Not to destroy, but root them out of Heav'n : The overthrown he rais'd, and as a Heard
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,
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.
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.
ESCEND from Heav'n Urania, by that
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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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