In contemplation of created things,

By steps we may ascend to God. But say,

What meant that caution joined, If ye be found
Obedient? Can we want obedience then

To him, or possibly his love desert,

Who formed us from the dust and placed us here
Full to the utmost measure of what bliss

Human desires can seek or apprehend?

511

To whom the Angel. Son of Heaven and Earth, 519 Attend! That thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand. This was that caution given thee; be advised. God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee, but to persevere He left it in thy power; ordained thy will By nature free, not over-ruled by fate Inextricable, or strict necessity: Our voluntary service he requires, Not our necessitated; such with him

Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how

Can hearts, not free, be tried whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By destiny, and can no other choose?
Myself, and all the angelick host, that stand
In sight of God, enthroned, our happy state

528

536

Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds;
On other surety none: Freely we serve,
Because we freely love, as in our will
To love or not; in this we stand or fall:
And some are fallen, to disobedience fallen,
And so from Heaven to deepest Hell; O fall
From what high state of bliss, into what woe!

To whom our great progenitor. Thy words
Attentive, and with more delighted ear,

Divine instructor, I have heard, than when
Cherubick songs by night from neighbouring hills
Aëreal musick send: Nor knew I not

To be both will and deed created free ;
Yet that we never shall forget to love
Our Maker, and obey him whose command

Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts

537

545

Assured me, and still assure: Though what thou tell'st Hath passed in Heaven, some doubt within me move, 554

But more desire to hear, if thou consent,

The full relation, which must needs be strange,

Worthy of sacred silence to be heard;

And we have yet large day, for scarce the sun
Hath finished half his journey, and scarce begins
His other half in the great zone of Heaven.

Thus Adam made request; and Raphaël,

After short pause assenting, thus began.

562

High matter thou enjoin'st me, O prime of men,

Sad task and hard: For how shall I relate

To human sense the invisible exploits

Of warring spirits? how, without remorse,
The ruin of so many glorious once

And perfect while they stood? how last unfold
The secrets of another world, perhaps

Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good
This is dispensed; and what surmounts the reach
Of human sense, I shall delineate so,
By likening spiritual to corporal forms,

As may express them best; though what if Earth
Be but the shadow of Heaven, and things therein
Each to other like, more than on earth is thought?
As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild

563

571

Reign'd where these Heavens now roll, where Earth now rests Upon her center poised; when on a day

(For time, though in eternity, applied

To motion, measures all things durable

By present, past, and future,) on such day

As Heaven's great year brings forth, the empyreal host Of Angels by imperial summons called,

Innumerable before the Almighty's throne

Forthwith, from all the ends of Heaven, appeared
Under their Hierarchs in orders bright:

Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanced,

VOL. I.

N

580

588

Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear
Stream in the air, and for distinction serve
Of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees;
Or in their glittering tissues bear imblazed
Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love
Recorded eminent. Thus when in orbs
Of circuit inexpressible they stood,
Orb within orb, the Father Infinite,

By whom in bliss imbosomed sat the Son,
Amidst as from a flaming mount, whose top
Brightness had made invisible, thus spake.
Hear, all ye Angels, progeny of light,

Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers;
Hear my decree, which unrevoked 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 sworn, to him shall bow
All knees in Heaven, and shall confess him Lord:
Under his great vice-gerent reign abide
United, as one individual soul,

For ever happy: Him who disobeys,
Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day,
Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls
Into utter darkness, deep ingulfed, his place

589

597

606

614

Ordained without redemption, without end.

So spake the Omnipotent, and with his words

All seemed well pleased; all seemed, but were not all.
That day, as other solemn days, they spent

In song
and dance about the sacred hill;
Mystical dance, which yonder starry sphere
Of planets, and of fixed, in all her wheels
Resembles nearest, mazes intricate,
Eccentrick, intervolved, yet regular

Then most, when most irregular they seem;
And in their motions harmony divine

So smooths her charming tones, that God's own ear
Listens delighted. Evening now approached,
(For we have also our evening and our morn,
We ours for change delectable, not need ;)
Forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn
Desirous; all in circles as they stood,

Tables are set, and on a sudden piled
With Angels' food, and rubied nectar flows
In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold,

Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heaven.

On flowers reposed, and with fresh flowerets crowned,
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet

Quaff immortality and joy, secure

Of surfeit, where full measure only bounds

615

623

632

Excess, before the all-bounteous King, who showered 640