What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed,
How nature paints her colors, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet. 25

Such whisp’ring wak'd her, but with startled eye
On Adam, whom embracing thus she spake.

O fole in whom my thoughts find all repose, My glory, my perfection, glad I see Thy face, and morn return'd; for I this night 30 (Such night till this I never pass’d) have dream'd, If dream'd, not as I oft am wont, of thee, Works of day past, or morrow's next design, But of offense and trouble, which my mind Knew never till this irksome night: methought 35 Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk With gentle voice, I thought it thine; it said, Why sleep'st thou, Eve? now is the pleasant time, The cool, the filent, save where silence yields To the night-warbling bird, that now awake 40 Tunes sweetest his love-labor'd fong; now reigns Full orb’d the moon, and with more pleasing light Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain, If none regard; Heav'n wakes with all his eyes, Whom to behold but thee, Nature's desire ? 45 In whose fight all things joy, with ravishment Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze. I rose as at thy call, but found thee not; To find thee I directed then my walk; And on, methought, alone I pass’d through ways 50 That brought me on a sudden to the tree Of interdicted knowledge: fair it seem'd,

Much

Much fairer to my fancy than by day:
And as I wond'ring look'd, beside it stood
One lap'd and wing'd like one of those from Heaven
By us oft seen; his dewy locks distill’d
Ambrosia; on that tree he also gaz'd;
And O fair plant, said he, with fruit surcharg'd,
Deigns none to ease thy load and taste thy sweet,
Nor God, nor Man? is knowledge so despis’d? 60
Or envy' or what reserve forbids to taste ?
Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold
Longer thy offer'd good, why else set here?
This faid, he paus'd not, but with ventrous arm
He pluck’d, he tasted; me damp horror chillid 65
At such bold words vouch'd with a deed so bold:
But he thus overjoy'd, O fruit divine,
Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropt,
Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit
For Gods, yet able to make Gods of Men: 70
And why not Gods of Men, since good, the more
Communicated, more abundant grows,
The author not impair'd, but honor'd more?
Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve,
Partake thou also; happy though thou art, 75
Happier thou may'st be, worthier canst not be:
Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Thyself a Goddess, not to earth confin'd,
But sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes
Ascend to Heav'n, by merit thire, and see 80
What life the Gods live there, and such live thou.
So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held,

Ev'n to my mouth of that same fruit held part
Which he had pluck’d; the pleasant savory smell .
So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought,
Could not but taste. Forthwith up to the clouds
With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The earth outstretch'd immense, a prospect wide
And various: wondring at my flight and change
To this high exaltation ; suddenly

90
My guide was gone, and I, methought, funk down,
And fell asleep; but O how glad I wak'd
To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her night
Related, and thus Adam anfwer'd fad

Best image of myself and dearer half, The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep Affects me equally ; nor can I like This uncouth dream, of evil sprung I fear; Yet evil whence ? in thee can harbour none, Created pure. But know that in the soul 100 Are many lefser faculties, that serve Reason as chief; among these fancy next Her office holds; of all external things, Which the five watchful senses represent, She forms imaginations, aery shapes,

105 Which reason joining or disjoining, frames All what we' affirm or what deny, and call Our knowledge or opinion; then retires Into her private cell when nature rests. Oft in her absence mimic fancy wakes To imitate her; but misjoining shapes, Wild works produces oft, and moft in dreams,

Ill matching words and deeds long past or late.
Some such resemblances methinks I find
Of our last evening's talk, in this thy dream, 115
But with addition strange ! yet be not fad.
Evil into the Mind of God or Man
May come and go, so unapprov'd, and leave
No spot or blame behind : Which gives me hope
That what in fleep thou didst abhor to dream, 120
Waking thou never wilt consent to do.
Be not dishearten'd then, nor cloud those looks,
That wont to be more chearful and serene,
Than when fair morning first smiles on the world;
And let us to our fresh employments rise

125
Among the groves, the fountains, and the flowers
That open now their choicest bofom'd smells,
Reserv'd from night, and kept for thee in store.

So chear'd he his fair spouse, and she was chear'd, But silently a gentle tear let fall

130 From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair; Two other precious drops that ready stood, Each in their crystal fluce, he ere they fell Kiss'd, as the gracious signs of sweet remorse And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended. 135

So all was clear'd, and to the field they hafte. But first, from under shady arbo’rous roof Soon as they forth were come to open sight Of day-spring, and the sun, who scarce up risen, With wheels yet hovering o’er the ocean brim, 140 Shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray, Discovering in wide landskip all the east

145 MG

Of Paradise and Eden's happy plains,
Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began
Their orisons, each morning duly paid
In various ftile; for neither various stile
Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise

Their Maker, in fit strains pronounc'd or sung
Unmeditated, such prompt eloquence
Flow'd from their lips, in prose or numerous verse, 150
More tuneable than needed lute or harp
To add more sweetness; and they thus began.

These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty, thine this universal frame,
Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then! 155
Unspeakable, who fitst above these heavens
To us invisible, or dimly seen
In these thy lowest works; yet these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine.
Speak ye who best can tell, ye fons of light,

160
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 first, him last, him midit, and without end. 16; fol
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 arises, that sweet hour of prime. 170
Thou Sun, of this great world both eye and soul,
Acknowledge him thy greater, found his praise