2

The Sun was sunk, and after him the Starr

Of Hesperus, whose Office is to bring

Twilight upon the Earth, short Arbiter [ 50 ]

Twixt Day and Night, and now from end to end

Nights Hemisphere had veild the Horizon round:

When Satan who late fled before the threats

Of Gabriel out of Eden, now improvd

In meditated fraud and malice, bent [ 55 ]

On mans destruction, maugre what might hap

Of heavier on himself, fearless returnd.

By Night he fled, and at Midnight returnd.

From compassing the Earth, cautious of day,

Since Uriel Regent of the Sun descrid [ 60 ]

His entrance, and forewarnd the Cherubim

That kept thir watch; thence full of anguish drivn,

The space of seven continud Nights he rode

With darkness, thrice the Equinoctial Line

He circld, four times crossd the Carr of Night [ 65 ]

From Pole to Pole, traversing each Colure;

On the eighth returnd, and on the Coast averse

From entrance or Cherubic Watch, by stealth

Found unsuspected way. There was a place,

Now not, though Sin, not Time, first wraught the change, [ 70 ]

Where Tigris at the foot of Paradise

Into a Gulf shot under ground, till part

Rose up a Fountain by the Tree of Life;

In with the River sunk, and with it rose

Satan involvd in rising Mist, then sought [ 75 ]

Where to lie hid; Sea he had searcht and Land

From Eden over Pontus, and the Poole

Mæotis, up beyond the River Ob;

Downward as farr Antartic; and in length

West from Orontes to the Ocean barrd [ 80 ]

At Darien, thence to the Land where flowes

Ganges and Indus: thus the Orb he roamd

With narrow search; and with inspection deep

Considerd every Creature, which of all

Most opportune might serve his Wiles, and found [ 85 ]

The Serpent suttlest Beast of all the Field.