When thou attended glorioufly from Heaven. Shalt in the fky appear, and from thee fend The fummoning Arch-Angels to proclame Thy dread tribunal; forthwith from all winds The living, and forthwith the cited dead Of all paft ages, to the general doom
Shall haften, fuch a peal fhall rouse their sleep. Then all thy faints affembled, thou fhalt judge. 339 Bad men and Angels; they arraign'd shall sink Beneath thy fentence; Hell, her numbers full, Thenceforth fhall be for ever fhut. Mean while The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring New Heav'n and Earth, wherein the just shall dwell, And after all their tribulations long
See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,
With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth. Then thou thy regal fcepter fhalt lay by, For regal fcepter then no more fhall need, God fhall be all in all. But all ye Gods, Adore him, who to compaís all this dies ; Adore the Son, and honor him as me.
No fooner had th' Almighty ceas'd, but ai
The multitude of Angels, with a shout
Loud as from numbers without number, sweet
As from bleft voices, uttering joy, Heav'n rung
With jubilee, and loud Hofanna's fill'd
Th' eternal regions: lowly reverent
Tow'ards either throne they bow, and to the ground With folemn adoration down they caft
Their crowns inwove with amarant and gold;
Immortal amarant, a flow'r which once
In Paradise, fast by the tree of life,
Began to bloom; but foon for man's offenfe
To Heav'n remov'd, where first it grew, there grows, And flow'rs aloft fhading the fount of life,
And where the riv'er of bliss through midst of Heaven Rolls o'er Elyfian flow'rs her amber stream; With thefe that never fade the Spirits elect
Bind their refplendent locks inwreath'd with beams, Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright Pavement, that like a fea of jafper fhone, Impurpled with celeftial rofes fmil'd.
Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took, Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their fide Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet Of charming symphony they introduce Their facred fong, and waken raptures high; No voice exempt, no voice but well could join Melodious part, fuch concord is in Heaven. Thee, Father, first they sung Omnipotent,
Immutable, Immortal, Infinite,
Eternal King; thee Author of all being,
Fountain of light, thyself invisible
Amidst the glorious brightness where thou fit'st Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou fhad'st
The full blaze of thy beams, and through a cloud Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine, Dark with exceffive bright thy skirts appear, Yet dazle Heav'n, that brightest Seraphim
Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes.
Thee next they fang of all creation first,:
Begotten Son, Divine Similitude,
In whofe confpicuous count'nance, without cloud Made visible, th' almighty Father shines, Whom else no creature can behold; on thee. Imprefs'd th' effulgence of his glory' abides, y Transfus'd on thee his ample Spirit reftsla
He Heav'n of Heav'ns and all the Pow'rs therein, 890. By thee created, and by thee drew down Th' afpiring Dominations: thou that day Thy Father's dreadful thunder didst not spare, Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that hook Heav'n's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks, Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarray'd. 7 Back from pursuit thy Pow'rs with loud acclame Thee only' extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might, To execute fierce vengeance on his foes,
Not fo on Man: Him through their malice fall'u, 400 Father of mercy' and grace, thou didst not doom
So ftrictly, but much more to pity' incline No fooner did thy dear and only Son Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man So frictly, but much more to pity' inclin'd, He to appease thy wrath, and end the ftrife Of mercy' and juftice in thy face difcern'd, Regardless of the blifs wherein he fat: 1 Second to thee, offer'd himself to die For Man's offenfe. O unexampled love, Love no where to be found lefs than Divine! Hail Son of God, Saviour of Men, thy name
Shall be the copious matter of my song Henceforth, and never fhall my harp thy praife Forget, nor from thy Father's praise disjoin.
Thus they in Heav'n, above the fstarry sphere, Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent. Mean while upon the firm opacous globe
Of this round world, whose first convex divides The luminous inferior orbs inclos'd From Chaos and th' inroad of Darkness old, Satan alighted walks: a globe far off
It seem'd, now seems a boundless continent Dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of Night Starlefs expos'd, and ever-threatning ftorms Of Chaos bluft'ring round, inclement sky ; Save on that fide which from the wall of Heaven, Though distant far, some small reflection gains Of glimmering air lefs vex'd with tempest loud: Here walk'd the Fiend at large in fpacious field. 430 As when a vultur on Imaus bred,
Whose snowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds, Diflodging from a region scarce of prey
ethe flesh of lambs or yeanling kids On hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the fprings" Of Ganges or Hydafpes Indian ftreams ;
But in his way lights on the barren plains Of Sericana, where Chinefes drive With fails and wind their cany waggons light: So on this windy fea of land, the Fiend Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey; Alone, for other creature in-this-place
Living or lifeless to be found was none;
None yet, but store hereafter from the earth Up hither like aereal vapors
Of all things tranfitory' and vain, when fin With vanity had fill'd the works of men;
Both all things vain, and all who in vain things Built their fond hopes of glory' or lasting fame, Or happiness in this or th' other life;
All who have their reward on earth, the fruits Of painful fuperftition and blind zeal, Nought feeking but the praise of men, here find Fit retribution, empty as their deeds;
All th' unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand, Abortive, monftrous, or unkindly mix'd, Diffolv'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain, Till final diffolution, wander here,
Not in the neighb'ring moon, as fome have dream'd; Those argent fields more likely habitants, Tranflated Saints, or middle Spirits hold
Betwixt th' angelical and human kind. Hither of ill-join'd fons and daughters born First from the ancient world those giants came
With many a vain exploit, though then renown'd: The builders next of Babel on the plain Of Sennaar, and still with vain defign
New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build: Others came fingle; he who to be deem'd A God, leap'd fondly into Ætna flames, Empedocles; and he who to enjoy Plato's Elyfium, leap'd into the fea,
« AnteriorContinuar » |