Chapter 16 15
See with what heat these Dogs of Hell advance
To waste and havoc yonder World, which I
So fair and good created, and had still
Kept in that State, had not the folly of Man
Let in these wastful Furies, who impute [ 620 ]
Folly to mee, so doth the Prince of Hell
And his Adherents, that with so much ease
I suffer them to enter and possess
A place so heavily, and conniving seem
To gratify my scornful Enemies, [ 625 ]
That laugh, as if transported with some fit
Of Passion, I to them had quitted all,
At random yielded up to their misrule;
And know not that I calld and drew them thither
My Hell-hounds, to lick up the draft and filth [ 630 ]
Which mans polluting Sin with taint hath shed
On what was pure, till crammd and gorgd, nigh burst
With suckt and glutted offal, at one sling
Of thy victorious Arm, well-pleasing Son,
Both Sin, and Death, and yawning Grave at last [ 635 ]
Through Chaos hurld, obstruct the mouth of Hell
For ever, and seal up his ravenous Jawes.
Then Heavn and Earth renewed shall be made pure
To sanctitie that shall receive no staine:
Till then the Curse pronounce on both precedes. [ 640 ]
He ended, and the heavily Audience loud
Sung Halleluia, as the sound of Seas,
Through multiple that sung: Just are thy ways,
Righteous are thy Decrees on all thy Works;
Who can extenuate thee? Next, to the Son, [ 645 ]
Destind restorer of Mankind, by whom
New Heavn and Earth shall to the Ages rise,
Or down from Heavn descend. Such was thir song,
While the Creator calling forth by name
His mightie Angels gave them several charges, [ 650 ]
As sorted best with present things. The Sun
Had first his precept so to move, so shine,
As might affect the Earth with cold and heat
Scarce tollerable, and from the North to call
Decrepit Winter, from the South to bring [ 655 ]
Solstitial summers heat. To the blanc Moone
Her office they prescribed, to th other five
Thir planetary motions and aspects
In Sextile, Square, and Trine, and Opposite,
Of noxious efficacie, and when to joyne [ 660 ]
In Synod unbenigne, and taught the fixt
Thir influence malignant when to showre,
Which of them rising with the Sun, or falling,
Should prove tempestuous: To the Winds they set
Thir corners, when with blush to confound [ 665 ]
Sea, Aire, and Shoar, the Thunder when to rowle
With terror through the dark Aereal Hall.