He views in breadth; and without longer paufe
Down right into the world's first region throws
His flight precipitant, and winds with ease
Through the pure marble air his oblique way,
Amongst innumerable ftars, that shon

Stars distant, but nigh hand feem'd other worlds
Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy ifles,
Like thofe Hefperian gardens fam❜d of old,
Fortunate fields, and groves, and flow'ry vales;
Thrice happy ifles! But who dwelt happy there
He stay'd not to inquire. Above them all-
The golded fun, in fplendor likeft heav'n,
Allur'd his eye: thither his courfe he bends
Through the calm firmament: but, up or down,
By centre or eccentric, hard to tell;
Or lougitude, where the great luminary
Aloft the vulgar conftellations thick,
That from his lordly eye keep diftance due
Dispenses light from far; they as they move
Their ftarry dance in numbers that compute
Days, months and years, tow'rds his all-chearing
Lamp

Turn fwift their various motions, or are turn'd
By his magnetic beam, that gently warms
The univerfe, and to each inward part
With gentle penetration, though unfeen,
Shoots invifible virtue even to the Deep;
So wondrously was fet his ftation bright!
There lands the fiend, a spot like which perhaps
Aftronomer in the fun's fucent orb

Through his glaz'd optie tube yet never faw.
The place he found beyond expreffion bright,
Compar'd with ought on earth, metal, or ftone :
Not all parts like, but all alike inform'd
With radiant light, as glowing iron with fire z
If metal, part feem'd gold, part filver clear :
If ftone, carbuncle most, or chryfolite,
Ruby, or topaz ; or the twelve that shon
In Aaron's breaft-plate: and a stone befides
(Imagin'd rather oft than elsewhere seen )
That stone, or like to that, which here below
Philofophers in vain fo long have fought,
In vain, though by their pow'rful art they bind
Volatil Hermes, and call up unbound

In various shapes old Proteus from the fea,
Drain'd through a limbec to his naked form.
What wonder then if fields, and regions, here
Breathe forth elixir pure, and rivers run
Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch
Th' arch chimie fun, fo far from us remote,
Produces, with terrestrial humor mix'd,
Here in the dark fo many precious things
Of color glorious, and effect so rare?
Here matter new to gaze the devil met
Undazled ; far and wide his eye commands;
For figh no obftacle found here, or shade,
But all fun-shine; as when his heams at noon
Culminate from th' Æquator; as they now
Shot upward ftill direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body opaque can fall, and th' air ¿

(No where fo clear, ) sharpen'd his visual ray
To objects diftant far, whereby he foon
Saw within ken a glorious Angel stand,
The fame whom John faw alfo in the fun :
His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid:
Of beaming funny rays a golden tiar

Circled his head, nor lefs his locks behind
Illuftrious on his shoulders, fledge with wings,
Lay waving round: on fome great charge employ'd
He fecm'd, or fixt in cogitation deep.

Glad was the fpirit impure, as now in hope
To find who might direct his wand'ring flight
To Paradife, the happy feat of man,
His journey's end, and our beginning woe.
But firft he cafts to change his proper shape,
Which elfe might work him danger, or delay:
And now a stripling Cherub he appears,
Not of the prime, yet fuch as in his face
Youth fmil'd cœleftial, and to ev'ry limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, fo well he feign'd..
Under a coronet, his flowing hair

In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore
Of many a color'd plume, fprinkled with gold;
His habit fit for speed fuccinct, and held
Before his decent fteps a filver wand.

He drew not nigh unheard, the Angel bright,
E'er he drew nigh, his radiant visage turn'd,
Admonish'd by his ear; and ftrait was known
Th' Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the fev'n

Who in God's prefence, nearest to His throne,

Stand ready at command, and are His eyes
That run thro' all the heav'ns, or down to th' earth
Bear his fwift errands, over moift and dry,
O'er fea and land: him Sitan thus accofts.

Uriel! for thou of those fev'n spirits that ftand
In fight of God's high throne, gloriously bright,
The first art wont His great authentic will
Interpreter through highest heav'n to bring,
Where all His fons thy embaffie attend:
And here art likelieft by fupreme decree
Like honor to obtain; and as his eye,
To vifit oft this new creation round :
Unfpeakable defire to fee, and know

All thefe His wondrous works, but chiefly man,
His chief delight, and favor; him, for whom
All these His works fo wondrous He ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the choirs of Cherubim.
Alone thus wandring: brightest Seraph! tell
In which of all these shining orbs hath man
His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,
But all thefe shining orbs his choice to dwell:
That I may find him, and with fecret gaze,
Or open admiration, him behold

On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd

Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd::
That both in him, and all things, as is meet,
The univerfal Maker we may praise ;

Who juftly hath driv'n out his rebel foes
To deepest hell; and, to repair their lofs,
Created this new happy race of men,

To ferve Him better: wife are all His ways!

So fpake the falfe diffembler unperceiv'd;
For neither man, nor Angel, can difcern
Hypocrify (the only evil that walks
Invisible, except to God alone,

By His permiffive will, through heav'n and earch :
And oft thoug wifdom wake, fufpicion heeps
At wifdom's gate, and to fimplicity

Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill feems) which now for once beguil'd
Uriel, though regent of the fun, and held
The sharpeft-fighted fpirit of all in heav'n :
Who to the fraudulent impoftor foul,
In his uprightness answer thus return'd.

Fair Angel thy defire, which tends to know
The works of God, thereby to glorify
The great work-mafter, leads to no excefs
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it feems excefs, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal manfion thus alone,
To witnefs with thine eyes what fome perhaps,
Contented with report, hear only in heav'n :
For wonderful indeed are all His works!
Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight.
But, what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wifdom infinite

That brought them forth, but hid their caufes deep?
I faw when at His word the formlefs mafs,
This world's material mold, came to a heap f