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