Inlightning her by day, as the by night
This earth? reciprocal, if land be there,
Fields and inhabitants: Her spots thou seest
As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce
Fruits in her foften'd foil, for fome to eat
Allotted there; and other funs perhaps
With their attendent moons thou wilt defcry
Communicating male and female light,
Which two great fexes animate the world,
Stor❜d in each orb perhaps with some that live.
For fuch vaft room in nature unpoffefs'd
By living foul, defert and defolate,
Only to fhine, yet scarce to contribute
Each orb a glimpse of light, convey'd so far
Down to this habitable, which returns
Light back to them, is obvious to difpute.
But whether thus these things, or whether not,
Whether the fun predominant in Heaven
Rife on
the earth, or earth rife on the fun,
He from the east his flaming road begin,
Or fhe from weft her filent courfe advance
With inoffenfive pace that spinning sleeps
On her foft axle, while the paces even,
And bears thee soft with the smooth air along,
Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,
Leave them to God above, him ferve and fear ;
Of other creatures, as him pleases best,
Wherever plac'd, let him difpofe: joy thou
In what he gives to thee, this Paradife
And thy fair Eve; Heav'n is for thee too high
To know what paffes there; be lowly wife :
Think only what concerns thee and thy being;
Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there 175
Live, in what state, condition or degree,
Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd
Not of Earth only but of highest Heaven.
To whom thus Adam, clear'd of doubt, reply'd.
How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure
Intelligence of Heav'n, Angel ferene,
And, freed from intricacies, taught to live
The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts
To interrupt the fweet of life, from which
God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,
And not moleft us, unless we ourselves
Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain. But apt the mind or fancy is to rove
Uncheck'd, and of her roving is no end;
Till warn'd, or by experience taught, the learn, 190
That not to know at large of things remote
From ufe, obfcure and fubtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fume,
Or emptiness, or fond impertinence,
And renders us in things that most concern
Unpractis'd, unprepar'd, and ftill to feek.
Therefore from this high pitch let us defcend
A lower flight, and fpeak of things at hand
Ufeful, whence haply mention may arife
Of fomething not unfeasonable to afk
By fufferance, and thy wonted favor deign'd.
Thee I have heard relating what was done
Ere my remembrance: now hear me relate
My ftory, which perhaps thou haft not heard;
And day is not yet fpent; till then thou seest
How fubtly to detain thee I devife,
Inviting thee to hear while I relate,
Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply:
For while I fit with thee, I feem in Heaven,
And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear
Than fruits of palm-tree pleasantest to thirst
And hunger both, from labor, at the hour
Of sweet repaft; they fatiate, and foon fill
Though pleasant, but thy words with grace divine
Imbued, bring to their sweetness no fatiety.
To whom thus Raphael anfwer'd heav'nly meek.
Nor are thy lips ungraceful, Sire of men,
Nor tongue ineloquent; for God on thee
Abundantly his gifts hath alfo pour'd
Inward and outward both, his image fair:
Speaking or mute all comeliness and grace
Attends thee, and each word, each motion forms;
Nor lefs think we in Heav'n of thee on Earth
Than of our fellow-fervant, and inquire
Gladly into the ways of God with Man:
For God we fee hath honor'd thee, and fet
On Man his equal love: fay therefore on;
For I that day was abfent, as befel,
Bound on a voyage uncouth and obfcure,
Far on excursion tow'ard the gates of Hell;
Squar'd in full legion (fuch command we had)
To see that none thence iffued forth a spy,
Or enemy, while God was in his work,
Left he incens'd at fuch eruption bold,
· Destruction with creation might have mix'd. Not that they durft without his leave attempt, But as he fends upon his high behefts
For ftate, as Sovran King, and to inure
Our prompt obedience. Faft we found, faft shut 240
The difmal gates, and barricado'd strong;
But long ere our approaching heard within
Noife, other than the found of dance or fong,
Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage.
Glad we return'd up to the coafts of light
Ere fabbath evening: fo we had in charge.
But thy relation now; for I attend,
Pleas'd with thy words no lefs than thou with mine.
So fpake the Godlike Pow'r, and thus our fire.
For Man to tell how human life began
Is hard; for who himself beginning knew?
Defire with thee ftill longer to converfe
Induc'd me. As new wak'd from foundest sleep
Soft on the flow'ry herb I found me laid
In balmy fweat, which with his beams the fun 255
Soon dry'd, and on the reaking moisture fed.
Strait toward Heav'n my wond'ring eyes I turn'd,
And gaz'd a while the ample fky, till rais'd
By quick inftinctive motion up I fprung,
As thitherward endevoring, and upright
Stood on my feet; about me round I faw
Hill, dale, and fhady woods, and funny plains,
And liquid lapfe of murm'ring streams; by these, Creatures that liv'd and mov'd, and walk'd, or flew, Birds on the branches warbling; all things fmil'd, 265 With fragrance and with joy my heart o'erflow'd. Myself I then perus'd, and limb by limb
Survey'd, and fometimes went, and sometimes ran
With fupple joints, as lively vigor led:
But who I was, or where, or from what cause,
Knew not; to speak I try'd, and forthwith spake;
My tongue obey'd, and readily could name
Whate'er I faw. Thou Sun, faid I, fair light,
And thou inlighten'd Earth, so fresh and gay,
Ye Hills, and Dales, ye Rivers, Woods, and Plains,
And ye that live and move, fair Creatures tell,
Tell, if ye faw, how came I thus, how here?
Not of myself; by fome great Maker then,
In goodness and in pow'r præeminent;
Tell me, how may I know him, how adore,
From whom I have that thus I move and live,
And feel that I am happier than I know.
While thus I call'd, and stray'd I knew not whither,
From where I first drew air, and first beheld
This happy light, when answer none return'd
On a green shady bank profuse of flowers
Penfive I fat me down; there gentle fleep
First found me, and with soft oppreffion feis'd
My droufed fenfe, untroubled, though I thought
I then was paffing to my former state
Infenfible, and forthwith to diffolve:
When fuddenly stood at my head a dream,
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