sd;but,heavenlybo,
beforethehillsappeared,orfountainflowed,thoudidstnverse,
thysister,andhherdidstplay
inpresenightyfather,pleased
hthycelestialsongupledbythee
intotheheavenofheavensihavepresud,
anearthlyguest,anddrapyrealair,
thyteering:hlikesafetyguideddown
retutonativeelent:
lestfrohisflyingsteedunreined,asonce
bellerophon,thoughfroloe,
disunted,onthealeianfieldifall,
erroneoustheretowander,andforlo
halfyetreinsunsung,butnarrowerbound
hinthevisiblediualsphere;
standingonearth,notraptabovethepole,
resafeisingortalvoice,unchanged
tohoarseorte,thoughfallenonevildays,
onevildaysthoughfallen,andeviltongues;
paradiselost
194of374
indarkness,andpassedround,
andsolitude;yetnotalone,hou
visitestsluersnightly,oro
purplestheeast:stillgovethousong,
urania,andfitaudiencefind,thoughfew
butdrivefaroffthebarbarousdissonance
ofbacchusandhisrevellers,therace
ofthatthattorethethracianbard
inrhodope,kshadears
torapture,tillthesavageclaurdrowned
bothharpandvoiusedefend
hersonsofailnotthou,plores:
forthouartheavenly,sheanetydrea
say,goddess,ensuedwhenraphael,
theaffablearchangel,hadforewaed
adabydireexale,tobeware
apostasy,bybefelinheaven
tothoseapostates;lestthelikebefall
inparadisetoadarhisrace,
chargednottotouchtheinterdictedtree,
iftheytransgress,andslightthatsolend,
soeasilyobeyedadthechoice
ofalltasteselsetopleasetheirappetite,
thoughhhisnsortedeve,
thestoryheardattentive,andwasfilled
irationanddeepse,tohear
ofthingssohighandstrange;things,totheirthoughtsouniginable,ashateinheaven,
andhepeaceofgodinbliss,
paradiselost
195of374
hsuchnfusion:buttheevil,soon
drivenback,redoundedasafloodonthose
frotsprung;iossibletox
soonrepealed
thedoubtsthatinhisheartarose:andnow
ledon,yetsinless,hdesiretoknow
ightncehihohisworld
ofheavenandearthnspicuousfirstbegan;
ause;
hineden,orhout,wasdone
beforehisry;asoneh
yetscarceallayedstilleyesthecurrentstreaurheardnehirstexcites,
proceededthustoaskhisheavenlyguest
greatthings,andfullofwonderinourears,
fardifferingfrohishouhastrevealed,
divineinterpreterbyfavoursent
dotheeyrean,toforewa
ustilyofightelsehavebeenourloss,
unknoanknoreach;
forotheinfinitelygoodweowe
iortalthanks,andhisadnishnt
receive,npurposetoobserve
iutablyhissovranheend
ofsincethouhastvouchsafed
gently,forourinstrupart
thingsaboveearthlythought,nceed
ourknoseed,
deigntodescendnoe
paradiselost
196of374
aynolessperhapsavailusknown,
hobeganthisheavenhwebehold
distantsohigh,ovingfiresadoed
innurable;andthishyieldsorfills
allspace,theaientairerfused
eracingroundthisfloriedearth;cause
vedthecreator,inhisholyrest
throughalleteity,solatetobuild
inchaos;andtheworkbegun,howsoon
absolved;ifunforbidthouyestunfold
toexplorethesecretsask
ofhisetealeire,butthere
tognifyhisoreweknow
andthegreatlightofdayyetstorun
chofhisracethoughsteep;suspenseinheaven,heldbythyvoice,thypotentvoice,hehears,
andlongeroheartheetell
hisgeneration,andtherisingbirth
ofnaturefroheunapparentdeep:
orifthestarofeveningandtheon
hastetothyaudience,nighthherwillbring,
silence;andsleep,listeningtothee,ch;
orillthysong
end,anddissstheeeretheingshine
thusadaisillustriousguestbesought:
andthusthegodlikeangelansild
thisalsothyrequest,hcautionasked,
obtain;thoughtoreuntalghtyworks
ongueofseraphcansuffice,
paradiselost
197of374
orheartofnsufficetoprehend
yetayserve
toglorifytheker,andinfer
theealsohappier,shallnotbehheld
thyhearing;suabove
ihavereceived,toanshydesire
ofknohinbounds;beyond,abstain
toask;norletthineoionshope
thingsnotrevealed,heinvisibleking,
onlyoiscient,hathsuppressedinnight;
tononenicableinearthorheaven:
enoughisleftbesidestosearchandknow
butknowledgeisasfood,andneedsnoless
herteeranceoverappetite,toknow
inasureindyain;
oppresseselsehsurfeit,andsoontus
tofolly,asnourishnttowind
knoheaven
soidstthehost
ofangels,thanthatstarthestarsang,
fellinglegionsthroughthedeep
intohisplace,andthegreatsonretued
victoriousnipotent
etealfatherfroisthronebeheld
theirltitude,andtohissonthusspake
atleastourenviousfoehathfailed,hought
alllikehielfrebellious,bywhoseaid
thisinaccessiblehighstrength,theseat
ofdeitysupre,usdispossessed,
paradiselost
198of374
hetrustedtohaveseised,andintofraud
dreany,theirplaceknoore:
yetfarthegreaterparthavekept,isee,
theirstation;heaven,yetpopulous,retainsnuersuffis
thoughpletofrequent
inisteriesdue,andsolerites:
but,lesthisheartexalthintheharbr >
alreadydone,tohavedispeopledheaven,
dagefondlydeed,icanrepair
thatdetrint,ifsuchitbetolose
selflost;andinante
anotheranarace
ofninnurable,theretodwell,
nothere;till,bydegreesofritraised,
theyopentotheelvesatlengththeway
uphither,underlongobediencetried;
andearthbechangedtoheaven,andheaventoearth,onekingdojoyandunionhoutend
anwhilei
