291

Their nature alfo to thy nature join ;
And be thyfelf Man among men on earth,
Made flesh, when time shall be, of virgin seed,
By wond'rous birth: be thou in Adam's room 285
The head of all mankind, though Adam's fon.
As in him perish all men, fo in thee,
As from a fecond root, fhall be reftor'd
As many as are reftor'd, without thee none.
His crime makes guilty all his fons; thy merit
Imputed fhall abfolve them who renounce
Their own both righteous and unrighteous deeds,
And live in thee tranfplanted, and from thee
Receive new life. So Man, as is most just,
Shall fatisfy for Man, be judg'd and die,
And dying rife, and rifing with him raise
His brethren, ranfom'd with his own dear life.
So heav'nly love shall outdo hellish hate,
Giving to death, and dying to redeem,
So dearly to redeem what hellish hate,
So easily destroy'd, and still deflroys

295

300

In those who, when they may, accept not grace.
Nor fhalt thou, by descending to affume
Man's nature, leffen or degrade thine own.
Because thou haft, though thron'd in highest blifs
Equal to God, and equally enjoying
God-like fruition, quitted all to fave

306

315

A world from utter lofs, and haft been found
By merit more than birthright Son of God,
Found worthiest to be fo by being good,
Far more than great or high; because in thee
Love hath abounded more than glory' abounds,
Therefore thy humiliation fhall exalt

With thee thy manhood alfo to this throne;
Here fhalt thou fit incarnate, here fhalt reign 315
Both God and Man, Son both of God and Man,
Anointed univerfal king; all power
1 give thee; reign for ever, and affume
Thy merits; under thee as head fupreme
Thrones, Princedoms, Pow'rs, Dominions I re-
Яuce;
320

325

All knees to thee fhall bow, of them that bide
In Heav'n, or Earth, or under Earth in Hell.
When thou attended gloriously from Heaven
Shalt in the fky appear, and from thee fend
The fummoning Arch-Angels to proclaim
Thy dread tribunal; forthwith from all winds
The living, and forthwith the cited dead
Of all paft ages, to the general doom
Shall haften, fuch a peal fhall roufe their fleep.
Then all thy faints affembled, thou falt judge 330
Bad men and Angels; they arraign'd fhall fink
Beneath thy fentence; Hell, her numbers full,
Thenceforth fhall be for ever fhut. Mean while
The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring
New Heav'n and Earth, wherein the just fhall
dwell,

335

grows,

And flow'rs aloft fading the fount of life And where the river of blifs through midt of Heaven

Rolls o'er Elysian flow'rs her amber ftream;
With thefe that never fide the Spirits ele 60
Bind their refplendent locks inwreath'd with
beanis,

Now in loofe garlands thick thrown off, the bright
Pavement, that like a fea of jasper fhone,
Impurpled with celestial rofes fail'd.
Then crown'd again, their golden harps they
took,

Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their fide
Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet
Of charming fymphony they introduce
Their facred fong, and waken raptures high;
No voice exempt, no voice but will could join 170
Melodious part, fuch concord is in Heaven.

Thee, Father, first they furg, Onulipoten",
Immutable, Immortal, Infinite,
Eternal King; thee Author of all being,
Fountain of Ight, thyfelf invisible

Amidft the glorious brightnefs where theu fi
Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou fhad'ft
The full blaze of thy beams, and through a choi
Drawn round about thee like a radiant fhrine,
Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear, 3
Yet dazle Heav'n, that brightest Seraphim
Approach not, but with. both wings veil their eyes
Thee next they fang of all creation firt,
Begotten Son, divine fimilitude,

In whofe cosipi nous count'pance, without dlat
Made vifible, th' Almighty Father fhines,
Whom elfe no creature can behold; on thee
Imprefs'd the effulgence of his glory' abides,
Transfus'd en thee nis amole Spirit refts.
He Heav'n of Heav'ns and all the Pow'r deres
By thee created, and by thee threw down 391
Th' afpiring Dominations: thou that day
Thy Father's dreadful thunder didft not pare,
Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook
Heav'.'s everlafting frame, while o'er the necks
Thou drov'it of warring Angels difarray'd. 34
Back from purfuit thy Pow'rs with loud acclame
Thee only' extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might,
To execute fierce vengeance on his foes.
Not fo on Man: Him through their malice fallin,
Father of mercy' and grace, thou didft not doom
So ftrictly, but much more to pity' incline:
No fooner did thy dear and only Son
Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man
So ftrictly, but much more to pity' inclin'd, 45
He to appease thy wrath, and end the strife

410

Of mercy' and juftice in thy face difcern'd, Regardless of the blifs wherein he fat Second to thee, offer'd himself to die For Man's offenfe. 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 praife Forget, nor from thy Father's praife disjoin. 415 Thus they in Heav'n, above the starry sphere, Their happy hours in joy and hymning fpeat. Mean while upon the firm opacous globe

420

Of this round world, whofe 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 feem'd, now feems a boundless continent
Dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of Night
Starless expos'd, and ever-threatening ftorms 425
Of Chaos bluft'ring round, inclement sky;
Save on that fide which from the wall of Heaven,
Though diftant far, fome small reflection gains
Of glimmering air lefs vex'd with tempeft loud:
Here walk'd the Fiend at large in fpacious field.
As when a vulture on Imaus bred,
Whofe fnowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds,
Diflodging from a region fcarce of prey
To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids
On hills where flocks are fed, flies tow'ard the
fprings

Of Ganges or Hydafpes, Indian ftreams:
But in his way lights on the barren plains
Of Sericana, where Chineses drive

431

435

440

445

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 lifelefs to be found was none; None yet, but ftore hereafter from the earth Up hither like aereal vapours flew 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 th' 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 work of Nature's hand, Abortive, monflrous, or unkindly mix'd, Diffolv'd on earth, flect hither, and in vain, Till final diffolution, wander here, Not in the neighb'ring moon, as fome have dream'd;

456

460

Thofe argent fields more likely habitants, Tranflated Saints, or middle Spirits hold Betwixt th' angelical and human kind. Hither of ill-join'd fons and daughters born First from the ancient world thofe giants came With many a vain exploit, though then renown'd: The builders next of Babel on the plain Of Sennaar, and fill 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 Ætna flames,

466

470

474

483

Empedocles; and he who to enjoy
Pluto's Elyfium, leap'd into the fea,
Cleonibrotus: and many more too long,
Embryos and idiots, eremites and friers
White, black, and gray, with all their trumpery.
Here pilgrims roam, that ftray'd fo far to feck
In Golgotha him dead, who lives in Heaven;
And they who, to be fure of Paradife,
Dying put on the weeds of Dominic,
Or in Francifcan think to pafs difguis'd;
They pafs the planets fev'n, and pafs the fix'd,
And that crystallin fphere whofe balance weighs
The trepidation talk'd, and that firit mov❜d:
And now Saint Peter at Heav'n's wicket feems
To wait them with his keys, and now at foot 485
Of Heav'n's afcent they lift their feet, when lo
A violent crofs wind from either coaft
Blows them tranfverfe ten thousand leagues awry
Into the devious air; then might ye fee
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 upwhirl'd aloft
Fly o'er the backfide of the world far off
Into a Limbo large and broad, fince call'd
The Paradife of Fools, to few unknown
Long after, now unpeopled, and untrod.
All this dark globe the Fiend found as he pafs'd,
And long he wander'd, till at last a gleam
Of dawning light turn'd thither-ward in hafte 500
His travel'd fteps: far diftant he deferies
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 frontifpiece of dimond and gold
Embellish'd; thick with fparkling orient gems
The portal fhone, inimitable on earth
By model, or by fhading pencil drawn.

495

505

514

520

The fairs were fuch as whereon Jacob faw 515
Angels afcending and defcending, bands
Of guardians bright, when he from Efau 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.
Each ftair myfterioufly was meant, nor stood
There always, but drawn up to Heav'n fometimes
Viewlefs; and underneath a bright sea 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
Rapt in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds.
The stairs were then let down, whether to dare
The Fiend by eafy' afcent, or aggravate
His fad exclufion from the doors of blifs:
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,
By which, to visit oft thofe happy tribes,
On high behefts his Angels to and fro
Pafs'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard
From Paneas the fount of Jordan's flood
To Becrfaba, where the Holy Land

526

$25

Borders on Egypt and th' Arabian shore; So wide the opening feem'd, where bounds were fet

540

To darkness, fuch as bound the ocean wave.
Satan from hence, now on the lower stair
That fcal'd up fteps of gold to Heaven gate,
Looks down with wonder at the fudden view
Of all this world at once. As when a fcout
Through dark and defert ways with peril gone
All night, at last by break of chearful dawn 545
Obtains the brow of fome high climbing hill,
Which to his eye difcovers unaware
The goodly profpect of fome foreign land
First feen, or fome renown'd metropolis
With glift'ring fpires and pinnacles adorn'd, 550
Which now the rifing fun gilds with his beams:
Such wonder feis'd, though after Heav'n feen,
The Spirit malign, but much more envy feis'd,
At fight of all this world beheld fo fair.
Round he furveys (and well might where he stood
So high above the circling canopy

Of night's extended fhade) from eastern point
Of Libra to the fleecy ftar that bears
Andromeda far off Atlantic feas

560

565

Beyond the horizon; then from pole to pole
He views in breadth, and without longer paufe
Down right into the world's first region throws
His flight precipitant, and winds with eafe
Through the pure marble air his oblique way
Amongst innumerable ftars, that fhone
Stars diftant, but nigh hand feem'd other worlds;
Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy ilcs,
Like thofe Hefperian gardens fam'd of old,
Fortunate fields, and groves, and flow'ry vales,
Thrice happy ifles, but who dwelt happy there 570
He ftay'd not to inquire above them all
The golden fun in fplendor likeft Heaven
Allur'd his eye: thither his courfe he bends
Through the calm firmament, (but up or down,
By centre or eccentric, hard to tell,

575

Or longitude,) where the great luminary
Aloof the vulgar conftellations thick,
That from his lordly eye keep distance due,
Difpenfes light from far; they as they move
Their ftarry dance in numbers that compute 580
Days, months and years, tow'ards his all-chearing
Jamp

610

In vain, though by their pow'rful art they bind
Volatil Hermes, and call up unbound
In various shapes old Proteus from the fea,
Drain'd through a limbec to his native form. 605
What wonder then if fields and regions here
Breathe forth Elixir pure, and rivers run
Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch
The arch-chemic fun, fo far from us remote,
Produces, with terreftrial humor mix'd,
Here in the dark fo many precious things
Of color glorious, and effect fo rare?
Here matter new to gaze the Devil met
Undazled; far and wide his eye commands;
For fight no obftacle found here, nor fhade, 615
But all fun-fhine, as when his beams at noon
Culminate from th' equator, as they now
Shot upward ftill direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body' opaque can fall; and the air
No where fo clear, fharpen'd his vifual ray 625
To objects diftant far, whereby he foon
Saw within ken a glorious Angel ftand,
The fame whom John faw also in the fun :
His back was turn'd, but not his brightnefs hid;
Of beaming funny rays a golden tiar
Circled his head, nor lefs his locks behind
Illuftrious on his shoulders fledge with wings
Lay waving round; on fome great charge em
ploy'd

625

He fecm'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.
Clad was the Spi'rit impure, as now in hope 630
To find who might direct his wand'ring flight
To Paradife the happy feat of Man,
His journey's end and our beginning woe.
But firft he cafts to change his proper shape,
Which elfe might work him danger or delay: 635
And now a ftripling Cherub he appears,
Not of the prime, yet fuch as in his face
Youth fmil'd celeflial, and to every limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, so well he feign'd:
Under a coronet his flowing hair
In curls on either check play'd; wings he were
Of many a color'd plume fprinkled with gold,
His habit fit for fpeed fuccinct, and held
Before his decent fteps a filver wand.

640

Turn Iwift their various motions, or are turn'd
By his magnetic beam, that gently warms
The universe, and to each inward part
With gentle penetration, though unscen,
Shoots invifible virtue ev'n to the deep;
So wondrously was fet his ftation bright.
There lands the Fiend, a spot like which perhaps
Aftronomer in the fun's lucid orb

Through his glaz'd optic tube yet never faw. 590
The place he found beyond expreflion bright,
Compar'd with ought on carth, metal or ftone;
Not all parts like, but all alike inform'd
With radiant light, as glowing ir'on with fire;
If metal, part feem'd gold, part filver clear; 595
If ftone, carbunc mofy or chryfolite,
Ruby or topaz, or the twelve that fhone
In Aaron's breaft-plate, and a ftone besides
Imagin'd rather oft than elfewhere feen,

That ftone or like to that, which here below 600
Philofophers in vain fo long have fought,

650

O'er fea and land: him Satan thus accolts. Uriel, for thou of thofe feven Spi'rits that stand

Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim
Alone thus wand'ring. Brighteft Seraph, tell
In which of all these fhining orbs hath Man
His fixed feat, or fixed feat hath none,

But all these Thining orbs his choice to dwell; 670
That I may find him, and with fecret gaze
Or open admiration him behold,

On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd;
Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd;
That both in him and all things, as is meet, 675
The univerfal Maker we may praise;
Who justly hath driv'n out his rebel foes
To deepeft Hell, and to repair that loss,
Created this new happy race of Men
To ferve him better: wife are all his ways.
So fpake the false diffembler unperceiv'd;
For neither Man nor Angel can discern
Hypocrify, the only evil that walks
Invifible, except to God alone,

680

695

Fair Angel, thy defire, which tends to know
The works of God, thereby to glorify
The great Work-mafter, leads to no excess
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it seems excefs, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal manfion thus alone,

To witnefs with thine eyes what fome perhaps 700
Contented with report hear only' in Heav'n:
For wonderful indeed are all his works,
Pleasant to know, and worthieft to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight.
But what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wisdom infinite

705

That brought them forth, but hid their caufes

deep?

710

1 faw when at his word the formless mafs, This world's material mold, came to a heap: | Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood rul'd, ftood vast infinitude confin'd; Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled, Light fhone, and order from diforder sprung: Swift to their several quarters hafted then The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; And this ethereal quinteffence of Heaven Flew upward, fpirited with various forms, That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars Numberless, as thou seeft, and how they move; Each had his place appointed, each his course; 720 The reft in circuit walls this universe.

716

Look downward on that globe, whose hither fide With light from hence, though but reflected, fhines;

That place is Earth the feat of Man, that light His day, which elfe, as th' other hemifphere 725 Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring

moon

(So call that opposite fair star) her aid
Timely' interpofes, and her monthly round
Still ending, ftill renewing, through mid Heaven,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform 730
Hence fills and empties to enlighten the Earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradise,
Adam's abode, those lofty fhades his bower.
Thy way thou canst not mifs, me mine requires.
Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low,
As to fuperior Spi'rits is wont in Heaven,
Where honor due and reverence none neglects,
Took leave, and tow'ard the coast of earth be-
739

734

neath, Down from th' ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs, Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel, Nor ftay'd, till on Niphates' top he lights.

THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK.