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Not to destroy, but root them out of Heav'n :
The overthrown he rais'd, and as a Heard

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Of Goats or timerous flock together throngd
Drove them before him Thunder-struck, pursu'd
With terrors and with furies to the bounds
And Chrystall wall of Heav'n, which op'ning wide,
Rowld inward, and a spacious Gap disclos'd
Into the waftful Deep; the monftrous fight
Strook them with horror backward, but far worse
Urg'd them behind; headlong themselvs they threw
Down from the verge of Heav'n, Eternal wrauth
Burnt after them to the bottomless pit.

Hell heard th' unfufferable noise, Hell faw
Heav'n ruining from Heav'n, and would have fled
Affrighted; but strict Fate had caft too deep
Her dark foundations, and too faft had bound. 870
Nine dayes they fell; confounded Chaos roard,
And felt tenfold confufion in thir fall

Through his wilde Anarchie, so huge a rout
Incumberd him with ruin: Hell at laft
Yawning receavd them whole, and on them clos'd,
Hell thir fit habitation fraught with fire
Unquenchable, the house of woe and paine.
Disburd'nd Heav'n rejoic'd, and foon repaird
Her mural breach, returning whence it rowld.
Sole Victor from th' expulfion of his Foes
Meffiah his triumphal Chariot turnd:

To meet him all his Saints, who filent stood
Eye witneffes of his Almightie Acts,

With Jubilie advanc'd; and as they went,

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Shaded with branching Palme, each order bright, Sung Triumph, and him fung Victorious King,

Son, Heire, and Lord, to him Dominion giv'n,
Worthiest to Reign: he celebrated rode
Triumphant through mid Heav'n, into the Courts
And Temple of his mightie Father Thron'd
On high; who into Glorie him receav'd,
Where now he fits at the right hand of bliss.

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Thus measuring things in Heav'n by things on At thy request, and that thou maist beware [Earth By what is past, to thee I have reveal'd

What might have else to human Race bin hid;
The discord which befel, and Warr in Heav'n
Among th' Angelic Powers, and the deep fall
Of those too high aspiring, who rebelld
With Satan, hee who envies now thy ftate,
Who now is plotting how he may seduce
Thee alfo from obedience, that with him
Bereavd of happiness thou maift partake
His punishment, Eternal miserie;
Which would be all his folace and revenge,
As a despite don against the most High,
Thee once to gaine Companion of his woe.
But lift'n not to his Temptations, warne
Thy weaker; let it profit thee to have heard
By terrible Example the reward

Of disobedience; firm they might have stood,
Yet fell; remember, and fear to tranfgrefs.

The End of the Sixth Book.

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910

Paradife Loft.

BOOK VII.

ESCEND from Heav'n Urania, by that

name

If rightly thou art call'd, whofe Voice
divine

Following, above th' Olympian Hill I foare,
Above the flight of Pegafean wing.

The meaning, not the Name I call for thou
Nor of the Mufes nine, nor on the top

Of old Olympus dwell'ft, but Heav'nlie borne,
Before the Hills appeerd, or Fountain flow'd,
Thou with Eternal wisdom didst converse,
Wisdom thy Sifter, and with her didst play
In presence of th' Almightie Father, pleas'd
With thy Celestial Song. Up led by thee
Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns I have prefum'd,
An Earthlie Guest, and drawn Empyreal Aire,
Thy tempring; with like fafetie guided down
Return me to my Native Element:

Least from this flying Steed unrein'd, (as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower Clime)
Dismounted, on th' Aleian Field I fall
Erroneous, there to wander and forlorne.
Half yet remaines unfung, but narrower bound

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Within the visible Diurnal Spheare;

Standing on Earth, not rapt above the Pole,
More fafe I Sing with mortal voice, unchang'd
To hoarce or mute, though fall'n on evil dayes,
On evil dayes though fall'n, and evil tongues;
In darkness, and with dangers compast round,
And folitude; yet not alone, while thou
Vifit'st my flumbers Nightly, or when Morn
Purples the Eaft: ftill govern thou my Song,
Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
But drive farr off the barbarous diffonance
Of Bacchus and his Revellers, the Race

Of that wilde Rout that tore the Thracian Bard
In Rhodope, where Woods and Rocks had Eares
Το rapture, till the favage clamor dround

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Both Harp and Voice; nor could the Muse defend Her Son. So fail not thou, who thee implores : For thou art Heav'n lie, fhee an empty dreame.

Say Goddess, what enfu'd when Raphael,

The affable Arch-angel, had forewarn'd
Adam by dire example to beware
Apoftafie, by what befell in Heaven

To thofe Apoftates, least the like befall
In Paradife to Adam or his Race,

Charg'd not to touch the interdicted Tree,

If they tranfgrefs, and flight that fole command, So eafily obeyd amid the choice

Of all tasts else to please thir appetite,

Though wandring. He with his conforted Eve
The ftorie heard attentive, and was fill'd
With admiration, and deep Mufe to heare

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Of things fo high and strange, things to thir thought

So unimaginable as hate in Heav'n,

And Warr fo neer the Peace of God in blifs

With fuch confufion: but the evil foon

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Driv'n back redounded as a flood on those
From whom it sprung, impoffible to mix
With Bleffedness. Whence Adam foon repeal'd
The doubts that in his heart arofe: and now
Led on, yet finlefs, with defire to know
What neerer might concern him, how this World
Of Heav'n and Earth confpicuous first began,
When, and whereof created, for what cause,
What within Eden or without was done
Before his memorie, as one whose drouth
Yet scarce allay'd ftill eyes the current streame,
Whofe liquid murmur heard new thirst excites,
Proceeded thus to ask his Heav'nly Guest.

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Great things, and full of wonder in our eares, Farr differing from this World, thou haft reveal'd Divine Interpreter, by favour fent

Down from the Empyrean to forewarne

Us timely of what might else have bin our loss,
Unknown, which human knowledg could not reach:
For which to the infinitly Good we owe
Immortal thanks, and his admonishment
Receave with folemne purpose to observe
Immutably his fovran will, the end

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Of what we are. But fince thou haft voutsfaf't
Gently for our instruction to impart
Things above Earthly thought, which yet concernd
Our knowing, as to highest wisdom seemd,
Deign to defcend now lower, and relate
What may no less perhaps availe us known,

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