Side 111 af 239

125

Unalterably firm, His love entire,

Whose progeny you are. Meanwhile enjoy

Your fill what happiness this happy state

Can comprehend, incapable of more.

To whom the patriarch of mankind replied:

Oh, favourable spirit, propitious guest,

Well hast thou taught the way that might direct

Our knowledge, and the scale of nature set

From centre to circumference; whereon,

In contemplation of created things,

By steps we may ascend to God. But say,

What meant that caution joined, If ye be found

Obedient? Can we want obedience then

To Him, or possibly His love desert,

Who formed us from the dust, and placed us here

Full to the utmost measure of what bliss

Human desires can seek or apprehend?

To whom the Angel: Son of Heaven and Earth, Attend: that thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That, is to thy obedience; therein stand. This was that caution given thee; be advised. God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee; but to persevere He left it in thy power; ordained thy will By nature free, not over-ruled by fate Inextricable, or strict necessity. Our voluntary service he requires, Not our necessitated; such with him Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how Can hearts not free be tried whether they serve Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other choose? Myself, and all the Angelic host that stand In sight of God, enthroned, our happy state Hold, as you yours, while 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 fallen, to disobedience fallen,

And so from Heaven to deepest Hell—oh, 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 neighbouring hills Aerial music send: nor knew I not To be both will and deed created free. Yet that we never shall forget to love Our Maker, and obey him whose command Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts Assured me, and still assure; though what thou tell'st Hath passed in heaven, some doubt within me move, But more desire to hear, if thou consent, The full relation, which must needs be strange, Worthy of sacred silence to be heard; And we have yet large day, for scarce the sun Hath finished half his journey, and scarce begins His other half in the great zone of heaven.

Thus Adam made request; and Raphael,

After short pause assenting, thus began:

High matter thou enjoinest me, oh, prime of men,

Sad task and hard: for how shall I relate

To human sense the invisible exploits

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 to reveal? Yet for thy good

This is dispensed; and what surmounts the reach

Of human sense, I shall delineate so,

By likening spiritual to corporal forms,