The sun was sunk, and after him the star Of Hesperus, whose office is to bring Twilight upon the Earth, short arbiter ’Twixt day and night, and now from end to end Night’s hemisphere had veiled the horizon round; When Satan, who late fled before the threats Of Gabriel out of Eden, now improved In meditated fraud and malice, bent On Man’s destruction, maugre what might hap Of heavier on himself, fearless returned. By night he fled, and at midnight returned From compassing the Earth; cautious of day, Since Uriel, regent of the sun, descried His entrance, and forewarned the Cherubim That kept their watch. Thence, full of anguish, driven, The space of seven continued nights he rode With darkness; thrice the equinoctial line He circled, four times crossed the car of Night From pole to pole, traversing each colure; On the eighth returned, and on the coast averse From entrance or cherubic watch by stealth Found unsuspected way. There was a place (Now not, though sin, not time, first wrought the change)