A paffage down to th' earth, a paffage wide, Wider by far than that of after times
Over mount Sion, and, though that were large 530 Over the promis'd land to God fo dear;
By which, to visit oft those happy tribes,
Oa high behefts, his angels to and fro
Pafs'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard From Paneas, the fount of Jordan's flood,
To Beerfaba, where the holy land
Borders on Egypt and th' Arabian shore ;
So wide the op'ning feem'd, where bounds were fet To darkness, fuch as bound the ocean wave. Satan from hence, now on the lower ftair, That fcal'd by fteps of gold to heaven gate, Looks down with wonder at the fudden view Of all this world at once. As when a fcout Through dark and defert ways with peril gone All night, at laft by break of chearful dawn Obtains the brow of fome high climbing hill, Which to his eye discovers unaware The goodly profpect of some foreign land First feen, or fome renown'd metropolis With glift'ring fpires and pinnacles adorn'd, Which now the rifing fun gilds with his beams: Such wonder feiz'd, though after heav'n feen, The fp'rit malign, but much more envy feiz'd, At fight of all this world beheld fo fair.
Round he furveys (and well might, where he ftood 555 So nigh above the circling canopy
Of night's extended fhade) from eastern point Of Libra, to the fleecy ftar that bears Andromeda far off Atlantic feas, Beyond th' horizon; then from pole to pole He views in breadth; and without longer paufe Downright into the world's first region throws His flight precipitant, and winds with ease Through the pure marble air his oblique way, Amongst innumerable stars, that shone
Stars diftant, but nigh hand feem'd other worlds; Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy ifles, Like thofe Hefperian gardens fam'd of old.
Fortunate fields, and groves, and flow'ry vales; Thrice happy ifles; but who dwelt happy there 570 He stay'd not to enquire. Above them all The golden fun, in fplendour likest heaven, Allur'd his eye; thither his course he bends Through the calm firmament, (but up or down, By center, or eccentric, hard to tell,
Or longitude), where the great luminary Aloof the vulgar conftellations thick,
That from his lordly eye keep distance due, Difpenfes light from far; they as they move
Their ftarry dance in numbers that compute Days, months, and years, tow'ards his all-chearing lamp
Turn fwift their various motions, or are turn'd
By his magnetic beam, that gently warms
The universe, and to each inward part
With gentle penetration, though unfeen,
Shoots invifible virtue ev'n to the deep;
So wond'routly was fet his station bright.
There lands the fiend, a fpot like which perhaps Aftronomer in the fun's lucent orb Through his glaz'd optic tube yet never faw. The place he found beyond expreffion bright, Compar'd with ought on earth, metal or stone; Not all parts like, but all alike inform'd With radiant light, as glowing ir'on with fire: If metal, part feem'd gold, part filver clear; If ftone, carbuncle moft or cryfolite, Ruby or topaz, to the twelve that shone In Aaron's breastplate, and a stone besides Imagin'd rather oft than elsewhere feen; That ftone, or like to that which here below Philofophers in vain fo long have fought, In vain, though by their pow'rful art they bind Volatile Hermes, and call up unbound In various fhapes old Proteus from the fea, Drain'd through a limbec to his native form. What wonder then if fields and regions here Breathe forth elixir pure, and rivers run Potable gold, when with one virt❜ous touch Th' arch-chemic fun, so far from us remote,
Produces, with terreftrial humour mix'd, Here in the dark fo many precious things Of colour glorious, and effect fo rare ? Here matter new to gaze the devil met Undazzled; far and wide his eye commands: For fight no obitacle found here, nor fhade, But all fun shine, as when his beams at noon Culminate from th' equator, as they now Shot upward still direct, whence no way round Shadow from body' opaque can fall; and th' air, No where so clear, sharpen'd his vital ray To objects diftant far, whereby he foon Saw within ken a glorious angel tand, The fame whom John faw alfo in the fun; His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid ; Of beaming funny rays a golden tiar Circled his head, nor lefs his locks behind Illuftrious on his fhoulders fledge with wings
Glad was the sp’rit impure, as now in hope
Lay waving round; on fome great charge employ'd He feem'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.
To find who might direct his wand'ring flight
To paradife, the happy seat of man,
His journey's end, and our beginning woe. But first he cafts to change his proper shape, Which elfe might work him danger or delay: And now a ftripling Cherub he appears, Not of the prime, yet such as in his face Youth fmil'd celestial, and to ev'ry limb Suitable grace diffus'd, fo well he feign'd:
Under a coronet his flowing hair
In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore
Of many a colour'd plume, fprinkled with gold; His habit fit for speed fuccinct, and held
Before his decent steps a filver wand.
He drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright .645 Ere he drew nigh, his radiant vifage turn'd, Admonifh'd by his ear, and ftraight was known Th' archangel Uriel, one of the feven
Who in GoD's prefence, nearest to his throne, Stand ready at command, and are his eyes
That run through all the heav'ns, or down to th' earth Bear his fwift errands, over moist and dry, O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accofts.
Uriel, for thou of those fev'n fp'rits that ftand In fight of God's high throne, gloriously bright, 655 The first are wont his great authentic will Interpreter through higheft heav'n to bring, Where all his fons thy embaffy attend; And here art likelieft by fupreme decree Like honour to obtain; and as his eye, To vifit oft this new creation round; Unfpeakable defire to fee, and know
All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His chief delight and favour, him for whom All these his works fo wondrous he ordain'd, Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim Alone thus wand'ring. Brighteft feraph, tell In which of all these fhining orbs hath man His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none, But all these fhining orbs his choice to dwell ;
That I may find him, and with fecret
Or open admiration him behold,
On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd
Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd; That both in him and all things, as is meet,
The univerfal Maker we may praise;
Who juftly hath driv'n out his rebel foes To deepest hell, and, to repair that lofs, Created this new happy race of men To ferve him better: wife are all his ways. So fpake the falfe diffembler unperceiv'd; For neither man nor angel can discern Hypocrify, the only evil that walks Invifible, except to God alone,
By his permiffive will, through heav'n and earth: 685 And oft though wifdom wake, fufpicion fleeps
At wifdom's gates, and to Simplicity
Refigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill Where no ill feems, which now for once beguil'd Uriel, though regent of the fun, and held The fharpeft-fighted fp'rit of all in heav'n;
Who to the fradulent impoftor foul,
In his uprightnefs anfwer thus return'd.
Fair Angel, thy defire which tends to know
The works of GOD, thereby to glorify
The great work master, leads to no excefs That reaches blame, but rather merits praise The more it feems excefs, that led thee hither From thy impereal manfion thus alone,
To witnefs with thine eyes what fome perhaps, 700 Contented with report, hear only in heav'n: For wonderful indeed are all his works, Pleafant to know, and worthiest to be all Had in remembrance always with delight; But what created mind can comprehend Their number, or the wisdom infinite
That brought them forth, but hid their caufes deep? I faw when at his word the formlefs mafs, This world's material mould, came to a heap: Confufion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood rul'd, ftood vaft infinitude confin'd; Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled, Light fhone, and order from disorder sprung: Swift to their feveral quarters hafted then The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire, And this ethereal quinteffence of heaven Flew upward, fpirited with various forms, That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars Numberlefs, as thou feeft, and how they move; Each had his place appointed, each his course; The reft in circuit wall this universe. Look downward on that globe, whose hither fide, With light from hence, though but reflected, fhines; That place is earth, the feat of man; that light His day, which elfe, as th' other hemifphere, 725 Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon (So call that oppofite fair ftar) her aid. Timely' interpoles, and her monthly round Still ending, till renewing, through mid heav'n, With borrow'd light her countenance triform Hence fills, and empties, to enlighten th' earth, And in her pale dominion checks the night.
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