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When to enshrine his reliques, in the sun's
Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies.
At once, on the eastern cliff of Paradise
He lights, and to his proper shape returns,
A seraph winged: six wings he wore, to shade
His lineaments divine; the pair that clad
Each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breast,
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 dipp'd in Heaven; the third his feet
Shadow'd from either heel, with feather'd mail,
Sky-tinctured grain. Like Maia's son he stood
And shook his plumes, that heavenly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide. Straight knew him all the bands
Of angels under watch; and to his state,
And to his message high, in honour rise;
For, on some message high they guess'd him bound.
Their glittering tents he pass'd, and now is come
Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh,
And flowering odours, cassia, nard, and balm ;
A wilderness of sweets: for nature here
Wanton'd as in her prime, and play'd at will
Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet,
Wild above rule or art; enormous bliss.
Him, through the spicy forest onward come,
Adam discern'd, as in the door he sat
Of his cool bower, while now the mounted sun
Shot down direct his fervid rays, to warm [needs.
Earth's inmost womb; more warmth than Adam
And Eve within, due at her hour, prepared
For dinner savoury fruits, of taste to please
True appetite, and not disrelish thirst

Of nectarous draughts between, from milky stream,
Berry or grape to whom thus Adam call'd.

"Haste hither, Eve, and worth thy sight behold, Eastward among those trees, what glorious shape Comes this way moving; seems another morn Risen on mid-noon : some great behest from Heaven To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And what thy stores contain, bring forth, and pour Abundance, fit to honour and receive Our heavenly stranger: well may we afford Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow, From large bestow'd; where nature multiplies Her fertile growth, and, by disburdening, grows

More fruitful; which instructs us not to spare."

To whom thus Eve. "Adam, earth's hallow'd mold Of God inspired, small store will serve, where store, All seasons ripe for use, hangs on the stalk; Save what by frugal storing firmness gains To nourish, and superfluous moist consumes. But I will haste, and from each bough and brake, Each plant & juiciest gourd, will pluck such choice, To entertain our angel-guest, as he Beholding shall confess, that here on earth, God hath dispensed his bounties as in Heaven." So saying, with dispatchful looks in haste She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent, What choice to choose for delicacy best, What order, so contrived, as not to mix Tastes, not well join'd, inelegant; but bring Taste after taste, upheld with kindliest change : Bestirs her then, and from each tender stalk, Whatever earth, all-bearing mother, yields In India East or West, or middle shore In Pontus, or the Punic coast, or where Alcinos reign'd; fruit of all kinds, in coat Rough or smooth rined, or bearded husk, or shell, She gathers, tribute large; and on the board Heaps with unsparing hand. For drink the grape She crushes, inoffensive must, and meaths From many a berry, &, from sweet kernels press'd, She tempers dulcet creams; nor these to hold Wants her fit vessels pure; then strows the ground With rose and odours, from the shrub unfumed.

Meanwhile, our primitive great sire, to meet His godlike guest, walks forth; without more train Accompanied, than with his own complete Perfections in himself was all his state, More solemn, than the tedious pomp that waits On princes, when their rich retinue long, Of horses led, and grooms besmear'd with gold, Dazzles the crowd, and sets them all agape. Nearer his presence, Adam, though not awed, Yet with submiss approach, and reverence meek, As to a superior nature, bowing low, Thus said. "Native of Heaven, for other place None can than heaven such glorious shape contain; Since, by descending from the thrones above, Those happy places thou hast deign'd awhile To want, and honour these; vouchsafe with us, Two only, who yet by sovereign gift possess

This spacious ground, in yonder shady bower
To rest; and what the garden choicest bears
To sit and taste, till this meridian heat
Be over, and the sun more cool decline.'
Whom thus the angelic virtue answer'd mild.
"Adam, I therefore came, nor art thou such
Created, or such place hast here to dwell,
As may not oft invite, though spirits of Heaven,
To visit thee; lead on then, where thy bower
O'ershades; for these mid-hours, till evening rise,
I have at will."-So to the sylvan lodge
They came, that like Pomona's arbour smiled,
With flowerets deck'd, & fragrant smells; but Eve,
Undeck'd, save with herself, more lovely fair
Than wood-nymph, or the fairest goddess feign'd
Of three, that in mount Ida naked strove,
Stood to entertain her guest from Heaven; no veil
She needed, virtue-proof; no thought infirm
Alter'd her cheek. On whom the angel hail
Bestow'd, the holy salutation, used
Long after, to bless'd Mary, second Eve.

"Hail Mother of mankind, whose fruitful womb
Shall fill the world, more numerous with thy sons,
Than, with these various fruits, the trees of God
Have heap'd this table." Raised of grassy turf
Their table was, and mossy seats had round,
And on her ample square, from side to side,
All Autumn piled; though spring and autumn here
Danced hand in hand. A while discourse they hold;
No fear lest dinner cool; when thus began
Our author. "Heavenly stranger, please to taste
These bounties, which our Nourisher, from whom
All perfect good, unmeasured out, descends
To us, for food and for delight, hath caused
The earth to yield; unsavoury food perhaps
To spiritual natures; only this I know,
That one celestial Father gives to all."

To whom the angel. "Therefore what he gives,
Whose praise be ever sung, to man, in part
Spiritual, may of purest spirits be found
No ingrateful food: and, food alike those pure
Intelligential substances require,

As doth your rational; and both contain
Within them every lower faculty

[taste,

Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, Tasting, concoct, digest, assimilate,

And corporeal to incorporeal turn.

For know, whatever was created, needs
To be sustain'd and fed; of elements
The grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea,
Earth and the sea feed air, the air those fires
Ethereal, and, as lowest, first the moon;
Whence, in her visage round, those spots, unpurged
Vapours, not yet into her substance turn'd.
Nor, doth the moon no nourishment exhale,
From her moist continent, to higher orbs.
The sun, that light imparts to all, receives
From all his alimental recompense,

In humid exhalations; and at even

Sups with the ocean. Though, in Heaven, the trees
Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines
Yield nectar; though from off the boughs each morn,
We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground
Cover'd with pearly grain: yet God hath here
Varied his bounty so with new delights,
As may compare with Heaven; and to taste
Think not I shall be nice." So down they sat,
And to their viands fell; nor seemingly
The angel, nor in mist, the common gloss
Of theologians, but with keen dispatch
Of real hunger, and concoctive heat
To transubstantiate what redounds, transpires
Through spirits with ease: nor wonder, if, by fire
Of sooty coal, the empyric alchemist
Can turn, or holds it possible to turn,
Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold,
As from the mine. Mean while, at table Eve
Minister'd naked, and their flowing cups
With pleasant liquors crown'd: O innocence
Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,

Then had the sons of God excuse to have been
Enamour'd, at that sight; but in those hearts
Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousy
Was understood, the injur'd lover's hell.

Thus, when with meats & drinks they had suffic'd
Not burden'd nature, sudden mind arose
In Adam, not to let the occasion pass,
Given him by this great conference, to know
Of things above his world, and of their being,
Who dwell in Heaven; whose excellence he saw
Transcend his own so far, whose radiant forms,
Divine effulgence; whose high power so far
Exceeded human; and his wary speech
Thus, to the empyreal minister, he framed.

"Inhabitant with God, now know I well
Thy favour, in this honour done to man;
Under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsafed
To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste;
Food not of angels, yet accepted so,
As that more willingly thou couldst not seem
At Heaven's high feasts to have fed; yet what com-
To whom the winged hierarch replied. [pare?"
"O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom
All things proceed, and up to him return,
If not depraved from good, created all,
Such to perfection, one first matter all,
Endued with various forms, various degrees
Of substance, and in things that live, of life;
But more refined, more spirituous, and pure;
As nearer to him placed, or nearer tending,
Each in their several active spheres assign'd,
Till body up to spirit work, in bounds
Proportion'd to each kind. So, from the root,
Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves
More airy, last, the bright consummate flower
Spirits odorous breathes : flowers and their fruit,
Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublimed,
The vital spirit aspire, to animal,
To intellectual; give both life and sense,
Fancy and understanding; whence the soul
Reason receives, and reason is her being,
Discursive, or intuitive; discourse

Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours,
Differing but in degree, of kind the same.
Wonder not then, what God for you saw good,
If I refuse not, but convert, as you,
To proper substance: time may come, when men,
With angels may participate, and find
No inconvenient diet, nor too light fare;
And, from these corporal nutriments perhaps,
Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit,
Improved by tract of time, and wing'd, ascend
Ethereal, as we; or may at choice,
Here, or in heavenly Paradises dwell;

If

ye be found obedient, and retain
Unalterably firm his love entire,
Whose progeny you are. Meanwhile, enjoy
Your fill, what happiness this happy state
Can comprehend, incapable of more."

To whom the patriarch of mankind reply'd. "O favourable spirit, propitious guest,

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