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 transgressing, he pretend
Surprifal, un-admonish'd, un-forewarn'd.
So fpake th'Eternal Father, and fulfill'd
All justice: nor delay'd the winged faint,
After his charge receiv'd; but from among
Thousand cœleftial Ardors, where he stood
Vell'd with his gorgeous wings, up fpringing light,
Flew thro' the midst of heav'n: th' Angelic Choirs
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 fov'reign archite& had fram'd.
From hence (no cloud, or, to obftru&t his fight;
Star interpos'd,) however small, he fees
(Not unconform to other shining globes)
Earth, and the gard'n of God, with cedars crown'd
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 amidft the Cyclades,
Delos, or Samos, first appearing kens -
A cloudy fpot. Down thither prone in flight
He speeds, and through the vast 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, t'all the fowls he seems
A phanix, gaz'd by all, as that sole bird,
When to inshrine his reliques in the fun's
Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies
At once on th' eaftern 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 breast
With regal ornament: the middle pair
Git like a ftarry zone his waift, and round
Skirted his loins, and thighs, with downy gold,
And colors dip'd in heav'n : the third, his feet
Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail,
ky-tinctur'd grain! Like Maia's fon he stood,
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 message high, in honor rise;
For on fome meffage high they guefs'd him bound.
Their glitt'ring tents he pafs'd, and now is come
Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh,
And flow'ring odors, caffia, nard, and balm ;
A wilderness of fweets! for Nature here
Wanton'd, as in her prime, and plaid at will
Her virgin-fancies, pouring forth more sweets ́
Wild above rule, or art, enormous blifs!
Him through the spicy foreft onward come
Adam difcern'd, as in the door he fat
Of his cool bow'r ; while now the mounted fun
Shot down direct his fervid rays, to warm
Earth's inmoft womb, (more warmth than Adam needs)
And Eve within, due at her hour, prepar'd
For dinner favoury fruits, of taste to please
True appetite, and not difrelish thirst
Of nectarous draughts between, from milky ftream
Berry, or grape; to whom thus Adam call'd.
Hafte hither Eve! and worth thy fight behold
Eastward among those trees, what glorious shape
Comes this way moving; seems another morn
Ris'n on mid-noon; fome great beheft from heav'n
To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe
This day to be our gueft. But go with speed,'
And what thy ftores contain, bring forth, and pour
Abundance, fit to honor and receive
Our heav'nly ftranger : well we may afford
Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow
From large beftow'd, where nature multiplies
Her fertil growth, and by disburd'ning grows
More fruitful, which inftructs us not to fpare.
To whom thus Eve. Adam! earth's hallow'd mould,
Of God infpir'd! small store will serve, where ftore (All seasons) ripe for ufe hangs on the stalk; Save what by frugal ftoring firmness gains
To nourish, and superfluous moift confumes.
But I will hafte, and from each bough, and brake,
Each plant, and juicieft gourd, will pluck fuch
choice
To entertain our Angel-guest, as he
Beholding shall confefs, that here on earth
God hath difpens'd his bounties, as in heav'n.
So faying, with dispatchful looks in hafte
She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent
What choice to chufe for delicacy beft;
What order, fo contriv'd as not to mix
Taftes, not well join'd, in-elegant, but bring
Taste after Tafte, upheld with kindliest change:
Beftirs her then, and from each tender stalk
Whatever earth, all bearing mother, yields
In India eaft or weft; or middle shore
In Pontus, or the Punic coaft; or where
Alcinous 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, (inoffenfive Muft!) and meathes
From many a berry: and, from sweet kernels prefs'd,
She tempers dulcet creams; nor these to hold
Wants her fit vessels pure: then, strews the ground
With rofe, and odors from the shrub, unfum’d.
Mean-while our primitive great fire, to meet
His god-like gueft, walks forth; without more train
Accompany'd than with his own complete
Perfections; in himself was all his ftate:
More folemn than the tedious pomp that waits
On Princes, when their rich retinue long
Of horfes led, and grooms befmear'd with gold,
Dazzles the crowd, and fets them all a-gape.
Nearer his prefence, Adam, though not aw'd,
Yet with fubmifs approach, and reverence meek,
As to a fuperior nature, bowing low,
Thus faid. Native of heav'n ! ( for other place,
None can than heav'n fuch glorious shape contain)
Since by defcending from the Thrones above,
Thofe happy places thou haft deign'd a-while
To want, and honor thefe, vouchsafe with us
Two only, who yet by fov'reign gift poffefs
This fpacious ground, in yonder shady bow'r
To reft; and what the garden choiceft bears
To fit and tafte, 'till this meridian heat
and the fun more cool decline. Whom thus th' Angelic Virtue answer'd mild. Adam! I therefore came ; nor art thou fuch Created, or fuch place haft here to dwell, As may not oft invite, (though fpirits of heav'n,) To vifit thee: lead on then where thy bow'r O'ershades; for these mid-hours, till ev'ning rife, *, I have at will.... So to the fylvan Lodge They came, that like Pomona's arbor fmil'd, With flow'rets deck'd, and fragrant fmells: buc
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