This is, undoubtedly, fweet and fimple, but much inferior to the fenfation and fentiment of,

The fairest of her daughters,

when he first beheld her lover and her lord in a state of innocence.

That day I oft remember, when from sleep
I first awak'd, and found myself repos'd

Under a shade, on flowers, much wondering where
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
Not distant far from thence a murmuring found
Of waters iffu'd from a cave, and spread
Into a liquid plain, then stood unmov'd
Pure as th' expanse of Heav'n; I thither went
With unexperienc'd thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the clear
Smooth lake, that to me seem'd another sky.
As I bent down to look, juft oppofite
A fhape within the watry gleam appear'd
Bending to look on me; I started back,
It started back, but pleas'd I foon return'd,
Pleas'd it return'd as foon with answering looks
Of fympathy and love; there I had fix'd
Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain defire,
Had not a voice thus warn'd me. What thou feeft,
What there thou feest fair creature is thy felf,
With thee it came and goes; but follow me,

And

And I will bring thee where no fhadow stays
Thy coming, and thy foft embraces, he
Whofe image thou art, him thou shalt enjoy
Infeparably thine, to him fhall bear

Multitudes like thyfelf, and thence be call'd.
Mother of Human Race: What could I do,
But follow ftraight, invifibly thus led?
Till I efpy'd thee, fair indeed, and tall,
Under a plantain, yet methought lefs fair,
Lefs winning foft, lefs amiably mild,

Than that smooth watry image; back I-return'd,
Thou following cryd'ft aloud, Return fair Eve,
Whom fly'ft thou? whom thou fly'ft, of him thou art,
His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent
Out of my fide to thee, nearest my heart
Subftantial life, to have thee by my fide
Henceforth an individual folace dear;
Part of my foul I feek thee, and thee claim
My other half with that thy gentle hand
Seiz'd mine, I yielded, and from that time fee
How beauty is excell'd by manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.

So fpake our general mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd,
And meek furrender, half embracing lean'd
On our firit father, half her fwelling breaft
Naked met his under the flowing gold
Of her loose treffes hid: he, in delight
Both of her beauty and fubmiffive charms,
Smil'd with fuperior love, as Jupiter

On

On Juno fmiles, when he impregns the clouds
That fhed May flow'rs ;-

The gallantries of Miranda and Ferdinand, however beautiful, come not up to the courtship of our firft parents in Paradife. For, in the fubfequent paffages, Ferdinand is too quaint, and Miranda, for fo fequeftered a character, fomewhat too forward:

FER. I am, in my condition,

A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;

(I would, not fo!) and would no more endure This wooden flavery, than I would fuffer

The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my foul fpeak; The very inftant that I faw you, did

My heart fly to your fervice, there refides.

To make my flave to it, and for your fake,

Am I this patient log-man.

MIRA. Do you love me?

FER. O heav'n, O earth, bear witnefs to this found,

And crown what I profefs with kind event,

If I fpeak true; if hollowly, invert
What beft is boded me, to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i'th world,
Do love, prize, honour you.

MIRA. I am a fool,

To

To weep at what I'm glad of.

FER. Wherefore weep you?

MIRA. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer, What I defire to give; and much less take, What I fhall die to want: but this is trifling; And all the more it feeks to hide itself,

The bigger bulk it fhews. Hence bafhful cunning! And prompt me, plain and holy innocence.

I am your wife, if you will marry me :

If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow,
You may deny me; but I'll be your fervant,
Whether you will or no.

FER. My mistress, deareft,
And I thus humble ever.

MIRA. My husband, then?

FER. Ay, with a heart as willing,

As bondage e'er of freedom; here's my hand. MIRA. And mine, with my heart in't; and now, farewel,

Till half an hour hence.

FER. A thoufand, thousand.

The fourteen words of

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Imply more, and bring the meaning nearer to the heart. The blush of shame

was

was not indeed, yet known; and the only rofes that painted the human face, were the rofes of health and beauty. The man and his wife, as yet, understood not that nakedness discovered ought indelicate, or mysterious.

Then was not guilty shame, dishonest shame
Of Nature's works: honour difhonourable!
Sin-bred how have ye troubled all mankind
With fhews indeed, mere fhews, of seeming pure,
And banish'd from man's life, his happiest life,
Simplicity, and spotlefs innocence !

Hence then, it is apparent, that the figleaf was not introduced until imagination became corrupt, and a train of vicious paffions feized upon the heart. If fuch the origin of dress, if fuch the history of external decoration, how few reasons have we to plume ourselves upon our finery!