John Milton

“ Things above earthly thought, which yet concerned
Our knowing, as to highest Wisdom seemed,
Deign to descend now lower, and relate,
What may no less perhaps avail us known,
How first began this heaven, which we behold
Distant so high, with moving fires adorned
Innumerable; and this which yields or fills
All space, the ambient air, wide interfuse
Embracing round this florid earth ”

“ With evening harps and matin; when God said:450
'Let the earth bring forth soul living in her kind,
Cattle and creeping things, and beast of the earth,
Each in their kind.' The earth obeyed, and straight,
Opening her fertile womb, teemed at a birth
Innumerous living creatures, perfect forms,
Limbed and full grown. ”

“ With admiration and deep muse, to hear
Of things so high and strange, things to their thought
So unimaginable as hate in Heaven,
And war so near the peace of God in bliss,
With such confusion; but the evil, soon
Driven back, redounded as a flood on those
From whom it sprung, impossible to mix
With blessedness. Whence Adam soon repealed
The doubts that in his heart arose; and now60
Led on, yet sinless, with desire to know
What nearer might concern him, how this World
Of heaven and earth conspicuous first began ”

“ Raphael, at the request of Adam, relates how and wherefore this World was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan 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 reascention into Heaven. ”

“ Like things to like, the rest to several place240
Disparted, and between spun out the air,
And Earth, self-balanced, on her centre hung.
"'Let there be light!' said God, and forthwith light,
Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure,
Sprung from the Deep, and from her native east
To journey through the aery gloom began.
Sphered in a radiant cloud, for yet the sun
Was not; she in a cloudy tarbernacle
Sojourned the while. God saw the light was good;
And light from darkness by the hemisphere250
Divided. Light the Day, and darkness Night
He named. ”

“ And thou their nature knowest, and gavest them names,
Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown
The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field,
Of huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes
And hairy mane terrific, though to thee
Not noxious, but obedient at thy call.
"Now heaven in all her glory shone, and rolled
Her motions, at the great First Mover's hand500
First wheeled their course; earth, in her rich attire
Consummate lovely, smiled; air, water, earth,
By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walked,
Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remained. ”

“ Then stayed the fervid wheels, and in his hand
He took the golden compasses, prepared
In God's eternal store, to circumscribe
This Universe, and all created things.
One foot he centered, and the other turned
Round through the vast profundity obscure,
And said:—'Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds,
This be thy just circumference, O World!'231
"Thus God the heaven created, thus the earth,
Matter unformed and void. ”

“ And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin
Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death. ”

“ In prospect. There the eagle and the stork,
On cliffs and cedar-tops, their eyries build.
Part loosely wing the region, part more wise
In common, ranged in figure, wedged their way,
Intelligent of seasons, and set forth
Their aery caravan, high over seas
Flying, and over lands, with mutual wing
Easing their flight—so steers the prudent crane430
Her annual voyage, borne on winds—the air
Floats as they pass, fanned with unnumbered plumes.
From branch to branch the smaller birds with song
Solaced the woods, and spread their painted wings,
Till even ”