And long he wander'd, till at laft a gleam
Of dawning light turn'd thither-ward in hafte
His travel'd fteps; far diftant he defcries
Afcending by degrees magnificent
Up to the wall of Heav'n a ftructure high
At top whereof, but far more rich, appear'd
The work as of a Kingly palace-gate,
With frontifpiece of diamond and gold
Imbellifh'd; thick with fparkling orient gems
The portal fhone, inimitable on earth
By model, or by fhading pencil drawn.
The ftairs were fuch as whereon JACOB faw 510
Angels afcending and defcending, bands
Of guardians bright, when he from ESAU fled
To PADAN-ARAM in the field of Luz
Dreaming by night under the open sky,
And waking cry'd, This is the gate of Heav'n.
Each flair myfteriously was meant, nor flood
There always, but drawn up to Heav'n fometimes
Viewlefs, and underneath a bright fea flow'd
Of jafper, or of liquid pearl, whereon
Who after came from earth, fayling arriv'd,
Wafted by Angels, or flew o'er the lake
Rap'd in a chariot drawn by fiery fteeds.
The flairs were then let down, whether to dare
The Fiend by eafie afcent, or aggravate
His fad exclufion from the doors of blifs:
Direct against which open'd from beneath,
Juft o'er the blifsful feat of Paradise,
A paffage down to th' earth, a paffage wide,
(Wider by far than that of after-times
Over mount Sro N, and, though that were large, 530
Over the PROMIS'D LAND to GoD fo dear,
By which, to vifit oft thofe happy tribes,
On high behefts his Angels to and fro
Pafs'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard,
From PANEAS the fount of JORDAN'S flood 535
TO BEERSABA, where the HOLY LAND
Borders on ÆGYPT and th' ARABIAN fhore)
So wide the opening feem'd, where bounds were fet
To darkness, fuch as bound the ocean wave.
SATAN from hence now on the lower fair
That feal'd by steps of gold to Heaven-gate,
Looks down with wonder at the fudden view
Of all this world at once. As when a fcout
Thro' dark and defart ways with peril gone
All night, at laft by break of chearful dawn
Obtains the brow of fome high-climbing hill,
Which to his eye difcovers unaware
The goodly profpect of fome foreign land
Firft feen, or fome renown'd metropolis
With gliftering fpires and pinnacles adorn'd,
Which now the rifing Sun gilds with his beams:
Such wonder feiz'd, though after Heaven feen,
The fpirit malign; but much more envy feis'd
At fight of all this world beheld fo, fair.
Of night's extended fhade) from eastern point
Round he furveys (and well might, where he stood So high above the circling canopy
Of LIBRA, to the fleecy ftar thar bears
ANDROMEDA far off ATLANTIC feas
Beyond th' Horizon; then from pole to pole
He views in breadth; and without longer pause
Down right into the world's first region throws
His flight precipitant, and winds with ease
Through the pure marble air his oblique way
Amongst innumerable Stars, that hone
Stars diftant, but nigh hand feem'd other worlds:
Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy ifles,
Like thofe HESPERIAN gardens fam'd of old,
Fortunate fields, and groves, and flow'ry vales;
Thrice happy ifles! But who dwelt happy there 570
He tay'd not to inquire. Above them all
The golden Sun, in fplendor likeft Heav'n,
Allur'd his eye: thither his courfe he bends
Through the calm firmament: but up or down,
By centre or eccentric, hard to tell,
Or longitude, where the great luminary
Aloof the vulgar conftellations thick,
That from his lordly eye keep distance due,
Difpenfes light from far; they as they move
Their ftarry dance in numbers that compute 580
Days, months and years, tow'rds his all-chearing lamp
Turn fwift their various motions, or are turn'd
By his magnetic beam, that gently warms
The univerfe, and to each inward part
With gentle penetration, though unfeen,
Shoots invifible virtue even to the deep;
So wondrously was fet his ftation bright.
There lands the Fiend, a fpot like which perhaps
Aftronomer in the Sun's lucent orb
Through his glaz'd optic tube yet never faw.
The place he found beyond expreffion bright,
Compar'd with ought on earth, metal or ftone:
Not all parts like, but all alike inform'd
With radiant light, as glowing iron with fire;
If metal, part feem'd gold, part filver clear:
If ftone, carbuncle moft or chryfolite,
Ruby or topaz, or the twelve that thone
In AARON's breaft-plate: and a ftone befides
(Imagin'd rather oft than elfewhere feen)
That ftone, or like to that which here below
Philofophers in vain fo long have fought,
In vain, though by their pow'rful art they bind
Volatil HERMES, and call up unbound
In various fhapes old PROTEUS from the fea,
Drain'd through a limbec to his native form.
What wonder then if fields and regions here
Breathe forth elixir pure, and rivers run
Potable gold, when with one virtuous touch
Th' arch-chimic Sun, fo far from us remote,
Produces, with terreftrial humor mix'd,
Here in the dark fo many precious things
Of color glorious, and effect fo rare?
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