From sphere to sphere; the steps by nature set
For man’s ascent; at once to tempt and aid;
To tempt his eye, and aid his towering thought; 1713
Till it arrives at the great goal of all.
In ardent Contemplation’s rapid car,
From earth, as from my barrier, I set out.
How swift I mount! Diminish’d earth recedes;
I pass the moon; and, from her farther side,
Pierce heaven’s blue curtain; strike into remote;
Where, with his lifted tube, the subtle sage 1720