THE

PO E M S

OF

MILTON.

VOLUME I.

IN PARADISUM

SUMMI POETÆ

JOHANNIS

AMISSAM

MILTON I

Q

UI legis Amiffam Paradifum, grandia magni
Carmina Miltoni, quid nisi cuncta legis?
Res cunctas, & cunctarum primordia rerum,
Et fata, & fines continet ifte liber.

100

Intima panduntur magni penetralia mundi,
Scribitur & toto quicquid in orbe latet:

Terræque, tractufque maris, cœlumque profundum,
Sulphureumque Erebi, flammivomumque fpecus:
Quæque colunt terras, pontumque, & Tartara cæca,
Quæque colunt fummi fucida regna poli :

Et quodcunque ullis conclufum eft finibus ufquam,
Et fine fine Chaos, & fine fine Deus:

Et fine fine magis, fi quid magis eft fine fine,
In Chrifto erga
homines conciliatus amor.
Hæc qui fperaret quis crederet effe futura?

Et tamen hæc hodie terra Britanna legit.
O quantos in bella duces! quæ protulit arına!
Quæ canit, & quanta prælia dira tuba!
Cœleftes acies! atque in certamine cœlum
Et quæ cœleftes pugna deceret agros!
Quantus in æthereis tollit fe Lucifer armis
Atque ipfo graditur vix Michaële minor!
Quantis, & quam funeftis concurritur iris,
Dum ferus hic ftellas protegit, ille rapit!

Dym

Dum vulfos montes ceu tela reciproca torquent,
Et non mortali defuper igne pluunt
Stat dubius cui se parti concedat Olympus,
Et metuit pugnæ non fupereffe fuæ.
At fimul in cœlis Meffiæ infignia fulgent,
Et currus animes, armaque digna Deo,
Horrendumque rotæ ftrident, et fæva rotarum
Erumpunt torvis fulgura luminibus,
Et flammæ vibrant, & vera tonitrua rauco
Admiftis flammis infonuere polo :
Excidit attonitis mens omnis, & impetus omnis,
Et caffis dextris irrita tela cadunt;
Ad pœnas fugiunt, & ceu foret Orcus afylum,
Infernis certant condere fe tenebris.
Cedite Romani Scriptores, cedite Graii,
Et quos fama recens vel celebravit anus.
Hæc quicunque leget tantùm ceciniffe putabit
Mæonidem ranas, Virgilium culices.

SAMUEL BARROW, M. D.

ON PARADISE LOST.

WHEN I beheld the Poet blind, yet bold,

In flender book his vast design unfold,

Meffiah crown'd, God's reconcil'd decree,
Rebelling Angels, the forbidden tree,

Heaven, Hell, Earth, Chaos, all; the argument
Held me a while mifdoubting his intent,
That he would ruin (for I faw him strong)
The facred truths to fable and old fong,
(So Sampfon grop'd the temple's pofts in fpite)
The world o'erwhelming to revenge his fight.

Yet