A fpirit, zealous, as he feem'd, to know More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly Man,
God's lateft image: I defcrib'd his way
Bent all on fpeed, and mark'd his aery gait;
But in the mount that lies from Eden north, Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his looks 570 Alien from Heav'n, with passions foul obfcur'd: Mine eye purfued him ftill, but under fhade Loft fight of him: one of the banish'd crew, I fear, hath ventur'd from the Deep, to raise New troubles; him thy care must be to find. To whom the winged warrior thus return'd. Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight, Amid the fun's bright circle where thou fitst, See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but such as come
Well known from Heav'n; and since meridian hour
No creature thence: if fpi'rit of other fort,
So minded, have o'er-leap'd thefe earthy bounds On purpose, hard thou know'ft it to exclude Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar. But if within the circuit of thefe walks, In whatfoever shape he lurk, of whom
Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know. So promis'd he; and Uriel to his charge
Return'd on that bright beam, whose point now rais'd Bore him flope downward to the fun now fall'n 591 Beneath th❜Azores: whether the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal, or this less volúbil Earth,
By fhorter flight to th' East, had left him there 595 Arraying with reflected purple' and gold
The clouds that on his western throne attend. Now came still Evening on, and Twilight gray Had in her fober livery all things clad; Silence accompained; for beast and bird, They to their graffy couch, these to their nefts Were flunk, all but the wakeful nightingale; She all night long her amorous descant fung; Silence was pleas'd· now glow'd the firmament Whith living faphirs: Hefperus, that led The starry host, rode brightest, till the Moon Rifing in clouded majesty, at length
Apparent queen unveil'd her peerless light, And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw. When Adam thus to Eve. Fair Confort, th' hour Of night, and all things now retir'd to rest Mind us of like repose, since God hath fet Labor and rest, as day and night to men Succeffive; and the timely dew of fleep
Now falling with soft slumbrous weight inclines 615 Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long
Rove idle unemploy'd, and less need rest ; Man hath his daily work of body' or mind Appointed, which declares his dignity, And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways;
While other animals unactive range,
And of their doings God takes no account. To morrow ere fresh morning streak the east With first approach of light, we must be risen, And at our pleasant labor, to reform Yon flow'ry arbors, yonder alleys green, Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown, That mock our scant manuring, and require More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth: Those bloffoms alfo, and those dropping gums, 630 That lie beftrown unfightly and unsmooth, Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease; Mean while, as Nature wills, Night bids us rest. To whom thus Eve with perfect beauty' adorn'd. My Author and Difpofer, what thou bidft
Unargued I obey; fo God ordains;
God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more Is Woman's happiest knowledge and her praise. With thee conversing I forget all time; All feafons and their change, all please alike. Sweet is the breath of Morn, her rifing sweet, With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the Sun, When first on this delightful land he spreads His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower, Glift'ring with dew; fragrant the fertil Earth 645 After soft show'rs; and fweet the coming on Of grateful Evening mild; then filent Night With this her folemn bird, and this fair moon, Volume I.
And these the gems of Heav'n, her starry train : But neither breath of Morn, when she afcends 650 With charm of earliest birds; nor rising fun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower, Glist'ring with dew; nor fragrance after show'rs; Nor grateful Evening mild; nor silent Night With this her folemn bird, nor walk by moon, 655 Or glitt❜ring star-light, without thee is sweet. But wherefore all night long shine these? for whom This glorious fight, when sleep hath shut all eyes? To whom our general Ancestor reply'd.
Daughter of God and Man, accomplish'd Eve, 660 These have their courfe to finish round the earth By morrow evening, and from land to land In order, though to nations yet unborn, Ministring light prepar'd, they fet and rise; Left total Darkness should by night regain Her old poffeffion, and extinguish life
In Nature and all things, which these soft fires Not only' inlighten, but with kindly heat Of various influence foment and warm, Temper or nourish, or in part shed down Their ftellar virtue on all kinds that grow On earth, made hereby apter to receive Perfection from the fun's more potent ray. These then, though unbeheld in deep of night, 674 Shine not in vain; nor think, though men were none, That Heav'n would want spectators, God want praise:
Millions of fpiritual creatures walk the earth Unfeen, both when we wake, and when we fleep: All these with ceaseless praise his works behold Both day and night: how often from the steep 680 Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard Celestial voices to the midnight air, Sole, or refponfive each to other's note, Singing their great Creator? oft in bands
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk With heav'nly touch of instrumental founds In full harmonic number join'd, their fongs Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to Heav'n. Thus talking hand in hand alone they pass'd
On to their blifsful bow'r; it was a place
Chos'n by the fovran Planter, when he fram'd All things to man's delightful use; the roof Of thickest covert was inwoven shade Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side Acanthus and each odorous bushy shrub Fenc'd up the verdant wall; each beauteous flower, Iris all hues, rofes, and jeffamin
Rear'd high their florifh'd heads between,and wrought
Mofaic; underfoot the violet,
Crocus, and hyacinth with rich inlay
Broider'd the ground, more color'd than with stone
Of costlieft emblem: other creature here,
Beast, bird, infect, or worm durft enter none,
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