Innumerable, and this which yields or fills All space, the ambient aire wide interfus'd Imbracing round this florid earth, what caufe Mov'd the creator in his holy rest Through all eternitie fo late to build In chaos, and the work begun, how foon Abfolv'd, if unforbid thou maist unfold What we, not to explore the secrets aske Of his eternal empire, but the more.
To magnifie his works, the more we know. And the great light of day yet wants to run « Much of his race though steep, suspense in heav'ns Held by thy voice, thy potent voice he hears, And longer will delay to hear thee tell His generation, and the rising birth Of nature from the unapparent deep :: Or if the star of ev'ning and the moon Hafte to thy audience, night with her will bring Silence, and fleep liftning to thee will watch, Or we can bid his abfence, till thy song End, and difmifs: thee ere the morning shine. : Thus Adam his illuftrious guest besought; And thus the godlike angel anfwer'd mild, This alfo thy request with caution askt Obtaine: though to recount almightie works, What words or tongue of feraph can suffice, Or heart of man fuffice to comprehend ? Yet what thou canst attain, which best may serve. To glorifie the maker, and inferr
Thee also happier, shalt not be withheld
Thy hearing, fuch commiffion from above
I have receav'd, to answer thy defire
Of knowledge within bounds; beyond abstain To ask, nor let thine own inventions hope Things not reveal'd, which th’invifible king, Onely omniscient, hath supprest in night, To none communicable in earth or heav'n : Anough is left befides to fearch and know. But knowledge is as food, and needs no lefs Her temperance over appetite, to know In measure what the mind may well contain, Oppreffes elfe with furfet, and foon turns Wisdom to folly, as nourishment to winde. Know then, that after Lucifer from heav'n (So call him, brighter once amidst the hoft Of angels, then that star the stars among) Fell with his flaming legions through the deep Into his place, and the great son return'd Victorious with his faints, th'omnipotent Eternal father from his throne beheld
Their multitude, and to his fon thus fpake. At least our envious foe hath fail'd, who thought All like himself rebellious, by whofe aid
This inacceffible high ftrength the feat
Of deitie fupream, us difpoffeft,
He trusted to have feis'd, and into fraud
Drew many, whom their place knows here no more ; Yet far the greater part have kept, I fee, Their station, heav'n yet populous retains Number fufficient to poffefs her realms Though wide, and this high temple to frequent With minifteries due and folema rites:
But leaft his heart exalt him in the harme Already done, to have difpeopl'd heav'n, My damage fondly deem'd, I can repaire That detriment, if fuch it be to lofe Self-loft, and in a moment will create Another world, out of one man a race Of men innumerable, there to dwell, Not here, till by degrees of merit rais'd They open to themselves at length the way Up hither, under long obedience tri'd,
And earth be chang'd to heav'n, and heav'n to earth, One kingdom, joy and union without end.
Mean while inhabit laxe, ye powers of heav'n, And thou my word, begotten fon, by thee This I perform, speak thou, and be it done : My overshadowing spirit and might with thee I send along, ride forth, and bid the deep Within appointed bounds be heav'n and earth, Boundless the deep, because I am who fill Infinitude, nor vacuous the space. Though I uncircumfcrib'd myself retire, And put not forth my goodness, which is free To act or not, neceffitie and chance Approach not me, and what I will is fate.
So fpake th'almightie, and to what he spake His word, the filial godhead, gave effect. Immediate are the acts of God, more swift Than time or motion, but to human ears Cannot without process of speech be told, So told as earthly notion can receive. Great triumph and rejoicing was in heav'n
When fuch was heard declar'd the almightie's will; Glory they fung to the most high, good will To future men, and in their dwellings peace: Glorie to him whose just avenging ire
Had driven out th'ungodly from his fight And th'habitations of the juft; to him Glorie and praise, whose wisdom had ordain'd Good out of evil to create, in stead
Of fpirits maligne a better race to bring Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse His good to worlds and ages infinite.
So fang the hierarchies: mean while the fon On his great expedition now appeer'd, Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crown'di Of, majestie divine, fapience and love Immenfe, and all his father in him shone. About his chariot numberless were pour'd Cherub and feraph, potentates and thrones, And vertues, wing'd fpirits, and chariots wing'd, From the armoury of God, where stand of old Myriads betwen two brazen mountains lodg'd Against a folemn dây, harnest at hand, Celestial equipage; and now came forth Spontaneous, for within them spirit liv'd, Attendant on their lord: heav'n op'n'd wide Her ever during gates, harmonious found On golden hinges moving, to let forth The king of glorie in his powerful word
And spirit coming to create new worlds.
On heav'nly ground they stood and from the fhore They view'd the vast immeasurable abyss
Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wilde, Up from the bottom turn'd by furious windes And furging waves, as mountains to affault Heav'n's highth, and with the center mix the pole. Silence, ye troubl'd waves, and thou deep, peace, Said then th’omnific word, your difcord end:
Nor ftaid, but on the wings of cherubim Uplifted, in paternal glory rode
Far into chaos, and the world unborn ; For chaos heard his voice: him all his train Follow'd in bright proceffion to behold Creation, and the wonders of his might. Then ftaid the fervid wheels, and in his hand He took the golden compaffes, prepar'd In God's eternal ftore, to circumfcribe This universe, and all created things: One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd Round through the vast profunditie obscure, And faid, thus far extend, thus far thy bounds, This be thy juft circumference, O world. Thus God the heav'n created, thus the earth, Matter unform'd and void : darkness profound Cover'd th'abyfs: but on the watrie calm His brooding wings the spirit of God outspred, And vital vertue infus'd, and vital warmth Throughout the fluid mafs, but downward purg'd' The black tartareous cold infernal dregs Adverse to life then founded, then conglob'd Like things to like, the reft to several place Difparted, and between fpun out the air, And earth self-ballanc't on her center hung
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