From centre to circumference, whereon,

In contemplation of created things,

By steps we may ascend to God. But say,

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

To him, or possibly his love desert,

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Who form'd us from the dust, and plac'd us here,
Full to the utmost measure of what bliss

Human desires can seek or apprehend?”

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 given thee; be advis'd.
God made thee perfect, not immutable;
And good he made thee, but to persevere

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He left it in thy pow'r; ordain'd thy will

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

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Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how

Can hearts, not free, be try'd whether they serve

Willing or no, who will but what they must

By destiny, and can no other choose?

Myself and all th' Angelic host, that stand

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In sight of God enthron'd, our happy state

Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds ;
On other surety none; freely we serve,

Because we freely love, as in our will

To love or not; in this we stand or fall:

540

And some are fall'n, to disobedience fall'n,

And so from Heav'n to deepest Hell; O fall

From what high state of bliss into what woe !"
To whom our great progenitor. <s Thy words
Attentive, and with more delighted ear,
Divine Instructor, I have heard, than when

545

Cherubic songs by night from neighb'ring hills

Aerial music send: 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, whose command
Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts

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Assur'd me', and still assure: tho' what thou tell'st

Hath pass'd in Heav'n, some doubt within me move,
But more desire to hear, if thou consent,

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The full relation, which must needs be strange,
Worthy of sacred 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 request; and Raphael,

560

After short pause assenting, thus began.

High matter thou enjoin'st me, O prime of men,

Sad task and hard; for how shall I relate

To human sense th' invisible exploits

565

Of warring Spirits? how, without remorse,

The ruin of so many glorious once,

And perfect while they stood? how, last, unfold

The secrets of another world, perhaps

Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good

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This is dispens'd; and what surmounts the reach

Of human sense, I shall delineate so,

By likening spiritual to corporal forms,

575

As may express them best; tho' what if Earth
Be but the shadow' of Heav'n, and things therein,
Each to' other like, more than on earth is thought?
66 As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild
Reign'd where these Heav'ns now roll, where Earth now rests
Upon her centre pois'd; when, on a day,
(For time, though in eternity, apply'd
To motion, measures all things durable
By present, past, and future) on such day

As Heav'n's great year brings forth, th' empyreal host

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Of Angels, by imperial summons 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 ensigns 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 inexpressible they stood,
Orb within orb, the Father infinite,
By whom in bliss imbosom'd sat the Son,

Davant

5go

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Amidst, as from a flaming mount, whose top
Brightness had made invisible, thus spake.

"Hear, all ye Angels, progeny of light,

600

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';

605

And by myself have sworn to him shall bow

All knees in Heav'n, and shall confess him Lord:

Under his great vicegerent reign abidex

United as one individual soul,

610

For ever happy. Him who disobeys,

Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day,

Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls

Into' utter darkness, deep ingulf'd his place
Ordain'd, without redemption, without end.'

"So spake th' Omnipotent, and with his words

All seem'd well pleas'd; all seem'd, but were not all.

That day, as other solemn days, they spent
In song and dance about the sacred hill;
Mystical dance, which yonder starry sphere

G

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Of planets and of fix'd in all her wheels

Resembles nearest, mazes intricate,

Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular

Then most, when most irregular they seem;

And in their mótions harmony divine

625

So smoothes her charming tones, that God's own ear

Listens delighted. Evening now approach'd

(For we have also' our evening and our morn,

We ours for change delectable, not need);

Forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn
Desirous; all in circles as they stood,

630

Tables are set, and on a sudden pil'd

With Angel's food, and rubied nectar flows

In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold,

Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heaven.

On flow'rs repos'd, and with fresh flow'rets crown'd,
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet
Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Of surfeit where full measure only bounds

a

635

Excess, before th' all-bounteous King, who show'r'd
With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.
Now, when ambrósial night with clouds exhal'd

From that high mount of God, whence light and shade
Spring both, the face of brightest Heav'n had chang'd
To grateful twilight (for night comes not there
In darker veil) and roseate dews dispos'd
All but th' unsleeping eyes of God to rest ;
Wide over all the plain, and wider far
Than all this glohous earth in plain outspread,
(Such are the courts of God) th' angelic throng,
Dispers'd in bands and files, their camp extend

By living streams among the trees of life,
Pavilions numberless, and sudden rear'd,

Celestial tabernacles, where they slept,

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Fann'd with cool winds; save those who in their course 655

Melodious hymns about the sov'reign throne

Alternate all night long: but not so wak'd:

Satan; so call him now, his former name
Is heard no more in Heav'n; he of the first,
If not the first Archangel, great in power,
In favour and præeminence, yet fraught

660

With envy' against the Son of God, that day
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd
Messiah King anointed, could not bear,

Thro' pride, that sight, and thought himself impair'd.

€65

Deep malice thence conceiving, and disdain,

Soou as midnight brought on the dusky hour

670

Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv'd
With all his legions to dislodge, and leave
Unworshipp'd, unobey'd the throne supreme,
Contemptuous, and his next subordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in secret spake.

66 6

'Sleep'st thou, companion dear; what sleep can close Thy eye-lids? and remember'st what decree Of yesterday, so late hath pass'd the lips.

675

Of Heav'n's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts
Wast wont, I mine to thee was wont to' impart;

Both waking we were one; how then can now

Thy sleep dissent? New laws thou seest impos'd;

New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise 680
In us who serve, new counsels, to debate

What doubtful may ensue: more in this place
To utter is not safe. Assemble thou

Of all those myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night
Her shadowy cloud withdraws, I am to haste,
And all who under me their banners wave,
Homeward with flying march where we possess
The quarters of the north; there to prepare
Fit entertainment to receive our King
The great Messiah, and his new commands,
Who speedily through all the hierarchies
Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws.'

"So spake the false Archangel, and infus’d

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