To Heaven's bright lyre let Iris be the bow,
Adapt the spheres for chords, for notes the stars;
Let new-born gales discriminate the bars,
Nor let old Time to measure times be slow.

Hence to new Music of the eternal Lyre

Add richer harmony and praise to praise;
For him who now his wondrous might displays,
And shows the Universe its aweful Sire.

O Thou who ere the World or Heaven was made,
Didst in thyself, that World, that Heaven enjoy,
How does thy bounty all its powers employ;
What inexpressive good hast thou display'd!
O Thou of sovereign love almighty source,
Who know'st to make thy works thy love express,
Let pure devotion's fire the soul possess,
And give the heart and hand a kindred force.

Then shalt thou hear how, when the world began,
Thy life-producing voice gave myriads birth,
Call'd forth from nothing all in Heaven and Earth,
Bless'd in thy light as Eagles in the Sun.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE THE FIRST.

GOD THE FATHER-CHORUS OF ANGELS.

RAISE from this dark abyss thy horrid visage,
O Lucifer! aggrieved by light so potent,
Shrink from the blaze of these refulgent planets,
And pant beneath the rays of no fierce sun;
Read in the sacred volumes of the sky,

The mighty wonders of a hand divine.
Behold, thou frantic rebel,

How easy is the task,

To the great Sire of Worlds,

To raise his empyrean seat sublime :

Lifting humility

Thither whence pride hath fallen.

From thence with bitter grief,

Inhabitant of fire, and mole of darkness,

Let the perverse behold,

Despairing his escape and my compassion,

His own perdition in another's good,

And Heaven now closed to him, to others open'd;

And sighing from the bottom of his heart,

Let him in homage to my power exclaim,

Ah, this creative Sire,

(Wretch as I am) I see,

Hath need of nothing but himself alone
To re-establish all.

THE SERAPHIM SING.

O scene worth heavenly musing,

With sun and moon their glorious light diffusing;

Where to angelic voices,

Sphere circling sphere rejoices,

How dost thou rise, exciting

Man to fond contemplation
Of his benign creation!

THE CHERUBIM SING.

The volume of the stars,

The sovereign Author plann'd,
Inscribing it with his eternal hand,

And his benignant aim

Their beams in lucid characters proclaim;
And man in these delighting,

Feels their bright beams inviting,

And seems, though prison'd in these mortal bars, Walking on earth to mingle with the stars.

GOD THE FATHER.

Angels, desert your Heaven! with you to Earth, That Power descends, whom Heaven accompanies; Let each spectator of these works sublime

Behold, with meek devotion,

Earth into flesh transform'd, and clay to man,
Man to a sovereign lord,

And souls to seraphim.

THE SERAPHIM SING.

Now let us cleave the sky with wings of gold,
The world be paradise,

Since to its fruitful breast

Now the great Sovereign of our quire descends;
Now let us cleave the sky with wings of gold;
Strew yourselves flowers beneath the step divine,
Ye rivals of the stars!

Summon'd from every sphere

Ye gems of heaven, heaven's radiant wealth appear; Now let us cleave the sky with wings of gold!

GOD THE FATHER.

Behold, ye springing herbs and new-born flowers, The step that used to press the stars alone

And the sun's spacious road,

This day begins, along the sylvan scene,
To leave its grand impression;

To low materials now I stretch my hand,
To form a work sublime.

THE ANGELS SING.

Lament, lament in anguish,
Angel to God rebellious!
See, on a sudden rise

The creature doom'd to fill thy radiant seat!
Foolish thy pride took fire
Contemplating thy birth;

But he o'er pride shall triumph,
Acknowledging he sprung from humble dust.
From hence he shall acquire

As much as thou hast lost;

Since the Supreme Inhabitant of Heaven Receives the humble, and dethrones the proud.

GOD THE FATHER.

Adam, arise, since I to thee impart
A spirit warm from my benignant breath;
Arise, arise, first man,

And joyous let the world

Embrace its living miniature in thee!

ADAM. O marvels new, O hallow'd, O divine,

Eternal object of the angel host:

Why do I not possess tongues numerous

As now the stars in heaven?

Now then, before

A thing of earth so mean,

See I the great Artificer divine?

Mighty Ruler supernal,

If 'tis denied this tongue

To match my obligation with my thanks,

Behold my heart's affection,

And hear it speaking clearer than my tongue,

And to thee bending lower

Than this my humble knee.

Now, now, O Lord, in ecstasy devout,

Let my mind mount, and passing all the clouds, Passing each sphere, even up to heaven ascend, And there behold the stars, a seat for man! Thou Lord, who all the fire of genuine love Convertest to thyself,

Transform me into thee, that I a part
Even of thyself, may thus acquire the power
To offer praises not unworthy thee.

THE ANGELS SING.

To smile in paradise,

Great demigod of earth, direct thy step;
There like the tuneful spheres,

Circle the murmuring rills

Of limpid water bright;
There the melodious birds
Rival angelic quires;
There lovely flowers profuse
Appear as vivid stars;

The snowy rose is there

A silver moon, the heliotrope a sun :
What more can be desired,

By earth's new lord in fair corporeal vest,
Than in the midst of earth to find a heaven?

ADAM. O ye harmonious birds!

Bright scene of lovely flowers.

But what delightful slumber

Falls on my closing eyes?

I lay me down, adieu

Unclouded light of day, sweet air adieu!

GOD THE FATHER.

Adam, behold I come,

Son dear to me, thou son

Of an indulgent sire;

Behold the hand that never works in vain :

Behold the hand that join'd the elements,
That added heaven to heavens,

That fill'd the stars with light,

Gave lustre to the moon,
Prescribed the sun his course,

And now supports the world,

And forms a solid stage for thy firm step.

Now sleeping, Adam from thy open'd side
The substance I will take

That shall have woman's name, and lovely form.