Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate, Sups with the ocean. Though in Heaven the To transubstantiate; what redounds transpires 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, As from the mine. Meanwhile at table Eve 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 "Inhabitant with God, now know I well 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. 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. To proper substance: time may come, when m 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 Whose progeny you are. Meanwhile enjoy To whom the patriarch of mankind replied : "O favorable Spirit, propitious guest, Well hast thou taught the way that might direct In contemplation of created things, By steps we may ascend to God. But say, What meant that caution joined, 'If ye be found 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. By nature free, not overruled by fate 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 |