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 seekes

To lessen thee, against his purpose serves

To manifest the more thy might: his evil [ 615 ]

Thou usest, and from thence 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 immense, with Starrs [ 620 ]

Numerous, and every Starr perhaps a World

Of destind habitation; but thou knowst

Thir seasons: among these the seat of men,

Earth with her nether Ocean circumfusd,

Thir pleasant dwelling place. Thrice happie 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 happie 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 fulfilld, that askd [ 635 ]

How first this World and face of things began,

And what before thy memorie was don

From the beginning, that posteritie

Informd by thee might know; if else thou seekst

Aught, not surpassing human measure, say. [ 640 ]

The End of the Seventh Book.