Thither will send his winged messengers
On errands of supernal grace. So sung
The glorious train ascending: He through Heaven, That open'd wide her blazing portals, led To God's eternal house direct the way; A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear, Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,
Which nightly, as a circling zone, thou seest Powder'd with stars. And now on Earth the seventh Evening arose in Eden, for the sun
Was set, and twilight from the east came on, Forerunning night; when at the holy mount Of Heaven's high-seated top, the imperial throne Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and sure, The Filial Power arriv'd, and sat him down With his Great Father; for he also went Invisible, yet staid, (such privilege
Hath Omnipresence,) and the work ordain'd, Author and End of all things; and, from work Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the seventh day As resting on that day from all his work,
But not in silence holy kept: the harp Had work and rested not; the solemn pipe, And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop, All sounds on fret by string or golden wire, Temper'd soft tunings, intermix'd with voice Choral or unison: of incense clouds,
Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount.
Creation, and the six days acts they sung: Great are thy works, Jehovah! infinite
Thy power! what thought can measure thee, or tongue Relate thee! Greater now in thy return
Than from the giant Angels: Thee that day
Thy thunders magnified; but to create
Is greater than created to destroy.
Who can impair thee, Mighty King, or bound Thy empire! Easily the proud attempt Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain, Thou hast repell'd; while impiously they thought Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks To lessen thee, against his purpose serves To manifest the more thy might: his evil Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more good. Witness this new-made world, another Heaven From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea; Of amplitude almost immense, with stars Numerous, and every star perhaps a world Of destin'd habitation; but thou know'st Their seasons: among these the seat of Men, Earth, with her nether ocean circumfus'd, Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men, And sons of Men, whom God hath thus advanc'd! Created in his image there to dwell
And worship Him; and in reward to rule Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air,
And multiply a race of worshippers
Holy and just: Thrice happy, if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright!
So sung they, and the empyréan rung With halleluiahs: Thus was sabbath kept. And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd How first this world and face of things began, And what before thy memory was done From the beginning; that posterity,
Inform'd by thee, might know: If else thou seek’st Aught, not surpassing human measure, say.
THE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he a while Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear; Then, as new wak'd, thus gratefully replied. What thanks sufficient, or what recompence Equal, have I to render thee, divine Historian, who thus largely hast allay'd
The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsaf'd This friendly condescension to relate
Things, else by me unsearchable; now heard With wonder, but delight, and, as is due, With glory attributed to the High Creator! Something yet of doubt remains, Which only thy solution can resolve. When I behold this goodly frame, this world, Of Heaven and Earth consisting; and compute Their magnitudes; this Earth, a spot, a grain, An atom, with the firmament compar'd And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll Spaces incomprehensible, (for such
Their distance argues, and their swift return Diurnal,) merely to officiate light
Round this opacous Earth, this punctual spot, One day and night; in all their vast survey Useless besides; reasoning I oft admire, How Nature wise and frugal could commit Such disproportions, with superfluous hand So many nobler bodies to create, Greater so manifold, to this one use,
For aught appears, and on their orbs impose Such restless revolution day by day Repeated; while the sedentary Earth, That better might with far less compass move, Serv'd by more noble than herself, attains Her end without least motion, and receives, As tribute, such a sumless journey brought Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light; Speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails.
So spake our sire, and by his countenance seem'd Entering on studious thoughts abstruse; which Eve Perceiving, where she sat retir'd in sight,
With lowliness majestick from her seat,
And grace that won who saw to wish her stay, Rose, and went forth among her fruits and flowers, To visit how they prosper'd, bud and bloom, Her nursery; they at her coming sprung,
And, touch'd by her fair tendance, gladlier grew. Yet went she not, as not with such discourse Delighted, or not capable her ear
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