Nor less on either side tempestuous fell
His arrows, from the fourfold-visag'd four Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels Distinct alike with multitude of eyes;
One spirit in them rul'd, and every eye
Glar'd lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire
Among th' accurs'd, that wither'd all their strength, And of their wonted vigour left them drain'd, Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fail'n.
Yet half his strength he put not forth, but check'd His thunder in mid volley; for he meant
Not to destroy, but root them out of Heaven: The overthrown he rais'd, and, as a herd Of goats or timorous flock together throng'd, Drove them before him thunderstruck, pursued With terrors, and with furies, to the bounds
And crystal wall of Heav'n, which, opening wide, 860 Roll'd inward, and a spacious gap disclos'd Into the wasteful deep: the monstrous sight Struck them with horror backward, but far worse Urg'd them behind: headlong themselves they threw Down from the verge of Heav'n; eternal wrath 865 Burnt after them to the bottomless pit.
"Hell heard th' unsufferable noise, Hell saw Heav'n ruining from Heav'n, and would have fled Affrighted; but strict fate had cast too deep Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound. Nine days they fell: confounded Chaos roar'd, And felt tenfold confusion in their fall Through his wild anarchy, so huge a rout
Encumber'd him with ruin: Hell at last
Yawning receiv'd them whole, and on them clos'd; 875 Hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain. Disburden'd Heav'n rejoic'd, and soon repair'd Her mural breach, returning whence it roll'd. Sole victor, from the expulsion of his foes Messiah his triumphal chariot turn'd: To meet him all his saints, who silent stood
Eye-witnesses of his almighty acts,
With jubilee advane'd; and, as they went,
Shaded with branching palm, each order bright, 885 Sung triumph, and him sung victorious King, Son, Heir, and Lord, to him dominion given, Worthiest to reign: he, celebrated, rode Triumphant through mid Heav'n, into the courts And temple of his mighty Father thron'd On high; who into glory him receiv'd,
Where now he sits at the right hand of bliss. "Thus, measuring things in Heav'n by things on Earth,
At thy request, and that thou may'st beware By what is past, to thee I have reveal'd
What might have else to human race been hid; The discord which befel, and war in Heaven Among th' angelic pow'rs, and the deep fall Of those too high aspiring, who rebell'd With Satan; he who envies now thy state, Who now is plotting how he may seduce Thee also from obedience, that, with him Bereav'd of happiness, thou may'st partake His punishment, eternal misery;
Which would be all his solace and revenge, As a despite done against the most High, Thee once to gain companion of his woe. But listen not to his temptations, warn Thy weaker; let it profit thee to have heard, By terrible example, the reward
Of disobedience; firm they might have stood, Yet fell: remember, and fear to transgress."
THE END OF THE SIXTH BOOK.
Raphael, at the request of Adam, relates how and where
fore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his angels out of Heaven, deelared his pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; sends his Son with glory, and attendance of angels, to perform the work of creation in six days: the angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his re-ascension inte Heaven.
DESCEND from Heav'n, Urania, by that name If rightly thou art call'd, whose voice divine Following, above th' Olympian hill I soar, Above the flight of Pegaséan wing.
The meaning, not the name, I call: for thou Nor of the muses nine, nor on the top Of old Olympus dwell'st, but, heav'nly born, Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd, Thou with eternal Wisdom didst converse, Wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play In presence of th' almighty Father, pleas'd With thy celestial song. Up led by thee Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns I have presum'd, An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air, Thy temp'ring; with like safety guided down Return me to my native element:
Lest from this flying steed unrein'd (as once Bellerophon, though from a lower clime), Dismounted, on th' Aleian field I fall, Erroneous there to wander, and forlorn. Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound Within the visible diurnal sphere;
Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole, More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchang'd To hoarse or mute, though fall'n on evil days, On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues; In darkness, and with dangers compass'd round, And solitude; yet not alone, while thou
« PreviousContinue » |