Perfections; in himself was all his state, More solemn than the tedious pomp that waits On princes, when their rich retinue long Of horses led, and grooms besmear'd with gold,
Dazzles the croud, and sets them all a gape. Nearer his presence Adam though not aw'd, Yet with submis approach and reverence meck, As to a superior nature, bowing low,
Thus said. Native of Heav'n, for other place None can than Heav'n such glorious shape
Since by descending from the thrones above, Those happy places thou hast deign'd a while To want, and honour these, vouchsafe with
Two only, who yet by sov'reign gift possess This spacious ground, in yonder shady bower To rest, and what the garden choicest bears To sit and taste, till this meridian heat Be over, and the sun more cool decline. Whom thus th' angelic Virtue answer'd mild.
Adam, I therefore came, nor art thou such Created, or such place hast here to dwell, As may not oft invite, though Spirits Heav'u,
Our author. Heav'nly stranger, please to
These bounties, which our Nourisher, from whom
All perfect good, unmeasur’d out, descends, To us for food and for delight hath caus'd The earth to yield; unsavoury food perhaps To spiritual natures; only this I know, That one celestial Father gives to all.
To whom the Angel. Therefore what he gives
(Whose praise be ever sung) to man in part Spiritual, may of purest Spirits be found No ingrateful food: and food alike those pure Intelligential substances require,
As doth your rational; and both contain Within them every lower faculty
Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste,
Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate, And corporeal to incorporeal turn. For know, whatever was created, needs To be sustain'd and fed; of elements The grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea, Earth and the sea feed air, the air those fires of Ethereal, and as lowest first the moon; Whence in her visage, round thos spots, un-
To visit thee; lead on then where thy bower O'ershades; for these mid-hours, till evening rise,
I have at will. So to the sylvan lodge They came, that like Pomona's arbour smil'd With flow'rets deck'd and fragrant smells; but Eve
Undeck'd save with herself, more lovely fair Than Wood-Nymph, or the fairest Goddess feign'd
Of three that in mount Ida naked strove, Stood to cutertain her guest from Heav'n; no veil
She needed, virtue proof; no thought infirm Alter'd her cheek. On whom the Angel hail Bestow'd, the holy salutation us'd Long after to blest Mary, second Eve. Hail Mother of Mankind, whose fruitful
Shall fill the world more numerous with thy
Vapours not yet into her substance turn'd. Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale From her moist continent to higher orbs. The sun, that light imparts to all, receives From all his alimental recompense
In humid exhalations, and at even Sups with the ocean. Though in Heav'n the
Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines Yield nectar; though from off the boughs each morn
We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground
Cover'd with pearly grain: yet God hath here Varied his bounty so with new delights, As may compare with Heaven; and to taste Think not I shall be nice. So down they sat, And to their viands fell; nor seemingly The Angel, nor in mist, the common gloss Of Theologians; But with keen dispatch
Than with these various fruits the trees of Of real hunger, and concoctive heat
Have heap'd this table. Rais'd of grassy turf Their table was, and mossy seats had round, And on her ample square from side to side All autumn pil'd, though spring and autumn here
Danc'd hand in hand. A while discourse they hold;
No fear lest dinner cool; when thus began
To transubstantiate what redounds, tran- spires Through spirits with ease; nor wonder; if by fire
Of sooty coal th' empyric alchemist Can turn, or holds it possible to turn, Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold As from the mine. Mean while at table Eve Minister'd naked, and their flowing cups
With pleasant liquors crown'd: O innocence Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,
Then had the son of God excuse to have been Enamour'd at that sight; but in those hearts Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousy Was understood, the injur'd lover's Hell.
Thus when with meats and drinks they had suffic'd,
Not burden'd nature, sudden mind arose In Adam, not to let th' occasion pass
Giv'n him by this great conference to know Of things above his world, and of their being Who dwell in Heav'n, whose excellence he saw Transcend his own so far, whose radiant forms Divine effulgence, whose high pow'r so far Exceeded human, and his wary speech Thus to th' empyreal minister he fram'd. Inhabitant with God, now know I well Thy favour, in this honour done to Man, Under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsaf'd To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste, Food not of Angels, yet accepted so, As that more willingly thon couldst not seem At Heav'n's high feasts to have fed yet what compare?
To whom the winged hierarch reply'd. O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom All things proceed, and up to him return, If not deprav'd from good, created all Such to perfection, one first matter all, Endued with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and in things that live, of life; But more refin'd, more spiritous, and pure, As nearer to him plac'd or nearer tending Each in their several active spheres assign'd, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportion'd to each kind. So from the root Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence
More airy, last the bright consummate flower Spirits odorous breathes; flow'rs and their fruit,
Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublim'd, To vital spirits aspire, to animal,
To intellectual; give both life and sense, Fancy and understanding; whence the soul Reason receives, and reason is her being, Discursive, or intuitive; discourse
Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours, Differing but in degree, of kind the same. Wonder not, then, what God for you saw good If I refuse not, but convert, as you, To proper substance: time may come, when
Improv'd by tract of time, and wing'd ascend Ethereal, as we, or may at choice Here or in heav'nly Paradises dwell, If ye be found obedient, and retain Unalterably firm his love entire, Whose progcuy you are. Mean while enjoy Your fill what happiness this happy state Can comprehend, incapable of more.
To whom the Patriarch of Mankind reply'd: O favourable Spirit, propitious guest, Well hast thou taught the way that might di
Our knowledge, and the scale of Nature set From center to circumference whercon, In contemplation of created things, By steps we may ascend to God. But say, What meant that caution join'd, If ye be found Obedient? Can we want obedience then To him, or possibly his love desert, Who form'd us from the dust, and plac'd us bere
Full to the utmost measure of what bliss Human desires can seek or apprehend?
To whom the angel. Son of Heav'n and Earth,
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 giv'n thee; be advis'd; God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee, but to persevere He left it in thy power; ordain'd thy will By nature free, not over-rul'd 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 try'd whether they
Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other chuse? Myself, and all th' angelic host, that stand Iu sight of God enthron'd, our happy state 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 fall'n, to disobedience fall'n, Aud so from Heav'n 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 Cherubic songs by night from neighb’ring hills Acreal music 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 Assur'd me, and still assure: though what thou tell'st
Hath pass'd in Heav'n, some doubt within me move,
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 finish'd half his journey, and scarce be- gins
His other half in the great zone of Heav'n.
Thus Adam made request; and Raphael, After short pause, assenting, thus began: High matter thou injoin'st me, O Prime of Men,
Sad task and hard; for how shall I relate To human sense th' 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 dispens'd; and what surmounts the reach
Of human sense, I shall delineate so,
By likening spiritual to corporeal forms,
Brightness had made invisible, thus spake. Hear, all ye Angels, progeny of Light, Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues,
Hear my decree, which unrevok'd 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 Heav'n, 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 darkRess, deep ingulf'd, his place Ordain'd without redemption, without end.
So spake th' Omnipotent, and with his words All seem'd well pleas'd; all seem'd, but were
That day, as other solemn days, they spent In song and dance about the Sacred Hill; Mystical dance, which youder starry sphere Of planets and of fix'd in all her wheels Resembles nearest, mazes intricate,
As may express them best; though what if Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular
Be but the shadow of Heav'n, and things therein
Each to other like, more than on earth is thought?
As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild Reign'd where these Heav'ns now roll, where
Upon her center pois'd; when on a day (For time, though in eternity, apply'd To motion, measures all things durable By present, past, and future) on such day As Heav'n's great year brings forth, th' empyreal host
Of angels by imperial summous call'd, Innumerable before th' Almighty's throne Forthwith from all the ends of Heav'n ap- pear'd
Under their hierarchs in orders bright: Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanc'd 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 imblaz'd 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 imbosom'd sat the Son, Amidst, as from a flaming mount whose top
Then most, when most irregular they seem; And in their motions, Harmony divine
So smooths her charming tones, that God's
Listens delighted. Evening now approach'd (For we have also our evening and our morn, We ours for change delectable, not need) Forthwith from dance to sweet repast they
Desirous; all in circles as they stood,
Tables are set, and on a sudden pil'd With angels' food, and rubied nectar flows In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold, Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heav'n. On flow'rs repos'd, and with fresh flow'rets crown'd,
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Of surfeit where full measure only bounds Excess, before th' all-bounteous King, who shower'd
With copious hand rejoicing in their joy. Now when ambrosial Night with clouds ex
From that high mount of God, whence light and shade
Spring both, the face of brightest Heav'n had
To grateful twilight (for night comes not there In darker veil) and roseat dews dispos'd
All but the unsleeping eyes of God to rest, Wide over all the plain, and wider far Than all this globous earth in plain outspread, (Such are the courts of God) th' angelic throng Dispers'd in bands and files, their camp ex- tend
By living streams among the trees of life, Pavilions numberless, and sudden rear'd, Celestial tabernacles, where they slept
Or several one by one, Under him regent; tells, as he was taught, That the Most High commanding, now ere Night,
Now ere dim Night had disincumber'd Heav'n, The great hierarchal standard was to move; Tells the suggested cause, and casts between Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound Or taint integrity but all obcy'd
Faun'd with cool winds; save those who in The wonted sigual, and superior voice
Melodious hynms about the sov'reign throne Alternate all night long: but not so wak'd Satan; so call him now, his former name Is heard no more in Heav'n; he of the first, If not the first arch angel, great in power, I favour and pre-eminence, yet franght With envy against the Son of God, that day
Of their great Potentate; for great indeed His name, and high was his degree in Heav'n; His count'nance, as the morning star that guides
The starry flock, allur'd them, and with lies Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's host. Mean while th' Eternal Eye, whose sight dis-
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd || Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy Messiah King anoted, could not bear
Through pride that sight, and thought him- And from within the golden lamps that burn
Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain, Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv'd, With all his legions, to dislodge, and leave Unworshipt, unobey'd the throne supreme Contemptuous, and his next subordinate Awak'ning, thus to him in secret spake: Sleep'st thou, Companion dear; what sleep
Nightly before him, saw without their light Rebellion rising; saw in whom, how spread Among the sous of Morn, what multitudes Were banded to oppose his high decree; And smiling, to his only Son thus said:
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full resplendence, heir of all my might, Nearly it now concerns us to be sure Of our omnipotence, and with what arms We meau to hold what auciently we claim Of deity or empire; such a foe
Is rising, who intends to erect his throne Equal to ours, throughout the spacious North; Nor so content, bath in his thought to try In battle, what our power is, or our right. Let us advise, and to this hazard draw With speed what force is left, and all employ In our defence, lest, unawares, we lose This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm aspect and clear, Lightning divine, ineffable, serene, Made auswer. Mighty Father! thou thy foes Justly hast in derision, and secure Laugh'st at their vain designs and tumults vain,
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate Illustrates, when they sce all regal power Gav'u me to quell their pride, and in event Know whether I be dextrous to subdue Thy rebels, or be found the worst in Heav'n.
So spake the Son; but Satan, with his
Far was advanc'd on winged speed, an host Junumerable as the stars of night,
Or stars of morning, dew-drops, which the sun Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Regions they pass'd, the mighty regcucies
Of Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones In their triple degrees; regions to which All thy dominion, Adam, is no more Than what this garden is to all the earth, And all the sea, from one entire globose Stretch'd into longitude; which having pass'd, At length into the limits of the North They came, and Satan to his royal seat High on a bill, far blazing, as a mount Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and towers From diamond quarries, hewn, and rocks of gold;
The palace of great Lucifer, (so call That structure in the dialect of men Interpreted) which not long after, he Affecting all equality with God, In imitation of that mount whereon Messiah was declar'd in sight of Heav'n, The Mountain of the Congregation call'd; For thither he assembled all his train, Pretending so commanded, to consult About the great reception of their King, Thither to come, and with calumnious art Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears. Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,
If these magnific titles yet remain Not merely titular, since by decree Another now hath to himself engross'd All power, and us eclips'd, under the name Of King Anointed, for whom all this haste Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here, This only to consult how we may best With what may be devis'd of honours new Receive him coming to receive from us Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile, Too much to one, but double how endur'd To one and to his image now proclaim'd? But what if better counsels might erect Our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke? Will ye submit your necks, and chuse to bend The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves, Natives and sons of Heav'n, possess'd before By none, and if not equal all, yet free, Equally free; for orders and degrees Jar not with liberty, but well consist. Who can in reason then or right assume Monarchy over such as live by right His equals, if in pow'r and splendour less, In freedom equal? Or can introduce Law and edict on us, who without law Err not? Much less for this to be our Lord, And look for adoration to th' abuse Of those imperial titles, which assert Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve. Thus far his bold discourse without con- troul
Had audience, when among the Seraphim Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal ador'd The deity, the divine commands obey'd, Stood up, and in a flame of zeal severe The current of his fury thus oppos'd.
O argument blasphemous, false and proud; Words which no ear ever to hear in Heav'n Expected, least of all from thee, Ingrate, In place thyself so high above thy peers. Caust thou with impious obloquy condemn The just decree of God, pronounc'd and sworn, That to his only son by right endued With regal sceptre, every soul in Heaven Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due Confess him rightful King? Unjust, thou say'st, Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free, And equal over equals to let reign, One over all with unsucceeded power. Shalt thou give law to God, shalt thou dispute With him the points of liberty, who made Thee what thou art, and form'd the pow'rs of Heaven
Such as he pleas'd, and circumscrib'd their being?
Yet by experience taught we know how good, And of our good and of our dignity
How provident he is, how far from thought To make us less, beut rather to exalt Our happy state under one head more near United. But to grant it thee unjust, That equal over equals monarch reign: Thyself though great and glorious dost thou count,
Or all angelic nature join'd in one, Equal to him begotten Son? by whom As by his word the mighty Father made All things, even thee! and all the spirits of Heaven
By him created in their bright degrees, Crown'd them with glory, and to their glory nam'd
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues,
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