PARADISE LOS T.

BOOK THE SEVENTH

The ARGUMENT of Book VII.

RAPHAEL, at the request of Adam, relates how and wherefore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his angels out of heaven, declared his pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; fends his Son with glory and attendants of angels to perform the work of the creation in fix days: the angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reafcenfion into heaven.

B.VII.

Rooper Seus!

PARADISE LOST.

BOO K VII.

D

Efcend from heav'n, Urania! by that name

If rightly thou art call'd, whofe voice divine
Following, above the' Olympian hill I foar,
Above the flight of Pegafean wing.

The meaning, not the name, I call; for thou,
Nor of the Mufes nine, nor on the top
Of old Olympus dwell'st; but, heav'nly born,
Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd,
Thou with Eternal Wisdom didst converse,
Wifdom thy fifter, and with her didft play
In prefence of the Almighty Father, pleas'd
With thy celeftial fong. Upled by thee,
Into the heav'n of heav'ns I have prefum'd,
An earthly gueft, and drawn empyreal air,
Thy temp ring; with like fafety guided down,
Return me to my native element:

Left from this flying fteed unrein'd, (as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower clime),

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L. I. Urania.] Lat. Gr. i. e. heavenly; one of the nine Mufes, the goddess of aftronomy, and of all heavenly things. She is represented crowned with stars, and a great globe in her hands; to how, that the teaches the way to heaven.

L. 4. Pegafus.] Gr. i. e. a fountain; the winged horfe of the poets; because it is faid, he opened the fountain Hippocrene, i. e. the fourtain of the horse, by a kick of his heels, and flew up to heaven. This was a well of Beotia, near Helicon, dedicated to Apollo and the Mufes.

L. 18. Bellerophon.] Lat. Gr. i. e. a murderer of Beller, his bro ther. Perfeus the fon of Glaucus king of Corinth is fo called.