Out flows a blaze of glory; for on high Tow'ring advanc'd the moving throne of God, Vaft and majeftick; on each radiant fide The pointed rays flope glittering; at the foot Glides a full tide of day, that onward pours, In liquid torrents through the black abyfs, Sparkling among reluctant fhapes which thence Retire confus'd; as when Vefuvio shakes With inward torments, and difgorges flames, O'er the vaft mountain's ridge the burning waves Drive their refulgent curls, and on they roll Sweeping the glowing plains down to the fea; Th' affrighted fea leaps back with hideous roar To give the fire its courfe; thus Chaos wild Hifling recoils to let in floods of light. Above the throne, th' ideas heavenly bright Of paft, of present, and of coming time Fix'd their immov'd abode, and there prefent An endless landscape of created things To fight celeftial, where angelick eyes Are loft in profpect; for the fhiny range, Boundless and various in its bofom bears Millions of full-proportion'd worlds, beheld With ftedfaft eyes, till more arife to view, And farther inward fcenes start up unknown. Myriads of feraphs in long series wait About the throne, and as it moves, proceed In numerous order, to celeftial song. Above, the fymphony of mellow flutes, Such as might tune new worlds, and give the laws Below, the blazing wheels drive bounding o'er Silence enfues ; a deep and aweful pause To princes' cuftoms here; their judgments flash Servants of God! and Virtues great in arms; We approve your faithful works, and you return Blefs'd from the dire pursuit of rebel foes ; e Refolv'd, obdurate, they have try'd the forcef Of this right hand, and known Almighty pow'r; Transfix'd with lightning down they funk, they fell Into the fiery gulph, and deep they plunge Below the burning waves, to hide their heads In fhelter from my vengeance bellowing hence More fierce, and scorching with more dreadful fires. ! There let 'em find their doom, that durft defy Omnipotence, and flight his proferr'd grace; Rolling in flames, and ne'er to find a dawn Of heavenly day; inftead, the mind imbibes Eternal gloom, and fing'd with conftant flames, H Can find no eafe; while fierce their boiling rages: Eats through th' impyreal mould, and glows within With endless pain; not one repentant thought Shall cool the breaft, but proud in horrid crime, The foul anneals and hardens in the fire. But you commiffion'd by commands divine, Into the dark abyfs to fhun their doom, For For you, ye guilty throng! that lately join'd And caught in trains of guile, by spirits malign, Trembling, my heavenly clemency and grace. See, where below in Chaos wond'rous deep A fpeck of light dawns forth, and thence throughout The middle point a globe of curling fire Shall Hold, which round it fheds its genial heat; In all the endless orbs, from this machine; About the reftlefs center; for I rear, In those meanders turn'd, a dufty ball, Deform'd all o'er with woods, whofe fhaggy tops Hover within their boughs, to choak the light; To fields, and graffy dales, and flow'ry meads, Of defart nature, and th' eternal piles Beneath |