Primigenam rerum, Divinæ ô Lucis Imago,
Te læti dixere; illuftri cujus in ore
Effulget Pater, haud alias fine nube videndus.
In Te clara Patris radians impreffa moratur
Gloria, transfufufque ingens Te Spiritus implet.
Ille etiam per Te Cœlorum fumma, Chorumque
Condidit æthereum; Sceptra ambitiosa potentum
Per Te disjecit Procerum. Non tempore in illo
Vel tonitru Patris horrendum Tu parcus agebas;
Vel piger inftabas rapidis auriga quadrigis,
Agmina dum disjecta & colla rebellia victor
Obrueres, tremerentque æterni mœnia Cœli.
Te multo reducem plaufu excepere Tuorum
Agmina, Te folum, ô patriæ veriffima Proles
Virtutis; datur hoftiles Cui frangere turmas,
Aft Hominem mifereri. Hominem Tu fraude malignâ
Illufum, Pater alme, (ea Te Clementia vestit)
Haud tam crudeles voluifti expendere pœnas.
Made vifible, th' Almighty FATHER fhines,
Whom else no creature can behold.
Imprefs'd th' effulgence of his Glory abides;
Transfus'd on Thee his ample SPIRIT rests.
He Heav'n of Heav'ns, and all the Pow'rs therein,
By Thee created; and by Thee threw down
Th' afpiring Dominations. Thou that day
Thy FATHER'S dreadful Thunder didst not fpare;
Nor ftop thy flaming Chariot wheels, that fhook
Heav'n's everlafting Frame, while o'er the necks
Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarraid.
Back from pursuit thy Pow'rs with loud acclaim
Thee only extoll'd, Son of thy FATHER'S might,
To execute fierce vengeance on His Foes;
Not fo on Man; Him thro' their malice fall'n,
FATHER of Mercy and Grace, Thou didst not doom
So ftrictly, but much more to pity incline.
No fooner did Thy dear and only SON
Te mollis flexit Pietas; hinc ubere rivo
Exiit, inque tui defcendit pectora Nati:
Dumque ore in patrio blando pugnaret Amori
Juftitia, Ille ardens litem componere, fummi
Gaudia deftituit folii & Tibi proxima regna
Humanum ob fcelus, ac morti fefe obtulit ultro.
O verè divinus Amor! Clementia foli
Concipienda DEO! O Magnum Patris Incrementum !
Æternum ô falve, Humanæ Stator optime Gentis!
Te jam perpetuam fumam mihi, Sancte, canoræ
Materiem Citharæ; Tuaque æternique Parentis
Facta canam, & junctas miscebo in carmine laudes.
Talia per cœlum Superi modulamine dulci
Concelebrant, lætifque agitant concentibus horas.
At noftri interea Satanas fuper Orbis opacâ
Confidens fphærâ, cujus Convexa fupremo
Circuitu dirimunt radiatos luminis ignes
Disclufos nigrante Chao Noctifque vetustæ
Perceive Thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man
So ftrictly, but much more to pity inclin'd;
He to appease Thy wrath, and end the strife
Of Mercy and Justice in Thy face discern'd,
Regardless of the Blifs wherein he fat
Second to Thee, offer'd Himself to die
For Man's offence. O unexampled Love!
Love no where to be found lefs than Divine!
Hail Son of GOD! Saviour of Men! Thy Name
Shall be the copious matter of my Song
Henceforth; and never fhall my Harp Thy praise
Forget, nor from Thy FATHER's praise disjoin.
Thus they in Heav'n, above the ftarry Sphear,
Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent.
Mean while upon the firm opacous Globe
Of this round World, whofe firft Convex divides
The luminous inferior Orbs, inclos'd
From Chaos, and th' inroad of Darkness old,
Incurfu, ftabili gaudens incedit arenâ.
Sphæra videbatur longè; nunc æquore vasto
Porrecta apparet tellus, caligine circum
Horrens continuâ, fine fidere, turbinibusque
Indomitoque Chao fævifque obnoxia nimbis;
Pars modò languentis fenfit veftigia lucis,
Manibus à cœli quæ longè emiffa resultat
Subluftris, rapidifque minus vexata procellis :
Hic Satanas latis folus fpatiatur in arvis.
Qualis atrox Vultur, Tauri qua monte nivoso
Meta vago præfcripta Scythe, de triftibus agris
Præcipitat, teneros lætis in collibus agnos
Lactentesve petens hædos, ut fanguine fauces
Expleat: ad Gangem aut pennis ablatus Hydafpem,
Incidit in faltus & quæ male pinguia Seres
Arva colunt, ubi aperta tenens Auriga Sinenfis
Flectit arundineos velifque & flamine currus.
Talis ventoso hoc terræ fuper æquore folus
Satan alighted walks. A Globe far off
It seem'd, now seems a boundless Continent
Dark, wafte, and wild, under the frown of Night
Starlefs expos'd, and ever threat'ning storms
Of Chaos bluft'ring round, inclement Sky:
Save on that fide, which from the wall of Heav'n
(Tho' diftant far) fome fmall reflection gains
Of glimm'ring air lefs vex'd with tempeft loud.
Here walk'd the Fiend at large in fpacious field.
As when a Vultur on Imaus bred,
(Whose fnowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds)
Diflodging from a Region (carce of prey,
To gorge the flesh of Lambs or yeanling Kids,
On hills where flocks are fed, flies tow'rd the Springs
Of Ganges, or Hydafpes, Indian Streams:
But in his way lights on the barren Plains
Of Sericana, where Chineses drive
With fails and wind their cany Waggons light:
Errabat Satanas prædæque intentus agebat;
Solus oberrabat; neque enim loca nuda Creati
Quidquam aliud penetrârat adhuc : pòft tempore longo
Agmine turbato levium & farragine rerum
(Quæ velut aerii furfum huc fugere vapores)
Undique fervebat regio, ut fallacibus Ate
Corda hominum inflârat nugis. Venere frequentes,
Qui falfas inhiant fpecies, quos Gloria curru
Ventofo rapit, & longæ Spes credula famæ,
Falfaque felicis ludunt infomnia vitæ ;
Quofque errore vago miferifque ambagibus urget
Cæca Superftitio, popularifque evehit Aura.
Hic avidos nugarum animos ac vana morantes
Digna manet Merces, cœptis nec inanibus impar.
Hìc quæcunque rudi finxit Natura labore,
Confufum genus, agglomerant, refolutaque terris
Portenta; hic, rerum dum concidat ardua moles,
Circum incerta volant: Quæ Lunam vana canentes
So on this windy Sea of Land the Fiend
Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey;
Alone, for other Creature in this place
Living, or lifelefs, to be found was none;
None yet, but ftore hereafter from the earth
Up hither like aereal vapours flew,
Of all things tranfitory and vain, when Sin
With vanity had fill'd the works of men:
Both all things vain, and all who in vain things
Built their fond hopes of glory, or lafting fame,
Or happiness in this or th' other life:
All who have their reward on earth, the fruits
Of painful Superftition, and blind Zeal,
Nought fecking but the praife of men, here find
Fit retribution, empty as their deeds.
All th' unaccomplish'd works of Nature's hand,
Abortive, monftrous, or unkindly mix'd,
Diffolv'd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain,
Till final diffolution, wander here:
(Not in the neighb'ring Moon, as fome have dream'd;
Incoluiffe ferunt: Sed lucida veriùs arva
Evecti fubeunt Divi, Heroefque beati,
Quique Homines medius Superis difterminat Ordo.
Huc primùm veteri à mundo venere Gigantes,
Non bene junctorum Proles infaufta Parentum,
Plurima nequicquam conati: huc deinde Babeli
Artifices; vanosque, vetent ni fata, labores
Jam repetant. Alii nullis comitantibus ibant,
Quique Ætnam infiliens Deus immortalis haberi
Geftiit, Empedocles; quemque egit in alta cupido
Indomita Elyfii, commentaque vana Platonis,
Demens Ambracia Juvenis. Glomerantur & una,
Dicere quos longum eft, fanæ rationis egentes,
Unà & Eremitæ fanctorumque agmina Fratrum,
Quos fectâ atque habitu varios idem abftulit Error.
Huc, qui per Cranium Solymæaque rura vagantes
Illum inter tumulos & triftia bufta requirunt,
Qui fedes dudum in patrias fuaque aftra redivit:
Thofe argent fields more likely Habitants,
Tranflated Saints, or middle Spirits hold,
Betwixt th' Angelical and Human kind)
Hither, of ill-join'd Sons and Daughters born,
Firft from the antient World thofe Giants came,
With many a vain exploit, tho' then renown'd:
The builders next of Babel on the Plain
Of Sennaar, and still with vain defign
New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build.
Others came fingle; He who to be deem'd
A God, leap'd fondly into Etna flames,
Empedocles: and He who to enjoy
Plato's Elyfium, leap'd into the Sea,
Cleombrotus: and many more too long,
Embryo's, and Idiots, Eremites, and Friars
White, Black, and Grey, with all their trumpery.
Here Pilgrims roam, that stray'd so far to seek
In Golgotha Him dead, who lives in Heav'n:
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