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On high; who into glory Him received, Where now he sits at the right hand of bliss. Thus measuring things in heaven by things on earth, At thy request, and that thou may'st beware By what is past, to thee I have revealed What might have else to human race been hid: The discord which befell, and war in heaven Among the angelic powers, and the deep fall Of those, too high aspiring, who rebelled With Satan; he who envies now thy state, Who now is plotting how he may seduce Thee also from obedience, that with him, Bereaved of happiness, thou mayest partake His punishment, eternal misery; Which would be all his solace and revenge, As a despite done against the Most High, Thee once to gain companion of his woe. But listen not to his temptations, warn Thy weaker; let it profit thee to have heard, By terrible example, the reward Of disobedience; firm they might have stood, Yet fell; remember, and fear to transgress.

BOOK VII.

RAPHAEL, at the request of Adam, relates how and wherefore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satur and His angels out of heaven, declared His pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; sends His Son with glory, and attendance of angels, to perform the work of creation in six days: the angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and His re-ascension into

DESCEND from heaven, Urania-by that name If rightly thou art called-whose voice divine Following, above the Olympian hill I soar, Above the flight of Pegasean wing. The meaning, not the name, I call; for thou Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top Of old Olympus dwellest, but, heavenly-born, Before the hills appeared, or fountain flowed, Thou with Eternal Wisdom² didst converse, Wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play In presence of the Almighty Father, pleased With thy celestial song. Up led by thee, Into the Heaven of Heavens I have presumed, An earthly guest, and drawn Empyreal air, Thy tempering. With like safety guided down, Return me to my native element; Lest from this flying steed unreined—as once Bellerophon, though from a lower clime— Dismounted, on the Aleian's field I fall, Erroneous there to wander, and forlorn. Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound Within the visible diurnal sphere: Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole,

\* Eternal Wisdom.—Such was the inspiration the poet sought—that of the Eternal Word. The Alcian field. —The field of wandering, in which Bellerophon roamed after his fall.

Descend from Heaven.—The theme of the poet now descends from heaven to earth, and he prays that the Muse. or inspiration, which has hitherto been his guide, may descend with him. Urania was one of the Greek muses dwelling in Olympus, and Milton means to say that under that doubtful name he has sought aid that might enable him to treat of matters which Olympian inspiration could never reveal, and to soar beyond the flight of Pegasus—the