And more endangered, than when Argo passed Of light appears, and from the walls of Heaven Gladly the port, though shrouds and tackle torn; 1020 1030 1040 1050 GOD, sitting on his throne, sees Satan flying towards this world, then newly created; shows him to the Son, who sat at his right hand; foretells the success of Satan in perverting mankind; clears his own justice and wisdom from all imputation, having created man free, and able enough to have withstood his tempter; yet declares his purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fell not of his own malice, as did Satan, but by him seduced. The Son of God renders praises to his Father for the manifestation of his gracious purpose towards man; but God again declares, that grace cannot be extended towards man without the satisfaction of divine justice; man hath offended the majesty of God by aspiring to Godhead, and therefore, with all his progeny, devoted to death, must die, unless some one can be found sufficient to answer for his offence, and undergo his punishment. The Son of God freely offers himself a ransom for man: the Father accepts him, ordains his incarnation, pronounces his exaltation above all names in heaven and earth; commands all the angels to adore him. They obey, and, hymning to their harps in full quire, celebrate the Father and the Son. Meanwhile Satan alights upon the bare convex of this world's outermost orb; where, wandering, he first finds a place, since called the Limbo of Vanity; what persons and things fly up thither: thence comes to the gate of Heaven, described ascending by stairs, and the waters above the firmament that flow about it: his passage thence to the orb of the Sun; he finds there Uriel, the regent of that orb; but first changes himself into the shape of a meaner angel; and, pretending a zealous desire to behold the new creation, and man whom God had placed here, inquires of him the place of his habitation, and is directed; alights first on Mount Niphates. HAIL, holy Light! offspring of Heaven first-born! Or of the Eternal co-eternal beam May I express thee unblamed? since God is light, Dwelt from eternity; dwelt then in thee, Bright effluence of bright essence increate! Of God, as with a mantle, didst invest The rising world of waters dark and deep, Escaped the Stygian pool, though long detained Surrounds me, from the cheerful ways of men Of Nature's works, to me expunged and rased, 50 Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers Irradiate; there plant eyes; all mist from thence Purge and disperse; that I may see and tell Of things invisible to mortal sight. Now had the Almighty Father from above, From the pure empyréan where he sits High throned above all height, bent down his eye, His own works, and their works, at once to view. About him all the Sanctities of Heaven 60 Stood thick as stars, and from his sight received 66 66 Only begotten Son! seest thou what rage Transports our adversary? whom no bounds Prescribed, no bars of Hell, nor all the chains "Heaped on him there, nor yet the main abyss "Wide interrupt, can hold; so bent he seems "On desperate revenge, that shall redound And now, 'Upon his own rebellious head. "Through all restraint broke loose, he wings his way "Not far off Heaven, in the precints of light, 66 Directly towards the new-created world, "And man there placed; with purpose to assay "If him by force he can destroy, or, worse, "By some false guile pervert; and shall pervert : "For man will hearken to his glozing lies, "And easily transgress the sole command, "Sole pledge of his obedience; so will fall, "He and his faithless progeny. Whose fault? "Whose but his own? Ingrate! he had of me "All he could have: I made him just and right, "Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall. "Such I created all the ethereal Powers 90 100 "And spirits, both them who stood, and them who failed: "Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. "Not free, what proof could they have given sincere "Of true allegiance, constant faith, or love, "Where only what they needs must do appeared, "Not what they would? what praise could they receive? "What pleasure I from such obedience paid; "When will and reason, (reason also is choice,) "Useless and vain,—of freedom both despoiled, "Made passive both,—had served necessity, "Not me? They therefore, as to right belonged, "So were created; nor can justly accuse "Their Maker, or their making, or their fate; "As if predestination over-ruled "Their will, disposed by absolute decree "Or high foreknowledge. They themselves decreed "Their own revolt, not I: if I foreknew, 66 Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, "Which had no less proved certain unforeknown. "So, without least impulse, or shadow of fate, "Or aught by me immutably foreseen, "They trespass, authors to themselves in all, "Both what they judge and what they choose; for so "I formed them free, and free they must remain, "Till they enthral themselves: I else must change 120 |