This world's material mould, came to a heap:
Confufion heard his voice, and wild uproar 710
Stood ruld, stood vas infinitude confin'd;
Till at his second bidding darkness fled,
Light Ihone, and order from disorder sprung:
Swift to their several quarters hasted then
The cumb'rous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; 715
And this ethereal quinteffence of heav'n
Flew upward, fpirited with various forms,
That rollid orbicular, and turn'd to stars
Numberless, as thou seest, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his course; 720
The rest in circuit walls this universe.
Look downward on that globe, whose hither side,
With light from hence, tho' but reflected, shines;
That place is earth the feat of man; that light
His day, which else, as th' other hemisphere, 725
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon
(So call that opposite fair ftar) her aid
Tiinely' interposes, and her monthly round
Still ending, still renewing, thro' mid heav'n,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform

730
Hence fills and empties to enlighten th' earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradise,
Adam's abode, those lofty shades his bow's.
The way thou canst not miss, me mine requires. 535

Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low, As to superior fpi'rits is wont in heav'n, Where honour due and rev’rence none negle&ts, Took leave, and tow'rd the coast of earth beneath, Down from th' ecliptic, sped with hop'd success, 740 Throws his steep flight in many an airy wheel; Nor ftay'd, till on Niphates top he lights.

End of the THIRD Book.

ARGU

Sálan nonu in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where

he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he una dertook alone against God and man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, ency and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation is described overleafs the bounds, fits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, 10 look about him. The garden described ; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve ; his wonder at their excellent formy and happy state; but with resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse, thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat ofi, under penalty of death ; and thereon intends to found his temptation, by feducing them to transgrefs; then leaves them a while, to know further of their ftate by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel defcending on a sun-beamu, warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Pardise, that some evil spirit had escaped the deep, and passed at noon by bis sphere in the flape of a good angel down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious gestures on the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere' m9r.ning. Night coining on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their resi: their bower described; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong angels to ddam's bower, left the evil spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, 10 Gabriel; by whom questioned, be Scornfully answers; prepares resistance, but hindered by a sign from heaven, fries out of Paradise.

2

PARADISE

PARADISE LOST.

Β Ο Ο Κ

IV.

For that warning voice which he who faw

Th' Apocalyps heard cry in heav'n aloud,
Then when the Dragon, put to fecond rout,
Came furious down to be reveng'd on men,
Woe to th' inhabitants on earth! that now,

5
While time was, our first parents had been warn'd
The coming of their secret foe, and 'scap'd,
Haply fo 'feap'd his mortal fnare: for now
Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down
The tempter ere th' accuser of mankind,

10 To wreak on innocent frail man his loss Of that first battle, and his flight to hell: Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold, Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast, Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth 15 Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast, And like a dev'lish engine back recoils Upon himself; borror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir The hell within him ; for within him hell He brings, and round about him, nor from heil One step, no more than from hinself, can fly By change of place: now conscience wakes despair 7 hat flumber'd, wakes the bitter memory QI. what he was, what is, and what must be 25.

Worsc;

20

2

Worse; of worfe deeds worfe fufferings must ensue.
Sometimes tow’ards Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes fad ;
Sometimes tow'rds heav'n, and the fall-blazing fun,
Which now sat high in his meridian tow'r:

30 Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.

O thou that with surpalling glory crown's,
Look'it from thy sole dominion like the God
Of this new world; at whose fight all the stars
Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call, 35
But with no friendly voice, and add thy name,
O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what Atate
I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;
Till pride and worse ambition threw me down, 40
Warring in heav'n against heav'n's matchless King..
Ah, wherefore! he deserv'd no such return
From me whom he created what I

was,
In that bright eminence, and with his good
Upbraided none; nor was his service hard.

45
What could be lefs, than to afford him praise,
The easiest recompense, and pay him thanks,
How due ! yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice; lifted up so high
I 'fdeind subjection, and thought one flep higher 50
Would set me highest, and in a moment quit
The debt immense of endless gratitude,
So burdensome still paying, fill to owe,
Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd,
And understood not that a grateful mind 55
By owing owes not, but still pays, at once
Indebted and discharg'd; what burden then?
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me fome inferior angel, I had ftood
Then happy; no unbounded hope had raisd 60
Ambition. Yet why not? fome other pow'r

As

70

As great might have aspir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other powers as great
Fell not, but stand unshaken, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm’d. 65
Hadft thou the same free will and pow'r to stand ?
Thou hadit. Whom halt thou then, or what, to'ac-
But Heaven's free love, dealt equally to all ? [cuse,
Be then his love accurs’d, since love or hate,
To me alike, it deals eternal woe.
Nay curs'd be thou ; since against his thy will
Chose freely what it now so juftly rues.
Me miserable! which way thall I fly
Infinite wrath, and infinite despair !
Which way I Ay is bell; myself am hell; 75
And in the lowest deep a lower deep
Still threatning to devour me opens wide,
To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven.
O then at last relent: is there no place
Left for repentance, none for pardon left? 80
None left but by submiflion; and that word
Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame
Among the spi'rits beneath, whom I seduc'd
With other promises and other vaunts
Than to submit, boatting I could fubdue

85
Th’Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know
How dearly I abide that boast fo vain,
Under what torments inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the throne of hell,
With diadem and sceptre high advanc'd,

90 The lower ftill I fall, only fupreme In misery: such joy ambition finds. But say I could repent, and could obtain By act of grace my former flate; how foon

94 Would height recall high thoughts, how soon unfay What feign’d submission swore? ease would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void.

Far