Thou find'ft him, from the heat of noon retir'd,
To refpit his day-labour with repaft,
Or with repofe and fuch difcourfe bring on,
As may advife him of his happy state,
Happiness in his pow'r left free to will,
Left to his own free will; his will, though free,
Yet mutable: whence warn him to beware
He fwerve not too fecure. Tell him withal
His danger, and from whom; what enemy,
Late fall'n himself from heav'n, is plotting now
The fall of others from like state of blifs:
By violence? no; for that shall be withstood:
But by deceit and lies: this let him know,
Left wilfully tranfgreffing, he pretend
Surprifal un-admonish'd, un-forewarn'd.
So fpake th' Eternal FATHER, and fulfill'd
All justice: nor delay'd the winged faint,
After his charge receiv'd; but from among
Thousand cœleftial Ardours, where he stood
Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, up-fpringing light,
Flew thro' the midst of heav'n: th' Angelic Choirs,
On each hand parting, to his fpeed gave way
Through all th' empyreal road; till at the gate
Of heav'n arriv'd, the gate felf-open'd wide,
On golden hinges turning; as by work
Divine, the fov'reign architect had fram'd.
From hence (no cloud, or, to obftruct his fight,
Star interpos'd) however small, he fees
(Not unconform to other fhining globes).
Earth, and the gard'n of God, with cedars crown'd
Above all hills. As when by night the glass
Of GALILEO, lefs affur'd, obferves
Imagin'd lands and regions in the moon :
Or pilot from amidst the CYCLADES,
DELOS, or SAMOs, firft appearing kens
A cloudy spot, Down thither prone in flight
He fpeeds, and through the vaft ethereal fky
Sails between worlds and worlds: with fteddy wing
Now on the polar winds; then with quick fan
Winnows the buxom air: till within foar
Of towring eagles, t'all the fowls he seems
A phoenix, gaz'd by all, as that fole bird,
When to infhrine his reliques in the fun's
Bright temple, to EGYPTIAN THEBES he flies.
At once on th' eaftern cliff of Paradife
He lights, and to his proper fhape returns,
A Seraph wing'd: fix wings he wore, to fhade
His lineaments divine; the pair that clad
Each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breaft
With regal ornament: the middle pair
Girt like a starry zone his waist, and round
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold,
And colours dip'd in heav'n: the third, his feet
Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail,
Sky-tinctur'd grain! Like MATA's fon he ftood,
And fhook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide. Straight knew him all the bands
Of Angels under watch; and to his itate,
And to his meffage high, in honour rife;
For on fome message high they guess'd him bound.
Their glitt'ring tents he pass'd, and now is come
Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh,
And flow'ring odors, caffia, nard, and balm;
A wilderness of fweets! for Nature here
Wanton'd, as in her prime, and plaid at will
Her virgin-fancies, pouring forth more sweet,
Wild above rule, or art, enormous bliss!
Him through the fpicy foreft onward come
ADAM difcern'd, as in the door he fat
Of his cool bow'r; while now the mounted fun
Shot down direct his fervid rays, to warm
Earth's inmost womb, (more warmth than ADAM needs :)
And Eve within, due at her hour, prepar'd
For dinner favoury fruits, of tafte to please
True appetite, and not difrelish thirst
Of nectarous draughts between, from milky ftream,
Berry, or grape; to whom thus ADAM call'd.
Eastward among these trees, what glorious shape
Comes this way moving; feems another morn
Ris'n on mid-noon: fome great beheft from heav'n
To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe
"This day to be our gueft. But
And what thy ftores contain, bring forth, and pour
Abundance, fit to honour and receive
Our heav'n'y stranger: well we may afford
Our givers their own gifts, and large beltow
From large beftow'd, where nature multiplies
Her fertil growth, and by difburd'ning grows
More fruitful, which inftructs us not to fpare.
To whom thus EVE. ADAM! earth's hallow'd mould,
Of GOD infpir'd! fmall store will ferve, where store (All feafons) ripe for ufe hangs on the stalk;
Save what by frugal ftoring firmness gains
To nourish, and fuperfluous moist confumes.
But I will hafte, and from each bough, and brake,
Each plant, and juiciest gourd, will pluck fuch choice To entertain our Angel-gueft, as he,
Beholding fhall confefs, that here on earth
GOD hath difpens'd his bounties, as in heav'n.
So faying, with difpatchful looks in hafte
She turns, on hofpitable thoughts intent
What choice to chufe for delicacy best;
What order, fo contriv'd as not to mix
Taftes, not well join'd, inelegant; but bring
Tatte after tafte, upheld with kindlieft change:
Beftirs her then, and from each tender ftalk
Whatever earth, all-bearing mother, yields
In INDIA eaft or weft; or middle fhoar
In PONTUS, or the PUNIC coaft; or where
ALCINOUS reign'd; fruit of all kinds, in coat
Rough, or fimooth rind, or bearded hufk, or fhell,
She gathers; tribute large! and on the board
Heaps with un-fparing hand: for drink, the grape
She crufhes, (inoffenfive Muft!) and meathes
From many a berry: and, from fweet kernels prefs'd,
dulcet creams, nor these to hold
Wants her fit veffels pure; then trews the ground
With rofe, and odours from the shrub, unfum'd.
Mean-while our primitive great fire, to meet
His god-like gueft, walks forth; without more train
Accompany'd than with his own complete.
Perfections; in himfelf was all his ftate:
More folemn than the tedious pomp that waits
On Princes, when their rich retinue long
Of horses led, and grooms befmear'd with gold,
Dazzles the crowd, and fets them all agape.
Nearer his prefence, ADAM, though not aw'd,.
Yet with fubmifs approach, and rev'rence meek,
As to fuperior nature, bowing low,
Thus faid. Native of heaven! (for other place,
None can than heav'n fuch glorious shape contain).
Since by defcending from the Thrones above,
Thofe happy places thou haft deign'd a while
To want, and honor these, vouchfafe with us.
Two only, who yet by fov'reign gift poffefs
This fpacious ground, in yonder fhady bow'r
To reft; and what the garden choiceft bears
To fit and tafte, till this meridian heat
Be over, and the fun more cool decline.
Whom thus th' Angelic Virtue answer'd mild.
ADAM! I therefore came; nor art thou fuch
Created, or fuch place haft here to dwell,
As may not oft invite, (though Spirits of heav'n,)
To vifit thee; lead on then where thy bow'r
O'erfhades; for thefe mid-hours, 'till ev'ning rife,
I have at will.- -So to the fylvan Lodge
They came, that like POMONA's arbour fmil'd,
With flow'rets deck'd, and fragrant smells: but EVE
Undeck'd, fave with her felf, (more lovely fair
Than Wood-nymph, or the fairest Goddess feign'd
Of three, that in mount IDA naked strove!)
Stood t'entertain her guest from heav'n: no veil
She needed, virtue-proof; no thought infirm
Alter'd her cheek. On whom the Angel Hail
Beftow'd, the holy falutation us'd
Long after to bleft MARY, fecond EVE.
Hail, Mother of Mankind! whose fruitful womb
Shall fill the world more numerous with thy fons,
Than with thefe various fruits the trees of God
Have heap'd this table.- -Rais'd of graffy turf
Their table was, and moffy feats had round:
And on her ample fquare, from fide to fide,
All autumn pil'd; tho' spring and autumn here
Danc'd hand in hand. A while difcourfe they hold; (No fear left dinner cool) when thus began
Our author. Heav'nly stranger! please to tafte
These bounties, which our Nourisher, (from Whom
All perfect good, unmeafur'd out, descends
To us for food, and for delight,) hath caus'd
The earth to yield: unfavoury food, perhaps,
To fpiritual natures; only this I know,
That one cœleftial Father gives to all.
To whom the Angel. Therefore what He gives
(Whofe praise be ever fung!) to man, in part
Spiritual, may of pureft fpirits be found
No ingrateful food: and food alike those pure
Intelligential fubftances require,
As doth your rational: And both contain
Within them ev'ry lower faculty
Of fenfe, whereby they hear, fee, fmell, touch, taste :
Earth, and the fea, feed air; thofe fires
Ethereal; and as lowest, first the moon;
Whence, in her vifage round, thofe spots, unpurg'd
Vapors, not yet into her fubftance turn'd.
Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale
From her moift continent, to higher orbs.
The fun, that light imparts to all, receives
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