New BABELS, had they wherewithall, would build: Others came single; hee who to be deemd
A God, leap'd fondly into AETNA flames, EMPEDOCLES, and hee who to enjoy PLATO'S ELYSIUM, leap'd into the Sea, CLEOMBROTUS, and many more too long, Embryo's and Idiots, Eremits and Friers White, Black and Grey, with all thir trumperie.
Here Pilgrims roam, that stray'd so farr to seek
In GOLGOTHA him dead, who lives in Heav'n; And they who to be sure of Paradise
Dying put on the weeds of DOMINIC,
Or in FRANCISCAN think to pass disguis'd;
41
They pass the Planets seven, and pass the fixt,
And that Crystalline Sphear whose ballance weighs
The Trepidation talkt, and that first mov'd;
And now Saint PETER at Heav'ns Wicket seems
To wait them with his Keys, and now at foot Of Heav'ns ascent they lift thir Feet, when loe A violent cross wind from either Coast
Blows them transverse ten thousand Leagues awry
Into the devious Air; then might ye see
Cowles, Hoods and Habits with thir wearers tost And flutterd into Raggs, then Reliques, Beads, Indulgences, Dispenses, Pardons, Bulls,
The sport of Winds: all these upwhirld aloft Fly o're the backside of the World farr off Into a LIMBO large and broad, since calld The Paradise of Fools, to few unknown Long after, now unpeopl'd, and untrod;
All this dark Globe the Fiend found as he pass'd, And long he wanderd, till at last a gleame
Of dawning light turnd thitherward in haste His travell'd steps; farr distant hee descries Ascending by degrees magnificent
Up to the wall of Heaven a Structure high, At top whereof, but farr more rich appeerd The work as of a Kingly Palace Gate
With Frontispice of Diamond and Gold Imbellisht, thick with sparkling orient Gemmes The Portal shon, inimitable on Earth
By Model, or by shading Pencil drawn.
The Stairs were such as whereon JACOB saw
Angels ascending and descending, bands
Of Guardians bright, when he from ESAU fled To PADAN-ARAM in the field of LUZ, Dreaming by night under the open Skie,
And waking cri'd, This is the Gate of Heav'n. Each Stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood There alwaies, but drawn up to Heav'n somtimes Viewless, and underneath a bright Sea flow'd
Of Jasper, or of liquid Pearle, whereon Who after came from Earth, sayling arriv'd, Wafted by Angels, or flew o're the Lake Rapt in a Chariot drawn by fiery Steeds.
The Stairs were then let down, whether to dare
The Fiend by easie ascent, or aggravate His sad exclusion from the dores of Bliss. Direct against which op'nd from beneath, Just o're the blissful seat of Paradise,
A passage down to th' Earth, a passage wide, Wider by farr then that of after-times
Over Mount SION, and, though that were large, Over the PROMIS'D LAND to God so dear,
By which, to visit oft those happy Tribes, On high behests his Angels to and fro
Pass'd frequent, and his eye with choice regard From PANEAS the fount of JORDANS flood To BEERSABA, where the HOLY LAND
Borders on AEGYPT and the ARABIAN shoare; So wide the op'ning seemd, where bounds were set
42
To darkness, such as bound the Ocean wave. SATAN from hence now on the lower stair That scal'd by steps of Gold to Heav'n Gate Looks down with wonder at the sudden view Of all this World at once. As when a Scout Through dark and desart wayes with peril gone All night; at last by break of chearful dawne Obtains the brow of some high-climbing Hill, Which to his eye discovers unaware
The goodly prospect of some forein land First-seen, or some renownd Metropolis With glistering Spires and Pinnacles adornd,
Which now the Rising Sun guilds with his beams. Such wonder seis'd, though after Heaven seen, The Spirit maligne, but much more envy seis'd
At sight of all this World beheld so faire.
Round he surveys, and well might, where he stood
So high above the circling Canopie
Of Nights extended shade; from Eastern Point Of LIBRA to the fleecie Starr that bears ANDROMEDA farr off ATLANTICK Seas Beyond th' HORIZON; then from Pole to Pole He views in bredth, and without longer pause Down right into the Worlds first Region throws His flight precipitant, and windes with ease Through the pure marble Air his oblique way Amongst innumerable Starrs, that shon
Stars distant, but nigh hand seemd other Worlds, Or other Worlds they seemd, or happy Iles,
Like those HESPERIAN Gardens fam'd of old, Fortunate Fields, and Groves and flourie Vales, Thrice happy Iles, but who dwelt happy there
He stayd not to enquire: above them all The golden Sun in splendor likest Heaven Allur'd his eye: Thither his course he bends Through the calm Firmament; but up or downe By center, or eccentric, hard to tell,
Or Longitude, where the great Luminarie
Alooff the vulgar Constellations thick,
That from his Lordly eye keep distance due, Dispenses Light from farr; they as they move Thir Starry dance in numbers that compute
Days, months, and years, towards his all-chearing Lamp
Turn swift their various motions, or are turnd
By his Magnetic beam, that gently warms The Univers, and to each inward part With gentle penetration, though unseen, Shoots invisible vertue even to the deep: So wondrously was set his Station bright.
There lands the Fiend, a spot like which perhaps
Astronomer in the Sun's lucent Orbe Through his glaz'd Optic Tube yet never saw. The place he found beyond expression bright, Compar'd with aught on Earth, Medal or Stone; Not all parts like, but all alike informd
With radiant light, as glowing Iron with fire; If mettal, part seemd Gold, part Silver cleer; If stone, Carbuncle most or Chrysolite,
43
Rubie or Topaz, to the Twelve that shon
In AARONS Brest-plate, and a stone besides
Imagind rather oft then elsewhere seen, That stone, or like to that which here below Philosophers in vain so long have sought,
In vain, though by thir powerful Art they binde
Volatil HERMES, and call up unbound
In various shapes old PROTEUS from the Sea, Draind through a Limbec to his Native forme. What wonder then if fields and regions here Breathe forth ELIXIR pure, and Rivers run Potable Gold, when with one vertuous touch Th' Arch-chimic Sun so farr from us remote Produces with Terrestrial Humor mixt
Here in the dark so many precious things Of colour glorious and effect so rare? Here matter new to gaze the Devil met
Undazl'd, farr and wide his eye commands, For sight no obstacle found here, nor shade, But all Sun-shine, as when his Beams at Noon Culminate from th' AEQUATOR, as they now Shot upward still direct, whence no way round
Shadow from body opaque can fall, and the Aire, No where so cleer, sharp'nd his visual ray
To objects distant farr, whereby he soon
Saw within kenn a glorious Angel stand,
The same whom JOHN saw also in the Sun: His back was turnd, but not his brightness hid; Of beaming sunnie Raies, a golden tiar
Circl'd his Head, nor less his Locks behind
Illustrious on his Shoulders fledge with wings
Lay waving round; on som great charge imploy'd
Hee seemd, or fixt in cogitation deep.
Glad