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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

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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.

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No fooner had th' Almighty ceas'd, but ai

The multitude of Angels, with a shout

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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

Immortal amarant, a flow'r which once

In Paradise, fast by the tree of life,

Began to bloom; but foon for man's offenfe

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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,

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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.

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Thee

Thee next they fang of all creation first,:

Begotten Son, Divine Similitude,

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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

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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,

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Not fo on Man: Him through their malice fall'u, 400 Father of mercy' and grace, thou didst not doom

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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

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Shall

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

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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

To gorgest

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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

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Living

Living or lifeless to be found was none;

None yet, but store hereafter from the earth
Up hither like aereal vapors

flew

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,

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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,

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Cleombrotus

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