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Of Guardians bright, when he from Esau fled
To Beersaba, where the Holy Land
Dreaming by night under the open Skie,
Angels ascending and descending, bands
Borders on Ægypt and th Arabian shoare;
Such wonder seisd, though after Heaven seen,
There alwayes, but drawn up to Heavn somtimes
Viewless, and underneath a bright Sea flo九_九_藏_書wd
Which to his eye discovers unaware
And waking crid, This is the Gate of Heavn [ 515 ]
The goodly prospect of some forein land
By which, to visit oft those happy Tribes,
Over the Promisd Land to God so dear,
First-seen, or some renownd Metropolis
Each Stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood
Wafted by Angels, or ｒｅａd•９9cｓw•cｏmflew ore the Lake
The Spirit maligne, but much more envy seisd
On high behests his Angels to and fro
Obtains the brow of some high-climbing Hill,
At sight of all this World beheld so faire.
With glistering Spires and Pinnacles adornd, [ 550 ]
Who after came from Earth, sayling arrivd, [ 520 ]
Direct against which opnd https://read.99csw.comfrom beneath,
Passd frequent, and his eye with choice regard
From Paneas the fount of Jordans flood [ 535 ]
That scald by steps of Gold to Heavn Gate
Looks down with wonder at the sudden view
Of all this World at once. As when a Scout
So wide the opning seemd, where bounds were set
The Fiend by easie ascent, or aggravate九*九*藏*書
Which now the Rising Sun guilds with his beams.
Over Mount Sion, and, though that were large, [ 530 ]
Through dark and desart wayes with peril gone
The Stairs were then let down, whether to dare
Just ore the blissful seat of Paradise,
The Stairs were such as whereon Jacob saw [ 510 ]
Wider by farr then that of after-times
Of Jasper, oｈtｔpｓ://rｅad•9９cｓｗ•comr of liquid Pearle, whereon
His sad exclusion from the dores of Bliss. [ 525 ]
Rapt in a Chariot drawn by fiery Steeds.
To darkness, such as bound the Ocean wave.
A passage down to th Earth, a passage wide,
All night; at last by break of chearful dawne [ 545 ]
To Padan-Aram in the field of Luz,
Satan from hence now on the lower stair [ 540 ]