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O'ercomes the roar of flames, and deafens hell.

Then through the folid gloom with nimble wing
They cut their fhining traces up to light;
Return'd upon the edge of heavenly day,

Where thinnest beams play round the vaft obfcure,
And with eternal gleam drive back the night.
They find the troops lefs ftubborn, lefs involv'd
In crime and ruin, barr'd the realms of peace,
Yet uncondemn'd to baleful feats of woe,
Doubtful and fuppliant; all the plumes of light
Moult from their fhuddering wings, and fickly fear
Shades every face with horror; confcious guilt
Rolls in the livid eye-ball, and each breast
Shakes with the dread of future doom unknown.

1

'Tis here the wide circumference of heaven

Opens in two vaft gates, that inward turn

Voluminous, on jafper columns hung

By geometry divine: they ever glow
With living sculptures, that arife by turns
T'imboss the shining leaves, by turns they fet

To give fucceeding argument their place;
In holy hieroglyphics on they move,

The
gaze of journeying angels, as they pass
Oft looking back, and held in deep furprize.

Here

Here stood the troops diftinct; the cherub guard Unbarr'd the fplendid gates, and in they roll Harmonious; for a vocal spirit fits

Within each hinge, and, as they onward drive,
In just divifions breaks the numerous jarr
With fymphony melodious, such as spheres
Involv'd in tenfold wreaths are faid to found.
Out flows a blaze of glory; for on high
Tow'ring advanc'd the moving throne of God,
Vaft and majestic; on each radiant fide

The pointed rays flope glittering; at the foot
Glides a full tide of day, that onward pours,
In liquid torrents through the black abyss,
Sparkling among reluctant shapes which thence
Retire confus'd; as when Vefuvio shakes
With inward torments, and difgorges flames,
O'er the vast mountain's ridge the burning waves
Drive their refulgent curls, and on they roll
Sweeping the glowing flames down to the fea;
Th' affrighted fea leaps back with hideous roar
To give the fire its courfe; thus Chaos wild
Hiffing recoils to let in floods of light.
Above the throne, th' ideas heavenly bright
Of past, of present, and of coming time

Fix'd their immov'd abode, and there prefent
An endless landscape of created things
To fight celeftial, where angelic eyes
Are loft in profpect; for the fhiny range,
Boundless and various, in its bofom bears
Millions of full-proportion'd worlds, beheld
With stedfaft eyes, 'till more arise to view,
And farther inward scenes start up unknown.
Myriads of feraphs in long feries wait
About the throne, and as it moves, proceed
In numerous order, to celeftial fong.
Above, the symphony of mellow flutes,
And harps, by flying angels gently touch'd,
Relieve the trumpet's rage, and fitly blend
The folemn founds in harmony divine;

Such as might tune new worlds, and give the laws
To globes on high, and the just figure guide
Of planets forming all their airy dance.
Below, the blazing wheels drive bounding o'er
The starry pavement; ftars and hills of light
Double their glories where the chariot rolls
With rattling found; and th' empyræum vast
Down to its stedfaft axis, groans throughout
Under the burning tracts, 'till now it rests

Upon

Upon the gaping brink of heaven; and there
With open pomp, fills the vaft empty space.
Silence enfues; a deep and aweful pause
More terrible, all expectation held

In horror: now wrath imminent amaz'd
With dreadful precipice, to all it seems
More formidable near; then from the throne
A vocal thunder roll'd the sense of God,
Majestically long, repugnant all

To princes' customs here; their judgments flash
On guilt, with words concise, and sudden blaze.
Quite otherwise, the God's enlarged speech
Set wide the fate of things; that all around
Might take full profpects of their coming doom.
Servants of God! and Virtues great in arms;
We approve your faithful works, and you return
Bless'd from the dire pursuit of rebel foes;
Refolv'd, obdurate, they have try'd the force
Of this right hand, and known Almighty pow'r;
Transfix'd with lightning down they funk, they fell
Into the fiery gulph, and deep they plunge
Below the burning waves, to hide their heads
In fhelter from my vengeance bellowing hence
More fierce, and scorching with more dreadful fires.

There

There let 'em find their doom, that durft defy
Omnipotence, and flight his proffer'd grace ;
Rolling in flames, and ne'er to find a dawn
Of heavenly day; inftead, the mind imbibes
Eternal gloom, and fing'd with constant flames,
Can find no eafe; while fierce their boiling rage
Eats through th' impyreal mould, and glows within
With endless pain; not one repentant thought
Shall cool the breast, but proud in horrid crime,
The foul anneals and hardens in the fire.

But

you commiffion'd by commands divine, Have wifely fill'd your trust, and clos'd 'em all Within the fervid lake, left any roam

Into the dark abyfs to fhun their doom,
And in the womb immense of things unborn
Should feek annihilation; you must rife
Among the shining Virtues more fublime;
On lofty thrones preferr❜d for lofty deeds.

For you, ye guilty throng! that lately join'd
In this fedition, fince feduc'd from good,
And caught in trains of guile, by fpirits malign,
Superior in their order; you accept,
Trembling, my heavenly clemency and grace.
When the long æra once has fill'd its orb,

You'

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