Page images
PDF
EPUB

Top of fome high Hill, which unawares difcovers to his Sight the pleasant Profpect of fome foreign Country he had never feen before, or fome renowned Metropolis, adorned with glittering Towers and Spires, which the rifing Sun gilds with his Beams: Such Wonder feized the malignant Spirit, though he had feen Heaven, but Envy feized him much more at Sight of all this World, which he beheld fo beautiful. Round he furveys, (and well he might where he stood fo high above the circling Canopy of the extended Shade of NIGHT) from Eaft to Weft, and then from North to South he views in Breadth; and without any longer Paufe throws himself downright into the World's firft Region, and winds this Way and that Way through the clear Air, among numberless Stars that at a Distance fhone like nothing but what they appear to us, but nigh Hand they feemed other Worlds, or happy Inlands like thofe HESPERIAN (r) Gardens, fo famous of old, plentiful Fields, pleasant Groves, and flowery Vales, thrice happy Habitations; but who dwelt happy there, SATAN ftaid not to enquire. Above them all the golden Sun, likeft in Splendor to Heaven allured his Eye; thither he bends his Course through the calm Firmament; but'tis hard to tell his Course thither, whether upwards or downwards, or in a direct Line; where the great Luminary, among the thick Conftellations, that keep due Distance from him, difpenfes Light from afar: They as they move turn their swift and various Motions, which compute Days, Months, and Years, towards his all-chearing Lamp; or elfe are turned by his at

(r) Hefperian; Lat. Gr. i. e. Western. The famous Gardens of Hefperus the Brother of Atlas (faid to be in the western Islands of Cape Verd or the Canaries) which belong to Africa, and lie under the Evening Star, (which

the Greeks and Latins call Hespe rus and Velperus) wherein were Golden Apples, kept by a watchful Dragon. The Fable is taken from the Garden of Eden, and the glorious Fruits there.

tractive

1

tractive Power that warms the Universe gently, and with kind Influence darts invifible Virtue, even to the Bottom of the Ocean; fo marvelloufly was he fat in his bright Station: There landed SATAN, a Spot, like which perhaps no Aftronomer in the Sun's fhining Orb, though helped by perfpective Glaffes, ever faw: He found the Place bright beyond all Expreffion, compared with any Thing on Earth, either Metal or Stone; not all the Parts alike, but all alike enlightened in all Parts; as red hot Iron is by Fire; if Metal, Part of it feemed Gold, and Part clear Silver; if Stone, moft Carbuncle (s), or Chryfolite (t), or Ruby (u), or Topaz (x), or the twelve that fhone in the Breaft

(1) Carbuncle; Dut. Teut. Ital. Span. Lat. i. e. A little burring Coal. A precious Stone, refembling a burning Coal in its Luftre or Colour. In Heb. Bareketh, ie. Lightning

In Gr. Smagragdas, i. e. Light. It was the third of the firft Row of precious Stones in Aaron's Breaft-plate,

whereon the Name of Levi was engraved, to fhew that Divine Knowledge should fhine in the Priefts of the Lord, to illuminate the Church, Exod. xxviii 17. Mat. v. 14, 16. It is an antient but a vulgar Error, to fay, a Carbuncle gives Light in the Dark.

(1) Chryfolite; Lat. Gr. i. e.
A Golden Stone: because it shines
like Gold. It was the first of the
fourth Row on which Aer was

It is of a Sea-green Colour,
cut.
which fhewed that his Habita-
tion fhould be near the Sea,
Exod. xxviii. 20. Joh. xix. 24.
Rev. xxi. 20.

(u) Ruby; Lat. i.e. Red: A

[ocr errors]

precious Stone of a glorious red Colour, as red as Blood. In Heb. Achlama, from which the Greeks call it Amethyst, i. e. Not to inebriate; for it is reported to be an Antidote to Drunkenness. It is found in the Eaft Indies, the Stony Arabia, Armenia, Egypt, Cyprus, &c. It was the lait of the third Row, whereon Gad was infcribed; to teach him Watchfulness and Temperance; and was alfo a Sign of his Victories, which were predicted, Gen, xlix. 19. Exod. xxviii. 19. and fulfilled, 1 Chron. v. 18, 19.

(x) Topaz; Heb. from which the Greeks formed Topazion, i. e. Golden. A Stone of a golden and green Colour, found in Ethiopia, Job xxix. 19. And in the Ifland Topazium, which lies in the Arabian Gulph. It was the second of the first Row whereon the Name of Simeon was engraven, Exod. xxviii. 17. Rev. xxi. zo.

[blocks in formation]

Plate of AARON (y), or that, feen rather in Imagina tion than elsewhere, Alchymifts have fo long been in vain Search after, though by their powerful Art they bind Quickfilver, and change Matter into all Manner of Forms; What Wonder then if the Fields and Regions here breathe forth pure Elixir, and Rivers run with liquid Gold; when with one powerful Touch the Sun, though fo far remote from us, and mixed with earthly Matter, here in the Dark produces fo many precious Things, of Colour fo glorious, and of fo rare Effect? Here the Devil met new Matter to gaze at, nor was he dazzled by fo much Light, his Eye commands far and wide, for here was no Shade or Obftacle to Sight, for all was Sunshine; as at Noon; fo now the Sun-Beams fhoot upward, still direct, whence noWay round can fall any Shadow from dark Bodies, and the Air fharpened the Eyes of SATAN, to Objects far diftant, whereby he foon difcovered within Sight a glorious Angel ftand within, the fame whom St. JOHN (2) faw alfo in the Sun; his

(y) Aaron; Heb. i. e. A Mountain. This Name was given him by Inspiration, predict ing his own Advancement and Dignity, and his Death upon Mount Hor, Heb. i. e. A Mountain. The eldest Son of Amram, older than Mofes by three Years, yet named laft; born in Egypt, about A. M. 2460. The first High-Priest of the Jews by divine Election. He died A. M. 2583, in the hundred and twenty third Year of his Age, before Jefus Chrift 1448, in the Land of Edom. Juftin through a grofs Miftake calls him Arvas and the Son of Mofes.

(x) John; Heb. Jebochanan; i. e. Gracious. A proper Name of Men among the Jews, mentioned

[blocks in formation]

Back was turned, but his Brightness was not hid; a golden Crown of his Beams of the Sun's Rays encir cled his Head, nor lefs bright were his Locks that hung behind waving on his Shoulders, which were covered with Wings; he feemed employed on fome great and important Affair, or fixed in very deep Contemplation.

THE impure Spirit was glad of this, as being now in Hope to find one who might direct his wandering Flight to PARADISE, the happy Seat of MAN, the propofed End of his Journey, and the Beginning of our Woe: But firft he confiders how he might change his Shape, which elfe might bring him into Danger, or be the Cause of Delay; and now he appears like a youthful Cherub, not one of the Chief, yet fuch as Youth fmiled heavenly in his Face, and to every Limb diffused fuitable Grace; fo well did he contrive to feign: Under a Coronet his flowing Hair played upon either Cheek in Curls; he wore Wings of many party-coloured Feathers fprinkled with Gold; his Habit was girt about him, as fit for Travel, and he held in his Hand, to help his Steps, a filver Wand. SATAN did not draw nigh without being heard; the bright Angel in the Sun, admonished by his Ear of his Approach, turned his radiant Vifage, and immediately was known by him, to be the Arch-Angel URIEL (a), one of the feven who ftand in the Prefence of God, nearest to his Throne, ready at

(a) Uriel; Heb. i. e. The Light of God. Milton, from the Senfe of his Name very properly imagines this Angel to be the Prefident of the Sun: For the Antients thought that all the Superior Orbs were governed by fome Divine Intelligence, which moved them to worship thofe

Orbs.

One of the feven ArchAngels of the Prefence; which feems to be taken from Zech. iv. 10, &c. not from Tobit xii. 15. For that Number mentioned there is an Apocryphal Story. However, this Name is not found in Holy Scripture, but in the Apocrypha, 2 Efdras, iv. 1, 36. Com

Command, and are as his Eyes that run through all the Heavens, or bear his fwift Errands down to the Earth, over Sea and Land; to him SATAN ap¬ proaches, and thus addreffes himself: ..

URIEL! for thou art wont to be the first of thofe feven Spirits, that stand in the Sight of God's high Throne, gloriously bright, to bring his great authentick Will through the highest Heaven, and to be the Interpreter of it; where all the other Angels attend to hear thy Embaffy, and here are likelieft by fupreme Decree to obtain like Honour, and as his Eye give frequent Vifitation to this new created World: An unfpeakable Defire to fee and know all thefe his wonderful Works, but chiefly MAN, whom he delights in and favours fo much, and for whom he hath ordained all thefe, hath brought me thus wandering alone from the Choirs of Cherubim: Tell me, brightest Seraph, in which of all these fhining Orbs hath MAN his fixed Seat? (or has he his Choice to dwell in which may please him best?) that I may find him out, gaze on him in fecret, or openly admire, that I may behold him on whom the great Creator hath beftowed Worlds, and on whom he hath poured all thefe Graces; that in him and all Things elfe, as is but meet, we may praise the Univerfal Maker, who juftly hath driven out to deepest Hell his rebellious Foes; and to repair their Lofs, created this new happy Race of MEN, to ferve him better; Wisdom is in all his Ways!

So fpoke the falfe Deceiver, without being perceived; for neither MAN nor Angel can discover Hypocrify, which is the only Evil that walks invifible through Heaven and Earth, except to God alone, left fo by his permiffive Will; and oftentimes though Wifdom keeps awake, Sufpicion fleeps, and while Goodness thinks no Ill, where no Ill feems to be, to

Simplicity

« PreviousContinue »