Heaven, and eternal Wrath burnt after them to the bottomless Pit. Hell heard the intolerable Noise, and faw Heaven falling in Ruin from Heaven, and being affrighted would have fled, but Fate had bound her too faft, and caft her dark Foundations too deep. They were nine Days in their Fall, and the confus❜d and roaring CHAOS was fill'd with tenfold Confufion as they fell, 'till Hell at laft yawning receiv'd them all, and clos'd upon them; a fit Habitation for them, full of unquenchable Fire, the Dwelling-Place of Pain and Mifery. Heaven being quit of the Burthen rejoic'd, and fcon fhut up the Breach through which the fallen Angels were driven out.

THE MESSIAH having alone obtain'd the Victory, turn'd his triumphal Chariot froin the Expulfion of his Enemies; all his Saints advanc'd to meet him with great Rejoicing, who had ftood filent to behold his Almighty Deeds, and as they went fhaded with Branches of Palm, each bright Order fung Songs of Triumph, expreffing him to be the victorious KING, the SON, HEIR, and LORD, and the Dominion was given to him, who was worthieft to reign. He rode, thus celebrated, triumphant throngh the Middle of Heaven, into the Courts and Temple of his mighty FATHER, who fits on the highest Throne, and who receiv'd him into Glory, where he now dwells at the Right-Hand of GOD.

THUS, ADAM, measuring as well as I could Things in Heaven by thofe on Earth, I have at thy Request (and that thou may'ft take Heed by what is paft) reveal'd to thee, what elfe perhaps might have been hid from the Race of MAN; the Difcord and the War which befell in Heaven among the Angelical Powers, and the deep Fall of those too high afpiring Spirits, who rebell'd with SATAN: He who now envies thy State, and who is now contriving how he

may

may feduce thee alfo from thy Obedience, that thou bereav'd of Happiness may'it partake with him his Punishment, which is eternal Mifery; this would be his greatest Delight and Revenge, as in Despite against the most HIGH, once to gain thee to be the Companion of his Woe. But do not thou liften to his Temptations; warn EvE, who in the Capacity of her Mind is weaker than thee: Let it be of Service to thee, to have heard by terrible Example, what the Reward of Difobedience is; they might have stood firm, and yet they fell: Do thou bear that in Mind, and fear to tranfgrefs the Command laid upon thee.

The End of the SIXTH BOOK.

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THE

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SEVENTH BOOK

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PARADISE LOST.

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The ARGUMENT.

APHAEL, 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. GOD fends his Son with Glory and Attendance of Angels to perform the Work of Creation in fix Days: The Angels celebrate with Hymns the Performance thereof, and bis Re-Afcenfion to Heaven.

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CHAP. I.

Raphael tells Adam how and why the World was firft created.

ESCEND from Heaven, Thou holy Spirit, by fome call'd URANIA! (a) following whofe divine Voice, I foar above the Flights feign'd of PEGAsus, (b) above the Top of OLYMPUS, I call upon the Meaning, and not the Name; for Thou art not one of the nine Mufes, nor do'ft Thou dwell on Mountains, but born in Heaven before either the Hills appear'd, or Fountains flow'd; Thou didst converfe with eternal Wisdom thy Sifter, and with her didft rejoice in the Prefence of the Almighty FATHER, who was pleas'd with thy heavenly Song. Led up by Thee, I have prefum'd to vifit the Heaven of Heavens, though but an Earthly Gueft, and breath'd celeftial Air, temper'd by Thee to my Nature: Do Thou, guiding me down with like Safety, return me to my natural Element, left I fall, (as once BELLEROPHON (c) did) difmounted on the

(a) Urania; Lat. Gr. i. e. Heavenly; one of the nine Muses, the Goddefs of Aftronomy, and of all heavenly Things. She is reprefented crown'd with Stars, and a great Globe in her Hands; to fhew, that fhe teaches the Way to Heaven.

(b) Pegafus, Gr. i. e. A Fountain; the winged Horfe of the Poets: Because it is faid, He opened the Fountain, Hippocrene, i. e. The Fountain of the Horfe, by a Kick of his Heels, and flew up to Heaven. This was a Well of Boetia, near Helicon, dedi

cated to Apollo and the Mufes,

(c) Bellerophon; Lat. Gr. i. e. A Murderer of Beller, his Brother. Perfeus the Son of Glaucus King of Corinth is so called. He was a noble Youth, and after many Exploits, being defirous of flying up to Heaven by the Help of his Horse, was caft down headlong by Jupiter; and by the Fall he was made blind. Then he lived a wandering Vagabond Life like another Cain, and died with Hunger, about 4. M. 2693.