Witness th' irreverent Son Of him who built the Ark, who for the shame Don to his Father, heard this heavie curse, Servant of Servants, on his vitious Race. Thus will this latter

and in derision sets Upon thir Tongues a various Spirit to rase Quite out thir Native Language, and instead To sow a jangling noise of words unknown:

so violence Proceeded, and Oppression, and Sword-Law Through all the Plain, and refuge none was found. Adam was all in tears, and to his guide Lamenting turnd full sad; O what are these, [ 675 ] Deaths Ministers, not Men, who thus deal Death Inhumanly to men, and multiply Ten thousandfould the sin of him who slew His Brother; for of whom such massacher Make they but of thir Brethren, men of men?

least the Fiend Or in behalf of Man, or to invade Vacant possession som new trouble raise:

Till I provided Death;

Fruits of more pleasing savour from thy seed Sow'n with contrition in his heart, then those Which his own hand manuring all the Trees Of Paradise could have produc't, ere fall'n From innocence.

To the Winds they set Thir corners, when with bluster to confound [ 665 ] Sea, Aire, and Shoar, the Thunder when to rowle With terror through the dark Aereal Hall.

The Sun Had first his precept so to move, so shine, As might affect the Earth with cold and heat Scarce tollerable, and from the North to call Decrepit Winter, from the South to bring [ 655 ] Solstitial summers heat.

See with what heat these Dogs of Hell advance To waste and havoc yonder World, which I So fair and good created, and had still Kept in that State, had not the folly of Man Let in these wastful Furies,

Till thir lost shape, permitted, they resum'd,

A World who would not purchase with a bruise, [ 500 ] Or much more grievous pain?

With joy [ 345 ] And tidings fraught, to Hell he now return'd, And at the brink of Chaos, neer the foot Of this new wondrous Pontifice, unhop't Met who to meet him came, his Ofspring dear. Great joy was at thir meeting, and at sight [ 350 ] Of that stupendious Bridge his joy encreas'd

For Death from Sin no power can separate.

Wherein God set thee above her made of thee,

Them fully satisfied, and thee appease. Attendance none shall need, nor Train, where none [ 80 ] Are to behold the Judgement, but the judg'd, Those two; the third best absent is condemn'd, Convict by flight, and Rebel to all Law Conviction to the Serpent none belongs.

Superior: for inferior who is free?

Such prohibitions binde not. But if Death [ 760 ] Bind us with after-bands, what profits then Our inward freedom?

Or is it envie, and can envie dwell In Heav'nly brests? these, these and many more

Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe, Why but to keep ye low and ignorant, His worshippers; he knows that in the day

And to repaire his numbers thus impair'd, Whether such vertue spent of old now faild [ 145 ] More Angels to Create, if they at least Are his Created,

Terrestrial Heav'n, danc't round by other Heav'ns That shine, yet bear thir bright officious Lamps, Light above Light, for thee alone, as seems, [ 105 ] In thee concentring all thir precious beams Of sacred influence: As God in Heav'n Is Center, yet extends to all, so thou

If answerable style I can obtaine [ 20 ] Of my Celestial Patroness, who deignes

Let not my words offend thee, Heav'nly Power, My Maker, be propitious while I speak. [ 380 ] Hast thou not made me here thy substitute, And these inferiour farr beneath me set?

For I that Day was absent, as befell, Bound on a voyage uncouth and obscure, [ 230 ] Farr on excursion toward the Gates of Hell; Squar'd in full Legion (such command we had) To see that none thence issu'd forth a spie, Or enemie, while God was in his work, Least hee incenst at such eruption bold, [ 235 ] Destruction with Creation might have mixt.

The Filial Power arriv'd, and sate him down With his great Father (for he also went Invisible, yet staid, such priviledge Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordain'd,

Subdue it, and throughout Dominion hold

And worship God Supream, who made him chief [ 515 ] Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent Eternal Father (For where is not hee Present) thus to his Son audibly spake.

The Serpent suttl'st Beast of all the field, [ 495 ] Of huge extent somtimes, with brazen Eyes And hairie Main terrific, though to thee Not noxious, but obedient at thy call.

Her Universal Face with pleasant green,

when God said Be gather'd now ye Waters under Heav'n Into one place, and let dry Land appeer. Immediately the Mountains huge appeer [ 285 ] Emergent, and thir broad bare backs upheave Into the Clouds, thir tops ascend the Skie: So high as heav'd the tumid Hills, so low Down sunk a hollow bottom broad and deep, Capacious bed of Waters: thither they [ 290 ] Hasted with glad precipitance, uprowld As drops on dust conglobing from the drie; Part rise in crystal Wall, or ridge direct, For haste; such flight the great command impress'd On the swift flouds: as Armies at the call [ 295 ] Of Trumpet (for of Armies thou hast heard) Troop to thir Standard, so the watrie throng, Wave rowling after Wave, where way they found, If steep, with torrent rapture, if through Plaine, Soft-ebbing; nor withstood them Rock or Hill, [ 300 ] But they, or under ground, or circuit wide With Serpent errour wandring, found thir way, And on the washie Oose deep Channels wore; Easie, e're God had bid the ground be drie, All but within those banks, where Rivers now [ 305 ] Stream, and perpetual draw thir humid traine.

so he the World Built on circumfluous Waters calme, in wide [ 270 ] Crystallin Ocean, and the loud misrule Of Chaos farr remov'd, least fierce extreames Contiguous might distemper the whole frame:

He took the golden Compasses, prepar'd [ 225 ] In Gods Eternal store, to circumscribe This Universe, and all created things: One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd Round through the vast profunditie obscure, And said, thus farr extend, thus farr thy bounds, [ 230 ] This be thy just Circumference, O World. Thus God the Heav'n created, thus the Earth, Matter unform'd and void: Darkness profound Cover'd th' Abyss: but on the watrie calme His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspred, [ 235 ] And vital vertue infus'd, and vital warmth Throughout the fluid Mass, but downward purg'd The black tartareous cold Infernal dregs Adverse to life: then founded, then conglob'd Like things to like, the rest to several place [ 240 ] Disparted, and between spun out the Air, And Earth self ballanc't on her Center hung.

sends his Son with Glory and attendance of Angels to perform the work of Creation in six dayes:

With Mountains as with Weapons arm'd, which makes Wild work in Heav'n, and dangerous to the maine.

Thy self not free, but to thy self enthrall'd;

At first I thought that Libertie and Heav'n To heav'nly Soules had bin all one; but now [ 165 ] I see that most through sloth had rather serve, Ministring Spirits, traind up in Feast and Song; Such hast thou arm'd, the Minstrelsie of Heav'n, Servilitie with freedom to contend, As both thir deeds compar'd this day shall prove.

Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire [ 95 ] Hymning th' Eternal Father: but the shout Of Battel now began, and rushing sound Of onset ended soon each milder thought.

so over many a tract Of Heav'n they march'd, and many a Province wide Tenfold the length of this terrene: at last Farr in th' Horizon to the North appeer'd From skirt to skirt a fierie Region, stretcht [ 80 ] In battailous aspect, and neerer view Bristl'd with upright beams innumerable Of rigid Spears, and Helmets throng'd, and Shields Various, with boastful Argument portraid, The banded Powers of Satan hasting on [ 85 ] With furious expedition; for they weend That self same day by fight, or by surprize To win the Mount of God, and on his Throne To set the envier of his State, the proud Aspirer, but thir thoughts prov'd fond and vain

Equal in number to that Godless crew

But say, What meant that caution joind, if ye be found Obedient? can we want obedience then To him, or possibly his love desert

Vertue-proof, no thought infirme Alterd her cheek.

To whom thus Eve. Adam, earths hallowd mould, Of God inspir'd, small store will serve, where store, All seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk;

Best Image of my self and dearer half

So quick'nd appetite, that I, methought, [ 85 ] Could not but taste.

With gentle voice, I thought it thine

To whom thus Eve with perfet beauty adornd. My Author and Disposer, what thou bidst [ 635 ] Unargu'd I obey; so God ordains, God is thy Law, thou mine: to know no more Is womans happiest knowledge and her praise. With thee conversing I forget all time,

By Ignorance, is that thir happie state, The proof of thir obedience and thir faith?

Both of her Beauty and submissive Charms Smil'd with superior Love,

With kisses pure: aside the Devil turnd For envie, yet with jealous leer maligne

Part of my Soul I seek thee, and thee claim My other half: with that thy gentle hand Seisd mine, I yielded, and from that time see

Thou following cryd'st aloud, Return faire Eve, Whom fli'st thou? whom thou fli'st, of him thou art,

Love no where to be found less then Divine!

Father, thy word is past, man shall find grace; And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speediest of thy winged messengers, To visit all thy creatures, and to all [ 230 ] Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unsought, Happie for man, so coming; he her aide Can never seek, once dead in sins and lost; Attonement for himself or offering meet, Indebted and undon, hath none to bring: [ 235 ] Behold mee then, mee for him, life for life I offer, on mee let thine anger fall; Account mee man; I for his sake will leave Thy bosom, and this glorie next to thee Freely put off, and for him lastly dye [ 240 ] Well pleas'd, on me let Death wreck all his rage; Under his gloomie power I shall not long Lie vanquisht; thou hast givn me to possess Life in my self for ever, by thee I live, Though now to Death I yield, and am his due [ 245 ] All that of me can die, yet that debt paid, Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsom grave His prey, nor suffer my unspotted Soule For ever with corruption there to dwell; But I shall rise Victorious, and subdue [ 250 ] My Vanquisher, spoild of his vanted spoile; Death his deaths wound shall then receive, and stoop Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarm'd. I through the ample Air in Triumph high Shall lead Hell Captive maugre Hell, and show [ 255 ] The powers of darkness bound. Thou at the sight Pleas'd, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile, While by thee rais'd I ruin all my Foes, Death last, and with his Carcass glut the Grave: Then with the multitude of my redeemd [ 260 ] Shall enter Heaven long absent, and returne, Father, to see thy face, wherein no cloud Of anger shall remain, but peace assur'd, And reconcilement; wrauth shall be no more Thenceforth, but in thy presence Joy entire.

He with his whole posteritie must dye,

Made passive both, had servd necessitie, [ 110 ] Not mee. They therefore as to right belongd, So were created, nor can justly accuse Thir maker, or thir making, or thir Fate,

What pleasure I from such obedience paid,

Hee and his faithless Progenie: whose fault? Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee

Onely begotten Son, seest thou what rage [ 80 ] Transports our adversarie, whom no bounds Prescrib'd, no barrs of Hell, nor all the chains Heapt on him there, nor yet the main Abyss Wide interrupt can hold; so bent he seems

But now at last the sacred influence Of light appears, and from the walls of Heav'n [ 1035 ] Shoots farr into the bosom of dim Night A glimmering dawn; here Nature first begins

I come no enemie, but to set free

Than Hells dread Emperour with pomp Supream, [ 510 ] And God-like imitated State; him round

His own: for neither do the Spirits damn'd Loose all thir vertue; least bad men should boast Thir specious deeds on earth, which glory excites, Or clos ambition varnisht o're with zeal.

A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seemd [ 110 ] For dignity compos'd and high exploit: But all was false and hollow; though his Tongue Dropt Manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, to perplex and dash Maturest Counsels: for his thoughts were low; [ 115 ] To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds Timorous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the ear, And with perswasive accent thus began.

Satan exalted sat, by merit rais'd [ 5 ] To that bad eminence; and from despair Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue Vain Warr with Heav'n, and by success untaught His proud imaginations thus displaid.

In Fable or Romance of Uthers Son

First Moloch, horrid King besmear'd with bloodOf human sacrifice, and parents tears,Though for the noyse of Drums and Timbrels loudThir childrens cries unheard, that past through fire [ 395 ]To his grim Idol.

Thir Seats long after next the Seat of God,

Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n

The mind is its own place, and in it selfCan make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.

Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd [ 35 ] The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride Had cast him out from Heav'n, with all his Host Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring To set himself in Glory above his Peers, He trusted to have equal'd the most High, [ 40 ] If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim Against the Throne and Monarchy of God

Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the first