High matter thou injoinst me, O prime of men,

To human sense th invisible exploits [ 565 ]

God made thee perfet, not immutable;

As may express them best, though what if Earth

The secrets of another World, perhaps

And Som are falln, to disobedience falln,

And so from Heavn to deepest Hell; O fall

Willing or no, who will but what they must

Attend: That thou art happie, owe to God; [ 520 ]

And good he made thee, but to p99lib•netersevere [ 525 ]

Our voluntarie service he requires,

By likning spiritual to corporal forms,

This was that caution givn thee; be advisd.

But more desire to hear, if thou consent, [ 555 ]

By Destinie, and can no other choose?

And perfet while they stood; how last unfould

Of human sense, I shall delineate so,

Worthy of Sacred silence to be heard;

Of warring Spirits; how without remorse

Thus Adam made request99liｂ•ｎeｔ, and Raphael

The ruin of so many glorious once

Sad task and hard, for how shall I relate

Because we freely love, as in our will

To be both will and deed created free;

Cherubic Songs by night from neighbouring Hills

On other surety none; freely we serve

By nature free, not over-ruld by Fate

To love or not; in this we stand or fall: [ 540 ]

Hath past in Heavn, Som doubt within me move,

Hold, as you yours, while ouhｔtp://wwｗ•９９ｌｉｂ.nｅtr obedience holds;

This is dispenct, and what surmounts the reach

Aereal Music send: nor knew I not

Myself and all th Angelic Host that stand [ 535 ]

Assurd me and still assure: though what thou tellst

That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.

From what high state of bliss into what woe!

That thou continust such, owe to thy self,

Be but the shaddow of Heavn, and things therein [ 575 ]

In sight of God enthrond, ou9９ｌib•netr happie state

To whom the Angel. Son of Heavn and Earth,

Can hearts, not free, be trid whether they serve

Single, is yet so just, my constant thoughts

Each to other like, more then on earth is thought?

He left it in thy power, ordaind thy will

Divine instructer, I have heard, then when

Finds no acceptance, nor can find, for how

The full relation, which must needs be strange,

After short pause assenting, thus began.

Attentive九九藏书, and with more delighted eare [ 545 ]

His other half in the great Zone of Heavn. [ 560 ]

And we have yet large day, for scarce the Sun

Our maker, and obey him whose command

Yet that we never shall forget to love [ 550 ]

Inextricable, or strict necessity;

To whom our great Progenitor. Thy words

Not our necessitated, such with him [ 530 ]

Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good [ 570 ]

Hath finisht half his journey, and scarce begins