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
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;
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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