The Archangel Uriel; one of the seven

Who in God's presence, nearest to his throne,
Stand ready at command, and are his eyes

That run through all the Heavens, or down to the Earth
Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,

O'er sea and land. Him Satan thus accosts:
"Uriel! for thou of those seven Spirits that stand
In sight of God's high throne, gloriously bright,
The first art wont his great authentic will
Interpreter through highest Heaven to bring,
Where all his Sons thy embassy attend;
And here art likeliest by supreme decree
Like honour to obtain, and as his eye
To visit oft this new creation round;
Unspeakable desire to see and know

All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man,
His chief delight and favour, him for whom
All these his works so wondrous he ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the quires of Cherubim
Alone thus wandering. Brightest Seraph, tell
In which of all these shining orbs hath Man
His fixed seat; or fixed seat hath none,
But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell;
That I may find him, and with secret gaze

Or open admiration him behold

On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd

Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd;
That both in him and all things, as is meet,

The Universal Maker we may praise;

Who justly hath driven out his rebel foes
To deepest Hell, and, to repair that loss,
Created this new happy race of Men

To serve him better: wise are all his ways!"
So spake the false dissembler unperceived;
For neither man nor Angel can discern
Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks

Invisible, except to God alone,

By his permissive will, through Heaven and Earth;
And oft, though Wisdom wake, Suspicion sleeps
At Wisdom's gate, and to Simplicity

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Resigns her charge, while Goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill seems: which now for once beguiled
Uriel, though regent of the sun, and held

The sharpest sighted Spirit of all in Heaven;
Who to the fraudulent impostor foul,

In his uprightness, answer thus return'd:

"Fair Angel, thy desire, which tends to know The works of God, thereby to glorify

The great Work-master, leads to no excess
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it seems excess, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal mansion thus alone,
To witness with thine eyes what some perhaps,
Contented with report, hear only in Heaven;
For wonderful indeed are all his works,
Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight;
But what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wisdom infinite

That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep?
I saw when at his word the formless mass,
This World's material mould, came to a heap :
Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined;
Till at his second bidding Darkness fled,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.
Swift to their several quarters hasted then
The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire;
And this ethereal quintessence of Heaven
Flew upward, spirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turned to stars
Numberless, as thou seest, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his course;
The rest in circuit walls this Universe.
Look downward on that globe, whose hither side
With light from hence, though but reflected, shines :
That place is Earth, the seat of Man; that light
His day, which else, as the other hemisphere,
Night would invade; but there the neighbouring moon
(So call that opposite fair star) her aid

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Timely interposes, and, her monthly round
Still ending, still renewing, through mid Heaven,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties, to enlighten the Earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradise,
Adam's abode; those lofty shades his bower.
Thy way thou canst not miss; me mine requires."
Thus said, he turn'd; and Satan, bowing low,
As to superior Spirits is wont in Heaven,
Where honour due and reverence none neglects,
Took leave, and toward the coast of Earth beneath,
Down from the ecliptic, sped with hoped success,
Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel,
Nor stay'd till on Niphates' top he lights.

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BOOK IV.

THE ARGUMENT.

Satan, now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must no attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, en and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil; journeys on to Parad whose outward prospect and situation is described; overleaps the born sits, in the shape of a cormorant, on the Tree of Life, as highest in Garden, to look about him. The Garden described: Satan's first sight Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, with resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse; thence ga that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden them to eat of under penit death, and thereon intends to found his temptation by seducing the transgress; then leaves them a while, to know further of their state Meanwhile Uriel, descending on a sunbeam, some other means. Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradise, that some evil Spir escaped the Deep, and passed at noon by his Sphere, in the shape good Angel, down to Paradise; discovered after by his furious gestur the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night

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Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest: their bower described; their evening worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adam's bower, lest the evil Spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping: there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom questioned, he scornfully answers, prepares resistance, but, hindered by a sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise.

O FOR that warning voice, which he who saw
The Apocalypse heard cry in Heaven aloud,
Then when the Dragon, put to second rout,
Came furious down to be revenged on men,
"Woe to the inhabitants on Earth!" that now,
While time was, our first parents had been warn'd
The coming of their secret foe, and scaped,
Haply so scaped, his mortal snare!

For now

Satan, now first inflamed with rage, came down,
The tempter ere the accuser of mankind,
To wreak on innocent frail Man his loss
Of that first battle, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt; which, nigh the birth
Now rolling, boils in his tumultuous breast,
And like a devilish engine back recoils
Upon himself. Horror and doubt distract
His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir
The Hell within him; for within him Hell

He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell
One step, no more than from himself, can fly
By change of place. Now conscience wakes despair
That slumber'd; wakes the bitter memory

Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worse: of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue.
Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad;

Sometimes towards Heaven and the full-blazing sun,
Which now sat high in his meridian tower:

Then, much revolving, thus in sighs began:

ΙΟ

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"O thou that, with surpassing glory crown'd,
Look'st from thy sole dominion like the god
Of this new World; at whose sight all the stars
Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call,
But with no friendly voice, and add thy name,
O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what state
I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere
Till pride and worse ambition threw me down,
Warring in Heaven against Heaven's matchless King.
Ah, wherefore? He deserved no such return
From me, whom he created what I was
In that bright eminence, and with his good
Upbraided none; nor was his service hard.
What could be less than to afford him praise,
The easiest recompense, and pay him thanks,
How due! Yet all his good proved ill in me,
And wrought but malice. Lifted up so high,
I sdein'd subjection, and thought one step higher
Would set me highest, and in a moment quit
The debt immense of endless gratitude,
So burdensome, still paying, still to owe;
Forgetful what from him I still received;
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but still pays, at once
Indebted and discharged: what burden then?
Oh, had his powerful destiny ordain'd
Me some inferior Angel, I had stood

Then happy; no unbounded hope had raised
Ambition. Yet why not? some other Power

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As great might have aspired, and me, though mean,
Drawn to his part. But other Powers as great
Fell not, but stand unshaken, from within

Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.

Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand?
Thou hadst. Whom hast thou then, or what, to accuse,
But Heaven's free love dealt equally to all?
Be then his love accurst, since, love or hate,
To me alike it deals eternal woe.

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Nay, cursed be thou; since against his thy will