Produces, with terrestrial humor mix'd,
Here in the dark fo many precious things,
Of color glorious, and effect so rare?
Here matter new to gaze the Devil met
Undazled; far and wide his eye commands;
For fight no obftacle found here, nor shade,
But all fun-fhine; as when his beams at noon
Culminate from th'equator, as they now
Shot upward still direct; whence no way round
Shadow from body opaque can fall; and th’air,
No where fo clear, fharpend his visual ray
To objects diftant far; whereby he foon
Saw within ken a glorious Angel stand,
The fame whom John faw alfo in the fun:
His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid;
Of beaming funny rays a golden tiar
Circled his head, nor less his locks behind
Illuftrious on his fhoulders fledge with wings
Lay waving round; on fome great charge employ'd He feem'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.
Glad was the Spi rit impure, as now in hope 630 To find who might direct his wand'ring flight
To Paradise, the happy seat of Man;
His journey's end, and our beginning woe.
But first he cafts to change his proper shape,
Which elfe might work him danger or delay: 635 And now a ftripling Cherub he appears,
Not of the prime, yet fuch as in his face
Youth fmil'd celeftial, and to every limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, so well he feign'd:
Under a coronet his flowing hair
In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore
Of many a color'd plume, sprinkled with gold;
His habit,fit for speed,succinct; and held
Before his decent steps a silver wand.
He drew not nigh unheard; the Angel bright, 645 Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turn'd, Admonish'd by his ear; and strait was known Th'Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the seven
Who in God's prefence, nearest to his throne,
Stand ready at command; and are his eyes
That run through all the Heav'ns, or down to th'Earth
Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,
O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accofts.
Uriel, for thou of those sev'n Spirits that stand
In fight of God's high throne, glorioufly bright, 655
The first art wont his great authentic will
Interpreter through highest Heav'n to bring,
Where all his fons thy embassy attend;
And here art likelieft,by fupreme decree,
Like honor to obtain; and as his eye
To vifit oft this new creation round;
Unfpeakable defire to fee, and know
All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man,
His chief delight and favor, him for whom
All these his works fo wondrous he ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim
Alone thus wand'ring. Brightest Seraph, tell
In which of all these shining orbs hath Man
His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,
But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell; 670
That I may find him, and with fecret gaze,
Or open admiration,him behold,
On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd
Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd;
That, both in him and all things, as is meet,
The universal Maker we may praise;
Who justly hath driv'n out his rebel foes
To deepest Hell; and, to repair that loss,
Created this new, happy race of Men
To ferve him better: wife are all his ways.
So spake the false diffembler unperceiv'd;
For neither Man nor Angel can discern
Hypocrify, the only evil that walks
Invisible, except to God alone,
By his permiffive will, through Heav'n and Earth: 685 And oft though wisdom wake, suspicion fleeps
At wisdom's gate, and to fimplicity
Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill feems: Which now, for once,beguil'd
Uriel, though regent of the fun, and held
The sharpest fighted Spirit of all in Heaven;
Who,to the fraudulent impoftor foul,
In his uprightness, answer thus return'd.
Fair Angel, thy defire which tends to know
The works of God, thereby to glorify
The great Work-Mafter, leads to no excess
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it seems excefs, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal mansion, thus alone,
To witness with thine eyes,what fome, perhaps, 700
Contented with report,hear only in Heaven:
For wonderful indeed are all his works,
Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all
Had in remembrance,always with delight;
'But what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wisdom infinite
That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep?
I saw when,at his word,the formless mass,
This world's material mold, came to a heap:
Confufion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood rul'd, flood vast infinitude confin'd;
Till,at his fecond bidding,darkness fled,
Light fhone, and order from disorder sprung:
Swift,to their several quarters,hafted then
The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; 715
And this ethereal quintessence of Heaven
Flew upward, fpirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to ftars,
Numberlefs, as thou feeft, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his course; 720
The reft in circuit walls this universe.
Look downward on that globe, whose hither side
With light from hence, though but reflected, shines;
That place is Earth, the feat of Man, that light
His day; which elfe,as th'other hemisphere,
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon
(So call that opposit fair star) her aid
Timely interposes, and her monthly round,
Still ending, ftill renewing, through mid Heaven,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties to inlighten th' Earth;
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradise,
Adam's abode; thofe lofty fhades his bower.
Thy way
thou canst not mifs, me mine requires. 735 Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low, As to fuperior Spirits is wont in Heaven, Where honor due and reverence none neglects, Took leave, and toward the coast of earth beneath, Down from th' ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs; 740 Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel, Nor flay'd, till on Niphates top he lights.
The end of the Third Book.
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