See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,
With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth:
Then Thou Thy regal fceptre fhalt lay by,
For regal fceptre then no more fhall need;
GOD fhall be All in All. But all
ye Gods,
Adore Him, who to compafs all this dies;
Adore the Son, and honour him as Me.

340.

No fooner had th' Almighty ceas'd, but all The multitude of Angels with a fhout

345

Loud as from numbers without number, sweet

As from bleft voices) utt'ring joy, heav'n rung

With jubilee, and loud hofanna's fill'd

Th' eternal legions. Lowly reverent

Tow'rds either throne they bow, and to the ground

With folemn adoration down they caft

351

Their crowns, inwove with amarant and gold,

Immortal amarant! a flow'r which once

In Paradise faft by the Tree of Life

Began to bloom; but foon for man's offense

355

To heav'n remov'd, where first it grew, there grows,
And flow'rs aloft fhading the fount of life;

And where the river of blifs thro' midst of heav'n
Rowls o'er ELYSIAN flow'rs her amber stream:

With these that never fade the fpirits elect

360

Bind their refplendent locks, inwreath'd with beams,;
Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright
Pavement, that like a fea of jafper fhon,
Impurpled with cœleftial rofes fmil'd.

'Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took :`

Harps ever tun'd, that glitt'ring by their fide

Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet

366

Of charming fymphony they introduce

Their facred fong, and waken raptures high,

No voice exempt; no voice but well could join
Melodious part, fuch concord is in heav'n.

370

Thee FATHER firft they fung, Omnipotent,

Immutable, Immortal, Infinite,

Eternal King! Thee Author of all Being,

Four

Fountein of Light, Thy felf invifible
Amidst the glorious brightnefs where thou fit'ft
Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou fhad'it
The full blaze of thy beams, and thro' a cloud
Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine,
Dark with exceffive bright thy fkirts appear:
Yet dazle heav'n, that brighteft Seraphim
Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes.
Thee next they fung of all creation first
Begotten Son, Divine Similitude!

In whofe confpicuous count'nance, without cloud
Made visible, th' Almighty FATHER fhines,
Whom elfe no creature can behold: on Thee
Imprefs'd, th' effulgence of his glory abides;
Transfus'd on Thee his ample SPIRIT refts.
He heav'n of heav'ns, and all the pow'rs therein,
By Thee created: and by Thee threw down
Th' afpiring Dominations. Thou that day
Thy FATHER's dreadful thunder didst not spare ;
Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook
Heav'n's everlafting frame, while o'er the necks
Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarray'd.
Back from purfuit thy pow'rs with loud acclaim
Thee only extol'd, SoN of thy FATHER'S might,
To execute fierce vengeance on His foes.
Not fo on Man: him thro' their malice fall'n,
FATHER of mercy and grace! Thou didst not doom
So ftrictly, but much more to pity incline.
No fooner did Thy dear and only Son,
Perceiv'd Thee purpos'd not to doom frail man
So ftrictly, but much more to pity inclin'd,
He to appeafe Thy wrath, and end the ftrife
Of mercy and justice in Thy face difcern'd,
Regardless of the blifs wherein he fat
Second to Thee, offer'd Himself to die
For Man's offence. 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 praise

375

380

386

391

396

400

405

410

For

Forget, nor from Thy FATHER's praise disjoin.

Thus they in heav'n, above the ftarry sphere,
Their happy hours in joy and hymning fpent.
Mean while upon the firm opacous globe

Of this round world, whofe first convex divides
The luminous inferior orbs, inclos'd

415

420

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
Starlefs expos'd, and ever threat'ning storms
Of CHAOS bluftring round, inclement fky!
Save on that fide which from the wall of heav'n
(Tho' diftant far) fome fmall reflection gains
Of glimm ring air, lefs vex'd with tempeft loud.
Here walk'd the fiend at large in fpacious field.
As when a vulture on IMAUS bred,

425

430

(Whofe fnowy ridge the roving TARTAR bounds) Diflodging from a region fcarce of prey,

To gorge the flesh of lambs, and weanling kids,

434

On hills where flocks are fed, flies tow'rds the fprings

Of GANGES, or HYDASPES, (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 liveless, to be found was none;
None yet, but store hereafter from the earth
Up hither like aerial vapors flew,

440

445

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 the 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 works of nature's hand,
Abortive, monitrous, or unkindly mix'd,
Diffolv'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain,

Till final diffolution, wander here;

Not in the neighb'ring moon, as fome have dream'd : (Those argent fields more likely habitants,

455

450

Tranflated faints, or middle fpirits hold,.

Betwixt th❜ angelical and human kind)

Hither, of ill-join'd fons and daughters born,

First from the antient world those giants came,

With many a vain exploit, tho' then renown'd:

465.

The builders next of BABEL on the plain
Of SENAAR, and ftill 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 ETNA's flames,.
EMPEDOCLES: and he who to enjoy
PLATO'S ELYSIUM, leap'd into the fea,
CLEOMBROTUS and many more too long,
Embryo's and idiots, eremits and friars

White, Black, and Grey, with all their trumpery:
Here Pilgrims roam, that ftray'd fo far to feek
In GOLGOTHA Him dead, who lives in heav'n :
And they who to be fure of Paradise,
Dying put on the weeds of DOMINIC,

470

474

Or in FRANCISCAN think to pafs difguis'd;

Blows them transverse, ten thousand leagues awry
Into the devious Air: then might ye fee

They pass the Planets fev'n, and pafs the Fix'd,
And that crystalline sphere whofe balance weighs
The Trepidation talk'd, and that First-mov'd;
And now faint PETER at heav'ns wicket seems
To wait them with his keys, and now at foot
Of heav'n's afcent they lift their feet; when lo!
A violent cross-wind from either coaft

480

485

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 up-whirl'd aloft

H 3

490

Fly

Fly o'er the backside of the worid far off,
Into a Limbo large, and broad, fince call'd
The Paradife of Fools, to few unknown
Long after: now unpeopl'd, and untrod.
All this dark globe the fiend found as he pafs'd;
And long he wander'd, till at laft a gleam
Of dawning light turn'd thither-ward in hafte
His travel'd fteps: far diftant he descries,
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 frontispiece of diamond and gold,
Imbellifh'd; thick with fparkling orient gems
The portal fhon, inimitable on earth,

495

500

505

By model, or by fhading pencil, drawn.
The stairs were fuch as whereon JACOB faw
Angels afcending and defcending, bands
Of guardians bright, when he from ESAU 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.

510

Each stair mysterioufly was meant, nor stood
There always, but drawn up to heav'n fometimes

515

Viewlefs, and underneath a bright fea 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
Rap'd in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds.

520

The stairs were then let down, whether to dare

The fiend by eafy afcent, or aggravate

His fad exclufion from the doors of blifs:

525

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,

531

By which, to vifit oft those happy tribes,

On