Of Paradife and Eden's happy plains,
Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began
Their orifons, each morning duly paid
In various ftile; for neither various stile
Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise
Their Maker, in fit ftrains pronounc'd or fung
Unmeditated, fuch prompt eloquence
Flow'd from their lips, in profe or numerous verfe, 150
More tuneable than needed lute or harp
To add more fweetness; and they thus began.
These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty, thine this univerfal frame,
Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then! 155-
Unfpeakable, who fitft above these heavens
To us invifible, or dimly feen
In these thy lowest works; yet these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine.
Speak ye who beft can tell, ye fons of light,
Angels; for ye behold him, and with songs
And choral fymphonies, day without night,
Circle his throne rejoicing; ye in Heaven,
On Earth join all ye Creatures to extol
Him firft, him laft, him midft, and without end.
Fairest of stars, last in the train of night,
If better thou belong not to the dawn,
Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn
With thy bright circlet, praise him in thy sphere,
While day arifes, that sweet hour of prime.
Thou Sun, of this great world both eye and foul,
Acknowledge him thy greater, found his praise
In thy eternal course, both when thou climb’st,
And when high noon haft gain'd, and when thou fall'ft.
Moon, that now meet'ft the orient fun, now fly'ft, 175
With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies,
And ye five other wand'ring fires that move
In myftic dance not without fong, refound
His praise, who out of darkness call'd-up light.
Air, and ye Elements, the eldest birth
Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run
Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix
And nourish all things; let your ceaseless change
Vary to our great Maker still new praise.
Ye Mifts and Exhalations that now rife
From hill or fteaming lake, dusky or gray,
Till the fun paint your fleecy fkirts with gold,
In honor to the world's great Author rise,
Whether to deck with clouds th' uncolor'd sky,
Or wet the thirsty earth with falling fhowers,
Rifing or falling ftill advance his praise.
His praise, ye Winds, that from four quarters blow,
Breathe foft or loud; and wave your tops, ye Pines,
With every plant, in fign of worship wave.
Fountains and ye, that warble, as ye flow,
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.
Join voices, all ye living Souls: ye Birds,
That finging up to Heaven gate ascend,
Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise.
Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk
The earth, and ftately tread, or lowly creep;
Witness if I be filent, morn or even,
To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade
Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise.
Hail univerfal Lord, be bounteous still
To give us only good; and if the night
Have gather'd ought of evil or conceal'd,
Disperse it, as now light difpels the dark.
So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts
Firm peace recover'd foon and wonted calm.
On to their morning's rural work they hafte
Among sweet dews and flow'rs; 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; fhe fpous'd about him twines
Her marriageable arms, and with her brings
Her dow'r th' adopted clusters, to adorn
His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld
With pity Heav'n's high king, and to him call'd 220
Raphael, the fociable Spi'rit, that deign'd
To travel with Tobias, and fecur'd
His marriage with the fev'ntimes-wedded maid.
Raphael, faid he, thou hear'st what stir on Earth
Satan from Hell fcap'd through the darkfome gulf 225
Hath rais'd in Paradife, 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 bow'r or fhade
Thou find'st him from the heat of noon retir'd,
To refpit his day-labor with repaft,
Or with repose; and such discourse bring on,
As may advise him of his happy state,
Happiness in his pow'r left free to will,
Left to his own free will, his will though free,
Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware
He fwerve not too fecure: tell him withal
His danger, and from whom; what enemy,
Late fall'n himself from Heav'n, is plotting now
The fall of others from like ftate of blifs;
By violence? no, for that shall be withstood;
But by deceit and lies; this let him know,
Left wilfully tranfgreffing he pretend
Surprifal, unadmonish'd, unforewarn'd.
So fpake th' eternal Father, and fulfill'd
All justice: nor delay'd the winged Saint
After his charge receiv'd: but from among
Thoufand celeftial Ardors, where he stood
Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, up fpringing light 250
Flew through the midst of Heav'n; th' angelic quires,
On each hand parting, to his speed gave way
Through all th' empyreal road; till at the gate
Of Heav'n arriv'd, the gate felf-open'd wide
On golden hinges turning, as by work
Divine the fovran Architect had fram'd.
From hence no cloud, or, to obstruct his fight,
Star interpos'd, however small, he fees,
Not unconform to other fhining globes,
Earth and the gard❜n of God, with cedars crown'd 260 Above all hills. As when by night the glass
Of Galileo, lefs affur'd, obferves
Imagin'd 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 vaft ethereal sky
Sails between worlds and worlds, with fteddy wing
Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan
Winnows the buxom air; till within foar
Of tow'ring eagles, to' all the fowls he seems
A Phoenix, gaz'd by all, as that fole bird,
When to infhrine his reliques in the fun's
Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies.
At once on th' eastern cliff of Paradife
He lights, and to his proper shape returns
A Seraph wing'd; fix wings he wore, to shade
His lineaments divine; the pair that clad
Each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breaft
With regal ornament; the middle pair
Girt like a starry zone his waste, and round
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold
And colors dipt in Heav'n; the third his feet
Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail,
Sky-tinctur'd grain. Like Maia's fon he ftood, 285
And shook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide. Strait knew him all the bands
Of Angels under watch; and to his state,
And to his meffage high in honor rife;
For on fome meffage high they guefs'd him bound. 290 Their glittering tents he pass'd, and now is come Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh,
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