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The Stairs were such as whereon Jacob saw [ 510 ]

Angels ascending and descending, bands

Of Guardians bright, when he from Esau fled

To Padan-Aram in the field of Luz,

Dreaming by night under the open Skie,

And waking crid, This is the Gate of Heavn [ 515 ]

Each Stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood

There alwayes, but drawn up to Heavn somtimes

Viewless, and underneath a bright Sea flowd

Of Jasper, or of liquid Pearle, whereon

Who after came from Earth, sayling arrivd, [ 520 ]

Wafted by Angels, or flew ore the Lake

Rapt in a Chariot drawn by fiery Steeds.

The Stairs were then let down, whether to dare

The Fiend by easie ascent, or aggravate

His sad exclusion from the dores of Bliss. [ 525 ]

Direct against which opnd from beneath,

Just ore the blissful seat of Paradise,

A passage down to th Earth, a passage wide,

Wider by farr then that of after-times

Over Mount Sion, and, though that were large, [ 530 ]

Over the Promisd Land to God so dear,

By which, to visit oft those happy Tribes,

On high behests his Angels to and fro

Passd frequent, and his eye with choice regard

From Paneas the fount of Jordans flood [ 535 ]

To Beersaba, where the Holy Land

Borders on Ægypt and th Arabian shoare;

So wide the opning seemd, where bounds were set

To darkness, such as bound the Ocean wave.

Satan from hence now on the lower stair [ 540 ]

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

Through dark and desart wayes with peril gone

All night; at last by break of chearful dawne [ 545 ]

Obtains the brow of some high-climbing Hill,

Which to his eye discovers unaware

The goodly prospect of some forein land

First-seen, or some renownd Metropolis

With glistering Spires and Pinnacles adornd, [ 550 ]

Which now the Rising Sun guilds with his beams.

Such wonder seisd, though after Heaven seen,

The Spirit maligne, but much more envy seisd

At sight of all this World beheld so faire.