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Top of fome high Hill, which unawares difcovers to his Sight the pleasant Profpect of fome foreign Country he had never feen before, or fome renown'd Metropolis, adorn'd with glittering Towers and Spires, which the rifing Sun gilds with his Beams: Such Wonder feiz'd the malignant Spirit, though he had feen Heaven, but Envy feiz'd him much more at Sight of all this World, which he beheld fo beautiful. Round he furveys, (and well he might where he flood fo high above the circling Canopy of the extended Shade of NIGHT) from Eaft to Weft, and then from North to South he views in Breadth; and without any longer Paufe throws himself downright into the World's firft Region, and winds this Way and that Way through the clear Air, among numberless Stars, that at a Distance fhone like nothing but what they appear to us, but nigh Hand they feem'd other Worlds, or happy Inlands like thofe HESPERIAN (r) Gardens, fo famous of old, plentiful Fields, pleasant Groves, and flowery Vales, thrice happy Habitati ons; but who dwelt happy there, SATAN ftaid not to enquire. Above them all the golden Sun, likeft in Splendor to Heaven allur'd his Eye; thither he bends his Course through the calm Firmament; but 'tis hard to tell his Courfe thither, whether upwards or downwards, or in a direct Line; where the great Luminary, among the thick Conftellations, that keep due Distance from him, difpenfes Light from afar: They as they move turn their fwift and various Motions, which compute Days, Months, and Years, towards his all-chearing Lamp; or elfe are turn'd by his attractive

(r) Hefperian; Lat. Gr. i. e. Western. The famous Gardens of Hesperus the Brother of Atlas (fid to be in the aweflern Islands of Cape Verd or the Canaries, which belong to Africa, and lye under the Evening Star, (which

the Greeks and Latins call Hefperus and Vefperus) wherein were Golden Apples, kept by a watchful Dragon. The Fable is taken from the Garden of Eden, and the glorious Fruits there.

tractive Power that warms the Universe gently, and with kind Influence darts invifible Virtue, even to the Bottom of the Ocean; fo marvellously was he fat in his bright Station: There landed SATAN, a Spot, like which perhaps no Aftronomer in the Sun's fhining Orb, though help'd by perfpective Glaffes, ever faw: He found the Place bright beyond all Expreffion, compared with any Thing on Earth, either Metal or Stone ; not all the Parts alike, but all alike enlighten'd in all Parts; as red hot Iron is with Fire; if Metal, Part of it feem'd Gold, and Part clear Silver; if Stone, most Carbuncle, (s) or Chryfolite, (t) or Ruby, (u) or Topaz, (x) or the twelve that fhone in the BreastPlate

4) Carbuncle; Dut. Teut. Ital. Span. Lat. i. e. A little burning Coal. A precious Stone, refembling a burning Coal in its Luftre or Colour. In Heb. Bareketh, i. c. Lightning. In Gr. Smag ragdos, i. e. Light. It was the third of the firft Row of precious Stones in Aaron's Breaft Plate, whereon the Name of Levi was engraved, to fhew that Divine Knowledge should fhine in the Priefts of the Lord, to illuminate the Church, Exod. 28. 17. Mat. 5. 14. 16. It is an antient but a vulgar Error, to fay, a Carbuncle gives Light in the Dark.

(t) Chryfolite; Lat. Gr. i. e. A Golden Stone: because it shines like Gold. It was the firft of the 4th Row, on which Aher was cut. It is of a Seagreen Colour, which fhewed that his Habitation fhould be near the Sea, Exod. 28. 20. Joh. 19. 24. Rev.

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precious Stone of a glorious red Colour, as red as Blood. In Heb. Achlama, from which the Greeks call it Amethyst, i... Not to inebriate for it is reported to be an Antidote to Drunkennels. It is found in the Eaft-Indies, the Stony Arabia, Armenia, Egypt, Cyprus, &c. It was the last of the 3d Row, whereon Gad was infcribed; to teach him Watchfulness and Temperance; and was also a Sign of his Victories, which were predicted, Gen. 49. 19. Exod. 28. 19. and fulfilled i Chron. 5. 18. 19.

(x) Topaz; Heb. from which the Greeks formed Topazion, i. e. Golden. A Stone of a golden and green Colour, found in Ethiopia, Job. 29. 19. And in the Ifland Topazium, which lies in the Arabian Gulph. It was the 2d of the firft Row whereon the Name of Simeon was engraven. Exod. 28. 17. Rev.

21. 20.

Plate of AARON, (y) or that, feen rather in Imagination than elfewhere, Alchymifts have fo long been in vain Search after, though by their powerful Art they bind Quickfilver, and change Matter into all Manner of Forms: What Wonder then if the Fields and Regions here breath forth pure Elixir, and Rivers run with liquid Gold; when with one powerful Touch the Sun, though fo far remote from us, and mix'd with earthly Matter, here in the Dark produces fo many precious Things, of Colour fo glorious, and of fo rare Effect? Here the Devil met new Matter to gaze at, nor was he dazled by fo much Light; his Eye commands far and wide, for here was no Shade or Obftacle to Sight, for all was Sunfhine; as at Noon; fo now the Sun Beams fhoot upward, ftill direct, whence no Way round can fall any Shadow from dark Bodies, and the Air fharpen'd the Eyes of SATAN, to Objects far diftant, whereby he foon difcover'd within Sight a glorious Angel ftand within, the fame whom St. JOHN (2) faw alfo in the Sun; his Back

(y) Aaron; Heb. i. e. A Mountain. This Name was given him by Infpiration, predict ing his high Advancement and Dignity, and his Death upon Mount Hor. Heb. i. e. A Mountain. The eldest Son of Amram, older than Mofes by three Years, yet named last; born in Egppt, about A. M. 2460. The firit High-Priest of the Jews by divine Election. He died A. M. 2583. in the 123d Year of his Age, before Jefus Chrift 1448. in the Land of Edom. Juftin thro' a grofs Mistake calls him Arvas and the Son of Mofes.

(z) John; Heb. Jebockanan; i. e. Gratious. A proper Name of Menamong the Jews, mentioned i Obron. 12. 12. Jer. 41. 11.

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Back was turn'd, but his Brightnefs was not hid; a golden Crown of the Beams of the Sun's Rays encircled his Head, nor lefs bright were his Locks that hung behind waving on his Shoulders, which were cover'd with Wings; he feem'd employ'd on fome great and important Affair, or fix'd in very deep Contemplation.

THE impure Spirit was glad of this, as being now in Hope to find one who might direct his wandering Flight to PARADISE, the happy Seat of MAN, the propos'd End of his Journey, and the Beginning of our Woe: But first he confiders how he might change his Shape, which elfe might bring him into Danger, or be the Caufe of Delay; and now he appears like a youthful Cherub, not one of the chief, yet fuch as Youth fmil'd heavenly in his Face, and to every Limb diffus'd fuitable Grace; fo well did he contrive to feign: Under a Coronet his flowing Hair play'd upon either Cheek in Curls; he wore Wings of many party-colour'd Feathers fprinkled with Gold; his Habit was girt about him, as fit for Travel, and he held in his Hand, to help his Steps, a filver Wand. SATAN did not draw nigh without being heard; the bright Angel in the Sun, admonifh'd by his Ear of his Approach, turn'd his radiant Vifage, and immediately was known by him, to be the Arch-Angel URIEL, (a) one of the feven who ftand in the Prefence of GoD, nearest to his Throne, ready at Com

(a) Uriel; Heb. i. e. The Light of God. Milton, from the Senfe of his Name very properly imagines this Angel to be the Prefident of the Sun: For the Antients thought that all the Superior Orbs were governed by fome Divine Intelligence, which moved them to worship thofe Orbs. One of the feven Arch

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Angels of the Prefence; which feems to be taken from Zech. 4. 10, &c. not from Tobit 12. 15. For that Number mentioned there is an Apocryphal Story. However, this Name is not found in Holy Scripture, but in the Apocrypha, 2 Efdras, Ch. 4. 1, 36.

Command, and are as his Eyes that run through all the Heavens, or bear his fwift Errands down to the Earth, over Sea and Land; to him SATAN approa ches, and thus addreffes himself:

URIEL! for thou art wont to be the firft of those feven Spirits, that stand in the Sight of GoD's high Throne, gloriously bright, to bring his great authentick Will through the highest Heaven, and to be the Interpreter of it; where all the other Angels attend to hear thy Embaffy, and here art likelieft by fupreme Decree to obtain like Honour, and as his Eye give frequent Vifitation to this new created World: An unfpeakable Defire to fee and know all thefe his wonderful Works, but chiefly MAN, whom he delights in and favours fo much, and for whom he hath ordained all these, hath brought me thus wandering alone from the Choirs of Cherubim: Tell me, brightest Seraph, in which of all these fhining Orbs hath MAN his fix'd Seat? (or has he his Choice to dwell in which may please him beft?) that I may find him out, gaze on him in fecret, or openly admire, that I may behold him on whom the great Creator hath bestow'd Worlds, and on whom he hath pour'd all these Graces; that in him and all Things elfe, as is but meet, we may praise the Univerfal Maker, who justly hath driven out to deepeft Hell his rebellious Foes; and to repair their Lofs, created this new happy Race of MEN, to ferve him better: Wifdom is in all his Ways!

So spoke the falfe Deceiver, without being perceiv'd; for neither MAN nor Angel can discover Hypocrify, which is the only Evil that walks invisible through Heaven and Earth, except to GoD alone, left fo by his permiffive Will; and oftentimes though Wisdom keeps awake, Sufpicion fleeps, and while Goodnefs thinks no Ill, where no Ill feems to be, to Simplicity

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