreams among the trees of life,
Pavilions numberlefs, and fudden rear'd,
Celestial tabernacles, where they flept

Fann'd with cool winds; fave thofe who in their courfe

Melodious hymns about the fovran throne
Alternate all night long: but not fo wak'd
Satan; fo call him now, his former name
Is heard no more in Heav'n; he of the first,
If not the firit Arch-Angel, great in power,
In favour and præeminence, yet fraught
With envy againit the son of God, that day
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd
Meffiah King anointed, could not bear
Through pride that fight, and thought himself im-
pair'd.

Deep malice thence conceiving and difdain,
Soon as midnight brought on the dufky hour
Friendlieft to fleep and filence, he refolv'd
With all his legions to diflodge, and leave
Unworshipt, unobey'd, the throne fupreme
Contemptuous, and his next fubordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in fecret spake.

Sleep'ft thou, Companion dear, what fleep can

clofe

Thy eye-lids? and remember'st what decree
Of yesterday, fo late hath pafs'd the lips
Of Heav'n's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts
Was wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart ;
Both walking we were one; how then can now
Thy fleep diffent? New laws thou fecft impos'd ş'

New laws from him who reigns, new minds may
La as who ferve, new counfels, to debate [raife
What doubtful may enfue: more in this place
To utter is not fafe. Affemble thou
Of all thofe myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them that by command, e'er yet dim night
Herfdowy cloud withdraws, I ani to haste,
And all who under me their banners wave
Homeward with flying march where we poffefs
The quarters of the north; there to prepare
Fit entertainment to receive our king
The great Melliah, and his new commands,
Who ipeedily through all the hierarchies
Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws.
So fpake the falfe Arch-Angel, and infus'd
Bad influence into th' unwary breast
Of his affociate : he together calls,
Or feveral one by one, the regent Powers,
Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,
That the most High commanding, now e'er night,
Now e'er dim night had difincumber'd Heaven,
The great hierarchai ftandard was to move;
Tells the fuggefted cause, and cafts between
Ambiguous words and jealoufies, to found
Or taint integrity: but all obey'd
The wonted lignal, and fuperior voice
Of their great potentate; for great indeed
His name, and high was his degree in Heaven;
His count'nance, as the morning ftar that guides
The Barry flock, allur'd them, and with lies
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's hoft.
Mean while th' eternal eye, whofe fight difcerns
Abftrufeft thoughts, from forth his holy mount
And from within the golden lamps that burn
Nightly before him, faw without their light
Rebellion rifing, faw in whon, how spread
Among the fons of morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppose his high decree;
And finiling to bis only Son, thus said.

So, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full refplendence, Heir of all my might,
Nearly it now concerns us to be fure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of deity or empire; fuch a foe

Is riling, who intends to erect his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north;
Nor fo content, hath in his thought to try
In battle, what our pow'r is, or our right.
Let us advife, and to this hazard draw
With fpeed what force is left, and all employ
In cur defence, left unawares we lofe
This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm afpect and clear,
Lining divine, ineffable, ferene,
Mate antwer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes
Jutly haft in derifion, and fecure
Laugh it at their vain defigns and tumults vain,
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
Hudrates, when they fee all regal power
Giv'n me to quell their pride, and in event
Know whether I be dextrous to fubdue
Thy rebels, or be found the worst in Heaven.
So fpake the Son; but Satan with his powers
Far was advanc'd on winged fpeed, an hoft

Innumerable as the stars of night,

[Powas

Or ftars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
Regions they pafs'd, the mighty regencies
Of Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones
In their triple degrees; regions to which
All thy dominion, Adam, is no more
Than what this garden is to all the earth,
And all the fea, from one entire globofe
Stretch'd into longitude; which having pass'
At length into the limits of the north
They came, and Satan to his royal feat
High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount
Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and towers
From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold
The palace of great Lucifer, (fo call
That structure in the dialect of men
Interpreted) which not long after, he,
Affecting all equality with God,
In imitation of that mount whereon
Meffiah was declar'd in fight of Heaven,
The Mountain of the congregation call'd;
For thither he affembled all his train,
Pretending, fo commanded, to confult
About the great reception of their king,
Thither to come, and with calumnious art
Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears.
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues,
If thefe magnific titles yet remain
Not merely titular, fince by decree
Another now hath to himself ingrofs'd
All pow'r, and us eclips'd under the name
Of King anointed, for whom all this hafte
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This only to confult, how we may best
With what may be devis'd of honours new
Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, proftration vile,
Too much to one, but double how indur'd
To one and to his image now proclaim'd?
But what if better counfels might erect
Our minds, and teach us to caft off this yoke?
Will ye fubmit your necks, and choose to bend
The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourfelves
Natives and fons of Heav'n poffefs'd before
By none, and if not equal all, yet free,
Equally free; for orders and degrees
Jar not with liberty, but well confist,
Who can in reafon then, or right affume
Monarchy over fuch as live by right
His equals; if in pow'r and fplendor less,
In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law
Err not? much lefs for this to be our Lord,
And look for adoration to th' abufe
Of those imperial titles, which affert
Our being ordain'd to govern, not to ferve.

Thus far his bold difcourfe without controul
Had audience, when among the Seraphim
Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal ador'd
The Deity, and divine commands obey'd,
Stood up, and in a flame of zeal fevere

The current of his fury thus oppos'd.

O argument blafphemous, falfe and proud!