Relate thee?

Greater now in thy return

Than from the Giant-Angels: Thee that day
Thy thunders magnified; but to create

Is greater than created to destroy.

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

Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain,
Thou hast repelled; 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
Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more good.
Witness this new-made world, another Heaven!
From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view
On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea;
Of amplitude almost immense, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world
Of destined habitation; but thou know'st
Their seasons: among these the seat of men,
Earth, with her nether ocean circumfused,

Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men,
And sons of Men, whom God hath thus advanced!
Created in his image, there to dwell

And worship him; and in reward to rule
Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air,
And multiply a race of worshippers
Holy and just thrice happy, if they know
Their happiness, and persevere upright!
So sung they, and the empyréan rung
With halleluiahs: thus was Sabbath kept.

And thy request think now fulfilled, that asked
How first this world and face of things began,
And what before thy memory was done

From the beginning; that posterity,

Informed by thee, might know. If else thou seek'st Aught, not surpassing human measure, say.

END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK.

THE

EIGHTH BOOK

OF

PARADISE LOST.

ARGUMENT.

Adam inquires concerning celestial motions; is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to seach rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam assents; and, still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation; his placing in Paradise; his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society; his first meeting and nuptials with Eve; his discourse with the Angel thereupon; who, after admonitions repeated, departs.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK VIII.

THE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear

So charming left his voice, that he a while
Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed to hear
Then, as new waked, thus gratefully replied.
What thanks sufficient, or what recompense
Equal, have I to render thee, divine
Historian! who thus largely hast allayed
The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsafed
This friendly condescension to relate
Things, else by me unsearchable; now heard
With wonder, but delight; and, as is due,
With glory áttributed to the high
Creator? Something yet of doubt remains,
Which only thy solution can resolve.

When I behold this goodly frame, this world,
Of Heaven and Earth consisting; and compute
Their magnitudes; this Earth, a spot, a grain,
An atom, with the firmament compared,

Q

: