Chapter 14 13

Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound Thy Empire? easily the proud attempt Of Spirits apostat and thir Counsels vaine [ 610 ] Thou hast repeld, while impiously they thought Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks To lessen thee, against his purpose serves To manifest the more thy might: his evil [ 615 ] Thou useest, and from therence creatst more good. Witness this new-made World, another Heavn From Heaven Gate not farr, founded in view On the cleer Hyaline, the Glassie Sea; Of amplitude almost enormous, with Starrs [ 620 ]

Numerous, and every Starr perhaps a World Of destind habitation; but thou knowt Thirteen seasons: among these the seat of men, Earth with her nether Ocean circumfusd, Thir pleasant dwelling place. Thrice happy men, [ 625 ] And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanct, Created in his Image, there to dwell And worship him, and in reward to rule Over his Works, on Earth, in Sea, or Air, And multiply a Race of Worshippers [ 630 ] Holy and just: thrice happy if they know Thir happiness, and persevere upright. So sung they, and the Empyrean rung, With Halleluiahs: Thus was Sabbath kept.

And thy request think now fulfilled, that asked [ 635 ] How first this World and face of things began, And what before thy memory was don From the beginning, that posterity Informed by thee might know; if else thou seekst Aught, not surpassing human measure, say. [ 640 ]