Ere man great Reason's lord was made,
Or the world's first foundations laid,
As high in their divine abodes,
Consulting sate the mighty gods,
Jove on the chaos looking down,
Spoke thus from his imperial throne:
"Ye deities and potentates,
"Aerial pow'rs, and heav'nly states,
"Lo, in that gloomy place below,
"Where darkness reigns and discord now,
"There a new world shall grace the skies,
"And a new creature form'd arise,
"Who shall partake of our perfections,
"And live and act by our directions,
"(For the chief bliss of any station
"Is nought without communication)
"Let therefore ev'ry godhead give
"What this new being should receive,
"But care important must be had,
"To mingle well of good and bad,
"That by th' allaying mixture, he
"May not approach to deity. "