505

By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd
Frequent; and of the fixth day yet remain'd;
There wanted yet the master work, the end
Of all yet done; a creature who not prone
And brute as other creatures, but indued
With fanctity of reason, might erect

His ftature, and upright with front ferene

Govern the reft, self-knowing, and from thence 510
Magnanimous to correfpond with Heaven,

But grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Defcends, thither with heart and voice and eyes
Directed in devotion, to adore

And worship God fupreme, who made him chief 515
Of all his works: therefore th' Omnipotent

Eternal Father (for where is not he

Prefent?) thus to his Son audibly fpake.

Let us make now Man in our image, Man

In our fimilitude, and let them rule

Over the fish and fowl of fea and air,

Beaft of the field, and over all the earth,
And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.
This faid, he form'd thee, Adam, thee, O Man,
Duft of the ground, and in thy noftrils breath'd
The breath of life; in his own image he

Created thee, in the image of God

Exprefs, and thou becam'st a living soul.

Male he created thee, but thy confort

520

525

Female for race; then blefs'd mankind, and faid, 539 Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth,

Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold

Over

Over fifh of the fea, and fowl of th' air,

And every living thing that moves on th' earth.
Wherever thus created, for no place

Is yet diftinct by name, thence, as thou know'ft,
He brought thee into this delicious grove,

535

This garden, planted with the trees of God,
Delectable both to behold and tafte;

And freely all their pleasant fruit for food

549

Gave thee; all forts are here that all th' earth yields

Variety without end; but of the tree,

Which tafted works knowledge of good and evil,

Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'ft, thou dy'st; Death is the penalty impos'd, beware,

545

And govern well thy appetite, left Sin

Surprise thee, and her black attendent Death.

Here finish'd he, and all that he had made
View'd, and behold all was entirely good;
So ev❜n and morn accomplish'd the sixth day:
Yet not till the Creator from his work
Defifting, though unwearied, up return'd,
Up to the Heav'n of Heav'ns his high abode,
Thence to behold this new created world

550

Th' addition of his empire, how it show'd

555

In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair,

Anfwering his great idea. Up he rode

Follow'd with acclamation and the found

Symphonious of ten thoufand harps that tun'd
Angelic harmonies: the earth, the air

560

Refounded, (thou remember'ft, for thou heardft)
The Heav'ns and all the conftellations rung,

The planets in their station list`ning stood,
While the bright pomp ascended jubilant.
Open, ye everlafting gates, they sung,
Open, ye Heav'ns, your living doors; let in
The great Creator from his work return'd
Magnificent, his fix days work, a world;
Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign
To vifit oft the dwellings of juft men
Delighted, and with frequent intercourse
Thither will fend his winged messengers
On errands of fupernal grace. So fung

The glorious train afcending: He through Heaven,
That open'd wide her blazing portals, led,
To God's eternal houfe direct the way,

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570

575

A broad and ample road, whofe duft is gold

And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear,
Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,

Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest

580

Powder'd with ftars. And now on earth the feventh

Evening arofe in Eden, for the fun

Was fet, and twilight from the east came on,
Forerunning night; when at the holy mount

Of Heav'n's high seated top, th' imperial throne 585

Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and sure,

The filial Pow'r arriv'd, and fat him down

With his great Father, for he also went

Invisible, yet ftay'd, (fuch privilege

Hath Omniprefence) and the work ordain'd,

Author and end of all things, and from work
Now refting, bless'd and hallow'd the fev'nth day,

590

As

As refting on that day from all his work,
But not in filence holy kept; the harp
Had work and rested not, the folemn pipe,
And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,
All founds on fret by ftring or golden wire
Temper'd foft tunings, intermix'd with voice
Choral or unifon : of incenfe clouds
Fuming from golden cenfers hid the mount.
Creation and the fix days acts they fung,

Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite

595

600

Thy pow'r; what thought can measure thee, or tongue Relate thee? greater now in thy return

Than from the giant Angels; thee that day

605

Thy thunders magnify'd; but to create

Is greater than created to destroy.

Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound
Thy empire? easily the proud attempt

Of Spi'rits apoftate and their counfels vain

610

Thou haft repell'd, while impiously they thought

Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw

The number of thy worshipers. Who seeks

To leffen thee, against his purpose serves
To manifest the more thy might: his evil

615

Thou ufeft, and from thence creat'ft more good.
Witness this new-made world, another Heaven
From Heaven gate not far, founded in view
On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea ;
Of amplitude almost immense, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world
Of deftin'd habitation; but thou know'st
Q2

620

Their

Their feafons; among these the feat of Men,
Earth with her nether ocean circumfus'd,

Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men,
And fons of Men, whom God hath thus advanc'd,
Created in his image, there to dwell

And worship him, and in reward to rule
Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air,
And multiply a race of worshipers
Holy and just : thrice happy if they know
Their happiness, and perfevere upright.

630

So fung they, and the empyréan rung
With halleluiahs: Thus was fabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that afk'd
How firft this world and face of things began,

635

And what before thy memory was done

From the beginning, that pofterity

Inform'd by thee might know; if else thou seek'st
Ought, not surpaffing human measure, fay.

THE END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK.

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