590

595

“ Invisible, yet staid, (such privilege
“ Hath Omnipresence,) and the work ordain'd,
“ Author and End of all things; and, from work
“ Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the Seventh 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,
600 “ Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount.

“ Creation and the six days' acts they sung:

“Great are thy works, Jehovah ! infinite

Thy power! What thought can measure thee, or tongue “Relate thee? Greater now in thy return 605

“ • 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 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 615 “ 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 destin'd habitation; but thou know'st
“ • Their seasons : among these, the seat of men,

Earth, with her nether ocean circumfus'd, 625 •• Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy men,

“And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanc'd!

610

620

630

«« « 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 hallelujahs: thus was the Sabbath kept.

“ And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd
“ How first this world and face of things began,
“ And what before thy memory was done
“From the beginning; that posterity,

“ Inform’d by thee, might know. If else thou seek'st 640 “ Aught not surpassing human measure, say."

635

BOOK VIII. THE ARGUMENT.

Adam inquires concerning celestial motions; is doubtfully answered, and

exhorted to search 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.

ܪ

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK VIII.

5

The angel ended ; and in Adam's ear
So charming left his voice, that he a while
Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear ;
Then, as new-wak’d, thus gratefully replied:

“ What thanks sufficient, or what recompense
Equal, have I to render thee, divine
“ Historian! who thus largely hast allay'd
“ The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsaf'd

“ This friendly condescension to relate
10 “ Things, else by me unsearchable; now heard

“ With wonder, but delight, and, as is due,
“ With glory attributed 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 compar'd
“ And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll

Spaces incomprehensible, (for such
“Their distance argues, and their swift return

Diurnal,) merely to officiate light

15

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