New Heav'n and Earth, wherein the just shall dwell, And after all their tribulations long
See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds, With Joy and love triumphing, and fair truth. Then thou thy regal sceptre shall lay by, For regal sceptre then no more shall need, God shall be all in all. But all ye gods, Adore him, who to compass all this dies; Adore the Son, and honor him as me.
No sooner had th' Almighty ceas'd, but all The multitude of angels, with a shout Loud as from numbers without number, sweet As from blest voices, uttering joy, Heav'n rung With jubilee, and loud hosannas fill'd
Th' eternal regions: lowly reverent
Tow'ards either throne they bow, and to the ground With solemn adoration down they cast
Their crowns inwove with amarant and gold; Immortal amarant, a flow'r which once
In Paradise, fast by the tree of Life,
Began to bloom; but soon for man's offence 355 To Heav'n remov'd, where first it grew, there grows, And flow'rs aloft shading the fount of Life, Andwhere the riv'er of Bliss through midst of Heav'n Rolls o'er Elysian flow'rs her amber stream; With these that never fade the spi'rits elect 360 Bind their resplendent locks inwreath'd with beams, Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright Pavement, that like a sea of jasper shone, Impurpled with celestial roses smil'd.
Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took, Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their side 366 Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet Of charming symphony they introduce Their sacred song, and waken raptures high; No voice exempt, no voice but well could join 370 Melodious part, such concord is in Heav'n. Thee, Father! first they sung Omnipotent, Immutable, Immortal, Infinite,
Eternal King; thee Author of all being, Fountain of light, thyself invisible
Amidst the glorious brightness where thou sit'st Thron'd inaccessible, but when thou shad'st The full blaze of thy beams, and through a cloud Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine, Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear, 380 Yet dazzle Heav'n, that brightest seraphim Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes. Thee next they sang of all creation first, Begotten Son, Divine Similitude,
In whose conspicuous count'nance, without cloud Made visible, th' almighty Father shines, 386 Whom else no creature can behold; on thee Impress'd th' effulgence of his glory' abides, Transfus'd on thee his ample Spirit rests. He Heav'n of Heav'ns and all the pow'rs therein By thee created, and by thee threw down Th' aspiring Dominations: thou that day Thy Father's dreadful thunder didst not spare, Nor stop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook
Heav'n's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks 395 Thou drov'st of warring angels disarray'd. Back from pursuit thy powers with loud acclaim Thee only' extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might, To execute fierce vengeance on his foes, 399 Not so on Man: him through their malice fall'n, Father of mercy' and grace! thou didst not doom So strictly, but much more to pity' incline: No sooner did thy dear and only Son
Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man So strictly, but much more to pity inclin'd, 405 He to appease thy wrath, and end the strife Of Mercy' and Justice in thy face discern'd, Regardless of the bliss wherein he sat Second to thee, offer'd himself to die For Man's offence. O unexampled love, Love no where to be found less than divine! Hail, Son of God! Saviour of Men! thy name Shall be the copious matter of my Song Henceforth, and never shall my Harp thy praise Forget, nor from thy Father's praise disjoin. 415 Thus they in Heav'n, above the starry sphere, Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent. Meanwhile upon the firm opacous globe
Of this round world, whose first convex divides The luminous inferior orbs inclos'd
From Chaos and th' inroad of Darkness old, Satan alighted walks: a globe far off It seem'd, now seems a boundless continent Dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of Night
Starless expos'd, and ever-threatning storms Of Chaos blust'ring round, inclement sky; Save on that side which from the wall of Heav'n, Though distant far, some small reflection gains Of glimmering air, less vex'd with tempest loud: Here walk'd the Fiend at large in spacious field. 430 As when a vulture on Imaus bred,
Whose snowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds, Dislodging from a region scarce of prey To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids On hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the springs Of Ganges or Hydaspes, Indian streams, But in his way lights on the barren plains Of Sericana, where Chineses drive
With sails and wind their cany waggons light: So on this windy sea of land the Fiend Walk'd and down alone bent on his prey; up
Alone, for other creature in this place Living or lifeless to be found was none; None yet, but store hereafter from the earth Up hither like aeréal vapors Of all things transitory' and vain, when Sin With vanity had fill'd the works of men; Both all things vain, and all who in vain things Built their fond hopes of glory' or lasting fame, 450 Or happiness in this or th' other life; All who have their reward on earth, the fruits Of painful superstition and blind zeal, Naught seeking but the praise of men, here find etribution, empty as their deeds
All th' unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand, Abortive, monstrous, or unkindly mix'd, Dissolv'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain, Till final dissolution, wander here,
Not in the neighb'ring moon, as some have dream'd; Those argent fields more likely habitants, Translated saints, or middle spirits hold Betwixt th' angelical and human kind. Hither of ill-join'd sons and daughters born First from the ancient world those giants came With many a vain exploit, though then renown'd: The builders next of Babel on the plain
Of Sennaar, and still with vain design
New Babels, had they wherewithal would build : Others came single; he who to be deem'd A god leap'd fondly into Etna flames, Empedocles; and he who to enjoy Plato's Elysium, leap'd into the sea, Cleombrotus; and many more too long, Embryos and idiots, eremites and friers
White, black, and gray, with all their trumpery. Here pilgrims roam, that stray'd so far to seek 476 In Golgotha him dead, who lives in Heav'n; And they who to be sure of Paradise Dying put on the weeds of Dominic, Or in Franciscan think to pass disguis'd; They pass the planets sev'n, and pass the fix'd, And that crystalline sphere whose balance weighs The trepidation talk'd, and that first mov'd; And now Saint Peter at Heav'n's wicket seems
« ElőzőTovább » |