And here art likeliest by supreme decree To visit oft this new creation round; All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man, 660 665 670 Or open admiration him behold, On whom the great Creator hath bestowed Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd; 675 The universal Maker we may praise; Who justly hath driven out his rebel foes Invisible, except to God alone, 680 Ey his permissive will, through Heaven and Earth And oft, though Wisdom wake, Suspicion sleeps 686 At Wisdom's gate, and to Simplicity Resigns her charge, while Goodness thinks no ill Where no ill seems; which now for once beguiled Uriel, though regent of the sun, and held 690 The sharpest sighted Spirit of all in Heaven; In his uprightness, answer thus return'd: Fair Angel, thy desire, which tends to know The works of God, thereby to glorify 695 The great Workmaster, leads to no excess 700 705 710 That reaches blame, but rather merits praise The more it seems excess, that led thee hither From thy empyreal mansion thus alone, To witness with thine eyes what some perhaps, Contented with report, hear only in Heaven: For wonderful indeed are all his works, Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all Had in remembrance always with delight; But what creative mind can comprehend Their number, or the wisdom infinite That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep I saw when at his word the formless mass, This world's material mould, came to a heap : Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung : Swift to their several quarters hasted then The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; And this etherial quintessence of Heaven Flew upward, spirited with various forms, That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars Numberless, as thou seest, and how they move. Each had his place appointed, each his course; The rest in circuit walls this universe. Look downward on that globe, whose hither side With light from hence, though but reflected, shines; That place is Earth, the seat of Man; that light 715 720 725 His day, which else, as the other hemisphere, Night would invade; but there the neighbouring moon (So call that opposite fair star) her aid Timely interposes, and her monthly round Still ending, still renewing, through mid Heaven, 730 Adam's abode; those lofty shades, his bower. As to Superior Spirits is wont in Heaven, Nor staid, till on Niphates' top he lights. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IV. Satan, now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil; journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation are described; overleaps the bounds; sits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse: thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation by seducing them to transgress: Then leaves them awhile to know further of their state by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel descending an a sunbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradise, that some evil Spirit had escaped the deep, and passed at noon by his sphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious gestures on the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest: Their bower described; their evening worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adam's bower, lest the evil Spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping: there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel: by whom questioned, he scornfully answers; prepares resistance; but, hindered by a sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise O FOR that warning voice, which he who saw 10 15. 20 Yet, not rejoicing in his speed, though bold 25 30 Of this new world; at whose sight all the stars 35 40 Till pride and worse ambition threw me down 45 I 'sdain'd subjection, and thought one step higher 50 |