LITMIR.BIZ

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Of Bacchus and his Revellers, the Race Of that wilde Rout that tore the Thracian Bard In Rhodope, where Woods and Rocks had Eares To rapture, till the savage clamor dround Both Harp and Voice; nor could the Muse defend Her Son. So fail not thou, who thee implores: For thou art Heav’nlie, shee an empty dreame.

      Say Goddess, what ensu’d when Raphael, The affable Arch-angel, had forewarn’d Adam by dire example to beware Apostasie, by what befell in Heaven To those Apostates, least the like befall In Paradise to Adam or his Race, Charg’d not to touch the interdicted Tree, If they transgress, and slight that sole command, So easily obeyd amid the choice Of all tasts else to please thir appetite, Though wandring. He with his consorted Eve The storie heard attentive, and was fill’d With admiration, and deep Muse to heare Of things so high and strange, things to thir thought So unimaginable as hate in Heav’n, And Warr so neer the Peace of God in bliss With such confusion: but the evil soon Driv’n back redounded as a flood on those From whom it sprung, impossible to mix With Blessedness. Whence Adam soon repeal’d The doubts that in his heart arose: and now Led on, yet sinless, with desire to know What neerer might concern him, how this World Of Heav’n and Earth conspicuous first began, When, and whereof created, for what cause, What within Eden or without was done Before his memorie, as one whose drouth Yet scarce allay’d still eyes the current streame, Whose liquid murmur heard new thirst excites, Proceeded thus to ask his Heav’nly Guest.

      Great things, and full of wonder in our eares,

       Farr differing from this World, thou hast reveal’d

       Divine Interpreter, by favour sent

       Down from the Empyrean to forewarne

       Us timely of what might else have bin our loss,

       Unknown, which human knowledg could not reach:

       For which to the infinitly Good we owe

       Immortal thanks, and his admonishment

       Receave with solemne purpose to observe

       Immutably his sovran will, the end

       Of what we are. But since thou hast voutsaf’t

       Gently for our instruction to impart

       Things above Earthly thought, which yet concernd

       Our knowing, as to highest wisdom seemd,

       Deign to descend now lower, and relate

       What may no less perhaps availe us known,

       How first began this Heav’n which we behold

       Distant so high, with moving Fires adornd

       Innumerable, and this which yeelds or fills

       All space, the ambient Aire wide interfus’d

       Imbracing round this florid Earth, what cause

       Mov’d the Creator in his holy Rest

       Through all Eternitie so late to build

       In Chaos, and the work begun, how soon Absolv’d, if unforbid thou maist unfould What wee, not to explore the secrets aske Of his Eternal Empire, but the more To magnifie his works, the more we know. And the great Light of Day yet wants to run Much of his Race though steep, suspens in Heav’n Held by thy voice, thy potent voice he heares, And longer will delay to heare thee tell His Generation, and the rising Birth Of Nature from the unapparent Deep: Or if the Starr of Eevning and the Moon Haste to thy audience, Night with her will bring Silence, and Sleep listning to thee will watch, Or we can bid his absence, till thy Song End, and dismiss thee ere the Morning shine.

      Thus Adam his illustrous Guest besought:

      And thus the Godlike Angel answerd milde.

       This also thy request with caution askt

       Obtaine: though to recount Almightie works

       What words or tongue of Seraph can suffice,

       Or heart of man suffice to comprehend?

       Yet what thou canst attain, which best may serve

       To glorifie the Maker, and inferr

       Thee also happier, shall not be withheld

       Thy hearing, such Commission from above

       I have receav’d, to answer thy desire

       Of knowledge within bounds; beyond abstain

       To ask, nor let thine own inventions hope

       Things not reveal’d, which th’ invisible King,

       Onely Omniscient, hath supprest in Night,

       To none communicable in Earth or Heaven:

       Anough is left besides to search and know.

       But Knowledge is as food, and needs no less

       Her Temperance over Appetite, to know

       In measure what the mind may well contain,

       Oppresses else with Surfet, and soon turns

       Wisdom to Folly, as Nourishment to Winde.

      Know then, that after Lucifer from Heav’n (So call him, brighter once amidst the Host Of Angels, then that Starr the Starrs among) Fell with his flaming Legions through the Deep Into his place, and the great Son returnd Victorious with his Saints, th’ Omnipotent Eternal Father from his Throne beheld Thir multitude, and to his Son thus spake.

      At least our envious Foe hath fail’d, who thought

       All like himself rebellious, by whose aid

       This inaccessible high strength, the seat

       Of Deitie supream, us dispossest,

       He trusted to have seis’d, and into fraud

       Drew many, whom thir place knows here no more;

       Yet farr the greater part have kept, I see,

       Thir station, Heav’n yet populous retaines

       Number sufficient to possess her Realmes

       Though wide, and this high Temple to frequent

       With Ministeries due and solemn Rites:

       But least his heart exalt him in the harme

       Already done, to have dispeopl’d Heav’n,

       My damage fondly deem’d, I can repaire

       That detriment, if such it be to lose

       Self-lost, and in a moment will create

       Another World, out of one man a Race

       Of men innumerable, there to dwell,

       Not here, till by degrees of merit rais’d

       They open to themselves at length the way

       Up hither, under long obedience tri’d,

       And Earth be chang’d to Heavn, & Heav’n to Earth,

       One Kingdom, Joy and Union without end.

       Mean while inhabit laxe, ye Powers of Heav’n,

       And thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee

       This I perform, speak thou, and be it don:

       My overshadowing Spirit and might with thee

       I send along, ride forth, and bid the Deep

       Within appointed bounds be Heav’n and Earth,

       Boundless the Deep, because I am who fill

       Infinitude, nor vacuous the space.

       Though I uncircumscrib’d my self retire,

       And put not forth my goodness, which is free

       To act or not, Necessitie and Chance

       Approach not mee, and what I will is Fate.

      So spake th’ Almightie, and to what he spake

       His Word, the Filial Godhead, gave effect.

      

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