Of thofe too high afpiring, who rebell'd
With Satan; he who envies now thy ftate,
Who now is plotting how he may feduce
Thee alfo from obedience, that, with him
Bereav'd of happiness, thou mayst partake
His punishment, eternal mifery;
Which would be all his folace and revenge,
As a despite done against the Most High,
Thee once to gain companion of his woe.
But liften not to his temptations, warn
Thy weaker; let it profit thee to' have heard
By terrible example the reward
Of disobedience; firm they might have ftood,
Yet fell; remember, and fear to tranfgrefs.
Raphael, at the request of Adam, relates how and where fore this world was firft created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his angels out of heaven, declared his pleafure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; fends his Son with glory and attendance of angels to perform the work of the creation in fix days: the angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reafcenfion into heaven.
Efcend from heaven, Urania, by that name
If rightly thou art call'd, whofe voice divine
Following above th' Olympian hill I foar,
Above the flight of Pegaséan wing.
The meaning, not the name, I call: for thou
Nor of the Mafes nine, nor on the top
Of old Olympus dwell'ft; but heavenly born,
Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd,
Thou with eternal Wisdom didst converse,
Wisdom thy fifter, and with her didit play
In prefence of th' Almighty Father, pleas'd
With thy celestial fong. Up-led by thee,
Into the heaven of heavens I have prefum'd,
An earthly gueft, and drawn empyreal air,
Thy temp'ring; with like fafety guided down,
Return me to my native element :
Left from this flying steed unrein'd,' (as once
Bellerophon, though from a higher clime),
Difmounted, on th' Aleian field I fall,
Erroneous there to wander, and forlorn,
Half
yet remains unfung, but narrower bound Within the vifible diurnal sphere;
Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole,
More fafe I fing with mortal voice, unchang'd
To hoarfe or mute, though fall'n on evil days,
On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues;
In darkness, and with dangers compafs'd round,
And folitude; yet not alone, while thou
Vifit'st my flumbers nightly, or when morn
Purples the east: ftill govern thou my fong,
Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
But drive far off the barbarous diffonance
Of Bacchus and his revellers, the race
Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard
In Rhodope, where woods and rocks had ears
To rapture, till the favage clamour drown'd
Both harp and voice; nor could the Mufe defend
Her fon. So fail not thou, who thee implores :
For thou art heavenly, the an empty dream.
Say, Goddefs, what enfu'd when Raphaël,
The affable archangel, had forewarn'd
Adam by dire example to beware
Apoftafy, by what befel in heaven
To thofe apoftates, left the like befall
In Paradife to Adam, or his race,
Charg'd not to touch the interdicted tree,
If they tranfgrefs, and flight that fole command,
So eafily obey'd, amid the choice
Of all tastes else to please their appetite,
Though wand'ring. He with his conforted Eve 50
The story heard attentive, and was fill'd
With admiration and deep mufe, to hear
Of things fo high and ftrange, things to their thought
So unimaginable as hate in heav'n,
And war fo near the peace of God in blifs,
With fuch confufion: but the evil foon
Driv'n back redounded as a flood on those
From whom it fprung, impoffible to mix
With bleffedness. Whence Adam foon repeal'd
The doubts that in his heart arofe: and now
Led on, yet finlefs, with defire to know
What nearer might concern him, how this world
Of heaven and earth confpicuous first began,
When, and whereof created, for what caufe,
What within Eden or without was done
Before his memory, as one whose drought
Yet fcarce allay'd ftill eyes the current stream,
Who liquid murmur heard new thirst excites,
Proceeded thus to ask his heavenly guest.
Great things, and full of wonder in our ears,
Far diff'ring from this world, thou haft reveal'd,
Divine interpreter, by favour fent
Down from the empyréan to forwarn
Us timely' of what might elfe have been our lofs,
Unknown, which human knowledge could not reach
For which to th' infinitely Good we owe
Immortal thanks, and his admonishment
Receive with folemn purpose to obferve:
Immutably his fov'reign will, the end
Of what we are. But fince thou haft vouchfaf'd 86
Gently for our instruction to impart
Things above earthly thought, which yet concern'd
Our knowing, as to highest Wisdom seem'd,
Deign to defcend now lower, and relate
What may no lefs perhaps avail us known,
How first began this heaven, which we behold.
Diftant.fo high, with moving fires adorn'd
Innumerable; and this which yields or fills
All space, the ambient air wide interfus'd
Embracing round this florid earth; what caufe 90
Mov'd the Creator, in his holy rest
Through all eternity, fo late to build
In Chaos; and the work begun, how foon
Abfolv'd; if unforbid then mayft unfold
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