Chapter 13 12

The Stairs were such as whereon Jacob saw [ 510 ] 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 crid, This is the Gate of Heavn [ 515 ] Each Stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood There always, but drawn up to Heavn somtimes Viewless, and underneath a bright Sea flowd Of Jasper, or of liquid Pearle, whereon Who after came from Earth, saying arrid, [ 520 ] Wafted by Angels, or flew ore 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. [525] Direct against which opnd from beneath, Just ore 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, [ 530 ] Over the Promisd Land to God so dear, By which, to visit of those happy Tribes, On high behests his Angels to and fro Passed frequently, and his eye with choice regard From Paneas the fountain of Jordans flood [ 535 ] To Beersaba, where the Holy Land Borders on Ægypt and th Arabian shoare;

So wide the opning seemedd, where bounds were set To darkness, such as bound the Ocean wave. Satan from henceforth now on the lower stair [ 540 ] That scald by steps of Gold to Heavn Gate Looks down with wonder at the sudden view Of all this World at once. As when a Scout Through dark and desert ways with peril gone All night; at last by break of cheerful dawne [ 545 ] Obtains the brow of some high-climbing Hill, Which to his eye discovers unaware The good prospect of some foreign land First-seen, or some known Metropolis With glistering Spires and Pinnacles adornd, [ 550 ]

Which now the Rising Sun guilds with his beams. Such wonder seisd, though after Heaven seen, The Spirit maligne, but much more envy seisd At sight of all this World beheld so faire.