Their nature alfo to thy nature join ; And be thyfelf Man among men on earth, Made flesh, when time shall be, of virgin seed, By wond'rous birth: be thou in Adam's room 285 The head of all mankind, though Adam's fon. As in him perish all men, fo in thee, As from a fecond root, fhall be reftor'd As many as are reftor'd, without thee none. His crime makes guilty all his fons; thy merit Imputed fhall abfolve them who renounce Their own both righteous and unrighteous deeds, And live in thee tranfplanted, and from thee Receive new life. So Man, as is most just, Shall fatisfy for Man, be judg'd and die, And dying rife, and rifing with him raise His brethren, ranfom'd with his own dear life. So heav'nly love shall outdo hellish hate, Giving to death, and dying to redeem, So dearly to redeem what hellish hate, So easily destroy'd, and still deflroys
In those who, when they may, accept not grace. Nor fhalt thou, by descending to affume Man's nature, leffen or degrade thine own. Because thou haft, though thron'd in highest blifs Equal to God, and equally enjoying God-like fruition, quitted all to fave
A world from utter lofs, and haft been found By merit more than birthright Son of God, Found worthiest to be fo by being good, Far more than great or high; because in thee Love hath abounded more than glory' abounds, Therefore thy humiliation fhall exalt
With thee thy manhood alfo to this throne; Here fhalt thou fit incarnate, here fhalt reign 315 Both God and Man, Son both of God and Man, Anointed univerfal king; all power 1 give thee; reign for ever, and affume Thy merits; under thee as head fupreme Thrones, Princedoms, Pow'rs, Dominions I re- Яuce; 320
All knees to thee fhall bow, of them that bide In Heav'n, or Earth, or under Earth in Hell. When thou attended gloriously from Heaven Shalt in the fky appear, and from thee fend The fummoning Arch-Angels to proclaim Thy dread tribunal; forthwith from all winds The living, and forthwith the cited dead Of all paft ages, to the general doom Shall haften, fuch a peal fhall roufe their fleep. Then all thy faints affembled, thou falt judge 330 Bad men and Angels; they arraign'd fhall fink Beneath thy fentence; Hell, her numbers full, Thenceforth fhall be for ever fhut. Mean while The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring New Heav'n and Earth, wherein the just fhall dwell,
And flow'rs aloft fading the fount of life And where the river of blifs through midt of Heaven
Rolls o'er Elysian flow'rs her amber ftream; With thefe that never fide the Spirits ele 60 Bind their refplendent locks inwreath'd with beanis,
Now in loofe garlands thick thrown off, the bright Pavement, that like a fea of jasper fhone, Impurpled with celestial rofes fail'd. Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took,
Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their fide Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet Of charming fymphony they introduce Their facred fong, and waken raptures high; No voice exempt, no voice but will could join 170 Melodious part, fuch concord is in Heaven.
Thee, Father, first they furg, Onulipoten", Immutable, Immortal, Infinite, Eternal King; thee Author of all being, Fountain of Ight, thyfelf invisible
Amidft the glorious brightnefs where theu fi Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou fhad'ft The full blaze of thy beams, and through a choi Drawn round about thee like a radiant fhrine, Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear, 3 Yet dazle Heav'n, that brightest Seraphim Approach not, but with. both wings veil their eyes Thee next they fang of all creation firt, Begotten Son, divine fimilitude,
In whofe cosipi nous count'pance, without dlat Made vifible, th' Almighty Father fhines, Whom elfe no creature can behold; on thee Imprefs'd the effulgence of his glory' abides, Transfus'd en thee nis amole Spirit refts. He Heav'n of Heav'ns and all the Pow'r deres By thee created, and by thee threw down 391 Th' afpiring Dominations: thou that day Thy Father's dreadful thunder didft not pare, Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook Heav'.'s everlafting frame, while o'er the necks Thou drov'it of warring Angels difarray'd. 34 Back from purfuit thy Pow'rs with loud acclame Thee only' extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might, To execute fierce vengeance on his foes. Not fo on Man: Him through their malice fallin, Father of mercy' and grace, thou didft not doom So ftrictly, but much more to pity' incline: No fooner did thy dear and only Son Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man So ftrictly, but much more to pity' inclin'd, 45 He to appease thy wrath, 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 himself to die For Man's offenfe. O unexampled 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 fong Henceforth, and never fhall my harp thy praife Forget, nor from thy Father's praife disjoin. 415 Thus they in Heav'n, above the starry sphere, Their happy hours in joy and hymning fpeat. Mean while upon the firm opacous globe
Of this round world, whofe first convex divides The luminous inferior orbs inclos'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, waste, and wild, under the frown of Night Starless expos'd, and ever-threatening ftorms 425 Of Chaos bluft'ring round, inclement sky; Save on that fide which from the wall of Heaven, Though diftant far, fome small reflection gains Of glimmering air lefs vex'd with tempeft loud: Here walk'd the Fiend at large in fpacious field. As when a vulture on Imaus bred, Whofe fnowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds, Diflodging from a region fcarce of prey To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids On hills where flocks are fed, flies tow'ard the fprings
Of Ganges or Hydafpes, Indian ftreams: But in his way lights on the barren plains Of Sericana, where Chineses drive
With fails and wind their cany waggons light: So on this windy fea of land, the Fiend Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey; Alone, for other creature in this place Living or lifelefs 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 fin 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 fame, Or happiness in this or th' other life; 450 All who have their reward on earth, the fruits Of painful fuperftition and blind zeal, Nought feeking but the praife of men, here find Fit retribution, empty as their deeds; All th' unaccomplish'd work of Nature's hand, Abortive, monflrous, or unkindly mix'd, Diffolv'd on earth, flect hither, and in vain, Till final diffolution, wander here, Not in the neighb'ring moon, as fome have dream'd;
Thofe argent fields more likely habitants, Tranflated Saints, or middle Spirits hold Betwixt th' angelical and human kind. Hither of ill-join'd fons and daughters born First from the ancient world thofe giants came With many a vain exploit, though then renown'd: The builders next of Babel on the plain Of Sennaar, and fill with vain defign New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build : Others came fingle; he who to be deem'd A God, leap'd fondly into Ætna flames,
Empedocles; and he who to enjoy Pluto's Elyfium, leap'd into the fea, Cleonibrotus: and many more too long, Embryos and idiots, eremites and friers White, black, and gray, with all their trumpery. Here pilgrims roam, that ftray'd fo far to feck In Golgotha him dead, who lives in Heaven; And they who, to be fure of Paradife, Dying put on the weeds of Dominic, Or in Francifcan think to pafs difguis'd; They pafs the planets fev'n, and pafs the fix'd, And that crystallin fphere whofe balance weighs The trepidation talk'd, and that firit mov❜d: And now Saint Peter at Heav'n's wicket feems To wait them with his keys, and now at foot 485 Of Heav'n's afcent they lift their feet, when lo A violent crofs wind from either coaft Blows them tranfverfe ten thousand leagues awry Into the devious air; then might ye fee Cowls, hoods, and habits with their wearers toft And flutter'd into rags, then reliques, beads, Indulgences, difpenfes, pardons, bulls, The fport of winds: all thefe upwhirl'd aloft Fly o'er the backfide of the world far off Into a Limbo large and broad, fince call'd The Paradife of Fools, to few unknown Long after, now unpeopled, and untrod. All this dark globe the Fiend found as he pafs'd, And long he wander'd, till at last a gleam Of dawning light turn'd thither-ward in hafte 500 His travel'd fteps: far diftant he deferies 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 frontifpiece of dimond and gold Embellish'd; thick with fparkling orient gems The portal fhone, inimitable on earth By model, or by fhading pencil drawn.
The fairs were fuch as whereon Jacob faw 515 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 sky, And waking cry'd, This is the gate of Heav'n. Each ftair myfterioufly was meant, nor stood There always, but drawn up to Heav'n fometimes Viewlefs; and underneath a bright sea flow'd Of jafper, or of liquid pearl, whereon Who after came from earth, failing 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 eafy' afcent, or aggravate His fad exclufion from the doors of blifs: Direct against which open'd from beneath, Juft o'er the blissful feat of Paradife, 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, Over the Promis'd Land to God fo dear, By which, to visit oft thofe 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 flood To Becrfaba, where the Holy Land
Borders on Egypt and th' Arabian shore; So wide the opening feem'd, where bounds were fet
To darkness, fuch as bound the ocean wave. Satan from hence, now on the lower stair That fcal'd up 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 chearful dawn 545 Obtains the brow of fome high climbing hill, Which to his eye difcovers unaware The goodly profpect of fome foreign land First feen, or fome renown'd metropolis With glift'ring fpires and pinnacles adorn'd, 550 Which now the rifing fun gilds with his beams: Such wonder feis'd, though after Heav'n feen, The Spirit malign, but much more envy feis'd, At fight of all this world beheld fo fair. Round he furveys (and well might where he stood So high above the circling canopy
Of night's extended fhade) from eastern point Of Libra to the fleecy ftar that bears Andromeda far off Atlantic feas
Beyond the horizon; then from pole to pole He views in breadth, and without longer paufe Down right into the world's first region throws His flight precipitant, and winds with eafe Through the pure marble air his oblique way Amongst innumerable ftars, that fhone Stars diftant, but nigh hand feem'd other worlds; Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy ilcs, 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 ftay'd not to inquire above them all The golden fun in fplendor likeft Heaven Allur'd his eye: thither his courfe 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 ftarry dance in numbers that compute 580 Days, months and years, tow'ards his all-chearing Jamp
In vain, though by their pow'rful art they bind Volatil Hermes, and call up unbound In various shapes old Proteus from the fea, Drain'd through a limbec to his native form. 605 What wonder then if fields and regions here Breathe forth Elixir pure, and rivers run Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch The arch-chemic fun, fo far from us remote, Produces, with terreftrial humor mix'd, Here in the dark fo many precious things Of color glorious, and effect fo rare? Here matter new to gaze the Devil met Undazled; far and wide his eye commands; For fight no obftacle found here, nor fhade, 615 But all fun-fhine, 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 the air No where fo clear, fharpen'd his vifual ray 625 To objects diftant far, whereby he foon Saw within ken a glorious Angel ftand, The fame whom John faw also in the fun : His back was turn'd, but not his brightnefs hid; Of beaming funny rays a golden tiar Circled his head, nor lefs his locks behind Illuftrious on his shoulders fledge with wings Lay waving round; on fome great charge em ploy'd
He fecm'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep. Clad was the Spi'rit impure, as now in hope 630 To find who might direct his wand'ring flight To Paradife the happy feat of Man, His journey's end and our beginning woe. But firft he cafts to change his proper shape, Which elfe might work him danger or delay: 635 And now a ftripling Cherub he appears, Not of the prime, yet fuch as in his face Youth fmil'd celeflial, and to every limb Suitable grace diffus'd, so well he feign'd: Under a coronet his flowing hair In curls on either check play'd; wings he were Of many a color'd plume fprinkled with gold, His habit fit for fpeed fuccinct, and held Before his decent fteps a filver wand.
He drew not nigh unheard; the Angel bright, 645 Ere he drew nigh his radiant vifage turn'd, Admonish'd by his ear, and ftraight was known The Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the feven Who in God's prefence, nearest to his throne, Stand ready at command, and are his eyes 585 That run through all the Heav'ns, or down to th
Turn Iwift their various motions, or are turn'd By his magnetic beam, that gently warms The universe, and to each inward part With gentle penetration, though unscen, Shoots invifible virtue ev'n to the deep; So wondrously was fet his ftation bright. There lands the Fiend, a spot like which perhaps Aftronomer in the fun's lucid orb
Through his glaz'd optic tube yet never faw. 590 The place he found beyond expreflion bright, Compar'd with ought on carth, metal or ftone; Not all parts like, but all alike inform'd With radiant light, as glowing ir'on with fire; If metal, part feem'd gold, part filver clear; 595 If ftone, carbunc mofy or chryfolite, Ruby or topaz, or the twelve that fhone In Aaron's breaft-plate, and a ftone besides Imagin'd rather oft than elfewhere feen,
That ftone or like to that, which here below 600 Philofophers in vain fo long have fought,
O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accolts. Uriel, for thou of thofe feven Spi'rits that stand
Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim Alone thus wand'ring. Brighteft Seraph, tell In which of all these fhining orbs hath Man His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,
But all these Thining orbs his choice to dwell; 670 That I may find him, and with fecret gaze Or open admiration him behold,
On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd; Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd; That both in him and all things, as is meet, 675 The univerfal Maker we may praise; Who justly hath driv'n out his rebel foes To deepeft Hell, and to repair that loss, Created this new happy race of Men To ferve him better: wife are all his ways. So fpake the false diffembler unperceiv'd; For neither Man nor Angel can discern Hypocrify, the only evil that walks Invifible, except to God alone,
Fair Angel, thy defire, which tends to know The works of God, thereby to glorify The great Work-mafter, leads to no excess That reaches blame, but rather merits praise The more it seems excefs, that led thee hither From thy empyreal manfion thus alone,
To witnefs 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 wisdom infinite
That brought them forth, but hid their caufes
1 faw when at his word the formless mafs, This world's material mold, came to a heap: | Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood rul'd, ftood vast infinitude confin'd; Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled, Light fhone, and order from diforder sprung: Swift to their several quarters hafted then The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; And this ethereal quinteffence of Heaven Flew upward, fpirited with various forms, That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars Numberless, as thou seeft, and how they move; Each had his place appointed, each his course; 720 The reft in circuit walls this universe.
Look downward on that globe, whose hither fide With light from hence, though but reflected, fhines;
That place is Earth the feat of Man, that light His day, which elfe, as th' other hemifphere 725 Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring
(So call that opposite fair star) her aid Timely' interpofes, and her monthly round Still ending, ftill renewing, through mid Heaven, With borrow'd light her countenance triform 730 Hence fills and empties to enlighten the Earth, And in her pale dominion checks the night. That spot to which I point is Paradise, Adam's abode, those lofty fhades his bower. Thy way thou canst not mifs, me mine requires. Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low, As to fuperior Spi'rits is wont in Heaven, Where honor due and reverence none neglects, Took leave, and tow'ard the coast of earth be- 739
neath, Down from th' ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs, Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel, Nor ftay'd, till on Niphates' top he lights.
THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK.
Satan now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the boid enterprife which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy, and defpair; but at length confirms himfelf in evil, journeys on to Paradife, whofe outward profpect and fituation is defcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the fhape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as higheft in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcrib'd; Satan's first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with refolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse, thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while, to know further of their fate by fome other means. Mean while Uriel defcending on a funbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradife, that fome evil Spirit had efcap'd the deep, and pafs'd at noon by his fphere in the fhape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered after by his furious gestures in the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their reft: their bower defcribed; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradife, ap points two Angels to Adam's bower, left the evil Spirit should be there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the car of Eve, tempt ing her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom queftion'd, he fcornfully anfwers, prepares refiftance, but hinder'd by a fig from Heaven, flies out of Paradife.
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' inbabitants on earth! that now, While time was, our first parents had been warn'd The coming of their secret soe, and scap'd, Haply fo fcap'd his mortal fnare: for now Satan, now first inflam'd with rage came down, The tempter ere th' accufer of mankind. To wreak on innocent frail man his lofs Of that first battel, and his flight to Hell: Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold, Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boat, Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast, And like a devilish engin back recoils
Sometimes tow'ards Eden, which now in his view Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes fad; Sometimes towards Heav'n and the full-blazing
fun, 15 Which now fat high in his meridian tower: Then much revolving, thus in fighs began. O thou that with furpaffing glory crown'd,
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