Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/227

 BOOK EIGHTH

��'85

��Author and end of all things, and, from

work Now resting, blessed and hallowed the

seventh Day,

As resting on that day from all his work ; But not in silence holy kept : the harp Had work, and rested not; the solemn pipe And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop, All sounds on fret by string or golden

wire, Tempered soft tunings, intermixed with

voice

Choral or unison; of incense clouds, Fuming from golden censers, hid the

Mount. 600

Creation and the Six Days' acts they

sung:

' Great are thy works, Jehovah ! infinite Thy power ! what thought can measure

thee, or tongue

Relate thee greater now in thy return Than from the Giant-angels ? Thee that

day

Thy thunders magnified; but to create Is greater than created to destroy. Who can impair thee, mighty King, or

bound

Thy empire ? Easily the proud attempt Of Spirits apostat, and their counsels vain, Thou hast repelled, while impiously they

thought 6n

Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw The number of thy worshipers. Who seeks To lessen thee, against his purpose, serves To manifest the more thy might; his evil

��Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more

good. Witness this new-made World, another

Heaven From Heaven -gate not far, founded in

view

On the clear hyalin, the glassy sea; 619 Of amplitude almost immense, with stars Numerous, and every star perhaps a world Of destined habitation but thou know'st Their seasons; among these the seat of

men,

Earth, with her nether ocean circumfused, Their pleasant dwelling - place. Thrice

happy men,

And sons of men, whom God hath thus ad- vanced,

Created in his image, there to dwell And worship him, and in reward to rule Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air, And multiply a race of worshipers 630

Holy and just ! thrice happy, if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright ! ' " So sung they, and the Empyrean rung With halleluiahs. Thus was Sabbath kept. And thy request think now fulfilled, that

asked How first this World and face of things

began,

And what before thy memory was done From the beginning, that posterity, Informed by thee, might know. If else

thou seek'st Aught, not surpassing human measure,

say." 6 4 o

��BOOK VIII

��THE ARGUMENT

Adam inquires concerning celestial motions ; is doubt- fully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge. Adam assents, and, still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he re- membered since his own creation his placing in Para- dise ; his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society ; his first meeting and nuptials with Eve. His discourse with the Angel thereupon ; who, after admo- nitions repeated, departs.

THE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice that he a while Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed

to hear;

Then, as new-waked, thus gratefully re- plied :

��" What thanks sufficient, or what recom- pense

Equal, have I to render thee, divine Historian, who thus largely hast allayed The thirst I had of knowledge, and vout-

safed

This friendly condescension to relate Things else by me unsearchable now heard 10

With wonder, but delight, and, as is due, With glory attributed to the high Creator? Something yet of doubt re- mains,

Which only thy solution can resolve. When I behold this goodly frame, this

World,

Of Heaven and Earth consisting, and com- pute

�� �