Rising, the crumbled earth above them threw
In hillocs: the swift stag from under ground
Bare up his branching head: scarce from his mould
Behemoth biggest born of earth upheav'd

His vastness: fleec'd the flocks and bleating rose,
As plants: ambiguous between sea and land

The river horse and scaly crocodile.

47

At once came forth whatever creeps the ground, 475
Insect or worm: those wav'd their limber fans
For wings, and smallest lineaments exact
In all the liveries deck'd of summer's pride,
With spots of gold and purple', azure and green :
These as a line their long dimension drew,
Streaking the ground with sinuous trace; not all
Minims of nature; some of serpent kind,
Wondrous in length and corpulence, involv'd

480

Their snaky folds, and added wings. First crept
The parsimonious emmet, provident

485

Of future, in small room large heart inclos'd,
Pattern of just equality perhaps

And thou their natures know'st, and gav'st them names,
Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown

The serpent subtlest beast of all the field,
Of huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes

T 2

495

And hairy mane terrific, though to thee

Not noxious, but obedient at thy call.

Now Heav'n in all her glory shone, and roll'd Her motions, as the great first Mover's hand

500

First wheel'd their course; earth in her rich attire

Consummate lovely smil'd; air, water, earth,

By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remain'd;

There wanted yet the master work, the end

505

Of all yet done; a creature who not prone
And brute as other creatures, but indued
With sanctity of reason, might erect
His stature, and upright with front serene
Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence
Magnanimous to correspond with Heaven,
But grateful to acknowledge whence his good

510

Descends, thither with heart and voice and eyes
Directed in devotion, to adore

And worship God supreme, who made him chief
Of all his works: therefore th' Omnipotent

515

Eternal Father (for where is not he

Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake.

LET us make now Man in our image, Man

In our similitude, and let them rule
Over the fish and fowl of sea and air,

Beast of the field, and over all the earth,

the ground.

And every creeping thing that creeps
This said, he form'd thee, Adam, thee, O Man,
Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath'd

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The breath of life; in his own image he
Created thee, in the image of God

Express, and thou becam❜st a living soul.

Male he created thec, but thy consort

Female for race; then bless'd mankind, and said,
Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth,
Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold
Over fish of the sea, and fowl of th' air,

530

And every living thing that moves on th' earth.
Wherever thus created, for no place

535

Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know'st,

He brought thee into this delicious grove,
This garden, planted with the trees of God,
Delectable both to behold and taste;

And freely all their pleasant fruit for food

540

Gave thee; all sorts are here that all th' earth yields

Variety without end; but of the tree,

Which tasted works knowledge of good and evil,

Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st, thou dy'st;
Death is the penalty impos'd, beware,

545

And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin

Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death.
HERE finish'd he, and all that he had made
View'd, and behold all was entirely good;
So even and morn accomplish'd the sixth day:
Yet not till the Creator from his work
Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd,
Up to the Heav'n of Heav'ns his high abode,
Thence to behold this new created world
Th' addition of his empire, how it show'd

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In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair,
Answering his great idea. Up he rode
Follow'd with acclamation and the sound
Symphonious of ten thousand harps that tun'd

Angelic harmonies: the earth, the air

560

Resounded, (thou remember'st, for thou heard'st)

The Heav'ns and all the constellations rung,
The planets in their station list'ning stood,
While the bright pomp ascended jubilant.
Open, ye everlasting gates, they sung,

565

Open, ye Heav'ns, your living doors; let in

The great Creator from his work return'd

Magnificent, his six days' work, a world;
Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign
To visit oft the dwellings of just men

Delighted, and with frequent intercourse
Thither will send his winged messengers
On errands of supernal grace.

So sung

The glorious train ascending: He through Heaven,
That open'd wide her blazing portals, led

To God's eternal house direct the way,

A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold,
And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear,
Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,

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Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest

580

Powder'd with stars. And now on earth the seventh

Evening arose in Eden, for the sun

Was set, and twilight from the east came on,

Forerunning night; when at the holy mount

Of Heav'n's high-scated top, th' imperial throne 585

Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and sure,

The Filial Pow'r arriv'd, and sat him down
With his great Father, for he also went
Invisible, yet staid, (such privilege

Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordain'd,
Author and end of all things, and from work

595

Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the sev'nth day,

As resting on that day from all his work,

But not in silence holy kept; the harp
Had work, and rested not, the solemn pipe,
And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,
All sounds on fret by string or golden wire
Temper'd soft tunings intermix'd with voice
Choral or unison of incense clouds
Fuming from golden censers hid the mount.
Creation and the six days' acts they sung,

595

600

Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite

Thy pow'r; what thought can measure thee, or tongue

Relate thee? Greater now in thy return

Than from the giant angels; thee that day

605

Thy thunders magnify'd; but to create

Is greater than created to destroy.

Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound
Thy empire? Easily the proud attempt

610

Of Spirits apostate and their counsels vain
Thou hast repell'd, while impiously they thought
Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks
To lessen thee, against his purpose serves
To manifest the more thy might: his evil

615