Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/221

 BOOK SEVENTH

��179

��Number sufficient to possess her realms, Though wide, and this high temple to fre- quent

With ministeries due and solemn rites. But, lest his heart exalt him in the harm 150 Already done, to have dispeopled Heaven My damage fondly deemed I can repair That detriment, if such it he to lose Self-lost, and in a moment will create Another world; out of one man a race Of men innumerable, there to dwell, Not here, till, by degrees of merit raised, They open to themselves at length the way Up hither, under long obedience tried, And Earth be changed to Heaven, and Heaven to Earth, 160

One kingdom, joy and union without end. Meanwhile inhabit lax, ye Powers of

Heaven ;

And thou, my Word, begotten Son, by thee i This I perform ; speak thou, and be it done ! My overshadowing Spirit and might with

thee

I send along; ride forth, and bid the Deep Within appointed bounds be heaven and

earth.

Boundless the Deep, because I am who fill Infinitude; nor vacuous the space, Though I, uncircumscribed, myself re- tire, 170 And put not forth my goodness, which is

free

To act or not. Necessity and Chance Approach not me, and what I will is Fate.' " So spake the Almighty ; and to what

he spake

His Word, the Filial Godhead, gave effect. Immediate are the acts of God, more swift Than time or motion, but to human ears Cannot without process' of speech be told, So told as earthly notion can receive. 179 Great triumph and rejoicing was in Heaven When such was heard declared the Al- mighty's will.

Glory they sung to the Most High, good- will To future men, and in their dwellings

peace

Glory to Him whose just avenging ire Had driven out the ungodly from his sight And the habitations of the just; to Him Glory and praise whose wisdom had or- dained

Good out of evil to create instead Of Spirits malign, a better Race to bring

��Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse His good to worlds and ages infinite. 191 " So sang the Hierarchies. Meanwhile

the Son

On his great expedition now appeared, Girt with omnipotence, with radiance

crowned

Of majesty divine, sapience and love Immense; and all his Father in him shon. About his chariot numberless were poured Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones, And Virtues, winged Spirits, and chariots

winged From the armoury of God, where stand of

Old 200

Myriads, between two brazen mountains

lodged

Against a solemn day, harnessed at hand, Celestial equipage; and now came forth Spontaneous, for within them Spirit lived, Attendant on their Lord. Heaven opened

wide

Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound On golden hinges moving, to let forth The King of Glory, in his powerful Word And Spirit coming to create new worlds. On Heavenly ground they stood, and from the shore 210

They viewed the vast immeasurable Abyss, Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild, Up from the bottom turned by furious

winds

And surging waves, as mountains to as- sault Heaven's highth, and with the centre mix

the pole. " ' Silence, ye troubled waves, and, thou

Deep, peace ! ' Said then the omnific Word: 'your discord

end ! '

Nor stayed ; but, on the wings of Cherubim Uplifted, in paternal glory rode Far into Chaos and the World unborn ; 220 For Chaos heard his voice. Him all his

train

Followed in bright procession, to behold Creation, and the wonders of his might. Then stayed the fervid wheels, and in his

hand

He took the golden compasses, prepared In God's eternal store, to circumscribe This Universe, and all created things. One foot he centred, and the other turned Round through the vast profundity ob- scure,

�� �