Thence to behold this new created world
Th' addition of his empire, how it show'd In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair, Answering his great idea. Up he rode
Follow'd with acclamation and the sound Symphonious of ten thousand harps that tun'd Angelic harmonies: the earth, the air
Resounded, (thou remember'st, for thou heardst) The Heav'ns and all the constellations rung, The planets in their station list'ning stood, While the bright pomp ascended jubilant. Open, ye everlasting gates, they sung, Open, ye Heav'ns, your living doors; let in The great Creator from his work return'd Magnificent, his six days work, a world; Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign To visit oft the dwellings of just men Delighted, and with frequent intercourse Thither will send his winged messengers On errands of supernal grace. So sung
The glorious train ascending: He through Heaven, That open'd wide her blazing portals, led To God's eternal house direct the way, A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear, Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,
Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest
Powder'd with stars. And now on earth the seventh
Evening arose in Eden, for the sun
Was set, and twilight from the east came on,
Forerunning night; when at the holy mount
Of Heav'n's high-seated top, th' imperial throne Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and sure, The Filial Pow'r arriv'd, and sat him down With his great Father, for he also went Invisible, yet staid, (such privilege
Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordain'd, 590 Author and end of all things, and from work Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the sev'nth day, As resting on that day from all his work, But not in silence holy kept; the harp Had work and rested not, the soleinn pipe, And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop, All sounds on fret by string or golden wire Temper'd soft tunings intermix'd with voice Choral or unison: of incense clouds Fuming from golden censers hid the mount. Creation and the six days acts they sung,
Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite
Thy pow'r; what thought can measure thee or
Relate thee? Greater now in thy return
Than from the giant angels; thee that day Thy thunders magnify'd; but to create Is greater than created to destroy. Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound Thy empire? Easily the proud attempt Of Spirits apostate and their counsels vain Thou hast repell'd, while impiously they thought Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks To lessen thee, against his purpose serves To manifest the more thy might: his evil Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more good. Witness this new-made world, another Heaven From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea; Of amplitude almost immense, with stars Numerous, and every star perhaps a world Of destin'd habitation; but thou know'st Their seasons: among these the seat of Men, Earth with her nether ocean circumfus'd,
Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men, And sons of Men, whom God hath thus advanc'd, Created in his image, there to dwell
And worship him, and in reward to rule Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air, And multiply a race of worshippers Holy and just thrice happy if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright.
So sung they, and the empyréan rung With Halleluiahs: Thus was sabbath kept. And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd How fast this world and face of things began, And what before thy memory was done
From the beginning, that posterity
Inform'd by thee might know, if else thou seek'st Ought, not surpassing human measure, say.
Adam enquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam assents, and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society, his first meeting and nuptials with Eve, his discourse with the Angel thereupon; who after admonitions repeated departs.
THE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear
So charming left his voice, that he a while
Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear;
Then as new wak'd thus gratefully reply'd. What thanks sufficient, or what recompense Equal have I to render thee, divine Historian, who thus largely hast allay'd
The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsaf'd This friendly condescension to relate Things else by me unsearchable, now heard With wonder, but delight, and, as is due, With glory attributed to the high Creator? Something yet of doubt remains, Which only thy solution can resolve. When I behold this goodly frame, this world Of Heav'n and Earth consisting, and compute Their magnitudes, this earth a spot, a grain, An atom, with the firmament compar`d
And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll Spaces incomprehensible (for such
Their distance argues and their swift return Diurnal) merely to officiate light
Round this opacous earth, this punctual spot, One day and night, in all their vast survey Useless besides; reasoning I oft admire, How nature wise and frugal could commit Such disproportions, with superfluous hand So many nobler bodies to create,
Greater so manifold to this one use,
For ought appears, and on their orbs impose Such restless revolution day by day Repeated, while the sedentary earth,
That better might with far less compass move, Serv'd by more noble than herself, attains Her end without least motion, and receives, As tribute, such a sumiess journey brought Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light; Speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails. So spake our Sire, and by his count'nance seem'd Ent ring on studious thoughts abstruse, which Eve Perceiving where she sat retir'd in sight, With lowliness majestic from her seat,
And grace that won who saw to wish her stay, Rose, and went forth among her fruits and flowers, To visit how they prosper'd, bud and bloom,
Her nursery; they at her coming sprung, And touch'd by her fair tendence gladlier grew. Yet went she not, as not with such discourse
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