To find who might direct his wand'ring flightmoed
To Paradife the happy feat of Manage
His journey's end, and our beginning woe. asthe
But first he casts to change his proper shape, nao atl
Which else might work him danger or delay:635
And now a stripling Cherub he appears,

Not of the prime, yet such as in his face on cro
Youth smiled, celestial, and to ev'ry limba
Suitable grace diffus'd, so well he feign'd.raid of
Under a coronet his flowing hair
forfane 1640

In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore
Of many a color'd plume, sprinkled with gold, arty
His habit fit for speed succinct, and held diz quofιο
Before his decent steps a filver wandbito
da
He drew not nigh unheard, the Angel brights. 164號
Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage tushid,
Admonish'd by his ear, and straight was dinomn
Th' Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the few frequen
Who in Gods prefence, nearest to his throne

650

Stand ready at command, and are his eyes
That run thro' all the Heav'ns, or down to th' earth
Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,lizat
O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accosts.

Uriel, for thou of those sev'n spirits that stand
In fight of God's high throne, gloriously bright,, 6551
The first art wont his great authentic will

Interpreter through highest Heav'n to bring,
Where all his fons thy embassy attend
And here art likeliest by fupreme decree,
Lihe honor to obtain, and as his eye in
To vifit oft this new creation round:not t

660

Unfpeakable defire to fee, and know..

All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man, m
His chief delight and favor, him for whom vi
All these his works so wondrous he ordain'd665
Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim
Alone thus wand'ring. Brightest Seraph, tell
In which of all these shining orbs bath Man

E 3

His

His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,
But all these 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 meer,
The Universal Maker we may praise;
Who justly hath driven out his rebel foes
To deepest Hell, and to repair that loss
* Created this new happy race of Menot
To ferve him better: wife are all his ways.
So spake the false dissembler unperceiv'd;
For neither Man nor Angel can difcern
Hypocrify, the only evil that walks

670

675

2

680

Invisible, except to God alone,
By his permiflive will, through Heav'n and Earth: 685
And oft, though wisdom wake, fufpicion fleeps
At wifsdom's gate, and to fimplicity
Retigns 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 sharpest-tighted spirit of all in Heaven:
Who to the fraudulent impoftor foul
In his uprightnels answer thus return'd.

Fair Angel, thy defire, which tends to know

The works of God, thereby to glorify
The great Work-master, leads to no excess
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it seems excess, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal mansion thus alone,
To witness with thine eyes what some 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 wisdom infinite

690

695

700

705

That

That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep?

I faw when at his word the formless mass,

This world's material mould, came to a heap:

Confufion heard his voice, and wild uproar

710

Stood rul'd, stood vast infinitude confin'd:

Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled,

Light shone, and order from diforder sprung:
Swift to their several quarters hafted then

The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire: 715

And this ethereal quintessence of Heav'n

Flew upward, spirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars,
Numberless, as thou seeft, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his course;
The rest in circuit walls this universe.

720

Look downward on that globe, whose hither fide
With light from hence, tho' but reflected, shines:
That place is Earth, the feat of man, that light
His day, which else as th'other hemisphere
728
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon,
So call that opposite fair star, her aidosti on stalvi
Timely interposes, and her monthly round orde dahu
Still ending, still renewing, through mid Heaving a
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties, to enlighten th' earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night,
That spot to which I point is Paradise,
Adam's abode, those lofty shades his bower..
Thy way thou canst not miss, me mine requires. 735.
Thus faid', he turn'd; and Satan bowing low,

730

As to superior spirits wont in Heav'n,
Where honor due and reverence none neglects,
Took leave, and toward the coast of earth beneath,
Down from th' ecliptic, sped with hop'd fuccess, 749
Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel,...
Nor stay'd, till on Niphates top he lights.

4

The End of the Third Book.

E 4

BOOK

:

72

PARADISE LOST.

Ust or 9911 guods boci

Book IV.

2

O for that warning voice, which he who faw
Th Apocalyps heard cry in Heav'n aloud,
Then when the Dragon, put to second rout,
Game furious down to be revengid on men,tow
Woe to the inhabitants on earth! that now
While time was, our first parents had been warn'da
The coming of their fecret foe, and scap'd,s
Haply so scap'd his mortal snare: for now
Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down,
The tempter e're th' accufer of mankind,
To wreckson innocent frail man his loss
Of that firft battel, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoicing in his fpeed though bold,
Far [off and fearless nor with cause to boast,
Begins his direvastemps, which nigh the birth
Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breaft,
And like a devilish engine back recoils
Upon himfelf: horror and doubt distract
His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom ftir
The Hell within him; for within him hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from hell
One step no more than from himself can flymot
By change of place: now confcience wakes despain
That flumber'd, wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue, T
Sometimes tow'rds Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes sad;
Sometimes tow'rds Heav'n and the full
Which now fat high in his meridian tow'r B
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.

20

ull blazing fun,

O thou that with furpassing glory crown'd,
Look'ft from thy fole dominion like the God
Of this new world; at whose fight all the starseli
Hide their diminished heads; to thee I call,

A

35

Buc

But with no friendly voice, and add thy name
O Sun! ! to tell thee how I I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what ftate
I fell, how glorious once above thy fphere; all
Till pride and worse ambition threw me down
Warring in Heav'n against Heav'n's matchless king.
Ah wherefore! he deferv'd no fuch return
From me, whom he created what I was

W

A

T

40

45

55

In that bright eminence, and with his good
Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard.
What could be less than to afford him praife,
The easiest recompenfe, and pay him thanks;
How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice; lifted up fo high
I 'sdein'd fubjection, and thought one step higher so
Would set me highest, and in a moment quit
The debt immense of endless gratitude,
Só burdensome still paying, ftill to owe,
Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd,
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but still pays, at once
Indebted and discharg'd: what burden then
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me some inferior Angel! I had flood
Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition. Yet why not? fome other Power
As great might have afpir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other Pow'rs
Fell not, but ftand unfhaken, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.
Hadst thou the fame free will and pow'r to stand?
Thou hadt: whom haft thou then, or what, t'accuse,

P

as great

But Heav'n's free love dealt equally to all?

194

900

Be then his love accurs'd, fince love or hate,

To

me alike, it deals eternal woe.

Jogiau

Nay curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will

Chose freely what it now fo

it now fo juftly rues.

Me miferable! which way

CHW