ADAM relating, fhe fole auditrefs :
Her husband the relater fhe prefer'd
Before the angel; and of him to ask
Chofe rather he, fhe knew, would intermix
Grateful digreffions, and folve high difpute
With conjugal careffes: from his lip
Not words alone pleas'd her. O! when meet now
Such pairs, in love, and mutual honour join'd?
With Goddefs-like demeanor forth fhe went ;
Not un-attended! for, on her, as queen,
A pomp of winning graces waited till;
And from about her fhot darts of defire
Into all eyes, to wish her still in fight.
And RAPHAEL now, to ADAM's doubt propos'd,
Benevolent, and facil, thus reply'd.
To afk, or fearch, I blame thee not; for heav'n Is as the book of GOD before thee fet; Wherein to read his wond'rous works, and learn His feafons, hours, or days, or months, or years. This to attain, whether heav'n move, or earth, Imports not, if thou reckon right the rest, From man, or angel, the great architect Did wifely to conceal; and not divulge His fecrets to be fcan'd by them, who ought Rather admire. Or, if they lift to try Conjecture, he his fabric of the heav'ns Hath left to their difputes, perhaps to move His laughter at their quaint opinions wide Hereafter; when they come to model heav'n, And calculate the ftars, how they will wield The mighty frame; how build, un-build, contrive, To fave appearances; how gird the sphere With centric, and eccentric, fcribl'd o'er, Cycle, and epicycle, orb in orb.
Already by thy reasoning this I guess,
Who art to lead thy off-fpring; and fuppofeft,
That bodies bright, and greater, should not ferve
The lefs not bright, nor heav'n fuch journies run,
Earth fitting ftill, when she alone receives
The benefit. Confider first, that great,
Or bright, infers not excellence: the earth
Though, in comparison of heav'n, fo fmall,
Nor gliftering, may of folid good contain
More plenty than the fun, that barren shines
Whofe virtue on it self works no effect,
But in the fruitful earth: there first receiv'd,
His beams, unactive elfe, their vigour find.
Yet, not to earth arc thofe bright luminaries
Officious; but to thee, earth's habitant.
And for the heav'ns wide circuit, let it speak
The Maker's high magnificence; who built
So fpacious, and his line ftretch'd out fo far;
That man may know he dwells not in his own;
An edifice too large for him to fill,
Lodg'd in a fmall partition; and the reft
Ordain'd for ufes to his Lord best known.
The fwiftnefs of thofe circles attribute,
Though numberlefs, to his omnipotence;
That to corporeal substances could add
-Speed almoft fpiritual. Me thou think'ft not flow,
Who fince the morning-hour fet out from heav'n,
Where GOD refides; and ere mid-day arriv'd
In EDEN diftance inexpreflible
By numbers that have name! But, this I urge,
Admitting motion in the heav'ns; to fhew
Invalid, that which thee to doubt it mov'd:
Not that I fo affirm, though fo it seem
To thee who haft thy dwelling here on earth.
GOD, to remove his ways from human sense,
Plac'd heav'n from earth fo far, that earthly fight,
If it prefume, might err in things too high,
And no advantage gain. What if the fun
Be centre to the world; and other stars
By his attractive virtue, and their own,
Incited, dance about him various rounds?
Their wand'ring courfe now high, now low, then hid, Progreffive, retrograde, or standing still,
In fix thou feeft: and what if fev'nth to thefe
The planet earth, fo ftedfaft though fhe feem,
Infenfibly three different motions move?
Which elfe to feveral fpheres thou muft afcribe,
Mov'd contrary with thwart obliquities;
Or fave the fun his labour, and that fwift
Nocturnal and diurnal rhomb fuppos'd,
Invifible elfe above all stars, the wheel
Of day, and night: which needs not thy belief,
If earth, induftrious of her felf, fetch day
Travelling caft; and with her part averfe
From the fun's beam, meet night; her other part
Still luminous by his ray. What if that light,
Sent from her through the wide tranfpicuous air,
To the terreftrial moon be as a star,
Inlightning her by day, as fhe by night
This earth? reciprocal, if land be there,
Fields, and inhabitants. Her fpots thou feeft
As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce
Fruits in her foften'd foil, for fome to eat
Allotted there and other funs perhaps,
With their attendant moons, thou wilt defcry,
Communicating male and female light:
Which two great fexes animate the world;
Stor❜d in each orb, perhaps, with fome that live.
For, fuch vaft room in nature un-poffefs'd
By living foul, defert, and defolate,
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Only to fhine, yet fcarce to contribute
Each orb a glimpfe of light, convey'd fo far
Down to this habitable, which returns
Light back to them, is obvious to dispute.
But, whether thus these things, or whether not;
Whether the fun, predominant in heav'n,
Rife on the earth; or earth rise on the fun :
He, from the east his flaming rode begin;
Or fhe, from weft her filent courfe advance,
With inoffenfive pace, that fpinning fleeps
On her foft axle, while fhe paces ev'n,
And bears thee foft with the fmooth air along,
Sollicit not thy thoughts with matters hid;
Leave them to GOD above; him ferve, and fear!
Of other creatures, as him pleases best,
Where-ever plac'd, let him difpofe: joy thou
In what he gives to thee, this Paradife,
And thy fair EVE: heav'n is for thee too high
To know what paffes there; be lowly wife:
Think only what concerns thee, and thy being;
Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there 175
Live, in what ftate, condition, or degree;
Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd,
Not of earth only, but of highest heav'n.
To whom thus ADAM, clear'd of doubt, reply'd. How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure
Intelligence of heav'n, angel ferene!
And, freed from intricacies, taught to live
The eafjelt way; nor with perplexing thoughts
To interrupt the fweet of life; from which
GOD hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,
And not moleft us: unless we our felves
Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain. But, apt the mind, or fancy, is to rove
Un-check'd, and of her roving is no end:
'Till warn'd, or by experience taught, fhe learn, 190
That, not to know at large of things remote
From ufe, obfcure, and fubtle; but, to know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wifdom: what is more, is fume,
Or emptiness, or fond impertinence ;
And renders us, in things that most concern,
Un-practis'd, un-prepar'd, and ftill to feck.
Therefore from this high pitch let us defcend
A lower flight; and fpeak of things at hand
Useful; whence haply mention may arise
Of fomething not unfeafonable to afk,
By fuff'rance, and thy wonted favour deign'd.
THEE I have heard relating what was done
Ere my remembrance; now, hear me relate
My ftory, which perhaps thou haft not heard:
And day is yet not fpent: 'till then thou feeft
How fubtly to detain thee I devise;
Inviting thee to hear, while I relate :
Fond! were it not in hope of thy reply,
For, while I fit with thee, I feem in heav'n:
And sweeter thy difcourfe is to my ear
Than fruits of palm-tree, pleasanteft to thirst,
And hunger both, from labour, at the hour
Of sweet repaft: they fatiate, and foon fill,
Tho' pleasant; but thy words, with grace
Imbu'd, bring to their sweetness no fatiety.
To whom thus RAPHAEL anfwer'd heav'nly meek. Nor are thy lips ungraceful, fire of men! Nor tongue in-eloquent for GOD on thee Abundantly his gifts hath alfo pour'd; Inward, and outward both, his image fair. P 4
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