Paradise Lost

by John Milton

Dawning through Heav’n: forth rush’d with whirlwind sound The Chariot of Paternal Deitie, Flashing thick flames, Wheele within Wheele undrawn, It self instinct with Spirit, but convoyd By four Cherubic shapes, four Faces each Had wondrous, as with Starrs thir bodies all And Wings were set with Eyes, with Eyes the Wheels Of Beril, and careering Fires between; Over thir heads a chrystal Firmament, Whereon a Saphir Throne, inlaid with pure Amber, and colours of the showrie Arch. Hee in Celestial Panoplie all armd Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought, Ascended, at his right hand Victorie Sate Eagle-wing’d, beside him hung his Bow And Quiver with three-bolted Thunder stor’d, And from about him fierce Effusion rowld Of smoak and bickering flame, and sparkles dire; Attended with ten thousand thousand Saints, He onward came, farr off his coming shon, And twentie thousand (I thir number heard) Chariots of God, half on each hand were seen: Hee on the wings of Cherub rode sublime On the Crystallin Skie, in Saphir Thron’d. Illustrious farr and wide, but by his own First seen, them unexpected joy surpriz’d,

See Ezekiel