Τον πέρι Μεσ' ἐφίλησε, δίδε δ ̓ ἀγαθόν τας κακόν τις
ὠφθαλμῶν μὲν ἄμερσο, δίδε δ ̓ ἡδεῖαν αοιδήν.

HOMER Odyff. .

ALTENBURGH,
printed and fold by RICHTER.

1 7 9 6.

Of Man's firft difobedience, and the fruit

Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal tafte
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With lofs of Eden, till one greater Man

Reftore us, and regain the blissful feat,

Sing heav'nly Mufe, that, on the fecret top
of Oreb,.or of Sinai, didft infpire

That shepherd, who first taught the chofen feed,
In the beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth
Rofe out of Chaos: Or if Sion hill

Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flow'd

Faft by the oracle of God; I thence

Invoke thy aid to my adventrous song,

That with no middle flight intends to foar
Above th' Aonian mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in profe or rhyme,

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And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that doft prefer
Before all temples th' upright heart and pure,
Inftruft me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first
Waft prefent, and with mighty wings out-fpread
Dove-like fat'st brooding on the vast Abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumine, what is low raife and support;.
That to the height of this great argument

I may affert eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to Men.

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Say

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Say firft, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of Hell, fay first what cause Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state, Favor'd of Heav'n fo highly, to fall off From their creator, and tranfgrefs his will For one restraint, lords of the world befides? Who firft feduc'd them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal Serpent! he it was, whofe guile, Stirr'd up with envy and revenge, deceiv'd The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had caft him out from Heav'n, with all his hoft Of rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring

To fet himfelf in glory above his peers,

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He trufted to have equal'd the most High, blank, đạ
If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aimju hels
Against the throne and monarchy of God"
Rais'd impious war in Heav'n and battel proud
With vain attempt. Him the almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal iky,.
With hideous ruin and combuftion, down
To bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell
Intadamantin chains and penal fire, :

Who durft defie th' Omnipotent to arms. "

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Nine times the space that measures day and night 50 To mortal men, with his horrid crew

Lay vanquifh'd, rolling in the fiery gulf,

Referv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought

Confounded though inmortal: But his doom

Both of loft happiness and lafting pain

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Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes,

That witnefs'd huge affliction and dismay, !
Mix'd with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:
At once, as far as angels ken, he views
The difmal fituation wafte and wild;

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A dungeon horrible, on all fides round.

As one great furnace flam'd, yet from thofe flames

No light, but rather darkness vifible

Serv'd only to difeover fights of woe

Regions

Regions of forrow, doleful fhades, where peacer 165
And reft can never dwell; hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without endem
Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed

With ever-burning fulphur unconfum'ds

Such place eternal Juftice had prepar'd L sey 70
For thofe rebellious; here their prifon ordain'd,
In utter darkness, and their portion fetrol,
As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n,
As from the centre thrice to the utmost pole.
O how unlike the place from whence they fell! $75
There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd done
With floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire,
He foon difcerns; and welt'ring by his fideb
- One next himself in pow'r, and next in crime,
Long after known in Paleftine, and nam'd
Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-enemy, artw
And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words
Breaking the horrid filence thus began.zu vdekur 6**

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If thou beeft He; But O how fall'n! how chang'da Y From him, who in the happy realms of lightron o485 Cloth'd with tranfcendent brightness didft out-fhine Myriads tho' bright! If he whom mutual league o United thoughts and counfels, equal hopeol glows? And hazard in the glorious enterprise,

Join'd with me once, now mifery hath join'dmit I 090
In equal ruin! Into what pit thou feeft bei 3 vo
From what height fall'n, fo much the ftronger prov'd
He with his thunder: and till then who knew
The force of thofe dire arms? Yet not for those,
Nor what the potent victor in his rage

Can elfe inflict, do I repent or change,

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Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind
And high difdain from fenfe of injur'd merit, notabit
That with the Mightieft rais'd me to contend,arkoti t
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of fpirits arm'd,

That durft diflike his reign, and me preferring,

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His