Over mount Sion, and tho' that were large,

Over the promis'd land to God fo dear;
By which, to vifit oft thofe happy tribes,
On high behefts his angels to and fro

530

Pafs'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard
From Paneas, the fount of Jordan's flood,
To Beerfaba, where the Holy Land

535

Borders on Egypt and th' Arabian shore;

540

545

So wide the op'ning feem'd, where bounds were set
To darkness, fuch as bound the ocean-wave.
Satan from hence, now on the lower stair,
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 last by break of cheerful dawn
Obtains the brow of fome high climbing hill,
Which to his eye difcovers unaware
The goodly prospect of fome foreign land
Firft 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, tho' after heaven feen,
The fpi'rit malign, but much more envy feiz'd,
At fight of all this world beheld fo fair.

550

Round he furveys (and well might, where he stood

So high above the circling canopy

556

Of night's extended shade) from eastern point

Of Libra, to the fleecy ftar that bears

Andromeda far off Atlantic feas

Beyond th' horizon; then from pole to pole

560

He views in breadth, and without longer paufe
Down right into the world's first region throws
His flight precipitant, and winds with ease
Through the pure marble air his oblique way,
Amongst innumerable ftars, that fhone

565 Stars

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 inquire. Above them all
The golden Sun, in fplendor likeft heaven,-
Allur'd his eye; thither his course he bends
Through the calm firmament, (but up or down,
By centre, 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 starry dance in numbers that compute
Days, months and years, tow'rds his all-cheering lamp
Turn fwift their various motions, or are turn'd
By his magnetic beam, that gently warms.
The univerfe, and to each inward part

575

580

With gentle penetration, though unseen,

583

Shoots invisible virtue ev'n to the deep;

So wond'rously was fet his station bright.-
There lands the fiend, a fpot like which perhaps
Aftronomer in the Sun'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 iron with fire:
If metal, part feem'd gold, part filver clear;
If ftone, carbuncle most or chryfolite,
Ruby or topaz, to the twelve that shone
In Aaron's breastplate, and a stone befiles
Imagin'd rather oft than elfewhere feen,

590

595

That ftone, or like to that, which here below 600
Philofophers in vain fo long have fought,
G. 6

โต

605

In vain, tho' by their pow'rful art they bind
Volatile Hermes, and cull up unbound
In various fhapes old Proteus from the fea,
Drain'd thro' 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 virtuous touch
Th' arch-chemic fun, fo far from us remote,
Produces, with terreftrial humour mix'd,
Here in the dark fo many precious things-
Of colour glorious, and effect so rare ?
Here matter new to gaze the devil met
Undazzled; far and wide his eye commands;
For fight no obstacle found here, nor fhade,
But all funfhine, as when his beams at noon
Culminate from th' equator, as they now
Shot upward ftill direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body' opaque can fall; and th' air,
No where fo clear, fharpen'd his visual ray
To objects diftant far, whereby he foon
Saw within ken a glorious angel stand,
The fame whom John faw alfo in the Sun;
His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid;
Of beaming funny rays a golden tiar

620

625

Circled his head, nor lefs his locks behind

Illuftrious on his fhoulders fledge with wings

Lay waving round; on fome great charge employ'd

He feem'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.

Glad was the fpi'rit impure, as now in hope

630

To find who might direct his wand'ring flight

To Paradise, the happy feat 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 fuch as in his face

635

Youth

Youth fmil'd celeftial, and to every 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 fteps a filver wand.

He drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright,
Ere he drew nigh his radiant visage turn'd,
Admonish'd by his ear, and flrait was known
Th' archangel: Uriel, one of the fevent
Who in God's prefence, nearest to his throne,
Stand ready at command, and are his eyes

640

645

650

That run thro' all the heav'n's, or down to th' earth

Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,

O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accosts.

Uriel, for thou of those fer' spi'rits that stand
In fight of God's high throne, gloriously bright, 655 :
The first art wont his great authentic will
Interpreter through highest 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;
Unspeakable defire to fee, and know

All thefe his wond'rous works, but chiefly man,
His chief delight and favour, him for whom
All these his works fo wond'rous he ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the quires of cherubim
Alone thus wand'ring. Brightest feraph, tell
In which of all thefe fhining orbs hath man
His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,
But all these fhining orbs his choice to dwell;
That I find him, and with fecret gaze

may

Or open admiration him behold,

On whom the great Creator hath beftow'd

660

665

670

Worlds,

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 justly 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 difeern
Hypocrify, the only' evil that walks
Invifible, except to God alone,

675

680

By his permiffive will, thro' heav'n and earth: 685 And oft tho' wifdom wake, fufpicion fleeps

At wisdom's gate, and to fimplicity

Refigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill seems; which now for once beguil'd
Uriel, though regent of the Sun, and held

690

The fharpeft-fighted fpirit of all in heav'n;

Who to the fraudulent impoftor foul,
In his uprightness, answer thus return'd.

Fair angel, thy defire, which tends to know The works of God, thereby to glorify

695

The great Work-mafter, leads to no excefs

That reaches blame, but rather merits praise

The more it seems excefs, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal manfion thus alone,

To witness with thine eyes what fome perhaps, 700
Contented with report, hear only' in heav'n:
For wonderful indeed are all his works,
Pleasant to know, and worthieft to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight;
But what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wifdom infinite
That brought them forth, but hid their caufes deep?
I faw when at his word the formlefs mafs,

705