Satan winged his way to the gates of hell, before which, guarding the portals, sat Sin and Death. Satan promises to both dominion in the earth, at which they favored his departure, And Death Grinn'd horribly a ghastly smile, to hear His famine should be fill'd. up They drew the huge portcullis and set wide the infernal doors, at whose feet yawned the illimitable ocean of chaos. The wary fiend standing on the brink of hell looked awhile into the abyss, pondering his voyage, while loud and ruinous noises pealed in his ears. At last he spread his wings, and after a slight ascent, met with a void space where his pinions fluttered in vain, and he dropped down ten thousand fathoms, until a cloud hurried him as many miles aloft, and wading half on foot and half flying through a boggy syrtis, he reached the throne of chaos and communed with the old anarch-then springing up like a pyramid of fire through the shock of fighting elements, he moved on with difficulty and labor until he reached the glimmering dawn of light on the last verge of nature, and there weighing his spread wings he paused to behold at leisure the far off heaven, once his habitation, adorned with opal towers and battlements of living sapphire, from which by a golden chain hung the world, small as a little star close by the moon, and thither in proud malevolence he bent his inauspicious way. The progress of Satan was tracked by the Almighty power, who foretold the success of his purpose and revealed the mystery of human redemption, at which the multitude of angels, with a shout loud and sweet as from blest voices uttering joy, sang loud hosannahs, bent in adoration before the throne, and cast down their crowns interwoven of amarant and gold, until the bright pavement shone like a sea of jasper empurpled with celestial roses. In the mean time Satan alighted on the bare convex of the world's outermost orb, and walked up and down in gloomy solitude, intent on his prey, until at last a gleam of light attracted his attention, and he descried afar off a high structure of stairs, at the top of which appeared a palace gate embellished with diamond and gold, while beneath flowed a bright sea of liquid pearl. From thence he looked down with wonder on the sudden view of the earth, and winding his oblique way amongst innumerable stars, threw his precipitate flight downwards into the first region of the system. Above all the sun allured him; there he alighted and saw the glorious angel Uriel, on whose head was a golden tiar of sunbeams, while his locks waved over his shoulders fledged with wings. Satan then assumed the guise of a stripling cherub, and having accosted the archangel in hypocritical accents, at length landed on the earth upon the summit of Mount Niphates. There, while in sight of paradise, he was filled with doubts and misgivings; but he overleaped the walls of Eden, and, like a cormorant, sat upon the tree of life, which overtopped the rest, and viewed the scene around him. And there burst upon his sight crisped brooks rolling over pearls and sands of gold, amidst flowers profusely poured over hill and dale, and groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balms; and he saw the vine creep with its purple grapes over the shady cavern, and listened to the mingled minstrelsy of rivulets and birds. And before him stood the parents of mankind in their unpretending majesty, amidst beasts, unconscious of the savage passions of their after life, which sported innocently, the lion playing with the kid, and the bear and panther gambolling together. Satan marvelled much at the excellent form and happy state of man, but relented not in his purpose. He metamorphosed himself into the image of a beast, and lingered round and listened to the words of Adam and Eve, who, with the warmth of mutual affection and natural piety discoursed of the happiness of their simple existence, and of the tree of knowledge whose fruit was forbidden to their taste. Satan turned away for envy, and eyed them askance, but he discovered in what manner to direct his temptation. He left them; and Uriel, Gliding through the even, On a sun beam, swift as a shooting star, hastened to Gabriel, who sat upon a rock of alabaster piled to the clouds, while round him was celestial armory flaming with diamond and gold. Uriel warned Gabriel that an evil spirit had escaped the deep, and passed by his sphere at noon down to paradise, in the form of a good angel. Night fell, and Adam and Eve, having poured forth their songs of pure devotion, sank into slumber within their bower, A place Chosen by the sovran Planter, when he fram'd Of thickest covert was inwoven shade Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub Fenc'd up the verdant wall; each beauteous flower, Iris all hues, roses, and jessamin, Rear'd high their flourished heads between, and wrought Mosaic; underfoot the violet, Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay Broider'd the ground, more colour'd than with stone Of costliest emblem: other creatures here, Beast, bird, insect, or worm, durst enter none; Such was their awe of Man. In shadier bower Gabriel disposed his myriads of bright spirits to discover the enemy, and particularly deputed Ithuriel and Zephon with winged speed to search through paradise and protect the slumberers. They found Satan at the ear of Eve, inspiring deceitful dreams, and Ithuriel lightly touched him with his spear. The fiend in his natural shape started up, and the two angels, half amazed so suddenly to behold the grisly king, stepped back. But they brought him before Gabriel, and the fiend with stern frowns confronted the archangel and threatened vengeance; but the phalanx of spirits hemmed him round with pointed spears. Satan alarm'd, Collecting all his might, dilated stood, His stature reach'd the sky, and on his crest and with haughty murmurs he fled from the holy presence. When morning dawned Eve related to Adam the terrors of her dream, and they went forth to begin the day, hymning their grateful praises with prompt eloquence more tuneable than lute or harp. Raphael was dispatched from heaven to warn them of their danger. He came, entered into their bower and discovered his purpose, narrated the late revolt in heaven, the conflicts of the angels, and the final overthrow of the spirits of darkness. He revealed the mysterious creation of the world, but with doubtful answer replied to Adam when he sought to enquire into the secrets of the celestial realms. Adam, unwilling that Raphael should depart, detained him with an artless narration of his own birth, and the thoughts and happy sensations that had beguiled him since he was first filled with life. The angel then departed; and Satan, who had compassed the earth and ridden with darkness-being cautious of day since Uriel had descried |