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, 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. 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,
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. Witnesss this new-made world, another Heav'n 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
Inform'd by thee might know; if else thou seek'st Ought, not surpassing human measure, say.
THE END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK.
Adam inquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more wor hy of knowledge: Adam as sets, 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, An atom, with the firmament compar'd And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll Spaces incomprehensible (for such Their distance argues and their swift return Diurnal) merely to officiate light
Round this opacous earth, this punctual spot, One day and night in all their vast survey Useless besides; reasoning I oft admire, How Nature, wise and frugal, could commit Such disproportions, with superfluous hand So many nobler bodies to create,
Greater so manifold to this one use,
For ought appears, and, on their obs impose Such restless revolution day by day Repeated, while the sedentary earth,
That better might with far less compass move, Serv'd by more noble than herself, attains Her end without least motion, and receives, As tribute, such a sumless journey brought Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light; Speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails. So spake our Sire, and by his count'nance seem'd Ent'ring on studious thoughts abstruse, which Eve 40 Perceiving where she sat retir'd in sight,
With lowliness majestic from her seat,
And grace that won who saw to wish her stay, Rose, and went forth among her fruits and flowers, To visit how they prosper'd, bud and bloom,
Her nursery; they at her coming sprung,
And touch'd by her fair tendence gladlier grew. Yet went she not, as not with such discourse Delighted, or not capable her ear
Of what was high: such pleasure she reserv'd, Adam relating, she sole auditress;
Her husband the relator she preferr'd Before the Angel, and of him to ask
Chose rather; he, she knew, would intermix Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute With conjugal caresses; from his lip
Not words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now Such pairs in love and mutual honour join'd? With goddess-like demeanour forth she went, Not unattended, for on her, as queen, A pomp of winning Graces waited still, And from about her shot darts of desire Into all eyes to wish her still in sight. And Raphael now to Adam's doubt propos'd Benevolent and facile thus reply'd:
To ask or search I blame thee not, for Heav'n
Is as the book of God before thee set,
Wherein to read his wondrous works, and learn His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years: This to attain, whether Heav'n move or Earth, Imports not, if thou reckon right; the rest From man or angel the great Architect Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge His secrets to be scann'd by them who ought Rather admire; or if they list to try
« AnteriorContinuar » |