'HE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear
So charming left his voice, that he a while Thought him ftill fpeaking, ftill food fix'd to hear
Then as new wak'd thus gratefully reply'd.
What thanks fufficient, or what recompenfe Equal have I to render thee, divine
Historian, who thus largely haft allay'd
The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchfaf'd
This friendly condefcenfion to relate
Things elfe by me unfearchable, now heard
With wonder, but delight, and, as is due,
With glory attribúted to the high
Creator fomething yet of doubt remains,
Which only thy folution can resolve.
When I behold this goodly frame, this world
Of Heav'n and Earth confifting, and compute
Their magnitudes, this earth, a fpot, a grain,
An atom, with the firmament compar'd
And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll
Spaces incomprehenfible (for fuch
Their distance argues and their swift return
Diurnal) merely to officiate light
Round this opacous earth, this punctual spot,
One day and night, in all their vast survey
Ufelefs befides; reafoning I oft admire,
How nature wife and frugal could commit
Such difproportions, with fuperfluous hand
So many nobler bodies to create,
Greater fo manifold to this one ufe,
For ought appears, and on their orbs impose
Such restless revolution day by day
Repeated, while the fedentary earth,
That better might with far less compass move,
Serv'd by more noble than herself, attains
Her end without leaft motion, and receives,
As tribute, fuch a fumlefs journey brought
Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light;
Speed, to defcribe whofe fwiftnefs number fails.
So fpake our fire, and by his count'nance feem'd
Entring on ftudious thoughts abftrufe, which Eve 40
Perceiving where fhe fat retir'd in fight,
With lowlinefs majestic from her seat,
And grace that won who faw to wish her ftay,
Rofe, and went forth among her fruits and flowers,
To vifit how they profper'd, bud and bloom,
Her nursery; they at her coming sprung,
And touch'd by her fair tendence gladlier grew.
Yet went the not, as not with fuch discourse
Delighted, or not capable her ear
Of what was high: fuch pleasure she referv'd,
Adam relating, fhe fole auditress :
Her husband the relator fhe preferr'd
Before the Angel, and of him to ask
Chofe rather; he, fhe knew, would intermix
Grateful digreffions, and folve high dispute
With conjugal careffes; from his lip
Not words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now
Such pairs, in love and mutual honor join'd?
With Goddefs-like demeanour forth fhe went,
Not unattended, for on her as queen
A pomp of winning graces waited still,
And from about her shot darts of defire
Into all eyes to wish her ftill in fight.
And Raphael now to Adam's doubt propos'd
Benevolent and facil thus reply'd.
To afk or fearch I blame thee not, for Heaven
Is as the book of God before thee fet,
Wherein to read his wondrous works, and learn
His feafons, hours, or days, or months, or years :
This to attain, whether Heav'n move or Earth,
Imports not, if thou reckon right; the reft
From Man or Angel the great Architect
Did wifely to conceal, and not divulge
His fecrets to be fcann'd by them who ought
Rather admire; or, if they lift to try
Conjecture, he his fabric of the Heavens
Hath left to their difputes, perhaps to move
His laughter at their quaint opinions wide
Hereafter, when they come to model Heaven
And calculate the stars, how they will wield
The mighty frame, how build, unbuild, contrive
To fave appearances, how gird the sphere
With centric and eccentric scribled o'er,
Cycle and epicycle, orb in orb:
Already by thy reasoning this I guess,
Who art to lead thy offspring, and supposest
That bodies bright and greater should not ferve
The lefs not bright, nor Heav'n fuch journeys run,
Earth fitting still, when fhe alone receives
The benefit confider firft, that great
Or bright infers not excellence: the earth
Though, in comparison of Heav'n, fo fmall,
Nor glift'ring, may of folid good contain
More plenty than the fun that barren shines,
Whofe virtue on itfelf works no effect,
But in the fruitful earth; there first receiv'd
His beams, unactive elfe, their vigor find.
Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries
Officious, but to thee earth's habitant.
And for the Heav'n's wide circuit, let it speak
'The Maker's high magnificence, who built
So fpacious, and his line ftretch'd out fo far;
That Man may know he dwells not in his own;
An edifice too large for him to fill,
Lodg'd in a small partition, and the rest
Ordain'd for ufes to his Lord best known.
The swiftnefs of thofe circles attribúte,
Though numberlefs, to his omnipotence,
That to corporeal fubftances could add
Speed almoft fpiritual; me thou think'st not flow, 110 Who fince the morning hour set out from Heaven
Where God refides, and ere mid-day arriv'd
In Eden, diftance inexpreffible
By numbers that have name. But this I urge,
Admitting motion in the Heav'ns, to show
Invalid that which thee to doubt it mov'd;
Not that I fo affirm, though so it seem
To thee who haft thy dwelling here on earth.
God to remove his ways from human fense,
Plac'd Heav'n from Earth fo far, that earthly fight,
If it prefume, might err in things too high,
And no advantage gain. What if the fun
Be center to the world, and other stars
By his attractive virtue and their own
Incited, dance about him various rounds?
Their wand'ring courfe now high, now low, then hid,
Progreffive, retrograde, or ftanding still,
In fix thou feeft, and what if fev'nth to these
The planet earth, fo ftedfaft though the feem,
Infenfibly three different motions move?
Which else to several spheres thou must ascribe,
Mov'd contrary with thwart obliquities,
Or fave the fun his labor, and that swift
Nocturnal and diurnal rhomb fuppos'd,
Invisible elfe above all stars, the wheel
Of day and night; which needs not thy belief,
If earth induftrious of herself fetch day
Traveling east, and with her part averse
From the fun's beam meet night, her other part
Still luminous by his ray. What if that light
Sent from her through the wide tranfpicuous air,
To the terreftrial moon be as a ftar
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