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
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.
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,
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