aynolessperhapsavailusknown,</p>
hobeganthisheavenhwebehold</p>
distantsohigh,ovingfiresadoed</p>
innurable;andthishyieldsorfills</p>
allspace,theaientairerfused</p>
eragroundthisfloriedearth;cause</p>
vedthecreator,inhisholyrest</p>
throughalleteity,solatetobuild</p>
inchaos;andthewun,howsoon</p>
absolved;ifunforbidthouyestunfold</p>
toexplorethesecretsask</p>
ofhisetealeire,butthere</p>
tognifyhisoreweknow.</p>
andthegreatlightofdayyetstorun</p>
ethoughsteep;suspenseinheaven,</p>
heldbythyvoice,thypotentvoice,hehears,</p>
andlongeroheartheetell</p>
hisgeion,andtherisingbirth</p>
ofnaturefroheunapparentdeep:</p>
orifthestarofeveningandtheon</p>
hastetothyaudienighthherwillbring,</p>
silendsleep,listeningtothee,ch;</p>
orillthysong</p>
end,anddissstheeeretheingshine.</p>
thusadaisillustriousguestbesought:</p>
andthusthegodlikeangelansild.</p>
thisalsothyrequest,hcautionasked,</p>
obtain;thoughtoreuntalghtyworks</p>
ongueofseraphsuffice,</p>
paradiselost</p>
197of374</p>
orheartofnsufficetoprehend</p>
yetayserve</p>
toglorifytheker,andinfer</p>
theealsohappier,shallnotbehheld</p>
thyhearing;suabove</p>
ihavereceived,toanshydesire</p>
ofknohinbounds;beyond,abstain</p>
toask;hineoionshope</p>
thingsnotrevealed,heinvisibleking,</p>
onlyoist,hathsuppressedinnight;</p>
tononenicableihorheaven:</p>
enoughisleftbesidestoseardknow.</p>
butknowledgeisasfood,andneedsnoless</p>
herteeranceoverappetite,toknow</p>
inasureindyain;</p>
oppresseselsehsurfeit,andsoontus</p>
tofolly,asnourishnttowind.</p>
knoheaven</p>
soidstthehost</p>
ofahanthatstarthestarsang,</p>
fellinglegionsthroughthedeep</p>
intohispladthegreatsoued</p>
victoriousnipotent</p>
etealfatherfroisthronebeheld</p>
theirltitude,andtohissonthusspake.</p>
atleastourenviousfoehathfailed,hought</p>
alllikehielfrebellious,bywhoseaid</p>
thisinaessiblehighstrength,theseat</p>
ofdeitysupre,usdispossessed,</p>
paradiselost</p>
198of374</p>
hetrustedtohaveseised,andintofraud</p>
dreany,theirplaoore:</p>
yetfarthegreaterparthavekept,isee,</p>
theirstation;heavepopulous,retains</p>
nuersuffis</p>
thoughpletofrequent</p>
inisteriesdue,andsolerites:</p>
but,lesthisheartexalthintheharbr></p>
alreadydoohavedispeopledheaven,</p>
dagefondlydeed,irepair</p>
thatdetrint,ifsuchitbetolose</p>
selflost;andinante</p>
anotheranarace</p>
ofninnurable,theretodwell,</p>
ill,bydegreesofritraised,</p>
theyopentotheelvesatlengththeway</p>
uphither,underlongobedieried;</p>
ahbegedtoheaven,andheaveh,</p>
onekingdojoyandunionhoutend.</p>
anwhilei</p>
...</p>