Breathe forth elixir pure, and rivers run
Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch
Th' arch-chymic sun, so far from us remote,
Produces, with terrestrial humour mix'd,
Here in the dark so many precious things
Of colour glorious, and effect so rare ?
Here matter new to gaze the Devil met
Undazzl'd; far and wide his eye commands;
For sight no obstacle found here, nor shade,
But all sun-shine, as when his beams at noon
Culminate from the equator, as they now
Shot upward still direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body opaque can fall; and th' air,
Nowhere so clear, sharpen'd his visual ray
To objects distant far, whereby he soon
Saw within ken, a glorious angel stand,
The same whom John saw also in the sun:
His back was turn'd, but not his brightness hid:
Of beaming sunny rays a golden tiar
Circl'd his head, nor less his locks behind
Illustrious on his shoulders fledge with wings
Lay waving round; on some great charge employ'd He seem'd, or fix'd in cogitation deep.
Glad was the sp'rit impure, as now in hope
To find who might direct his wand'ring flight
To Paradise, the happy seat of man,
His journey's end, and our beginning woe.
But first he casts to change his proper shape
Which else might work him danger or delay:
And now a stripling cherub he appears,
Not of the prime, yet such as in his face
Youth smil❜d celestial, and to ev'ry limb
Suitable grace diffus'd, so well he feign'd:
Under a coronet his flowing hair
In curls on either cheek play'd; wings he wore,
Of many a colour'd plume, sprinkled with gold;
His habit fit for speed succinct; and held
Before his decent steps a silver wand.
He drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright,
Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turn'd,
Admonish'd by his ear, and straight was known
Th' 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 heav'ns, or down to th' earth Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,
O'er sea and land: him Satan thus accosts:
66 'Uriel, for thou of those sev'n sp'rits that stand In sight of God's high throne, gloriously bright, 655 The first art wont his great authentic will Interpreter through highest heav'n 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; 670
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 driv'n 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 unperceiv'd; For neither man nor angel can discern Hypocrisy, (the only evil that walks
Invisible, except to God alone,
By his permissive will, through heav'n and earth; And oft, though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps 686 At wisdom's gate, and to simplicity
Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill Where no ill seems :) which now for once beguil'd Uriel, though regent of the sun, and held
The sharpest sighted sp'rit of all in heav'n ;
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, 700
Contented with report, hear only in heav'n:
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,
The world's material mould, came to a heap:
Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood rul'd; stood vast infinitude confin'd;
Till at his second bidding darkness fled,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung:
Swift to their sev'ral quarters hasted then
The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire;
And this ethereal quintessence of heav'n
Flew upward, spirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd 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 th' other hemisphere,
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon
(So call that opposite fair star) her aid
Timely interposes, and her monthly round
Still ending, still renewing, through mid heav'n,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties to enlighten th' 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, 736
(As to superior sp'rits is wont in heav'n,
Where honour due and reverence none neglects,)
Took leave, and to'ards the coast of earth beneath,
Down from th' ecliptic, sped with hop'd success; 740
Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel,
Nor stay'd, till on Niphates' top he lights.
The fourth book commences with a soliloquy of Satan, in which, after expressing many doubts, fears, and passions, he confirms himself in his intention of endeavouring to seduce mankind. His arrival in Eden is then described thus:
Satan journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation are described; overleaps the bounds; sits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest; their bower described; their evening worship.
So on he fares, and to the border comes
Of Eden, where delicious Paradise,
Now nearer, crowns with her enclosure green,
As with a rural mound, the champaign head
Of a steep wilderness, whose hairy sides
With thicket overgrown, grotesque and wild,
Access denied; and over-head, up-grew
Insuperable height of loftiest shade,
Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm,
A sylvan scene; and, as the ranks ascend
Shade above shade, a woody theatre
Of stateliest view. Yet higher than their tops
The verdurous wall of Paradise up-sprung:
Which to our general sire gave prospect large
Into his nether empire neighb'ring round;
And higher than that wall a circling row
Of goodliest trees, loaden with fairest fruit,
Blossoms and fruits at once, of golden hue,
Appear'd, with gay enamell'd colours mix'd:
On which the sun more glad impress'd his beams 150
Than in fair ev'ning cloud, or humid bow,
When God hath shower'd the earth; so lovely seem'd
That landscape and of pure, now purer air
Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
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