Raphael at the request of Adam relates how and wherefore this world was firft created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his Angels out of Heaven, declared his pleasure to create another world and other creatures to dwell therein; fends his Son with glory and attendance of Angels to perform the work of creation in fix days: the Angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reafcenfion
ESCEND from Heav'n, Urania, by that name If rightly thou art call'd, whose voice divine Following, above th' Olympian hill I foar, Above the flight of Pegaféan wing.
The meaning, not the name I call: for thou Nor of the Mufes nine, nor on the top Of old Olympus dwell'ft, but heav'nly born, Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd, Thou with eternal Wisdom didft converfe, Wisdom thy fifter, and with her didst play In prefence of th' almighty Father, pleas'd With thy celeftial fong. Up led by thee Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns I have prefum'd, An earthly gueft, and drawn empyreal air, Thy temp'ring; with like fafety guided down Return me to my native element:
Left from this flying steed unrein'd, (as once Bellerophon, though from a lower clime) Difmounted, on th' Aleian field I fall Erroneous there to wander and forlorn. Half yet remains unfung, but narrower bound Within the visible diurnal sphere;
Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole, More fafe I fing with mortal voice, unchang'd To hoarfe or mute, though fall'n on evil days, On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues; In darkness, and with dangers compafs'd round, And folitude; yet not alone, while thou Vifit'ft my flumbers nightly, or when morn Purples the east: ftill govern thou my song, Urania, and fit audience find, though few. But drive far off the barbarous dissonance Of Bacchus and his revelers, the race
Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard In Rhodope, where woods and rocks had ears To rapture, till the favage clamor drown'd Both harp and voice; nor could the Muse defend Her fon. So fail not thou, who thee implores : For thou art heav'nly, the an empty dream.
Say Goddess, what enfued when Raphaël, The affable Arch-Angel, had forewarn'd Adam by dire example to beware Apoftafy, by what befel in Heaven
To those apoftates, left the like befal
In Paradise to Adam or his race
Charg'd not to touch the interdicted tree,
If they tranfgrefs, and flight that fole command,
So eafily obey'd amid the choice
Of all taftes elfe to please their appetite,
Though wand'ring. He with his conforted Eve The story heard attentive, and was fill'd
With admiration and deep muse, to hear
Of things fo high and strange, things to their thought
So unimaginable as hate in Heaven,
And war fo near the peace of God in blifs
With fuch confufion: but the evil foon
Driv'n back redounded as a flood on those
From whom it fprung, impoffible to mix With blessedness. Whence Adam foon repeal'd The doubts that in his heart arofe: and now Led on, yet finlefs, with defire to know What nearer might concern him, how this world Of Heav'n and Earth confpicuous first began, When, and whereof created, for what cause, What within Eden or without was done Before his memory, as one whofe drouth Yet scarce allay'd still eyes the current stream, Whofe liquid murmur heard new thirft excites, Proceeded thus to ask his heav'nly guest.
Great things, and full of wonder in our ears, Far differing from this world, thou haft reveal'd, Divine interpreter, by favor fent
Down from the empyréan to forewarn
Us timely' of what might else have been our lofs, Unknown, which human knowledge could not reach: For which to th' infinitely Good we owe Immortal thanks, and his admonishment Receive with folemn purpose to obferve Immutably his fovran will, the end
But fince thou haft vouchfaf'd
Gently for our inftruction to impart
Things above earthly thought, which yet concern'd
Our knowing, as to highest wisdom feem'd, Deign to defcend now lower, and relate What may no less perhaps avail us known,
How firft began this Heav'n which we behold Distant so high, with moving fires adorn'd Innumerable, and this which yields or fills All space, the ambient air wide interfus'd Embracing round this florid earth, what caufe Mov'd the Creator in his holy reft Through all eternity so late to build
In Chaos, and the work begun, how foon Abfolv'd, if unforbid thou may'st unfold What we not to explore the fecrets afk Of his eternal empire, but the more
To magnify his works, the more we know.
And the great light of day yet wants to run
Much of his race though steep; fufpenfe in Heaven, Held by thy voice, thy potent voice, he hears, And longer will delay to hear thee tell
His generation, and the rifing birth
Of Nature from the unapparent deep :
Or if the ftar of evening and the moon
Hafte to thy audience, night with her will bring 105 Silence, and fleep lift'ning to thee will watch,
Or we can bid his abfence, till thy song End, and difmifs thee ere the morning shine. Thus Adam his illuftrious guest befought: And thus the Godlike Angel answer'd mild. This alfo thy request with caution ask'd Obtain: though to recount almighty works
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