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Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate,
And corporeal to incorporeal turn.
For know, whatever was created needs
To be sustained and fed; of elements
The grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea,
Earth and the sea feed air, the air those fires
Ethereal, and as lowest first the moon;
Whence in her visage round those spots, unpu
Vapors not yet into her substance turned,
Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale
From her moist continent to higher orbs.
The sun, that light imparts to all, receives
From all his alimental recompense
In humid exhalations, and at even

Sups with the ocean. Though in Heaven the
Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines
Yield nectar; though from off the boughs each
We brush mellifluous dews, and find the grou
Covered with pearly grain: yet God hath her
Varied his bounty so with new delights,
As may compare with Heaven; and to taste
Think not I shall be nice." So down they sa
And to their viands fell; nor seemingly
The angel, nor in mist, the common gloss
Of theologians, but with keen despatch
Of real hunger, and concoctive heat

To transubstantiate; what redounds transpires
Through spirits with ease; nor wonder, if by

419. unpurged, which are unpurged, or not yet cleared. The word, if this punctuation is correct, agrees with vapors.

422. See line 548.

426. Sups with the ocean, because he seems to descend into it. 430. pearly grain, manna, called in Psalm lxxviii. "angels' food." See Exodus xvi. 14.

433. nice, over-nice; fastidious.

434. seemingly, only i

ance.

437. concoctive, havin tive power.

438. transubstantiate, into his substance. dounds, what is redu superfluous.-transpire haled, as if through por 439. nor wonder, nor wonder.

440

Of sooty coal the empiric alchemist

Can turn, or holds it possible to turn,
Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold

As from the mine. Meanwhile at table Eve
Ministered naked, and their flowing cups

With pleasant liquors crowned.

O innocence

Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,

Then had the sons of God excuse to have been

Enamored at that sight; but in those hearts

Love unlibidinous reigned, nor jealousy

Was understood, the injured lover's hell.

445

450

Thus when with meats and drink they had sufficed, Not burdened nature, sudden mind arose

In Adam not to let the occasion pass,

Given him by this great conference, to know
Of things above his world, and of their being
Who dwell in Heaven, whose excellence he saw
Transcend his own so far, whose radiant forms
Divine effulgence, whose high power so far
Exceeded human, and his wary speech
Thus to the empyreal minister he framed :

"Inhabitant with God, now know I well
Thy favor, in this honor done to man,
Under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsafed
To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste,
Food not of angels, yet accepted so,

455

460

465

As that more willingly thou couldst not seem At Heaven's high feasts to have fed: yet what compare?"

440. empiric, devoted to experiments. The chemists of former times sought to change other metals into gold.

453. occasion. See I. 178. 454. this great conference, this opportunity of conferring with so great a being on matters so aigh.

458. If forms be considered as one of the subjects of exceeded, effulgence is in apposition with it.

467. yet what compare, yet how can these earthly fruits be compared to the food of angels.

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To whom the wingèd Hierarch replied: "O Adam, one almighty is, from whom All things proceed, and up to him return, If not depraved from good, created all Such to perfection, one first matter all, Endued with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and, in things that live, of life; But more refined, more spiritous, and pure, As nearer to him placed or nearer tending, Each in their several active spheres assigned, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportioned to each kind. Springs lighter the green leaves

So from the root stalk, from then

More aery, last the bright consummate flower Spirits odorous breathes: flowers and their fru Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublimed, To vital spirits aspire, to animal,

To intellectual; give both life and sense, Fancy and understanding; whence the soul Reason receives, and reason is her being, Discursive or intuitive; discourse

Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours,

Differing but in degree, of kind the same.
Wonder not, then, what God for you saw good
If I refuse not, but convert, as you,

To proper substance: time may come, when m
With angels may participate, and find
No inconvenient diet, nor too light fare;

468. Hierarch, chief of a sacred order; here, chief seraph.

472. such, good.-to perfection. that they might go on to perfection.-one first matter, of the same original substance.

475. spiritous, like spirit. 481. consummate, perfected. 482. by gradual scale, from one step to another.

483. sublimed, exalt proved.

488. Discursive or i whether reached as by through the medium of or process of reasoning, o apprehended by the mir superior beings.

495. inconvenient, uns

And from these corporal nutriments perhaps
Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit,
Improved by tract of time, and winged ascend
Ethereal, as we, or may at choice
Here or in heavenly Paradises dwell;
If ye be found obedient, and retain
Unalterably firm his love entire,

Whose progeny you are. Meanwhile enjoy
Your fill what happiness this happy state
Can comprehend, incapable of more."

To whom the patriarch of mankind replied : "O favorable Spirit, propitious guest,

Well hast thou taught the way that might direct
Our knowledge, and the scale of nature set
From centre to circumference; whereon,

In contemplation of created things,

By steps we may ascend to God.

But say,

What meant that caution joined, 'If ye be found
Obedient'? can we want obedience then

To him, or possibly his love desert,

Who formed us from the dust, and placed us here, Full to the utmost measure of what bliss

Human desires can seek or apprehend? "

500

505

510

515

520

To whom the angel: "Son of Heaven and Earth, Attend! That thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continu'st such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand. This was that caution given thee; be advised. God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee, but to persevere He left it in thy power, ordained thy will

498. tract, extent; continued duration.

525

504. what happiness, of all the happiness which.

514. want, be wanting in.

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By nature free, not overruled by fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity:
Our voluntary service he requires,
Not our necessitated; such with him
Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how
Can hearts not free be tried whether they ser
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By destiny, and can no other choose?
Myself and all the angelic host that stand
In sight of God enthroned our happy state
Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds
On other surety none; freely we serve,
Because we freely love, as in our will
To love or not; in this we stand or fall:
And some are fallen, to disobedience fallen,
And so from Heaven to deepest Hell; O fall
From what high state of bliss into what woe!

To whom our great progenitor: "Thy wor Attentive, and with more delighted ear, Divine instructor, I have heard, than when Cherubic songs by night from neighboring hill Aerial music send: nor knew I not To be both will and deed created free; Yet that we never shall forget to love Our Maker, and obey him whose command Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts Assured me, and still assure: though wha

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