Express, and thou becam❜st a living soul.
Male he created thee, but thy consórt

Female for race; then bless'd Mankind, and said, 530
Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth,
Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold
Over fish of the sea, and fowl of th' air,

And every living thing that moves on th' Earth.
Wherever thus created, for no place

Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know'st,
He brought thee into this delicious grove,
This garden, planted with the trees of God,
Delectable both to behold and taste;

And freely all their pleasant fruit for food 540
Gave thee; all sorts are here that all th' Earth yields
Variety without end; but of the tree,

Which tasted works knowledge of good and evil,
Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st, thou dy'st;
Death is the penalty impos'd, beware,

And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin
Surprize thee, and her black attendant Death.
Here finish'd he, and all that he had made
View'd, and behold all was entirely good;
So Evan and Morn accomplish'd the sixth day: 550
Yet not till the Creator from his work

Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd,
Up to the Heav'n of Heav'n's his high abode,
Thence to behold this new-creased 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
560
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

570

The glorious train ascending: he through Heav'
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
580
Powder'd with stars. And now on Earth the se
Evening arose in Eden, for the sun

[venth 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 Power arriv'd, and sat him down

With his great Father, for he also went
Invisible, yet stay'd, (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 solemn 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. 600
Creation and the six days' acts they sung,
Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite
Thy power: what thought can measure thee or tongue
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.

610

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 Heav'n

620

From Heav'n 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 first this world and face of things began,
And what before thy memory was done
From the beginning, that posterity

630

Inform'd by thee might know; if else thou seek's Ought, not surpassing human measure, say. 640

THE END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK VIII.

The Argument.

Adam inquires 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,

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