Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

terrible exemple, the reward

Of difobedience: firm they might have ftood, Yet fell. Remember! and fear to tranfgrefs!

The End of the fixth Book

*****

t t t t t * tttt

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK VII.

The ARGUMENT.

Raphael, at the request of Adam, relates how, and wherefore, this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan, and his Angels, out of heaven, declar'd His pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; fends His Son with glory, and attendance of Angels, to per form the work of Creation in fix days: the Angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and His re-afcenfion into heaven.

DEfcend from heav'n, Urania ! ( by that name,

If rightly thou art call'd) whose voice divine
Following, above th' Olympian hill I foar,
Above the flight of Pegafean wing.

The meaning, not the name, I call, for thou
Nor of the Mufes 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 fifter, and with her didst play
In prefence of th' Almighty Father, pleas'd ¦
With thy cœleftial fong. Up-led by thee,
Into the heav'n of heav'ns I have prefum'd,
(An earthly guest) and drawn empyreal air,
Thy temp'ring. With like safety guided down,
Return me to my native element:

Left from this flying fteed unrein'd (as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower clime)
Dif-mounted, on th' Aleian field I fall,
Erroneous there to wander, and forlorn.
Half yet remains unfung; but, narrower bound,
Within the visible diurnal sphere:

Standing on earth, not rapt above the Pole,
More fafe I fing with mortal voice; un-chang'd
To hoarfe, or mute, though fall'n on evil days,
On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues;
In darkness, an with dangers compass'd round
And folitude! Yet, not alone, while thou

1

Vifit'ft my flumbers nightly; or, when morn
Purples the east. Still govern thou my song,
Urania! and fit audience find, though few.
But drive far off the barbarous diffonance
Of Bacchus, and his revellers; the race
Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard
In Rhodope, where woods, and rocks, had ears
To rapture, 'till the favage clamor drown'd
Both harp, and voice; nor could the Mufe defend
Her fon. So fail not thou, who thee implores :
For, thou art heav'nly; she, an empty dream,

Say, Goddefs, what enfu'd when Raphael,
The affable Arch-Angel, had forewarn'd
Adam, by dire example, to beware
Apoftafy, by what befel in heav'n

To those apoftates; left the like befall
In Paradife to Adam, or his race,

(Charg'd not to touch the interdicted Tree)
If they tranfgrefs, and flight that fole command;
So easily obey'd, amid the choice

Of all taftes clfe to please their appetite,
Though wand'ring . He, with his conforted

Eve,

.....

The ftory heard attentive, and was fill'd
With admiration, and deep muse, to hear
Of things fo high, and ftrange; things, to their
thought,

So un-imaginable, as hate in heav'n,

And war fo near the peace of God in blifs,
With fach confufion : but, the evil, foon

Driv'n back, redounded (as a flood) on those
From whom it fprung; impoffible to mix
With bleffednefs. Whence Adam soon repeal'd
The doubts that in his heart arofe; and now
Led on, yet finless, with defire to know

(What nearer might concern him) how this world
Of heav'n, and earth confpicuous, first began;
When, and whereof created; for what cause ;
What within Eden, or without, was done
Before his memory (as one whose drouth
Yet fcarce allay'd, ftill eyes the current stream,
Whofe liquid murmur heard, new thirst excites. )
Proceeded thus to ask his heav'nly guest.

Great things, and full of wonder in our ears, Far diff'ring from this world, thou haft reveal'd, Divine interpreter ! by favor fent

Down from the empyrean, to fore-warn

Us timely of what might elfe have been our lofs Unknown; which human knowledge could not reach:

For which to th' Infinitely Good we owe
Immortal thanks, and his admonishment
Receive, with folemn purpose to obferve
Immutably His fovereign will, the end

Of what we are. But, fince thou haft vouchsaf'd
Gently, for our instruction, to impart

Things above earthly thought (which yet cons cern'd

Our knowing, as to Highest Wisdom seem'd)
Deign to defcend now lower, and relate

« ZurückWeiter »