To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade
Made vocal by my fong, and taught his praise.
Hail univerfal Lord, be bounteous ftill
To give us only good; and if the night
Have gather'd ought of evil or conceal'd,
Difperfe 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 fweet 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'ft what ftir 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'ft him from the heat of noon retir'd,
To refpit his day-labor with repaft,
Or with repofe; and fuch difcourse 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 240
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
Thousand celestial Ardors, where he stood
Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, up fpringing light 250
Flew through the midft 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 obftru&t 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 fpot. Down thither prone
He fpeeds, 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, 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' 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 fhoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breast
With regal ornament; the middle pair
Girt like a ftarry zone his wafte, 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 fhook 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 guess'd him bound. 290
Their glittering 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 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 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 favory fruits, of tafte to please
True appetite, and not difrelish thirst
Of necta'rous 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; feems another morn Ris'n on mid-noon; fome great beheft from Heaven To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchfafe This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And what thy ftores contain, bring forth, and pour Abundance, fit to honor and receive Our heav'nly stranger: well we may afford Our givers their own gifts, and large beltow From large beftow'd, where Nature multiplies Her fertil growth, and by difburd'ning grows More fruitful, which inftructs us not to fpare.
To whom thus Eve. Adam, earth's hallow'd mold, Of God infpir'd, fmall ftore will ferve, where ftore,
All feafons, ripe for ufe hangs on the stalk;
Save what by frugal ftoring firmness gains
To nourish, and fuperfluous moist confumes:
But I will hafte, and from each bough and brake,
Each plant and jucieft gourd, will pluck fuch choice
To entertain our Angel gueft, as he
Beholding fhall confefs, that here on Earth
God hath difpens'd his bounties as in Heaven.
So faying, with difpatchful looks in haste
She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent
What choice to choose for delicacy beft,
What order, fo contriv'd as not to mix
Taftes, not well join'd, inelegant, but bring
Taste after tafte upheld with kindliest change;
Beftirs her then, and from each tender ftalk
Whatever Earth all-bearing mother yields
In India East or Weft, or middle shore
In Pontus or the Punic coaft, or where
Alcinous reign'd, fruit of all kinds, in coat
Rough or fmooth rin'd, or bearded husk, or shell,
She gathers, tribute large, and on the board
Heaps with unfparing hand; for drink the grape
She crushes, inoffenfive muft, and meaths
345
From many a berry', and from fweet kernels prefs'd
She tempers dulcet creams, nor these to hold
Wants her fit veffels pure, then ftrows the ground
With rofe and odors from the fhrub unfum'd.
Mean while our primitive great fire, to meet His God-like gueft, walks forth, without more train Accompanied than with his own complete
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