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Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent
Eternal Father (for where is not he
Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake :

Let us make now Man in our image, Man
In our similitude, and let them rule

Over the fish and fowl of sea and air,

Beast of the field, and over all the Earth,

And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.
This said, he form'd thee, Adam, thee, O Man,

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Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breathed 525
The breath of life; in his own image he

Created thee, in the image of God
Express; and thou becamest a living soul.

Male he created thee; but thy consórt

Female, for race; then bless'd mankind, and said, 530
Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth;
Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold
Over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air,

And every living thing that moves on the Earth.
Wherever thus created, for no place

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Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know'st,

He brought thee into this delicious grove,

This garden, planted with the trees of God,
Delectable both to behold and taste;

And freely all their pleasant fruit for food

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Gave thee; all sorts are here that all the Earth yields

Variety without end; but of the tree,

Which, tasted, works knowledge of good and evil,

Thou mayst not; in the day thou eat'st, thou diest:

Death is the penalty imposed; beware,

And govern well thy appetite; lest Sin

Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death.

Here finish'd he, and all that he had made

View'd, and behold all was entirely good;

So even and morn accomplish'd the sixth day;
Yet not till the Creator from his work
Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd,
Up to the Heaven of Heavens, his high abode;

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Thence to behold this new created world,

The addition of his empire, how it show'd

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In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair,
Answering his great idea. Up he rode

Follow'd with acclamation, and the sound

Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tuned
Angelic harmonies: the earth, the air

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Resounded (thou remember'st, for thou heard'st,)
The heavens and all the constellations rung,
The planets in their station listening stood,
While the bright pomp ascended jubilant.
Open, ye everlasting gates! they sung,
Open, ye Heavens! your living doors; let in
The great Creator from his work return'd
Magnificent, his six days' work, a World;
Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign
To visit oft the dwellings of just men,
Delighted; and with frequent intercourse
Thither will send his winged messengers
On errands of supernal grace. So sung

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The glorious train ascending: He through Heaven,
That open'd wide her blazing portals, led
To God's eternal house direct the way;
A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold
And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear,
Seen in the galaxy, that milky way,

Which nightly, as a circling zone,

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Powder'd with stars. And now on Earth the seventh

Evening arose in Eden, for the sun

Was set, and twilight from the east came on,
Forerunning night; when at the holy mount

Of Heaven's high-seated top, the imperial throne 585
Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and sure,

The Filial Power arrived, and sat him down
With his great Father; for he also went
Invisible, yet staid (such privilege

Hath Omnipresence,) and the work ordain'd,
Author and End of all things; and, from work

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Now resting, blessed and hallow'd the seventh day,
As resting on that day from all his work.
But not in silence holy kept: the harp
Had work and rested not; the solemn pipe,
And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,
All sounds on fret by string or golden wire,
Temper'd soft tunings, intermix'd with voice
Choral or unison: of incense clouds,

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Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount.
Creation and the six days' acts they sung:

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Great are thy works, Jehovah! infinite

Thy power! what thought can measure thee, or tongue Relate thee! Greater now in thy return

Than from the giant Angels: Thee that day

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Thy thunders magnified; but to create
Is greater than created to destroy.

Who can impair thee, Mighty King, or bound
Thy empire! Easily the proud attempt

Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain,

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Thou hast repelled; while impiously they thought

Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw

The number of thy worshippers. Who secks

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To lessen thee, against his purpose serves
To manifest the more thy might: his evil
Thou usest, and from thence createst more good.
Witness this new-made world, another Heaven
From Heaven gate not far, founded in view
On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea;
Of amplitude almost immense, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world
Of destined habitation; but thou know'st
Their seasons: among these the seat of Men,
Earth, with her nether ocean circumfused,

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Their pleasant dwelling place. Thrice happy Men, 625 And sons of Men, whom God hath thus advanced!

Created in his image, there to dwell

And worship him; and in reward to rule
Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air,

And multiply a race of worshippers
Holy and just thrice happy, if they know
Their happiness, and persevere upright!

So sung they, and the empyrćan rung
With hallelujahs: thus was sabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd
How first this world and face of things began,'
And what before thy memory was done

From the beginning; that posterity,

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Inform'd by thee, might know: if else thou seek'st
Aught, not surpassing human measure, say.

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PARADISE LOST.

BOOK VIII.

Adam inquires concerning celestial motions; is doubtfully answer ed, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of know ledge: Adam assents: and, still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation; his placing in Paradise; his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society; his first meeting and nuptials with Eve; his discourse with the Angel thereupon: who, after admonitions repeated, departs

THE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear

So charming left his voice, that he awhile

Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear;
Then, as new waked, thus gratefully replied:
What thanks sufficient, or what recompense

Historian, who thus largely hast allay'd

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Equal, have I to render thee, divine

The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsafed

This friendly condescension to relate

Things, else by me unsearchable; now heard

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With wonder, but delight, and, as is due,

With glory attributed to the high

Creator! Something yet of doubt remains,
Which only thy solution can resolve.

When I behold this goodly frame, this world,
Of Heaven and earth consisting; and compute

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Their magnitudes; this Earth, a spot, a grain,
An atom, with the firmament compared
And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll
Spaces incomprehensible (for such

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Their distance argues, and their swift return
Diurnal,) merely to officiate light

Round this opacous Earth, this punctual spot,

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