To proper substance: time may come, when Men
With Angels may participate, and find
No inconvenient di'et, nor too light fare;
And from these corporal nutriments perhaps
Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit,
Improv'd by tract of time, and wing'd ascend
Ethereal, as we, or may at choice

Here or in heav'nly Paradises dwell;
If ye be found obedient, and retain
Unalterably firm his love entire,

Whose progeny you are.

Meanwhile enjoy

Your fill what happiness this happy state

Can comprehend, incapable of more.

500

505

By steps we may ascend to God. But say,

What meant that caution join'd, If ye be found
Obedient? Can we want obedience then

To him, or possibly his love desert,

515

Who form'd us from the dust, and plac'd us here
Full to the utmost measure of what bliss

Human desires can seek or apprehend?

To whom the Angel. Son of Heav'n and Earth,
Attend: That thou art happy, owe to God;
That thou continuest such, owe to thyself,
That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.

520

This was that caution giv'n thee;

be advis'd.

God made thee perfect, not immutae;
And good he made thee, but to pe, fere
He left it in thy pow'r; ordain'd thy will
By nature free, not over-rul'd by fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity :
Our voluntary service he requires,

525

Not our necessitated; such with him

530

Finds no acceptance, nor can we find; for how
Can hearts, not free, be try'd whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By destiny, and can no other choose?
Myself and all th' angelic host, that stand
In sight of God enthron'd, our happy state

535

Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds;
On other surety none; freely we serve,

Because we freely love, as in our will

To love or not; in this we stand or fall ❤
And some are fall'n, to disobedience fall'n,
And so from Heav'n to deepest Hell; O fall
From what high state of bliss into what woe!
To whom our great progenitor. Thy words
Attentive, and with more delighted ear,
Divine instructor, I have heard, than when
Cherubic songs by night from neighb'ring hills

Aereal music send: nor knew! not

To be both will and deed created free;

540

545

Yet that we never shall forget to love

550

Our Maker, and obey him whose command
Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts

Assur'd me', and still assure: though what thou tell'st
Hath past in Heav'n, some doubt within me move,
But more desire to bear, if thou consent,
The full relation, which must needs be strange,
Worthy of sacred silence to be heard:

555

And we have yet large day, for scarce the sun
Hath finish'd half his journey, and scarce begins

His other half in the great zone of Heaven.

560

THUS Adam made request; and Raphaël

After short pause assenting, thus began.

HIGH matter thou injoin'st me', O prime of men,

Sad task and hard: for how shall I relate

To human sense th' invisible exploits

565

Of warring Spirits? How without remorse

The ruin of so many glorious once

And perfect while they stood? How last unfold
The secrets of another world, perhaps

Not lawful reveal; yet for thy good

570

This is dispens'd; and what surmounts the reach

Of human sense, I shall delineate so,

By likening spiritual to corporal forms,

As may express them best; though what if Earth

Be but the shadow' of Heav'n, and things therein $75 Each to' other like, more than on earth is thought?

As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild

Reign'd where these Heav'ns now roll, where Earth

now rests

Upon her centre pois'd: when on a day (For time, though in eternity, apply'd To motion, measures all things durable

580

By present, past, and future) on such day

As Heav'n's great year brings forth, th' impyreal host Of Angels by imperial summons call'd,

Innumerable before th' Almighty's throne

Forthwith from all the ends of Heav'n appear'd
Under their Hierarchs in orders bright :
Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanc'd,
Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear
Stream in the air, and for distinction serve
Of Hierarchies, of orders, and degrees :
Or in their glittering tissues bear imblaz'd
Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love
Recorded eminent. Thus when in orbs
Of circuit inexpressible they stood,
Orb within orb, the Father infinite,

3 c

585

590

595

By whom in bliss imbosom'd sat the Son,

Amidst as from a flaming mount, whose top
Brightness had made invisible, thus spake.
HEAR all ye Angels, progeny of light,

600

Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers, Hear my decree, which unrevok'd shall stand.

This day I have begot whom i declare

My only Son, and on this holy hill

Him have anointed, whom ye now behold

At my right hand; your head I him appoint;

And by myself have sworn to him shall bow

All knees in Heav'n, and shall confess him Lord:
Under his great vice-gerent reign abide

United as one individual soul

For ever happy: Him who disobeys,

605

610

Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day
Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls
Into' utter darkness, deep ingulph'd, his place
Ordain'd without redemption, without end.

615

So spake th' Omnipotent, and with his words All seem'd well pleas'd; all seem'd, but were not all. That day, as other solemn days, they spent

In song and dance about the sacred hill;
Mystical dance, which yonder starry sphere

620

Of planets and of fix'd in all her wheels
Resembles nearest, mazes intricate,
Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular

Then most, when most irregular they seem;

And in their motions harmony divine

625

So smooths her charming tones, that God's own ear

Listens delighted. Evening now approach'd

(For we have also' our evening and our morn,

In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold,

Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heaven.

635

On flow'rs repos'd and with fresh flow'rets crown'd

They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet

Quaff immortality and joy, secure

Of surfeit where full measure only bounds

Excess, before th' all-bounteous King, who show'r'd
With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.

641