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Primævos cernit felici in fede Parentes,
Humani folos generis, per amœna recessûs
Otia carpentes puræ immortalia dona

Lætitiæ, & fævi immunem Rivalis Amorem.
Orcum parte aliâ interjectaque gurgitis ora,
Atque ibi vix Nocte emerfum fuper aere fusco
Defpectat Satanam, radentem monia cœli,
Defefsisque alis optantem infidere mundi
Exteriore novi tergo, qui firma volanti
Terra videbatur; non æthere cincta, fed alto
Oceani gremio aut medias fufpenfa per auras.
Illum de speculâ sublimi (unde omnia latè
Quæ fuerint, quæ fint & quæ ventura trahantur,
Profpectat) Pater obfervans, his vocibus ultro
Alloquitur Natum unigenam, atque ita præfcius infit:
Unice Nate, viden'! cœli immaniffimus Hoftis,
Quem nec clauftra Erebi, nec pondera vasta Catenarum
Ingentum, nec lati Abruptum informe Profundi

Of Mankind) in the happy Garden plac'd,
Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love;
Uninterrupted joy, unrival'd love,
In blissful folitude. He then furvey'd
Hell and the Gulf between; and Satan there
Coafting the wall of Heav'n on this fide Night,
In the dun Air fublime; and ready now
To ftoop with wearied wings, and willing feet,
On the bare outfide of this World: that feem'd

Firm Land imbofom'd, without Firmament,
Uncertain which, in Ocean, or in Air.
Him GOD beholding from His prospect high,
Wherein paft, prefent, future He beholds,
Thus to his only SON foreseeing fpake.

Only begotten SoN! feeft thou what rage
Transports our Adverfary, whom no bounds
Prefcrib'd, no bars of Hell, nor all the chains
Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main Abyss

Gurgitibus cohibere valet, quibus ardeat iris
Efferus? Ufque adeò rabido fub pectore gliscit
Vindicta, auctorem quondam læfura rebellem.
Jamque Illum cœli prope moenia lucis in oris
Objicibus lætum ruptis fert præpes ad orbem
Ala novum, meditantem Homini, qui fedibus iftis
Succeffit, cladem infandam; feu perdere apertâ
Vi poffit, five infidiis clam vertere cœcis,
Triftius! Et vertet. Præceps mendacibus ultro
Aufcultabit Homo illecebris, folumque Parentis
Mandatum, fola obfequii citò pignora franget:
Hinc unâ Ipfe cadet Sobolefque infida ruinâ.
Ipfe fibi cladis cafùfque miferrimus auctor;
Non Ego, qui recto primùm puroque creato
Arma dedi viresque habiles: feu ftare volenti
Seu labi, data labendi ftandive facultas.
Hæc cunctis nempe arbitrii communia Jura
Indulfi Superûm turmis, quofque alta fideles

Wide interrupt, can hold? So bent he seems
On desperate revenge, that fhall redound
Upon his own rebellious Head. And now
Through all restraint broke loose, he wings his way
Not far off Heav'n in the Precincts of Light,
Directly tow'rds the new-created World,
And Man there plac'd; with purpose to affay
If Him by force he can deftroy, or worse,
By fome false guile pervert: and shall pervert;
For Man will hearken to his glozing Lies,

And eafily tranfgrefs the fole Command,
Sole pledge of his obedience: fo will fall,
He, and his faithlefs Progeny. Whose fault?
Whose but his own? Ingrate! He had of Me
All he could have: I made him just, and right;
Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' Ethereal Pow'rs, [fail'd:
And Spirits, both them who ftood, and them who
Freely they stood who ftood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have giv'n fincere
Evexit

O 2

Evexit Virtus, & quos malus abftulit Error;
Dos conceffa eadem & Libertas omnibus una.
Ni facerem, fidei intactæ quæ pignora poffent
Mi dare? quas illis Egomet perfolvere laudes ?
At Me nil juviffet Honos, nil omne placendi
Officium, fi non fuaderet læta voluntas,
Si Ratio, quæ velle fuum fibi vendicat, arctis
Compulfa imperiis mihi fe non fponte dediffet.
En Ego cuncta dedi, quæ fas; nec jure licebit
Auctoremve queri, fative adamantina vincla.
Ullane Lex fati gravis, aut mea præfcia Virtus
Impediit? Mene hanc illis decernere labem?
Ipfi decrevere fibi. Mea præfcia Virtus
Haud quidquam effecit: fi non provifa fuiffent,
Noxa eadem miferos leto mulctâffet eodem.
Ego nil fati vis afpera, præfcia nil mens
Offecit: facinus nullo cogente fequuntur,

Omnigeni fibi caufa mali.

Gens libera facta eft;

Of true allegiance, conftant Faith, or Love?
Where only what they needs must do appear'd;
Not, what they would: What praise could they re-
What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid? [ceive?
When Will and Reafon (Reafon alfo is choice)
Useless and vain, of Freedom both defpoil'd,
Made paffive both, had ferv'd neceffity,
Not Me. They therefore, as to right belong'd,
So were created: nor can juftly accuse
Their Maker, or their making, or their Fate:

As if Predestination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute Decree,
Or high Fore-knowledge. They themselves decreed
Their own revolt, not I. If I fore-knew,
Fore-knowledge had no influence on their Fault,
Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown.
So without leaft impulse or shadow of Fate,
Or ought by Me immutably foreseen,

They trefpafs; Authors to themselves in all, [fo
Both what they judge, and what they choose; for

Libera femper erit, turpes ni fponte catenas
Induerint. Aliter primævam abolere neceffe eft
Naturam, æternumque atque immutabile fœdus
Solvere, quo data libertas; data munere noftro
Libertas; fibi cladem inhoneftam & crimina debent.
Calicolæ cecidere olim fuadentibus ipfis

Errantes; aluere malum fua pectora virus:

Illi Hominem ludunt: Ergo Huic parcetur, at Illos
Ira manet. Noftras Equum & Clementia laudes
Sublimes fuper aftra ferent; Clementia princeps;
Illa decus primum fibi vendicat, Illa fupremum.

Hæc DEUS; & latè cœlum omne exhalat odorem
Ambrofium: Divûm lectorum infueta Voluptas

Corda modis hilarat miris atque ora ferenat.
Ante alios fummo longè præfignis honore
Magna DEI fulfit Soboles: fedet omnis in Ipso
Majeftas transfufa Patris; Clementia vultu
Panditur, immenfæ rivus Bonitatis, Amorifque

I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
'Till they inthrall themselves; I elfe must change
Their Nature; and revoke the high Decree
Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordain'd [Fall.
Their Freedom; They themselves ordain'd their
The first fort by their own suggestion fell,
Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: Man falls, deceiv'd
By th' other first: Man therefore shall find grace;
The other none: in Mercy and Juftice both,

Through Heav'n and Earth, so shall my Glory ex-
But Mercy, first and last, fhall brighteft fhine. [cell;

Thus while GOD spake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the blessed Spirits Elect
Sense of new joy ineffable diffus'd.
Beyond compare the Son of GOD was seen
Moft glorious; in Him all His FATHER fhon
Subftantially exprefs'd; and in His Face
Divine compaffion vifibly appear'd,

Æterni immortale jubar: Sermone benignos
Sic aperit fenfus animi, affaturque Parentem:
Quàm dulcis Vox ifta, Pater, quam plena favoris,
Quæ veniam dignata Homini! Tibi læta canoras
Ergo feret laudes tellus, tibi confona cœli
Regia, & æternos folio ingeminabit honores.
Ecquid Homo infelix æternâ morte prematur ?
Ille, tibi tantum dilecta, noviffima Proles,

Fraude malâ illufus pereat; quanquam ipfe volenti
Ah mifer! ipfe animo fraudem juvet? Hoc procul à Te,
Oro, abfit procul Hoc, Genitor; qui numine jufto
Cuncta regis, prudens & fervantiffimus Æqui.
Scilicet infultans Hoftis fibi plaudet, atroci

Vindictâ exfaturans animum & tua munera calcans?
Ille adeo, quanquam afperiora ad vincla, redibit
Ultor ovans, fcelerum & comites fociofque dolorum
Tartareas genus omne Hominum devolvat in umbras ?
Quem Tibi finxifti, Tun' mundum hunc Illius ergô

Love without end, and without measure Grace;
Which utt'ring, thus He to His FATHER fpake:
O FATHER, gracious was that Word which clos'd
Thy fov'reign fentence, that Man fhould find grace;
For which both Heav'n and Earth fhall high extoll
Thy praifes, with th' innumerable found
Of Hymns and facred Songs, wherewith thy Throne
Encompass'd fhall refound thee ever bless'd.
For fhould Man finally be loft, fhould Man
Thy Creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest Son,

Fall circumvented thus by Fraud, tho' 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 judgeft only right.
Or fhall the Adversary thus obtain
His end, and fruftrate thine? fhall He fulfill
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,

Difper

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