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 Beerfaba, where the Holy Land
Borders on Egypt and th' Arabian shore;

So wide the opening feem'd, where bounds were set-
To darkness, fuch as bound the ocean wave.
Satan from hence, now on the lower stair

That fcal'd by steps of gold to Heaven gate,
Looks down with wonder at the fudden view
Of all this world at once. As when a fcont
Through dark and defert ways with peril gone
All night, at laft by break of chearful dawn
Obtains the brow of fome high-climbing hill,
Which to his eye discovers unaware
The goodly prospect of fome foreign land
First feen, or fame renown'd metropolis
With glift'ring fpires and pinnacles adorn'd
Which now the rifing fun gilds with his beams:
Such wonder feis'd, though after Heaven seen,
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 castern point
Of Libra to the fleecy far that bears
Andromeda far off Atlantic feas

Beyond th' horizon; then from pole to pole
He views in breadth, and without longer paufe
Down right into the world's first region throws

535

540

545

550

560*

His flight precipitant, and winds with ease

Through the pure marble air his oblique way
Amongst innumerable stars, that fhone

Stars diftant, but nigh hand seem'd other worlds ;
Or other worlds they seem'd, or happy iles,
Like thofe Hefperian gardens fam'd of old,
Fortunate fields, and groves, and flow'ry vales,
Thrice happy iles, but who dwelt happy there
He stay'd not to inquire: above them all
The golden fun in fplendor likest Heaven
Allur'd his eye thither his courfe he bends
Through the calm firmament, (but up or down,
By center, or eccentric, hard to tell,

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

56.5

570

575

Their ftarry dance in numbers that compute

580

Days months and years, tow'ards his all-chearing lamp

There lands the Fiend, a spot like which perhaps
Aftronomer in the fun's lucent orb

Through his glaz'd optic tube yet never saw.
The place he found beyond expreffion bright,
Compar'd with ought on earth, metal or stone;

590

Not

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;
If ftone, carbuncle moft or chryfolite,
Ruby or topaz, to the twelve that shone
In Aaron's breaft-plate, and a stone befides
Imagin'd rather oft than elsewhere feen,

That ftone, or like to that, which here below
Philofophers in vain fo long have fought,
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.
What wonder then if fields and regions here
Breathe forth Elixir pure, and rivers run
Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch
Th' arch-chemic fun, fo far from us remote,
Produces, with terrestrial humor mix`d,
Here in the dark so 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 obstacle found here, nor shade,
But all fun-fhine, as when his beams at noon
Culminate from th' equator, as they now
Shot upward still direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body opaque can fall; and th' air
No where fo clear, sharpen'd his visual ray
To objects diftant far, whereby he foon

Saw within ken a glorious Angel ftand,

The

The fame whom John faw alfo in the fun :

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

Circled his head, nor lefs his locks behind
Illuftrious on his fhoulders fledge with wings

Lay waving round; on fome great charge employ'd
He feem'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.

625

Glad was the Spi'rit impure, as now in hope
To find who might direct his wand'ring flight
To Paradife the happy feat of Man,
His journey's end and our beginning woe.

630

But first 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 celestial, and to every limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, fo well he feign'd:

Under a coronet his flowing hair

640

In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore

Of many a color'd plume sprinkled with gold,
His habit fit for speed fuccinct, and held
Before his decent steps a filver wand.

645

He drew not nigh unheard; the Angel bright,
Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turn'd,
Admonish'd by his ear, and strait was known
Th' Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the feven
Who in God's presence, nearest to his throne,
Stand ready at command, and are his eyes
That run through all the Heav'ns, or down to th' Earth.

650

Bear his fwift errands over moist and dry,

O'er

O'er fea and land: him Satan thu's accofts.

Uriel, for thou of those seven Spi’rits that stand

In fight of God's high throne, glorioufly bright, 655
The first art wont his great authentic will
Interpreter through highest Heav'n to bring,
Where all his fons thy embassy attend;
And here art likelieft by fupreme decree
Like honor to obtain, and as his

eye

To visit oft this new creation round;
Unfpeakable defire to fee, and know

All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man,
His chief delight and favor, him for whom
All these his works fo wondrous he ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim
Alone thus wand'ring. Brightest Seraph, tell
In which of all these shining orbs hath Man
His fixed feat, or fixed feat 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,

660

665

670

On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd

Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'dz

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 deepest Hell, and to repair that lofs
Created this new happy race of Men
To ferve him better: wife are all his ways.
So fpake the falfe diffembler unperceiv'd;
For neither Man nor Angel can difcern

680

Hypocrify,