Hee Heavn of Heavens and all the Powers therein [ 390 ]

By thee created, and by thee threw down

Th Aspiring Dominations: thou that day

Thy Fathers dreadful Thunder didst not spare,

Nor stop thy flaming Chariot wheels, that shook

Heavns everlasting Frame, while ore the necks [ 395 ]

Thou drovst of warring Angels disarraid.

Back from pursuit thy Powers with loud acclaime

Thee only extolld, Son of thy Fathers might,

To execute fierce vengeance on his foes,

Not so on Man; him through their malice falln, [ 400 ]

Father of Mercie and Grace, thou didst not doome

So strictly, but much more to pitie encline:

No sooner did thy dear and onely Son

Perceive thee purposd not to doom frail Man

So strictly, but much more to pitie enclind, [ 405 ]

He to appease thy wrauth, and end the strife

Of Mercy and Justice in thy face discernd,

Regardless of the Bliss wherein hee sat

Second to thee, offerd himself to die

For mans offence. O unexampld love, [ 410 ]

Love no where to be found less then Divine!

Hail Son of God, Saviour of Men, thy Name

Shall be the copious matter of my Song

Henceforth, and never shall my Harp thy praise

Forget, nor from thy Fathers praise disjoine. [ 415 ]

Thus they in Heavn, above the starry Sphear,

Thir happie hours in joy and hymning spent.

Mean while upon the firm opacous Globe

Of this round World, whose first convex divides

The luminous inferior Orbs, enclosd [ 420 ]

From Chaos and th inroad of Darkness old,

Satan alighted walks: a Globe farr off

It seemd, now seems a boundless Continent

Dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of Night

Starless exposd, and ever-threatning storms [ 425 ]

Of Chaos blustring round, inclement skie;

Save on that side which from the wall of Heavn

Though distant farr some small reflection gaines

Of glimmering air less vext with tempest loud:

Here walkd the Fiend at large in spacious field. [ 430 ]