Difcurfive, or intuitive; difcourfe

Is ofteft yours, the latter most is ours,

Differing but in degree, of kind the fame.
Wonder not then, what God for you faw good

If I refuse not, but convert, as you,

To proper substance: time may come, when men
With angels may participate, and find

490

No inconvenient di'et, nor too light fare;

495

And from thefe corporal nutriments perhaps
Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit,
Improv❜d by tract of time, and wing'd ascend
Ethereal, as we, or may at choice

If ye be found obedient, and retain

Here or in heav'nly paradifes dwell;

Unalterably firm his love entire,

Whofe progeny you are. Mean while enjoy

Your fill what happiness this happy state

Can comprehend, incapable of more.

505

To whom the Patriarch of Mankind reply'd.

O favourable Spi'rit, propitious Guest,

Well haft thou taught the way that might direct

Our knowledge, and the scale of Nature fet
From center to circumference whereon
In contemplation of created things

By steps we may afcend to God. But fay,

What meant that caution join'd, If ye be found
Obedient? Can we want obedience then

To him, or poffibly his love desert,

510

535

Who form'd us from the dust, and plac'd us here
Full to the utmost measure of what blifs
Human defires can seek or apprehend?

520

To whom the angel. Son of Heav'n and Earth, Attend; That thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand. This was that caution giv'n thee; be advis'd. God made thee perfect, not immutable;

And good he made thee, but to persevere

525

He left it in thy power; ordain'd thy will

By nature free, not over-rul'd by fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity:
Our voluntary service he requires,
Not our neceffitated; fuch with him

Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how

530

Can hearts, not free, be try'd whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By deftiny, and can no other chufe?

Myself and all th' angelic host, that stand
In fight of God enthron'd, our happy state
Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds;
On other furety none; freely we serve,

Because we freely love, as in our will
To love or not; in this we stand or fall:
And fome are fall'n, to disobedience fall'n,
And fo from Heav'n to deepest Hell; O fall
From what high state of bliss into what woe!

535

540

To whom our great Progenitor. Thy words Attentive, and with more delighted ear,

Divine Instructor, I have heard, that when

Cherubic fongs by night from neighb'ring hills
Aerial music fend: nor knew I not
To be both will and deed created free;
Yet that we never shall forget to love

Our Maker, and obey him whofe command
Single is yet fo juft, my constant thoughts

545

550

Affur'd me', and still affure: though what thou tell'st Hath pafs'd in Heav'n, fome doubt within me move, But more defire to hear, if thou confent,

The full relation, which must needs be strange,

Worthy of facred Silence to be heard;
And we have yet large day, for scarce the Sun
Hath finish'd half his journey', and scarce begins
His other half in the great zone of Heav'n.
Thus Adam made requeft; and Raphaël

555

560

After short pause affenting, thus began.

High matter thou injoin'st me', O Prime of Men,

Sad task and hard; for how fhall I relate

To human fense th' invifible exploits

565

Of warring fpirits? how without remorfe

The ruin of fo many glorious once

And perfect while they ftood? how laft unfold
The fecrets of another world, perhaps

Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good

570

This is difpens'd; and what furmounts the reach

Of human fenfe, I shall delineate so,

By likening fpiritual to corporal forms,

As may express them best; though what if Earth
Be but the shadow' of Heav'n, and things therein 575
Each to' other like, more than on earth is thought?

As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild
Reign'd where these Heav'ns now roll, where Earth
Upon her center pois'd; when on a day
(For time, though in eternity, apply'd
To motion, measures all things durable

By prefent, past, and future) on fuch day

[now rests

580

As Heav'n's great year brings forth, th' empyreal host Of angels by imperial fummons call'd,

Innumerable before th' Almighty's throne

Forthwith from all the ends of Heav'n appear'd
Under their hierarchs in orders bright:

Ten thousand thousand enfigns high advanc'd,
Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear
Stream in the air, and for distinction serve
Of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees;
Or in their glittering tissues bear imblaz'd
Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love
Recorded eminent. Thus when in orbs
Of circuit inexpreffible they stood,
Orb within orb, the Father infinite,
By whom in bliss imbosom'd fat the Son,
Amidst as from a flaming mount, whose top
Brightness had made invisible, thus fpake.
Volume I.

U

585

590

595

Hear all ye angels, progeny of Light,

6c0

Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,
Hear my decree, which unrevok'd shall stand.
This day I have begot whom I declare

My only Son, and on this holy hill

Him have anointed, whom ye now behold
At my right hand; your head I him appoint;
And by myself have fworn to him shall bow

All knees in Heav'n, and fhall confefs him Lord: Under his great vice-gerent reign abide

United as one individual foul

For ever happy: him who difobeys,

Me difobeys, breaks union, and that day
Caft out from God and bleffed vifion, falls
Into' utter darkness, deep ingulf'd, his place
Ordain'd without redemption, without end.

610

615

So fpake th' Omnipotent, and with his words
All feem'd well pleas'd; all feem'd, but were not all.
That day, as other folemn days, they spent

In fong and dance about the Sacred Hill;
Myftical dance, which yonder flàrry sphere

Of planets and of fix'd in all her wheels
Refembles neareft, mazes intricate,
Eccentric, intervoly'd, yet regular

620

Then moft, when most irregular they seem;

And in their motions Harmony divine

625

So smooths her charming tones, that God's own ear Liftens delighted. Evening now approach'd