PROD

UA M

To the Right Honourable

John Lord Sommers, Baron of Evesham.

My LORD,

T was Your Lordship's Opinion and Encouragement that occafion'd the first Appearing of this Poem

in the Folio Edition, which from thence has been fo well

the Price of it was Four times greater than before, the Sale encreas'd double the Number every Year. The Work is now generally known and efteem'd; and I having the Honour to hear Your Lordship fay, that a fmaller Edition of it would be grateful to the World, immediately refolv'd upon Printing it in this Volume, of which I moft humbly beg Your Acceptance, from,

IN

Paradifum Amiffam

Summi Poetæ

JOHANNIS MILTONI.

Qui

Vi legis Amiffam Paradisum, grandia magni
Carmina Miltoni, quid nisi cunéta legis ?
Res cunitas, & cunctarum primordia rejum,
Et fata, & fines cantinet, ifte liber.
Intima panduntur magni penetralia mundi,
Scribitur, & toto quicquid in Orbe later.
Terraque, tractusque maris, cælumque profundum
Sulphureumque Erebi, flammivomumque fpecus.
Quaque colunt terras, Pontumque & Tartará caca,
Queque colunt fummi lucida regna Poli.
Et quodcunque ullis conclufum eft finibus usquam,
Et fine fine Chaos, & fine fine Deus:

Et fine fine magis, fi quid magis eft fine fine,
In Chrifto erga homines conciliatus amor.
Hae qui fperaret quis crederet effe futurum?
Et tamen hac hodie terra Britanna legit.
O quantos in bella Duces! qua protulit arma !
Qua canit, & quanta pralia dira tuba.
Cæleftes acies atque in certamine Cœlum !
Et qua Cæleftes pugna deceret agros?
Quantus in atheriis tollit fe Lucifer armis!
Atque ipfo graditur vix Michaele minor!

Quantis, & quam funeftis concurritur iris
Dum ferus hic ftellas protegit, ille rapit!
Dum vulfos Montes ceu Tela reciproca torquent,
Et non mortali defuper igne pluunt :
Stat dubius cui fe parti concedat Olympus,
Et metuit pugna non fupereffe fua.
At fimul in cælis Messia infignia fulgents
Et currus animes, armaque digna Deo,
Horrendumque rota ftrident, & fæva rotarum
Erumpunt torvis fulgura luminibus,
Et flamma vibrant, & vera tonitrua rauco
Admiftis flammis insonuere Polo:
Excidit attonitis mens omnis, & impetus omnis
Et caffis dextris irrita Tela cadunt.
Ad pœnas fugiunt, & ceu foret Orcus afylum
Infernis certant condere fe tenebris.
Cedite Romani Scriptores, cedite Graii

Et quos fama recens vel celebravit anus.
Hac quicunque leget tantum cecinisse putabit
Mæonidem ranas, Virgilium culices.

Samuel Barrow. M.D.