RAPHAEL, at the request of Adam, relates how, and wherefore, this world was first created; that GOD, after the expelling of Satan and his angels out of heaven, declared his pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; sends his Son with glory and attendance of angels to perform the work of creation in six days: the angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reascension into heaven.
DESCEND from heaven, Urania, by that name If rightly thou art call'd, whose voice divine Following, above th' Olympian hill I soar, Above the flight of Pegasean wing.
The meaning, not the name, I call: for thou Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top Of old Olympus dwell'st, but heavenly born, Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd, Thou with eternal Wisdom didst converse, Wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play
7 old Olympus] 'cold.' Bentl. MS. 1. 516. 1. 428. 2. 393. 7 old] Some would read 'cold,' as in book i. 516; but it is called 'old,' as being 'fam'd of old,' see book i. 420, ii. 593. Newton.
In presence of th' almighty Father, pleas'd With thy celestial song. Up led by thee Into the heaven of heav'ns I have presum❜d, An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air, Thy temp'ring; with like safety guided down Return me to my native element:
Lest from this flying steed unrein'd, as once Bellerophon, though from a lower clime, Dismounted, on the Aleian field I fall, Erroneous there to wander and forlorn.
Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound, Within the visible diurnal sphere;
Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole, More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchang'd To hoarse or mute, though fall'n on evil days, 25 On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues, In darkness, and with dangers compast round, And solitude; yet not alone, while thou Visit'st my slumbers nightly, or when morn Purples the east. Still govern thou my song, Urania, and fit audience find, though few. But drive far off the barbarous dissonance 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 savage clamour drown'd Both harp and voice; nor could the muse defend
85 ears] Hor. Od. i. xii. v. 11.
'Auritas fidibus canoris Ducere quercus.'
Her son. So fail not thou, who thee implores: For thou art heavenly, she an empty dream. Say, goddess, what ensu'd when Raphael, The affable arch-angel, had forewarn'd Adam by dire example to beware Apostasy, by what befell in heaven To those apostates, lest the like befall In Paradise to Adam or his race,
Charg'd not to touch the interdicted tree,
If they transgress, and slight that sole command, So easily obey'd, amid the choice
Of all tastes else to please their appetite,
Though wand'ring. He with his consorted Eve 50 The story heard attentive, and was fill'd
With admiration and deep muse, to hear
Of things so high and strange, things to their thought
So unimaginable as hate in heaven,
And war so near the peace of GOD in bliss With such confusion: but the evil soon Driv'n back redounded as a flood on those From whom it sprung, impossible to mix With blessedness. Whence Adam soon repeal'd The doubts that in his heart arose: and now Led on, yet sinless, with desire to know What nearer might concern him, how this world Of heaven and earth conspicuous first began, When, and whereof created, for what cause, What within Eden or without was done
Before his memory, as one whose drouth
Yet scarce allay'd still eyes the current stream, Whose liquid murmur heard new thirst excites, Proceeded thus to ask his heavenly guest.
Great things, and full of wonder in our ears, 70 Far differing from this world, thou hast reveal'd, Divine interpreter, by favour sent
Down from the empyrean to forewarn
Us timely of what might else have been our loss, Unknown, which human knowledge could not
For which to the infinitely Good we owe Immortal thanks, and his admonishment Receive with solemn purpose to observe Immutably his sovereign will, the end
Of what we are. But since thou hast vouchsaf'd 80 Gently for our instruction to impart
Things above earthly thought, which yet concern'd Our knowing, as to highest wisdom seem'd, Deign to descend now lower, and relate
What may no less perhaps avail us known; How first began this heaven which we behold Distant so high, with moving fires adorn'd
72 interpreter] So Mercury is called in Virgil. 'Interpres Divum.' En. iv. 378. Newton.
84 relate] So in the Adamus Exsul of Grotius, p. 16. Adam says to the angel:
'Age, si vacabit, (scire nam perfectius
Quæ facta fuerint, ante me factum, potes)
Narra petenti, quomodo, quoque ordine
Tam magna numeris machina impleta est suis.'
Innumerable, and this which yields or fills All space, the ambient air wide interfus'd Embracing round this florid earth; what cause ∞ Mov'd the Creator in his holy rest Through all eternity so late to build In chaos, and the work begun, how soon Absolv'd, if unforbid thou may'st unfold What we not to explore the secrets ask Of his eternal empire, but the more To magnify his works, the more we know. And the great light of day yet wants to run Much of his race,though steep. Suspense in heaven, Held by thy voice, thy potent voice, he hears, 100 And longer will delay to hear thee tell His generation, and the rising birth Of nature from the unapparent deep:
Or if the star of ev'ning and the moon
Haste to thy audience, Night with her will bring Silence, and Sleep list'ning to thee will watch; Or we can bid his absence, till thy song End, and dismiss thee ere the morning shine. Thus Adam his illustrious guest besought; And thus the godlike angel answer'd mild. 110 This also thy request with caution ask'd
90 florid] Globous. Bentl. MS.
99 heaven] In the first edition there was no comma after 'heaven;' Pearce altered the punctuation.
108 unapparent] άoparos. Bentl. MS.
108 End] for ending dismiss thee;' so ii. 917, 'Stood, and look'd' for 'standing look'd' Todd.
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