He Heav'n of Heavens and all the Powers therein 390
By thee created, and by thee threw down
Th' afpiring Dominations: thou that day
Thy Father's dreadful Thunder didst not spare,
Nor ftop thy flaming Chariot wheels, that shook
Heav'ns everlasting Frame, while o'er the necks 395
Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarraid.
Back from pursuit thy Powers with loud acclaime
Thee only extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might,
To execute fierce vengeance on his foes,
Not fo on Man; him thro' their malice fall'n, 400
Father of Mercy and Grace, thou didst not doome
So ftrictly, but much more to pity encline:
No fooner did thy dear and only Son
Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man
So ftrictly, but much more to pity enclin'd,
He to appeafe thy wrauth, and end the Strife
Of Mercy and Juftice in thy face difcern'd,
Regardless of the Blifs wherein he fat
Second to thee, offer'd himfelf to die
For man's offence. O unexampl'd love,
Love no where to be found lefs than Divine!
Hail Son of God, Saviour of Men, thy Name
Shall be the copious matter of my Song.
Henceforth, and never fhall my Harp thy praife
Forget, nor from thy Father's praise disjoyn. 415
Thus they in Heav'n, above the farry Sphear,
Their happy hours in joy and hymning (peat.
Mean while upon the firm opacous Globe
Of this round World, whose first convex divides
The luminous inferior Orbs, enclos'd
From Chaos and th' inroad of Darkness old,
Satan alighted walks: a Globe far off
It feem'd, now feems a boundless Continent
Dark, wafte, and wild, under the frown of Night
Starlefs expos'd, and ever-threatning storms
Of Chaos bluftring round, inclement Skie,
Save on that fide which from the wall of Heav'n
Though diftant far fome small reflection gains
Of glimmering air lefs vext with tempeft loud:
Here walk'd the Fiend at large in fpacious field. 430
As when a Vultur on Imaus bred,
Whofe fnowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds,
Diflodging from a Region scarce of prey
To gorge the flesh of Lambs and yeanling Kids
On Hills where Flocks are fed, flies toward the Springs
Of Ganges or Hydafpes, Indian ftreams;
But in his way lights on the barren Plains
Of Sericana, where Chineses drive
With Sails and Wind their cany Waggons light:
So on this windy Sea of Land, the Fiend
Walk'd up and downe alone bent on his prey,
Alone, for other Creature in this place
Living or livelefs to be found was none,
None yet, but ftore hereafter from the earth
Up hither like Aereal vapours flew
Of all things tranfitory and vain, when Sin
With vanity had fill'd the works of men:
Both all things vain, and all who in vain things.
Built their fond hopes of Glory or lafting fa me,
Or happiness in this or th' other life;
All who have their reward on Earth, the fruits
Of painful Superftition and blind Zeal,
Naught feeking but the praife of men, here find
Fit retribution, empty as their deeds;
All th'unaccomplisht works of Nature's hand, 455
Abortive, monftrous, or unkindly mixt,
Diffolv'd on Earth, fleet hither, and in vain,
Till final diffolution, wander here,
Not in the neighb'ring Moon, as fome have dream'd; Those argent Fields more likely habitants, Franflated Saints, or middle Spirits hold
Betwixt th' Angelical and Human kind :
Hither of ill-joyn'd Sons and Daughters born
Firft from the ancient World thofe Giants came
With many a vain exploit, tho' then renown'd; 465
The builders next of Babel on the Plain
Of Sennaar, and still with vain defign
New Babels, had they wherewithall, would build:
Others came fingle; he who to be deem'd
A God, leap'd fondly into Etna flames,
Empedocles, and he who to enjoy
Plato's Elyfium, leap'd into the Sea,
Cleombrotus, and many more too long,
Embryo's and Idiots, Eremits and Friars
White, Black, and Grey, with all their trumpery. 475
Here Pilgrims roam, that fray'd so far to feek
In Golgotha him dead, who lives in Heav'n;
And they who to be fure of Paradife
Dying put on the weeds of Dominic,
Or in Franciscan think to pass disguis'd;
They pals the Planets feven, and pass the fixt,
And that Crystalline Sphere whofe ballance weighs
The Trepidation talkt, and that first mov'd;
And now Saint Peter at Heav'ns Wicket seems
To wait them with his Keys, and now at foot 485
Of Heav'ns afcent they lift their Feet, when loe
A violent crofs wind from either Coaft
Blows them tranfverfe ten thousand Leagues awry
Into the devious Air; then might ye fee
Cowles, Hoods and Habits with their wearers toft
And flutter'd into Rags, then Reliques, Beads, 491
Indulgences, Difpentes, Pardons, Bulls,
The sport of Winds: all these upwhirl'd aloft
Fly o'er the backfide of the World far off
Into a Limba large and broad, fince call'd
The Paradife of Fools, to few unknown
Long after, now unpeopl'd, and untrod;
All this dark Globe the Fiend found as he pass'd,
And long he wander'd, till at last a gleame
Of dawning light turn'd thither-ward in hafte soo
His travell'd fteps; far diftant he defcries
Afcending by degrees magnificent
Up to the wall of Heav'n a Structure high,
At top whereof, but far more rich, appear'd
The work as of a Kingly Palace Gate
With Frontispiece of Diamond and Gold
Imbellisht, thick with (parkling orient Gems
The Portal fhon, inimitable on Earth
By Model, or by fhading Pencil drawn.
The Stairs were fuch as whereon Jacob faw
Angels afcending and 'defcending, bands
Of Guardians bright, when he from Efau fled
To Padan-Aram in the field of Luz,
Dreaming by night under the open skie,
And waking cry'd, Thus is the Gate of Heav'n:
Each Stair mysteriously was meant, nor food
There always, but drawn up to Heav'n fometimes
Viewless, and underneath a bright Sea flow'd
Of Jafper, or of liquid Pearl, whereon
Who after came from Earth, fayling arriv'd,
Wafted by Angels, or flew o'er the Lake
Rapt in a Chariot drawn by fiery Steeds.
The Stairs were then let down, whether to dare
The Fiend by eafie ascent, ot aggravate
His fad exclufion from the dores of Blifs.
Direct against which open'd from beneath,
Juft o'er the blissful seat of Paradise,
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 thöfe happy Tribes,
On high behefts his Angels to and fro
Pafs'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard,
From Paneas the fount of Jordan's floud
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.
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