With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies; And, ye five other wandering fires, that move In mystic dance not without song, resound His praise, who out of darkness call'd up light. Air, and ye elements, the eldest birth Ofnature's womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual circle, inultiform; and mix
And nourish all things; let your ceaseless change Vary to our great Maker still new praise. Ye mists and exhalations, that now rise From hill or streaming lake, dusky or gray, Till the sun paint your fleecy steps with gold, In honor to the world's great Author rise; Whether to deck with clouds the uncolor'd sky, Or whet the thirsty Marth with falling showers, Rising or falling still advance his praise.
His praise, ye winds, that from four quarters blow, Breathe soft or load; and wave your tops ye pines, With every plant, in sign of worship wave. Fountains, and ye that warble, as ye flow, Melodous murmurs, warbling tune his praise. Join voices, all y ving souls: Ye birds,
Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise. Ye that in waters lide, and ye that walk The Earth, and stately tread or lowly creep: Witness if I be silent, morn or even,
To hill, or valles, fountain, or fresh shade, Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise. Hail, universal Lord! be bounteous still To give us only good; and if the night Have gathered aught of vil, or concealed, Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark ! ? So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts Firm peace recover'd soon, and wonted calm. On to their mornings rural work they haste, Among sweet dews and flowers where any row
Of fruit trees over woody reach'd too far Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check Fruitless embraces: or they led the vine
To wed her elm; she, spoused, about him twines Her marriageable arms, and with her brings Her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld With pity Heaven's high King, and to him call'd Raphael the sociable spirit, that deign'd To travel with Tobias, and secured
His marriage with the seven-times wedded maid. "Raphael, said he, thou hear'st what stir on Earth Satan, from hell scaped through the darksome gulf, Hath raised in Paradise; and how disturb'd This night the human pair; how he designs In them at once to ruin all mankind. Go, therefore, half this day as friend with friend Converse with Adam, in what bower or shade Thou find'st him from heat of noon retired, To respite his day-labor with repast,
Or with repose; and such discourse bring on, As may advise him of his happy state, Happiness in his power left free to will, Left to his own free will, his will though free, Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware He swerve not, too secure: Tell him withal His danger, and from whom; what enemy, Late fallen himself from Heaven, is plotting now The fall of others from like state of bliss ; By violence? no, for that shall be withstood; But by deceit and lies: This let him know, Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend Surprisal, unadmonish'd unforewarn'd.
So spake the eternal Father, and fulfill'd All justice: Nor delay'd the winged saint After his charge received; but from among Thousand celestial ardors, where he stood
Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, unspringing light,
Flew through the midst of Heaven; the Angelic choirs, On each hand parting, to his speed gave way Through all the empyreal road; till, at the gate Of Heaven arived, the gate self-open'd wide On golden hinges turning, as by work Divine the sov'reign architect had formed. From hence no cloud, or, to obstruct his sight, Star interposed, however small, he sees, Not uncomform'd to other shining globes,
Earth, and the garden of God, with cedars crown'd Above all hills. As when by night the glass Of Galileo, less assured, observes Iinagined lands and regions in the moon : Or pilot from amidst the Cyclades Delos or Samos first appearing, kens A cloudy spot. Down thither prone in flight He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky Sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan Winnows the buxom air; till, within soar Of towering Eagles, to all the fowls he seems A phenix, gazed by all as that sole bird. 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 wing'd: 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 colors dipp'd in Heaven; the third his feet Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail, Sky-tinctured grai:. Like Maia's son he stood, And shook his plums, 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 honor 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 ordors, 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 w arm
Earth's inmost womb, more warmth than Adam needs: And Eve within, due at her hour, prepared For dinner savory 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 midnoon; 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 honor and receive
Our Heavenly stranger: Well may we afford Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow From large bestowed, 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 mould, 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 most consumes; But I will haste, and from each bough and brake, Each plant and 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 despatchful looks in haste She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent; What choice to choose for delicacy best, What order, so contrived as not to mix Taste not well joined, inelegant, but bring Taste after taste upheld with kindiest 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 rind, 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, and from sweet kernals préss'd She tempers dulcei crean.s; nor these to hold Wants her fit vessels pure; then strews the ground With rose and odors 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 croud, 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,
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