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,
And harps, by flying angels gently touch'd,
Relieve the trumpet's rage, and fitly blend
The folemn founds in harmony divine ;

Such as might tune new worlds, and give the laws
To globes on high, and the just figure guide
Of planets forming all their airy dance.

Below, the blazing wheels drive bounding o'er
The starry pavement; ftars and hills of light
Double their glories where the chariot rolls
With rattling found; and th' empyræum vaft
Down to its ftedfaft axis, groans throughout
Under the burning tracts, till how it refts
Upon the gaping brink of heaven; and there
With open pomp, fills the vaft empty space.

Silence enfues ; a deep and aweful pause
More terrible, all expectation held
In horror: now wrath imminent amaz'd
With dreadful precipice, to all it seems
More formidable near; then from the throne
A vocal thunder roll'd the sense of God,
Majestically long, repugnant all

To princes' cuftoms here; their judgments flash
On guilt, with words concife, and sudden blaze.
Quite otherwise, the God's enlarged speech
Set wide the fate of things; that all around'
Might take full prospects of their coming doom.

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,
Have wifely fill'd your truft, and clos'd 'em all,
Within the fervid lake, left any roam

Into the dark abyfs to fhun their doom,
And in the womb immenfe of things unborn
Should feek annihilation; you must rise
Among the fhining virtues more fublime;
On lofty thrones preferr'd for lofty deeds.

For

For you, ye guilty throng! that lately join'd
In this fedition, fince feduc'd from good,

And caught in trains of guile, by spirits malign,
Superior in their order; you accept,

Trembling, my heavenly clemency and grace.
When the long æra once has fill'd its orb,
You shall emerge to light, and humbly here :.
Again fhall bow before his favouring throne,
If your own virtue second my decree:
But all must have their manes first below,
So ftands th' eternal fate, but smoother yours
Than what loft angels feel; nor can our reign,
Without just dooms, the peace of heav'n secure ;
For forms celeftial new erect in glory
Wou'd totter, dazzled with the heights of power,
Did not the nerves of juftice fix their fight.

See, where below in Chaos wond'rous deep

A fpeck of light dawns forth, and thence throughout
The shades, in many a wreath, my forming power
There swiftly turns the burning eddy round,
Absorbing all crude matter near its brink;
Which next, with fubtle motions, takes the form
I please to stamp, the feed of infant worlds
All now in embryo, but ere long shall rise
Variously scatter'd in this vast expanse,
Involv'd in winding orbs, until the brims
Of outward circles brush the heavenly gates.

The middle point a globe of curling fire

Shall Hold, which round it fheds its genial heat;
Where'er I kindle life the motion grows

In all the endless orbs, from this machine;
And infinite viciffitudes fhall roll

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
Inclofe eternal mifts, and deadly damps

Hover within their boughs, to choak the light;
Impervious scenes of horror, 'till reform'd

To fields, and graffy dales, and flow'ry meads,
By your continual pains. The torrid zone
Here fries with conftant heat, the fwarthy world;
Parching the plains where hideous monsters glare,
And dufty mountains, tumbled by the winds,
Stretch their uncertain heaps; no less the froft
At either end shall rage, and high fhall raise
Firm promontories; vaft the ruins feeme

Of defart nature, and th' eternal piles
Load all the dreary coaft, and thick in ice,
Arm either pole, that yearly peeps askance
On coming light, but feels no gentle ray
Unbind the frozen chain. Between these lie
The changeful climes, alternately they burn,
And chill again by turns; for both extremes
Make their incurfions here; and this my will
Unchangeable ordains your doleful feat.

Beneath