All these his works so wondrous he ordain'd,
Hath brought me from the quires of cherubim
Alone thus wandering. Brightest seraph, tell
In which of all these shining orbs hath man
His fixed seat, or fixed seat hath none,
But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell;
That I may find him, and with secret gaze,
Or open admiration, him behold,

On whom the great Creator hath bestow'd

665

670

675

Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces pour'd;
That both in him and all things, as is meet,
The universal Maker we may praise,
Who justly hath driven out his rebel foes
To deepest hell, and, to repair that loss,
Created this new race of happy men

To serve him better: wise are all his ways.'
So spake the false dissembler unperceived;
For neither man nor angel can discern
Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks

Invisible, except to God alone,

680

By his permissive will, through heaven and earth: 685
And oft, though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps
At wisdom's gate, and to simplicity

Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill
Where no ill seems: which now for once beguiled

669. or (whether) he hath no fixed seat, but hath all these shining orbs to dwell (in at) his choice: (tell me) that &c. or: hath his choice to dwell (i. e. inhabit) all these shining orbs. in Milton's P. R.—

'I saw and heard; for we sometimes

Who dwell this wild, constrain'd by want, come forth
To town or village nigh.'

So

Uriel, though regent of the sun, and held
The sharpest sighted spirit of all in heaven;
Who to the fraudulent impostor foul,
In his uprightness, answer thus return'd :

690

'Fair angel, thy desire, which tends to know The works of God, thereby to glorify

695

700

The great Work-master, leads to no excess
That reaches blame, but rather merits praise
The more it seems excess, that led thee hither
From thy empyreal mansion thus alone,
To witness with thine eyes what some perhaps,
Contented with report, hear only in heaven :
For wonderful indeed are all his works,
Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight;
But what created mind can comprehend
Their number, or the wisdom infinite
That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep?
I saw when at his word the formless mass,
The world's material mould, came to a heap:
Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined;
Till at his second bidding darkness fled,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung:
Swift to their several quarters hasted then

705

710

The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire;

715

704. Psalm cxi. 4. The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works, that they ought to be had in remembrance.'

715. cumbrous: even air and fire are so in comparison of the quintessence, celestial fire or pure spirit.' RICHARDSON.

And this ethereal quintessence of heaven
Flew upward, spirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars
Numberless, as thou seest, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his course;
The rest in circuit walls this universe.

720

Look downward on that globe, whose hither side
With light from hence, though but reflected, shines;
That place is earth, the seat of man; that light
His day, which else, as the other hemisphere,
Night would invade; but there the neighbouring moon
(So call that opposite fair star) her aid

Timely interposes, and her monthly round

Still ending, still renewing, through mid heaven,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform

725

730

716. The four elements hasted to their quarters, but this fifth essence flew upward [animated with various forms]. This notion our author borrowed from Aristotle and others of the ancient philosophers, who supposed that besides the four elements there was likewise an ethereal quintessence or fifth essence, out of which the stars and Heavens were formed, and its motion was orbicular. These stars are numberless as thou seest (says the Angel), and (seest) how they move; and the rest of this fifth essence that is not formed into stars surrounds and like a wall incloses the uniLucret. v. 470.

verse.

Et late diffusus in omnes undique partes Omnia sic avido complexu cætera sepsit.'' N. Compare also Lucret. v. 450.

Quippe etenim primum terrai corpora quæque,
Propterea quod erant gravia et perplexa, coibant
In medio, atque imas capiebant omnia sedes :
Quæ quanto magis inter se perplexa coibant,
Tam magis expressere ea, quæ mare, sidera, solem
Lunamque efficerent, et magni mænia mundi.'

Also Ovid. Met. lib. i. init.

725. which the antecedent is whose hither side: which night would otherwise invade as it does the other hemisphere.'

730. triform: increasing with horns towards the east, decreas

Hence fills and empties to enlighten the earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradise,

Adam's abode; those lofty shades, his bower.

Thy way thou canst not miss, me mine requires.' 735 Thus said, he turn'd; and Satan, bowing low,

As to superior spirits is wont in heaven,

Where honour due and reverence none neglects,
Took leave, and toward the coast of earth beneath,
Down from the ecliptic, sped with hoped success; 740
Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel,
Nor stay'd, till on Niphates' top he lights.

ing with horns towards the west, and at the full.' N. 'Diva triformis,' Hor. Od. iii. 22. Virg. Æn. iv. 511.tria virginis ora Dianæ alluding to the triple designation of the goddess, Luna in Heaven, Diana upon Earth, Hecate in the Shades. This is probably Milton's idea.

742. Niphates: a range of mountains in Armenia, forming part of the great chain of Taurus, and bordering on Mesopotamia, in which Paradise is generally placed.-The summit is covered with snow during the whole year: whence the name. Hor. Od. ii. 9. rigidum Niphaten.'