Down from the verge of heav'n, eternal wrauth
Burnt after them to the bottomless pit.

Hell heard th'unfufferable noife, 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 fast had bound.
Nine days they fell; confounded chaos roar'd,
And felt tenfold confufion in their fall
Through his wilde anarchie, so huge a rout
Incumber'd him with ruin: hell at last
Yawning receiv'd them whole, and on them clos'd,
Hell their fit habitation fraught with fire
Unquenchable, the house of woe and paine.
Disburden'd heav'n rejoic'd, and foon repair'd
Her mural breach, returning whence it rowl'd.
Sole victor from th'expulfion of his foes
Meffiah his triumphal chariot turn'd:

To meet him all his faints, 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,
Worthieft to reign: he celebrated rode
Triumphant through mid heay'n, into the courts
And temple of his mightie, father thron'd
On high; who into glorie him receiv'd,
Where now he fits at the right hand of blifs.

Thus measuring things in heav'n by things on earth, At thy request, and that thou maist beware

By what is paft, to thee I have reveal'd

What might have else to human race been hid;
The discord which befel, and war in heav'n
Among th'angelic powers, and the deep fall
Of those too high aspiring, who rebell'd
With Satan, he who envies now thy ftate,
Who now is plotting how he may feduce
Thee alfo from obedience, that with him
Bereav'd of happiness thou maist partake
His punishment, eternal miserie ;

Which would be all his folace and revenge,
As a despite done against the most high,
Thee once to gain 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 Books

PARADISE LOST

DE

ESCEND from heav'n, Uranià, by that name
If rightly thou art call'd, whose voice divine
Following above th’olympian hill I foare,
Above the flight of Pegasean wing.

The meaning, not the name I call: for thou
Nor of the mufes nine, nor on the top
Of old olympus dwell'st, but heav'nly born.
Before the hills appeered, or fountain flow'd,
Thou with eternal wisdom didft converfe,
Wisdom thy fifter, and with her didft play
In presence of th'almighty father, pleas'd
With thy celeftial fong. Up led by thee
Into the heav'n of heav'ns I have prefum'd,
An earthlie guest, and drawn empyreal air,
Thy tempring; with like fafetie guided down
Return me to my native element:

Leaft from this flying fteed unrein'd, (as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower clime)
Difmounted, on th'Aleian field I fall

Erroneous there to wander and forlorne.

Half yet remains unfung, but narrower bound
Within the visible diurnal sphear;

Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole,
More fafe I fing with mortal voice, unchang'd'
To hoarce or mute, though fall'n on evil dayes,

On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues ;
In darkness, and with dangers compast round,
And folitude; yet not alone, white thou
Vifit'st my flumbers nightly, or when morn
Purples the eaft: still govern thou my song,
Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
But drive far off the barbarous diffonance
Of Bacchus and his revellers, the race
Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian-bard
In Rhodope, where woods and rocks had eares
To rapture, till the favage clamour drown'd
Both harp and voice; nor could the muse defend
Her fon. So fail not thou, who thee implores:
For thou art heav'nlie, the an empty dream,

Say goddefs, what enfu'd when Raphael,
The affable arch-angel, had forwarn'd
Adam by dire example to beware
Apoftafie, by what befell in heav'n
To thofe apoftates, least the like befall i
In Paradife to Adam or his race,

Charg'd not to touch the interdicted tree,
If they tranfgrefs, and flight that fole command,
So easily obey'd amid the choice

Of all taftes elfe to pleafe their appetite,

Though wandring. He with his conforted Eve
The ftorie heard attentive, and was fill'd

With admiration, and deep muse to hear
Of things so high and strange, things to their thought
So unimaginable as hate in heav'n,

And war fo neer the peace of God in blifs

With fuch confusion: but the evil foon

Driv'n back redounded as a flood on those
From whom it sprung, impossible to mix
With bleffednefs. Whence Adam foon repeal'd
The doubts that in his heart arose: and now
Led on, yet finless, 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 with Eder or without was done
Before his memorie, as one whose drouth
Yet scarce allay'd still 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 ears,
Far differing rom this world, thou haft reveal'd
Divine interpreter, by favour fent

Down from the empyrean to forwarne

Us timely of what might else have been our lofs,
Unknown, which human knowledge could not reach ::
For which to the infinitly good we owe
Immortal thanks, and his admonishment
Receave with folemn purpose to observe -
Immutably his fovran will, the end

Of what we are.

But fince thou haft voutfaft

Gently for our inftruction to impart

Things above earthly thought, which yet concern'd
Our knowing, as to highest wisdom seem'd,
Deign to defcend now lower, and relate -
What may no less perhaps availe us known,
How first began this heav'n which we behold i
Distant so high, with moving fires adorn'd