Servat adhuc patrias, video, pars maxima fedes,
Conftantem complexa fidem. Spatia ampla patentum
Cœlorum numeris etiamnum ingentibus implet
Indigenarum immenfa acies, quæ lucida templa
Concelebret, meritofque frequens inftauret honores.
At ne forte fuis fe jactet inaniter aufis
Improbus ifte, animi fidens, vastosque dediffe
Exultet demens noftra in difpendia cœlos,
Quàm facile & pronum eft ea damna rependere, damni
Siquid erit, noftras quod perdita turba rebellum
Deferuit partes. Orbem ocius ipfe recentem
Constituam, innumerafque ex lumbis unius ire
Decernam gentes, fruituras fedibus illis,
Donec fpectatâ penitus pietate fideque,
Et meritis paulatim auctis, ad fidera clarum
Tandem iter expediant. Ridebit & æmula tellus
Cœlorum, cœlis irrupto fœdere juncta,
Aufpiciifque ifdem & regno lætabitur uno.
Yet far the greater part have kept, I fee,
Their ftation; heav'n, yet populous, retains.
Number fufficient to poffefs her realms,
Though wide; and this high temple to frequent
With minifteries due, and folemn rites.
But left his heart exalt him, in the harm
Already done, to have difpeopled heav'n,
(My damage fondly deem'd!) I can repair
That detriment, if fuch it be, to lofe
Self-loft; and in a moment will create
Another world; out of one man, a race
Of men in-numerable, there to dwell,
Not here; 'till by degrees of merit rais'd,
They open to themfelves at length the way
Up hither; under long obedience try'd:
And earth be chang'd to heav'n, and heav'n to
earth,
One kingdom, joy, and union without end.
At
At vos intereà non fecius æthere toto
Gaudete, ô fuperi: tuque ô nate unice, Verbum
Nate meum, per te juvat hoc præftare; jubeto,
Fiat: obumbrantem præfens tibi defuper omnem
Fundam animam viresque meas; ascende, profundo
I manda, metas intra fit terra polique
Præscriptas; latè effufo fine fine profundo,
Quippe EGO SUM, cuncta ingentis fpatia infiniti
Qui penitus repleo, fi non mihi numine toto
Tempestate omni laxetur libera virtus :
Illa fuo arbitrio fe exercet fponte; quiefcit,
Ut libet, impatiens vincli; nil obftat agenti,
Non cafus, non vis: fatum eft mea fola voluntas.
Dixerat hæc Pater Omnipotens; & dicta potenti
Numine perfecit Verbum ipfius, unica proles.
Tempore agit motuque Deus velocius omni
Quæ lubet: at longis opus eft ambagibus, aures
Ut penetrent hominum & fenfus labantur in imos.
Mean-while inhabit lax, ye pow'rs of heav'n!
And thou my Word, begotten Son! by thee
This I perform; speak thou, and be it done.
My over-fhadowing Spirit, and might, with thee
I send along ride forth, and bid the deep
Within appointed bounds, be heav'n and earth:
Boundless the deep, because I AM who fill
Infinitude: nor vacuous the space;
Though I, un-circumfcrib'd my self, retire,
And put not forth my goodness; which is free
To act, or not: neceffity, and chance,
Approach not me; and what I will is fate.
So fpake th' Almighty, and to what he spake
His Word, the filial Godhead, gave effect.
Immediate are the acts of God, more swift
Than time, or motion; but, to human ears
Cannot without process of speech be told;
So told, as earthly notion can receive.
At fuperis magni Omnipotentis fancta voluntas
Ut patuit, lætis fervens cœlum omne triumphis
Protinus infonuit: fua fit, cecinere, Supremo
Gloria; venturas hominum beet æthere gentes
Miffus amor, furgatque novo pax aurea mundo.
Olli ingens, meritò ultrices qui exarfit in iras,
Gloria; qui malefida altâ procul arce piorum
Agmina agens penitus divino exclufit ab ore:
Olli laus æterna, bonum qui novit ab ipfo
Eduxiffe malo; vacuas fupplere rebellûm
Qui fedes fuperûm aufpiciis melioribus orto
Semine conftituit, diffufaque munera lætis
Orbibus, extremisque olim tranfmittere fæclis.
Hæc fanctæ infonuere arces. Magni incrementum
Grande Dei jam nunc parat alta faceffere cœpta.
Accingit latus Omnipotentia; multa flagrantes
Majeftas divina comas radiantiaque ambit
Tempora; fe dulci fapientia mifcet amori
Great triumph and rejoicing was in heav'n,
When fuch was heard declar'd th'Almighty's will:
Glory they fung to the moft High! good will
To future men, and in their dwellings peace!
Glory to him! whofe juft avenging ire
Had driven out th' ungodly from his fight,
And th' habitations of the juft: to him
Glory and praife: whofe wifdom had ordain'd
Good out of evil to create, inftead
Of fpirits malign, a better race to bring
Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse
His good to worlds and ages infinite.
So fang the hierarchies. Mean-while the Son
On his great expedition now appear'd,
Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crown'd
Of majesty divine: fapience, and love
Gratior, & fancto effulget pater omnis in ore.
Flammivomos circum volitabant plurima currus
Clara seraphum ardentum acies & pulcra cherubum
Agmina, cœligenæ virtutes, fceptra thronique,
Vitarum aligeræ turmæ, aligeræque quadrigæ,
Quas immenfa Dei jactant armaria, bini
Quà retinent montes ærati millia currûm
Innumera, æthereis femper fervire parata
Militibus, magnæque olim fervata diei:
Jam fponte ingenito fimul emicuere vigore
Omnia, cœleftemque expectant confcia regem.
Ocius æternæ bipatentes pandere portæ
Hinc atque hinc valvas, auratis dulce fonantes
Cardinibus; per quas fummi celfiffima regis
Gloria prodiret, verbique animæque potentis
Numine mundorum fabricas ftructura recentum.
Tum cœli extremo ftantes in littore latum
Defpectant longe barathrum, rapidi æquoris inftar
Immenfe, and all his Father in him shon.
About his chariot numberless were pour'd
Cherub, and feraph, potentates, and thrones,
And virtues: winged fpirits, and chariots wing'd,
From th' armory of God; where stand of old
Myriads, between two brazen mountains lodg'd
Against a folemn day, harness'd at hand,
Cœleftial equipage! and now came forth
Spontaneous (for within them Spirit liv'd)
Attendant on their Lord: heav'n open'd wide
Her ever. during gates, harmonious found!
On golden hinges moving, to let forth
The King of glory, in his pow'rful Word,
And Spirit, coming to create new worlds.
On heav'nly ground they ftood, and from the shore
They view'd the vaft immeasurable abyss,
Atrum, immane, ferumque, everfum ex fedibus imis
Ventorum rabie, fluctufque immane frementes
Convolvens, tanquam aftra petant, tanquam ipfa tonantis
Regna velint ruere, & cœlum mifcere profundo.
"Siftite, turbati fluctus, vofque, alta filete,
Omnificum juffit Verbum," cohibete furorem.
Continuò fefe expandens per inane, cherubum
Invectus pennis patrioque indutus honore,
Ibat in alta Chaûs, latitantis femina mundi.
Audiit & vocem latè Chaos. Omnis euntem
Circumfufa cohors fequitur, præfulgidus ordo,
Ardentes miram dextræ luftrare fupremæ
Virtutem, & fpectanda novæ primordia molis.
Jamque rotas fiftit rapidas: dextram aureus armat
Circinus, æternâ dudum fuper arce repôstus,
Ut quondam metas orituro duceret orbi.
Altera pars ftabilis centro ftetit; altera, circum
Verfa, cavi latè fignat spatia ampla profundi.
Outragious as a sea, dark, wafteful, wild;
Up from the bottom turn'd by furious winds,
And furging waves, as mountains, to affault
Heav'n's height, and with the centre mix the pole.
Silence, ye troubled waves, and thou deep,
peace!
Said then th` omnific Word, your difcord end-
Nor ftaid; but, on the wings of Cherubim
Up-lifted, in paternal glory rode
Far into Chaos, and the world unborn,
For Chaos heard his voice. Him all his train
Follow'd in bright proceffion, to behold
Creation, and the wonders of his might.
Then ftaid the fervid wheels, and in his hand
He took the golden compasses, prepar'd
In God's eternal ftore, to circumfcribe
This univerfe, and all created things.
One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd
Round through the vaft profundity obfcure;
Huc,
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