First in his East the glorious Lamp was seen,
  Regent of Day; and all th’ Horizon round
  Invested with bright Rays, jocund to round
  His Longitude through Heavns high Road:  the gray
  Dawn, and the Pleiades before him danced,
  Shedding sweet Influence.  Less bright the Moon,
  But opposite in level’d West was set,
  His Mirror, with full face borrowing her Light
  From him, for other Lights she needed none
  In that aspect, and still that distance keeps
  Till Night; then in the East her turn she shines,
  Revolv’d on Heavns great Axle, and her Reign
  With thousand lesser Lights dividual holds,
  With thousand thousand Stars! that then appear’d
  Spangling the Hemisphere—­

One would wonder how the Poet could be so concise in his Description of the six Days Works, as to comprehend them within the bounds of an Episode, and at the same time so particular, as to give us a lively Idea of them.  This is still more remarkable in his Account of the Fifth and Sixth Days, in which he has drawn out to our View the whole Animal Creation, from the Reptil to the Behemoth.  As the Lion and the Leviathan are two of the noblest Productions in [the [7]] World of living Creatures, the Reader will find a most exquisite Spirit of Poetry in the Account which our Author gives us of them.  The Sixth Day concludes with the Formation of Man, upon which the Angel takes occasion, as he did after the Battel in Heaven, to remind Adam of his Obedience, which was the principal Design of this his Visit.

The Poet afterwards represents the Messiah returning into Heaven, and taking a Survey of his great Work.  There is something inexpressibly Sublime in this part of the Poem, where the Author describes that great Period of Time, filled with so many Glorious Circumstances; when the Heavens and Earth were finished; when the Messiah ascended up in triumph thro the Everlasting Gates; when he looked down with pleasure upon his new Creation; when every Part of Nature seem’d to rejoice in its Existence; when the Morning-Stars sang together, and all the Sons of God shouted for joy.

  So Ev’n and Morn accomplished the sixth Day: 
  Yet not till the Creator from his Work
  Desisting, tho unwearied, up return’d,
  Up to the Heavn of Heavns, his high Abode;
  Thence to behold this new created World,
  Th’ Addition of his Empire, how it shewed
  In prospect from his Throne, how good, how fair,
  Answering his great Idea:  Up he rode,
  Follow’d with Acclamation, and the Sound
  Symphonious of ten thousand Harps, that tuned
  Angelick Harmonies; the Earth, the Air
  Resounding (thou rememberst, for thou heardst)
  The Heavens and all the Constellations rung;
  The Planets in their Station listning stood,
  While the bright Pomp ascended jubilant. 
  Open, ye everlasting Gates, they sung,
  Open, ye Heavens, your living Doors; let in
  The great Creator from his Work return’d
  Magnificent, his six Days Work, a World!