Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence $10
Magnanimous to correfpond with Heav'n,
But grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Defcends, thither with heart and voice and eyes
Directed in Devotion, to adore
And worship God fupream, who made him chief 515
Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotenr
Eternal Father (For where is not he
Prefent) thus to his Son audibly spake.
Let us make now Man in our image, Man
In our fimilitude, and let them rule
Over the Fish and Fowle of Sea and Aire,
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
Express, and thou becam'ft a living Soul.
Male he created thee, but thy confort
Female for Race; then blefs'd Mankind, and faid,
Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth,
Subdue it, and throughout Dominion hold
Over Fish of the Sea, and Fowle of the Aire,
And every living thing that moves on the Earth.
Where-ever thus created, for no place
Is yet diftinct by Name, thence, as thou know'it
He brought thee into this delicious Grove,
This Garden, planted with the Trees of God,
Delectable both to behold and tafte;
And freely all their pleafant fruit for food
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'ft not; in the day thou eat'ft, thou dy'ft; Death is the penalty impos'd, beware,
And govern well thy appetite, left fin
Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death.
Here finish'd he, and all that he had made
View'd, and behold all was entirely good;
So Eev'n and Morn accomplish'd the Sixth day: sso
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
Th' addition of his Empire, how it fhew'd
In profpect from his Throne, how good, how fair,
Answering his great Idea. Up he rode
Follow'd with acclamation and the found
Symphonious of ten thousand Marps that tun'd
Angelic harmonies: the Earth, the Aire
Refounded, (thou remember'ft, for thou heardst)
The Heav'ns and all the Conftellations rung,
The Planets in their ftation lift'ning food,
While the bright Pomp afcended jubilant.
Open, ye everlafting Gates, they fung,
Open, ye Heav'ns, your living doors, let in
The great Creator from his work return'd
Magnificent, his Six days work, a World;
Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign
To vifit oft the dwellings of juft Men
Delighted, and with frequent intercourfe
Thither will fend his winged Meffengers
On errands of fupernal Grace. So fung
The glorious Train, afcending: He through Heav'n,
That open'd wide her blazing Portals, led
To God's Eternal houfe direct the way,
A broad and ample roade, whofe duft is Gold
And pavement Stars, as Stars to thee appear,
Seen in the Galaxie, that Milky way
Which nightly as a circling Zone thou feeft 580
Pouder'd with Stars. And now on Earth the Seventh
Eevning arofe in Eden, for the Sun
Was fer, and twilight from the Eaft came on,
Forerunning Night; when at the holy mount
Of Heav'ns high-feated top, th' Imperial Throne
Of Godhead, fixt for ever firm and fure,
The Filial Power arriv'd, and fat him down
With his great Father (for he alfo went
Invifible, yet ftaid (fuch priviledge
Hath Omniprefence) and the work ordain'd,
Author and end of all things, and from work
Now refting, blefs'd and hallow'd the Sev'nth day,
As refting on that day from all his work,
But not in filence holy kept; the Harp
Had work and refted not, the folemn Pipe
And Dulcimer, all Organs of fweet stop,
All founds on Fret by String or Golden Wire
Temper'd foft Tunings, intermixt with Voice
Choral or Unifon: of incenfe Clouds
L
Fuming from Golden Cenfers hid the Mount.
Creation and the Six days acts they fung,
Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite
Thy power; 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 Spirits apoftat and their Counsels vain
Thou haft repel'd, while impiously they thought
Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks
To leffen thee, against his purpose serves
To manifest the more thy might: his evil
Thou useft, and from thence creat'it more good.
Witness this new-made World, another Heav'n
From Heav'n Gate not far, founded in view
On the clear Hyaline, the Glaffie Sea;
Of amplitude almost immense, with Stars
Numerous, and every Star perhaps a World
Of deftin'd habitation; but thou know'st
Their seasons among these the feat of men,
Earth with her nether Ocean circumfus'd,
Their pleasant dwelling place. Thrice happy men, 625 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 Aire,
And multiply a Race of Worshippers
Holy and juft: thrice happy if they know
Their happiness, and persevere upright.
So fung they, and the Empyrean rung,
With Halleluiahs: Thus was Sabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd 635
How first this World and face of things began,
And what before thy memorie was done
From the beginning, that posterity
Inform'd by thee might know, if elfe thou feekft
Aught, not furpaffing human measure, fay,
The End of the Seventh Book.
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