The planets in their station lift`ning stood,
While the bright pomp afcended jubilant.

Open, ye everlasting gates, they fung,
Open, ye Heav'ns, your living doors; let in
The great Creator from his work return'd
Magnificent, his fix days work, a world;
Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign
To vifit oft the dwellings of juft men
Delighted, and with frequent intercourse
Thither will fend his winged meffengers
On errands of fupernal grace. So fung

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

To God's eternal houfe direct the way,

A broad and ample road, whose duft is gold

565

570

575

And pavement stars, as ftars to thee appear,
Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,

Which nightly as a circling zone thou feest

580

Powder'd with ftars. And now on earth the feventh

Evening arofe in Eden, for the fun

Was fet, and twilight from the east came on,
Forerunning night; when at the holy mount

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

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

The filial Pow'r arriv'd, and fat him down
With his great Father, for he also went
Invisible, yet ftay'd, (fuch privilege

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

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

590

As

As refting on that day from all his work,
But not in filence holy kept; the harp
Had work and rested not, the folemn pipe,
And dulcimer, all organs of fweet stop,
All founds on fret by string or golden wire
Temper'd foft tunings, intermix'd with voice
Choral or unifon : of incenfe clouds

595

600

Fuming from golden cenfers hid the mount.
Creation and the fix days acts they fung,

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

Of Spi'rits apoftate and their counsels vain

610

Thou haft repell'd, while impiously they thought

Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw

The number of thy worshipers. Who feeks
To lessen thee, against his purpose serves
To manifest the more thy might: his evil

615

Thou ufeft, and from thence creat'ft more good.
Witness this new-made world, another Heaven
From Heaven gate not far, founded in view
On the clear hyaline, the glaffy fea;
Of amplitude almoft immenfe, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world
Of deftin'd habitation; but thou know'st

Q2

620

Their

Their feafons: among these the feat of Men,
Earth with her nether ocean circumfus'd,

Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men, And fons of Men, whom God hath thus advanc'd, Created in his image, there to dwell

And worship him, and in reward to rule
Over his works, on earth, in fea, or air,
And multiply a race of worshipers
Holy and just thrice happy if they know
Their happiness, and perfevere upright.

630

So fung they, and the empyréan rung
With halleluiahs: Thus was fabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd
How first this world and face of things began,

635

And what before thy memory was done

From the beginning, that pofterity

Inform'd by thee might know; if elfe thou feek'st
Ought, not furpaffing human measure, fay.

THE END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK.

640

THE

EIGHTH

O F

BOOK

PARADISE LOST.

THE ARGUMENT.

Adam inquires concerning celeftial motions, is doubtfully anfwer'd, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam affents; and, ftill defirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remember'd fince his own creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning folitude and fit fociety, his firft meeting and nuptials with Eve, his difcourfe with the Angel thereupon; who after admonitions repeated departs.