That stone, or like to that, which here below
Philosophers in vain so long have sought,

In vain, though by their powerful árt they bind
Volatile Hermes, and call up unbound

In various shapes old Proteus from the sea,
Drain'd through a limbec to his native form.
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 Sun, so far from us remote,
Produces, with terrestial humour mix'd,
Here in the dark so many precious things
Of colour glorious, and effect so rare?

·

Here matter new to gaze the Devil met
Undazzeld; far and wide his eye commands,
For sight no obstacle found here, nor shade,
But all sun-shine, as when his beams at noon
Culminate from the equator, as they now
Shot upward still direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body opaque can fall and the air,
No where so clear, sharpen'd his visual ray
To objects distant far, whereby he soon
Saw within ken a glorious angel stand,

The same whom John saw also in the Sun:

His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid;
Of beaming sunny rays a golden tiar

Circled his head, nor less his locks behind
Illustrious on his shoulders, fledge with wings,
Lay waving, round; on some great charge employ'd
He seem'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.
Glad was the Spirit impure, as now in hope
To find who might direct his wandering flight

La pietra o a quella simile che i sofi
Quaggiù cercar si lungo tempo invano;
Benchè frenar già possan per loro arte
La fuga a Ermete, e su chiamar dal mare
Disciolto in varie guise Proteo antico,
Per docce astretto alla natia sua forma.
Ma che stupor se campi là e regioni
Balsamo spiran e or potabil corrono
I fiumi, quando a un solo tocco il sole
Con chimica virtù, benchè si lunge,
Figura con terreno umor commisto,
Nel fango quivi opre cotante e belle
Di superbi colori e rari obbietti ?

Nuova cagione a riguardar qui incontra
Non abbagliato il tristo; egli ampio impera
Coll'occhio qui non vinto a intoppi od ombre,
Che tutto è a chiaro sol, qual se al meriggio
Dal sommo d' equator suoi raggi scocchi
Che dritti in su riflessi, ombra d'opaco
Corpo scontrar non puon d' intorno e l'aere
Non puro altrove più, suo guardo aiuta
Ai più remoti obbietti; ond ei repente
Scopre un angelo in piè e di gloria cinto,
Quel cui Giovanni vide pur nel sole:
Volgeva il tergo ma splendea sua luce;
Di vivi eletti raggi aurea corona
Cingeagli il capo ed il suo crin fulgente.
Discorrea giù per gli omeri ondeggiando
Intorno mollemente: in grave cura
Pareva, o assorto in cogitar profondo.
Si rallegrò lo spirto reo sperando
Trovar chi il vago suo volar governi

To Paradise, the happy seat of Man,

His journey's end, and our beginning woe.
But first he casts to change his proper shape,
Which else might work him danger or delay¶
And now a stripling cherub he appears,
Not of the prime; yet such as in his face
Youth smil'd celestial, and to every limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, so well he feign'd.
Under a coronet his flowing hair

In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore,
Of many a colour'd plume, sprinkled with gold;
His habit fit for speed succinct, and held
Before his decent steps a silver wand.

He drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright,
Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turn'd,
Admonish'd by his hear, and strait vas known }
The arch-angel Uriel, one of the seven

Who in God's presence, nearest to his throne,
Stand ready at command, and are his eyes

That run through all the heavens, or down to the earth
Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,

O'er sea and land: him Satan thus accosts:

« Uriel, for thou of those seven Spirits, that stand In sight of God's high throne, gloriously bright, The first art wont his great authentic will Interpreter through highest Heaven to bring; Where all his sons thy embassy attend; And here art likeliest by supreme decree Like honour to obtain, and as his eye To visit oft this new creation round:

Unspeakable desire to see, and know.

All these his wondrous works; but chiefly Maň,

Al paradiso, all' almo ostel dell' uomo,
Fine a sua corsa e a nostri affanni inizio.
Ma pria mutare studia il suo sembiante
Per cui potrebbe oprar suo rischio o indugio.
Ed ecco un giovin cherubino ei pare,
Ma non de' primi, gli rideva in volto
Celeste gioventude e in ogni membro
Dicevol grazia apria, si bel mentiva.
Corona avea che gli fioria le chiome
Fuggenti inanellate per le gote;
Ali con penne variopinte, d'oro
Chiazzate; schietta gonna e corta, e verga
Stringeva argentea innanzi ai lievi passi.
Non tacito appressò; l' angel lucente

A lui tuttor lontan tornò suo volto
Raggiante appena udillo, e sì fu visto
L'arcangelo Uriele, l' un de' sette

Che innanzi a Dio, vicini del suo trono
Parati stanno al cenno e son suoi occhi
Che corrono pei cieli, o giù alla terra
Suoi messi presti fan per laghi o monti
Sul mar sul suol: Satan così lo appressa:

« Uriel, tu che un sei de' sette spirti
Di Dio ministri al soglio e d'alta gloria;
Il magno suo voler tu primo aduso
Verace interprete a recar pei cieli,
Dove i suoi figli aspettan nunzi tuoi;

E forse godi quì per alto cenno

Onor simil, qual occhio suo, d'intorno

Di visitar questo novel creato:

Forte desio di scorgere e sapere

Tutt' este sue grandi opre, e l'uom su tutto,

22

His chief delight and favour, him for whom
All these his works so wondrous he ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the choirs of Cherubim
Alone thus wandering. Brightest Seraph, tell
In which of all these shining orbs hath Man
His fixed seat, or fixed seat hath none,
But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell;
That I may find him, and with secret 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,
The universal Maker we may praise;

Who justly hath driven out his rebel foes
To deepest Hell, and, to repair that loss,
Created this new happy race of Men,

To serve him better: wise are all his ways!
So spake the false Dissembler unperceiv'd;
For neither man nor angel can discern
Hypocrisy; the only evil that walks

Invisible, except to God alone,

By his permissive will, through Heaven and Earth:
And oft, though Wisdom wake, Suspicion sleeps
At Wisdom's gate, and to simplicity

Resigns her charge, while Goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill seems: which now for once beguil'd
Uriel, though regent of the Sun, and held
The sharpest-sighted Spirit of all in Heaven :
Who to the fraudulent impostor foul,

In his uprightness, answer thus return'd.

«Fair angel, thy desire, which tends to know The works of God, thereby to glorify