BOOK EIGHTH
��'85
��Author and end of all things, and, from
work Now resting, blessed and hallowed the
seventh Day,
As resting on that day from all his work ; But not in silence holy kept : the harp Had work, and rested not; the solemn pipe And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop, All sounds on fret by string or golden
wire, Tempered soft tunings, intermixed with
voice
Choral or unison; of incense clouds, Fuming from golden censers, hid the
Mount. 600
Creation and the Six Days' acts they
sung:
' Great are thy works, Jehovah ! infinite Thy power ! what thought can measure
thee, or tongue
Relate thee greater now in thy return Than from the Giant-angels ? Thee that
day
Thy thunders magnified; but to create Is greater than created to destroy. Who can impair thee, mighty King, or
bound
Thy empire ? Easily the proud attempt Of Spirits apostat, and their counsels vain, Thou hast repelled, while impiously they
thought 6n
Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw The number of thy worshipers. Who seeks To lessen thee, against his purpose, serves To manifest the more thy might; his evil
��Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more
good. Witness this new-made World, another
Heaven From Heaven -gate not far, founded in
view
On the clear hyalin, the glassy sea; 619 Of amplitude almost immense, with stars Numerous, and every star perhaps a world Of destined habitation but thou know'st Their seasons; among these the seat of
men,
Earth, with her nether ocean circumfused, Their pleasant dwelling - place. Thrice
happy men,
And sons of men, whom God hath thus ad- vanced,
Created in his image, there to dwell And worship him, and in reward to rule Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air, And multiply a race of worshipers 630
Holy and just ! thrice happy, if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright ! ' " So sung they, and the Empyrean rung With halleluiahs. Thus was Sabbath kept. And thy request think now fulfilled, that
asked How first this World and face of things
began,
And what before thy memory was done From the beginning, that posterity, Informed by thee, might know. If else
thou seek'st Aught, not surpassing human measure,
say." 6 4 o
��BOOK VIII
��THE ARGUMENT
Adam inquires concerning celestial motions ; is doubt- fully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge. Adam assents, and, still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he re- membered since his own creation his placing in Para- dise ; his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society ; his first meeting and nuptials with Eve. His discourse with the Angel thereupon ; who, after admo- nitions repeated, departs.
THE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice that he a while Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed
to hear;
Then, as new-waked, thus gratefully re- plied :
��" What thanks sufficient, or what recom- pense
Equal, have I to render thee, divine Historian, who thus largely hast allayed The thirst I had of knowledge, and vout-
safed
This friendly condescension to relate Things else by me unsearchable now heard 10
With wonder, but delight, and, as is due, With glory attributed to the high Creator? Something yet of doubt re- mains,
Which only thy solution can resolve. When I behold this goodly frame, this
World,
Of Heaven and Earth consisting, and com- pute
�� �
