Pavement, that like a sea of jasper shone, Impurpl'd with celestial roses smil'd.
Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took, Harps ever tun'd, that glitt'ring by their side Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet Of charming symphony they introduce Their sacred song, and waken raptures high; No voice exempt, no voice but well could join Melodious part, such concord is in Heav'n. 371 Thee, Father, first they sung, Omnipotent, Immutable, Immortal, Infinite,
Eternal King; thee, Author of all being, Fountain of Light, thyself invisible
Amidst the glorious brightness where thou sitt'st Thron'd inaccessible, but when thou shad'st The full blaze of thy beams, and through a cloud Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine, Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear, 380 Yet dazzle Heav'n, that brightest Seraphim Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes. Thee, next they sang, of all creation first, Begotten Son, Divine Similitude,
In whose conspicuous count'nance, without cloud Made visible, th' Almighty Father shines, Whom else no creature can behold: on thee Impress'd th' effulgence of his glory 'bides,
Transfus'd on thee his ample Spirit rests.
He Heav'n of Heav'ns and all the Pow'rs therein By thee created, and by thee threw down Th' aspiring Dominations: thou that day
Thy Father's dreadful thunder didst not spare, Nor stop thy flaming chariot-wheels, that shook Heav'n's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks Thou drov'st of warring Angels disarray'd.
Back from pursuit thy Pow'rs with loud acclaim Thee only' extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might, To execute fierce vengeance on his foes, 399 Not so on Man: Him thro' their malice fall'n, Father of mercy' and grace, thou didst not doom So strictly, but much more to pity' incline. No sooner did thy dear and only Son
Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man So strictly, but much more to pity' incline, 405 He to appease thy wrath, and end the strife Of mercy' and justice in thy face discern'd, Regardless of the bliss wherein he sat Second to thee, offer'd himself to die For Man's offence. O unexampl'd love! Love no where to be found less than Divine! Hail Son of God, Saviour of Men, thy name Shall be the copious matter of my song Henceforth, and never shall my harp thy praise Forget, nor from thy Father's praise disjoin. 415 Thus they in Heav'n, above the starry sphere, Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent. Mean while upon the firm opacous globe
Of this round world, whose first convex divides The luminous inferior orbs inclos'd
From Chaos and th' inroad of Darkness old, Satan alighted walks: a globe far off
It seem'd, now seems a boundless continent Dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of Night Starless expos'd, and ever-threat'ning storms 425 Of Chaos blust'ring round inclement sky; Save on that side which from the wall of Heav'n, Though distant far, some small reflection gains Of glimm'ring air less vex'd with tempest loud: Here walk'd the Fiend at large in spacious field. As when a vulture on Imaus bred, 431 Whose snowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds, Dislodging from a region scarce of prey Το gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids
On hills where flocks are fed, flies tow'rd the
Of Ganges or Hydaspes, Indian streams;
But in his way lights on the barren plains
Of Sericana, where Chineses drive
With sails and wind their cany waggons light: So on this windy sea of land, the Fiend
Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey:
Alone; for other creature in this place,
Living or lifeless, to be found was none; None yet, but store hereafter from the earth Up hither like aëreal vapours flew
Of all things transit'ry and vain, when sin 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 lasting fame, Or happiness, in this or th'other life;
All who have their reward on earth, the fruits
Of painful superstition and blind zeal, Nought seeking but the praise of men, here find Fit retribution, empty as their deeds:
All th' unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand, Abortive, monstrous, or unkindly mix'd, Dissolv'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain, Till final dissolution, wander here,
Not in the neighb'ring moon, as some have
Those argent fields more likely habitants, Translated Saints, or middle Spirits hold Betwixt th' angelical and human kind. Hither of ill-join'd sons and daughters born First from the ancient world those giants came, With many a vain exploit, though then re- nown'd:
The builders next of Babel on the plain
Of Sennaar, and still with vain design
New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build : Others came single; he who to be deem'd
A God, leap'd fondly into Ætna flames,
Empedocles; and he who to enjoy
Plato's Elysium, leap'd into the sea,
Cleombrotus; and many more too long,
Embryos and idiots, eremites and friars
White, black, and grey, with all their trumpery. Here pilgrims roam, that stray'd so far to seek In Golgotha him dead, who lives in Heav'n; And they who, to be sure of Paradise, Dying put on the weeds of Dominic,
Or in Franciscan think to pass disguis'd; They pass the planets sev'n, and pass the fix'd, And that crystalline sphere whose balance weighs The trepidation talk'd, and that first mov'd; And now Saint Peter at Heav'n's wicket seems To wait them with his keys, and now at foot Of Heav'n's ascent they lift their feet, when lo A violent cross wind from either coast 487 Blows them transverse ten thousand leagues awry Into the devious air; then might ye see Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tost And flutter'd into rags; then reliques, beads, 491 Indulgences, dispenses, pardons, bulls,
The sport of winds: all these upwhirl'd aloft Fly o'er the backside of the world far off Into a Limbo large and broad, since call'd 495 The Paradise of Fools, to few unknown Long after, now unpeopled, and untrod. All this dark globe the Fiend found as he pass'd, And long he wander'd, till at last a gleam Of dawning light turn'd thitherward in haste His travel'd steps: far distant he descries Ascending 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 Embellish'd: thick with sparkling orient gems The portal shone, inimitable on earth By model, or by shading pencil drawn.
The stairs were such as whereon Jacob saw 510
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