Knew never till this irkfome night. Methought
Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk
With gentle voice; I thought it thine: it faid,
Why fleep'st thou EVE? now is the pleasant time,
The cool, the filent, fave where filence yields
To the night warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes sweetest his love-labour'd fong; now reigns
Full-orb'd the moon, and with more pleasant light
Shadowy fets off the face of things; in vain,
If none regard: heav'n wakes with all his
eyes;
Whom to behold but Thee, nature's defire ?
In whofe fight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty ftill to gaze.

I rofe, as at thy call; but found thee not:
To find thee I directed then my walk;
And on, methought, alone I pafs'd, thro' ways
That brought me on a fudden to the Tree
Of interdicted Knowledge: fair it seem'd,
Much fairer to my fancy than by day:
And as I wondring look'd, befide it flood

One fhap'd, and wing'd, like one of those from Heav'n,
By us oft feen: his dewy locks diftill'd'
AMBROSIA ; on that tree he alfo gaz'd;

And, O fair plant, faid he, with fruit furcharg'd!
Deigns none to eafe thy load, and taste thy fweet?
Nor Gop, nor man? Is knowledge fo defpis'd?
Or envy, or what referve forbids to taste?
Forbid who will, none fhall from me with hold
Longer thy offer'd good: why else set here?
This faid, he paus'd not, but with vent'rous arm
He pluck'd, he tafted: me damp horror chill'd
At fuch bold words, vouch'd with a deed so bold.
But he thus, overjoy'd: O fruit divine!

Sweet of thy felf, but much more fweet thus crop'd!
Forbidden here, it feems as only fit

For Gods, yet able to make Gods of men :

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And why not Gods of men, fince good the more
Communicated, more abundant grows,

The author not impair'd, but honour'd more?
Here, happy creature, fair Angelic EVE!

Partake

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Partake thou alfo: happy though thou art,
Happier thou may'ft be, worthier canst not be:
Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Thy felf a Goddefs; not to earth confin'd,
But fometimes in the air, as we; fometimes
Afcend to heav'n, by merit thine, and fee
What life the Gods live there, and fuch live Thou.
So faying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Ev'n to my mouth, of that fame fruit held part
Which he had pluck'd: the pleasant favoury smell
So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought,
Could not but tafte! Forthwith up to the clouds
With him I flew, and underneath beheld

The earth outstretch'd immenfe, a profpect wide,
And various: wond'ring at my flight and change
To this high exaltation; fuddenly

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My guide was gone, and I, methought, funk down,

And fell asleep: but O, how glad I wak'd

To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her night
Related, and thus ADAM anfwer'd fad.

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Beft image of my felf, and dearer half!

The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep
Affects me equally: nor can I like

This uncouth dream, of evil fprung, I fear.
Yet evil whence? in thee can harbour none,

Created

pure.

But know, that in the foul

Are many leffer faculties, that ferve

Reafon as chief: among thefe Fancy next
Her office holds: of all external things,
Which the five watchful fenfes represent,
She forms imaginations, aery fhapes,
Which Reafon joining, or disjoining, frames
All what we affirm, or what deny, and call
Our knowledge, or opinion; then retires
Into her private cell, when nature rests.
Oft in her abfence mimic Fancy wakes
To imitate her; but mis-joining fhapes,
Wild work produces oft, and moft in dreams;
Ill matching words, and deeds, long past, or late.

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Some

Some fuch refemblances methinks I find

Of our last evening's talk, in this thy dream;
But with addition ftrange! yet, be not fad:
Evil into the mind of GoD, or man,

May come, and go, fo unapprov'd, and leave
No fpot or blame behind: which gives me hope
That what in fleep thou didst abhor to dream,
Waking thou never wilt confent to do.

Be not dishearten'd then, ner cloud thofe looks,
That wont to be more chearful and serene,

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Then when fair morning first smiles on the world:
And let us to our fresh employments rife,

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Among the groves, the fountains and the flow'rs,

That open now their choiceft bofom'd smells,

Reserv'd from night, and kept for thee in store.

So chear'd he his fair spouse, and she was chear'd; But filently a gentle tear let fall

From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair:
Two other precious drops that ready ftood,
Each in their crystal fluice, he ere they fell
Kifs'd, as the gracious fign. of fweet remorse,
And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended.
So all was clear'd, and to the field they haste :
But first, from under fhady arborous roof,
Soon as they forth were come to open fight
Of day-fpring, and the fun, (who scarce up-ris'n,
With wheels yet hov'ring o'er the ocean-brim,
Shot parallel to th' earth his dewy ray,
Difcov'ring in wide landfcape all the eaft
Of Paradife, and EDEN's happy plains)
Lowly they bow'd, adoring, and began
Their orifons, each morning duly paid
In various style; for neither various style,
Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise
Their Maker, in fit ftrains pronounc'd or fung
Unmeditated; fuch prompt eloquence

Flow'd from their lips, in profe or numerous verse :
More tuneable, than needed lute, or harp,

To add more sweetness; and they thus began,

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These

These are thy glorious works, Parent of Good!
Almighty! Thine this univerfal frame,

Thus wondrous fair; Thy felf how wondrous then!
Unfpeakable! who fitt'it above thefe heav'ns,
To us invifible, or dimly feen

In thefe Thy lowest works: yet thefe declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine.
Speak ye who beft can tell, ye fons of light,
Angels! for ye behold Him, and with fongs,
And choral fymphonies, day without night,
Circle his throne rejoicing; ye in heav'n :
On earth join all ye creatures to extol

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Him firft, Him laft, Him midit, and without end.

Faireft of ftars! laft in the train of night,

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If better thou belong not to the dawn,

Sure pledge of day, that crown'ft the fmiling morn
With thy bright circlet, praife Him in thy fphere
While day arifes, that sweet hour of prime.
Thou fun! of this great world both eye and foul,
Acknowledge Him thy greater; found His praise
In thy eternal course, both when thou climb it,

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And when high noon haft gain'd, and when thou fall'st.
Moon! that now meet'ft the orient fun, now fly'st
With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies;
And ye five other wand'ring fires! that move
In myftic dance not without fong, refound
His praife, who out of darkness call'd up light.
Air, and ye elements! the eldest birth
Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run
Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix,

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And nourish all things: let your ceafeless change

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Vary to our Great Maker still new praise.
Ye mifts and exhalations! that now rife
From hill, or ftreaming lake, dusky, or grey,
Till the fun paint your fleecy fkirts with gold,
In honour to the world's great Author rife:
Whether to deck with clouds th' uncolour'd sky,
Or wet the thirsty earth with falling fhow'rs,
Rifing, or falling, ftill advance His praise.
His praise, ye winds! that from four quarters blow,

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Breathe

Breath foft, or loud; and wave your tops, ye pines!
With every plant, in fign of worship wave.
Fountains! and ye that warble, as ye flow,
Melodious murmurs! warbling tune His praise.
Join voices, all ye living fouls! ye birds,
That finging up to heaven-gate afcend,

Bear on your wings, and in your notes, His praise;
Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk
The earth, and ftately tread, or lowly creep!
Witnefs if I be filent, morn or even,

To hill, or valley, fountain, or fresh shade,
Made vocal by my fong, and taught His praife.
Hail Univerfal Lord! be bounteous ftill

To give us only good: and if the night
Have gather'd ought of evil, or conceal'd,
Disperse it, as now light difpels the dark!

So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts
Firm peace recover'd foon, and wonted calm.
On to their morning's rural work they hafte
Among sweet dews and flow'rs; where any row
Of fruit-trees, over-woody, reach'd too far
Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check
Fruitless embraces; or they led the vine

To wed her elm; fhe fpous'd, about him twines
Her marriageable arms, and with her brings
Her dow'r, th' adopted clufters, to adorn
His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld
With pity heav'n's high King, and to Him call'd
RAPHAEL, the fociable fpirit, that deign'd
To travel with TOBIAS, and fecur'd
His marriage with the fev'n-times wedded maid.

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RAPHAEL, faid He, thou hear'ft what stir on earth
SATAN, from hell fcap'd thro' the darksome gulf,
Hath rais'd in Paradise, and how disturb'd
This night the human pair, how he defigns
In them at once to ruin all mankind;

Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend-
Converse with ADAM, in what bow'r or shade

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