Beyond the horizon; then from pole to pole
He views in breadth, and without longer pause
Down right into the world's first region throws
His flight precipitant, and winds with ease
Through the pure marble air his oblique way
Amongst innumerable stars, that shone
Stars distant, but nigh hand seemed other worlds;
Or other worlds they seemed, or happy isles,
Like those Hesperian gardens1 famed of old,
Fortunate fields, and groves, and flowery vales,
Thrice happy isles; but who dwelt happy there
He staid not to inquire: Above them all
The golden sun, in splendour likest Heaven,
Allured his eye; thither his course he bends
Through the calm firmament :
There lands the Fiend, a spot like which perhaps
Astronomer in the sun's lucent orb
Through his glazed optic tube2 yet never saw.
The place he found beyond expression bright,
Compared with aught on earth, metal or stone;
Not all parts like, but all alike informed
With radiant light, as glowing iron with fire;
If metal, part seemed gold, part silver clear;
If stone, carbuncle most or chrysolite,
Ruby or topaz, to the twelve that shone
In Aaron's breast-plate 3, and a stone besides
Imagined rather oft than elsewhere seen,
That stone, or like to that which here below
Philosophers in vain so long have sought,
In vain, though by their powerful art they bind
Volatile Hermes, and call up unbound
In various shapes old Proteus 5 from the sea,
Drained through a limbeck to his native form.
What wonder then if fields and regions here
Breathe forth Elixir pure, and rivers run
and married Andromeda. Athena (Minerva) placed her, after her death, among the stars.
1 The gardens of the Hesperides, who guarded the famous golden apples given to Hera (Juno) on her marriage with Zeus (Jupiter).
2 An allusion to Galileo's invention.
3 See Exod. xxii. 17-21.
4 Mercury.
5 According to the poets, the prophetic old man of the sea, who had the power to assume every possible shape. This he did to escape the necessity of prophesying.
Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch
The arch-chemic sun, so far from us remote,
Produces, with terrestrial humour mixed,
Here in the dark so many precious things
Of colour glorious, and effect so rare?
Here matter new to gaze the Devil met
Undazzled ; far and wide his eye commands;
For sight no obstacle found here, nor shade,
But all sun-shine, as when his beams at noon
Culminate from the equator, as they now
Shot upward still direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body opaque can fall; and the air,
No where so clear, sharpened his visual ray
To objects distant far, whereby he soon
Saw within ken a glorious Angel stand,
The same whom John saw also in the sun:
His back was turned, but not his brightness hid;
Of beaming sunny rays a golden tiar
Circled his head, nor less his locks behind
Illustrious2 on his shoulders fledged with wings
Lay waving round; on some great charge employed
He seemed, or fixed in cogitation deep.
Glad was the Spirit impure, as now in hope
To find who might direct his wandering flight
To Paradise, the happy seat of Man,
His journey's end, and our beginning woe.
But first he casts to change his proper shape,
Which else might work him danger or delay;
And now a stripling cherub he appears,
Not of the prime, yet such as in his face
Youth smiled celestial, and to every limb
Suitable grace diffused, so well he feigned:
Under a coronet his flowing hair
In curls on either cheek played; wings he wore
Of many a coloured plume, sprinkled with gold;
His habit fit for speed succinct3, and held
Before his decent steps a silver wand.
He drew not nigh unheard; the Angel bright,
Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turned,
Admonished by his ear, and straight was known
1 That can be drunk. 2 Brightly shining.
3 Girt up; bound round his loins. 4 Graceful, comely.
The Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the seven
Who in God's presence, nearest to his throne,
Stand ready at command, and are his eyes
That run through all the Heavens, or down to the earth Bear his swift errands over moist and dry,
O'er sea and land: him Satan thus accosts:
"Uriel, for thou of those seven Spirits that stand
In sight of God's high throne, gloriously bright,
The first art wont his great authentic will
Interpreter through highest Heaven to bring,
Where all his sons thy embassy attend;
And here art likeliest by supreme decree
Like honour to obtain, and as his eye
To visit oft this new creation round;
Unspeakable desire to see, and know
All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man,
His chief delight and favour, him for whom
All these his works so wondrous he ordained,
Hath brought me from the choirs of Cherubim
Alone thus wandering. Brightest Seraph, tell
In which of all these shining orbs hath Man
His fixed seat, or fixèd 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 bestowed
Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces poured;
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 happy race of Men
To serve him better: wise are all his ways."
So spake the false dissembler unperceived,
For neither Man nor Angel can discern
Hypocrisy, which now for once beguiled
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 returned :—
"Fair Angel, thy desire, which tends to know
The works of God, thereby to glorify
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.
Look downward on that globe, whose hither side
With light from Heaven, 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 borrowed light her countenance triform1
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."
Thus said, he turned; 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,
Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel;
Nor stayed, till on Niphates'2 top he lights.
EXAMINATION ON BOOK III.
1. Why was Homer sometimes called Mæonides? 2. Who were Thamyris, Tiresias, and Phineus?
1 Diana, the goddess of hunting, was supposed to be the same as the moon (Phoebe) in heaven, and Persephone or Hecate in the infernal
regions:- hence she was called "Triformis."
3. What signifies the term "empyrean "?
4. Where is the river Hydaspes?
5. What country is meant by "Sericana"?
6. Who were Empedocles, and Cleombrotus?
7. Explain the term "eremite."
8. Who was Andromeda ?
9. What is the Greek name for the god Mercury? 10. What were the Hesperian gardens?
11. Quote some striking passages from this book.
12. What is the original meaning of the word "succinct"? 13. Give examples of several poetical figures from this book. 14. Where is Mount Niphates?
15. Why was Diana called "Triformis "?
Satan, now in prospect of Eden, doubts of his success. The address to the Sun. Confirmed in evil, he reaches Paradise, and overleaps its bounds. Paradise described, and the happy state of Adam and Eve; Satan determines to compass their destruction. He discovers the condition of their happiness, and resolves to tempt them to transgress. Meanwhile, Uriel, descending on a sunbeam, warns Gabriel that an Evil Spirit had entered the garden. Night comes on. Gabriel appoints two Angels to guard Adam's bower. They find Satan at Eve's ear, tempting her in a dream, and bring him to Gabriel. When questioned, he answers scornfully, and prepares to resist; but, warned by a sign from Heaven, he flies from Paradise.
O, FOR that warning voice, which he who saw
The Apocalypse1, heard cry in Heaven aloud,
Then when the Dragon2, put to second rout,
Came furious down to be revenged on men,
Woe to the inhabitants on earth! that now,
While time was, our first parents had been warned
The coming of their secret foe, and 'scaped,
Haply so 'scaped his mortal snare: for now
Satan, now first inflamed with rage, came down,
The tempter ere the accuser of mankind,
To wreak on innocent frail Man his loss
Of that first battle, and his flight to Hell :
Yet, not rejoicing in his speed, though bold
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt; which nigh the birth
1 The Revelation, from xoxaλÚRTO, 2 See Revelation, xii. 7—9.
(apokalùpto), I reveal or disclose.
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