PARADISE LOST BOOK III. Fed, sitting on his throne, sees Satan flying towards this world then newly created; shows him to the Son, who sat at his right* hand; foretels the success of Satun in perverting nankind; clears his own justice and wisdom from all imputation, having creat ed Man free, and able enough to have withstood his tempter; et declares his purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fell aot of his own malice, as did Satan, but by him seduced. The Son of God renders praises to his Father for the manifestation of his gracious purpose towards Man: But God again declares, hat grace cannot be extended towards Man without the satisfaction of divine justice: Man hath offended the majesty of God by aspiring to Godhead, and, therefore, with all his progeny, devoted so death, must die, unless some one can be found sufficient to answer for his offence, and undergo his punishment. The Son of God freely offers himself a ransom for Man: The Father ac cepts him, ordains his incarnation, pronounces his exaltation above all names in Heaven and Earth; commands all the Angels to adore him: They obey, and hymning to their harps in full choir, celebrate the Father and the Son. Meanwhile Satan alights upon the bare convex of this world's outermost orb; where wandering he first tinds a place, since called the Limbo of Vanity: What persons and things fly up thither: Thence comes to the gate of Heaven, described ascending by stairs, and the waters above the firmament that flow about it: His passage th^nce to the orb of the sun; he finds there Uriel, the regent of that orb, but first changes himself into the shape of a meaner Angel; and, pretending a zealous desire to behold the new creation, and Man whom God had placed here, inquires of him the place of his babi. tation, and is directed: Alights first on mount Niphates. HAIL, holy Light, offspring of Heaven first-born, May I express thee urblamed? since God is light, Dwelt from eternity; dwelt then in thee, 10 Thee I revisit now with bolder wing, Through utter and through middle darkness borne, I sung of Chaos and eternal Night; Taught by the heavenly Muse to venture down 1 hough hard and rare: thee I revisit safe, Smit with the love of sacred song; but chief 15 20 24 30 35 40 45 Of natures works, to me expunged and rased, 50 So much the rather thou, celestial Light, Shine inward, and the mind through all he powers Now had the Almighty Father from above, 55 High throned above all height, bent down his eye His own works and their works at once to view: 60 Stood thick as stars, and from his sight received The radiant image of his glory sat, His only Son; on earth he first beheld Only begotten Son, seest thou what rage 65 70 75 85 Directly towards the new created world, And man there placed, with purpose to essay 98 By some false guile pervert; and shall pervert; 95 All he could have; I made him just and right, 100 And Spirits, both them who stood, and them who fail'd' Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. Not free, what proof could they have given sincere Of true allegiance, constant faith, or love, Where only what they needs must do appear'd, 104 Not what they would? what praise could they receive 110 Not me? They therefore, as to right belong'd, Their Maker, or their making, or their fate, Their will disposed by absolute decree 115 Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed Their own revolt, not I; if I foreknew, Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, 120 Both what they judge and what they choose; for so Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd Their freedom; they themselves ordain'd their fall. Self-tempted, self-depraved: Man falls, deceived 134 Thus while God spake, ambrosial fragrance fill'd 135 140 150 O Father, gracious was that word which closed 144 Thy sov'reign sentence, that man should find grace; For which both Heaven and Earth shall high extol Thy praises, with the innumerable sound Of hynms and sacred songs, wherewith thy throne Encompass'd shall resound thee ever bless'd. For should Man finally be lost? should Man, Thy creature late so loved, thy youngest son, Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though join'd With his own folly? That be from thee far, That far be from thee, Father, who art judge Of all things made, and judgest only right. Or shall the Adversary thus obtain His end, and frustrate thine? shall he fulfil His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought; Or proud return, though to his heavier doom, Yet with revenge accomplish'd, and to Hell Draw after him the whole race of mankind, By him corrupted? or wilt thou thyself Abolish thy creation, and unmake For him, what for thy glory thou hast made 155 160 |