第14章 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 ]