Works of day pafs'd, or morrow's next design, But of offence and trouble, which my mind Knew never till this irksome night. Methought Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk
With gentle voice, I thought it thine; it said,
Why fleep'st thou Eve? now is the pleasant time, The cool, the filent, fave where filence yields To the night-warbling Bird, that now awake Tunes fweeteft his love-labour'd fong; now reigns Full-Orb'd the Moon, and with more pleasant light Shadowy fets off the face of things; în vain, <If none regard; Heav'n wakes with all his Eyes, Whom to behold but thee, Nature's defire,
In whofe fight all things joy, with ravishment Attracted by thy beauty ftill to gaze.
I rofe as at thy call, but found thee not; To find thee I directed then my walk;
And on, methought, alone I pafs'd thro' ways That brought me on a fudden to the Tree Of interdicted Knowledge: Fair it seem'd, Much fairer to my Fancy than by day: And as I wondring lookt, befide it stood
One shap❜d and wing'd like one of those from Heav'n By us oft feen; his dewy locks diftill'd Ambrofia; on that Tree he also gaz'd;
And O fair Plant, faid he, with fruit furcharg❜d,
Deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet, Nor God, nor Man; is Knowledge fo defpis'd? Or Envy, or what referve forbids to taste? Forbid who will, none fhall from me with-hold Longer thy offer'd good, why else set here? This faid he paus'd not, but with vent❜rous Arm He pluckt, he tafted; me damp horror chill'd At fuch bold words voucht with a deed fo bold:
But he thus overjoy'd, O Fruit Divine,
‹ Sweet of thy felf, but much more sweet thus cropt,
• Forbidden here, it feems, as only fit
For Gods, yet able to make Gods of Men:
And why not Gods of Men, fince good the more • Communicated, more abundant grows, "The Author not impair'd, but honour'd more? Here, happy Creature, fair Angelic Eve, Partake thou also; happy though thou art,
< Happier thou may'ft be, worthier canft not be : Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Thy felf a Goddess, not to Earth confin'd,
But fometimes in the Air, as we, sometimes
• Afcend to Heav'n, by merit thine, and fee
'What life the Gods live there, and fuch live thou.
So faying, he drew nigh, and to me held, Even to my mouth of that fame fruit held part Which he had pluckt; the pleasant favoury smell So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought, Could not but tafte. Forthwith up to the Clouds With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The Earth out ftretcht immense, a prospect wide And various wond'ring at my flight and change To this high exaltation; fuddenly
My Guide was gone, and I, methought, funk down, And fell asleep; but O how glad I wak’d
To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her Night Related, and thus Adam answer'd fad.
Best Image of my self and dearer half, The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep Affects me equally; nor can I like This uncouth dream, of evil sprung I fear; Yet evil whence? in thee can harbour none, Created pure. But know that in the Soul Are many leffer Faculties that ferve
Reafon as chief; among these Fancy next Her office holds; of all external things Which the five watchful Senfes reprefent, She forms Imaginations, Aerie fhapes, Which Reason joyning or disjoyning, frames All what we affirm, or what deny, and call
Our Knowledge or Opinion; then retires Into her private Cell, when Nature rests.
Oft in her abfence mimic Fancy wakes To imitate her; but misjoyning fhapes, Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams, Ill matching words and deeds long paft or late. Some fuch resemblances methinks I find Of our last Evening's talk, in this thy dream, But with addition ftrange. Yet be no fad,
Evil into the Mind of God or Man
May come and go, fo unapprov'd, and leave No fpot or blame behind: Which gives me hope That what in fleep thou didst abhor to Dream, Waking thou never wilt confent to Do.
Be not dishearten'd then, nor cloud thofe looks That wont to be more chearful and ferene
Than when fair Morning first smiles on the World; And let us to our fresh Imployments rife Among the Groves, the Fountains, and the Flours, That open now their choiceft bofom'd smells Referv'd from night, and kept for thee in ftore.
So cheard he his fair Spouse, and fhe was chear'd,
But filently a gentle tear let fall
From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair;
Two other precious drops that ready stood,
Each in their Chryftal fluice, he ere they fell Kifs'd, as the gracious figns of fweet remorfe And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended.
So all was clear'd, and to the Field they hafte. But firft from under fhadie arborous roof, Soon as they forth were come to open fight of day-fpring, and the Sun, who scarce up rifen With wheels yet hov'ring o'er the Ocean brim, Shot parallel to the Earth his dewy ray, Discovering in wide Landskip all the Eaft Of Paradife and Eden's happy Blains,
Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began Their Oraisons, each Morning duly paid In various ftyle: for neither various style Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise Their Maker, in fit ftrains pronounc'd or fung Unmeditated; fuch prompt eloquence
Flow'd from their Lips, in Profe or numerous Verfe, More tunable than needed Lute or Harp
To add more sweetness, and they thus began.
These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, Almighty, thine this univerfal Frame,
Thus wond'rous fair; thy felf how wond'rous then! Unfpeakable, who fitt'ft above these Heavens
To us invifible or dimly feen
In these thy loweft Works: yet these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and Power Divine. Speak ye who beft can tell, ye Sons of light, Angels, for ye behold him, and with fongs And choral fymphonies, Day without Night, Circle his Throne rejoycing, ye in Heav'n. On Earth join all ye Creatures to extoll
Him firft, him laft, him midst, and without end. Faireft of Stars, laft in the train of Night, If better thou belong not to the dawn,
Sure pledge of day that crown'st the smiling Morn With thy bright Circlet, praise him in thy Sphere While day arises,that sweet hour of Prime. Thou Sun, of this great World both Eye and Soul, Acknowledge him thy Greater, found his praise In thy eternal courfe, both when thou climb'st, And when high Noon haft gain'd, and when thou fall'st. Moon, that now meet'ft the orient Sun, now fly'ft 175 With the fixt Stars, fixt in their Orb that flies,
And ye five other wand'ring Fires that move In myftic Dance not without Song, refound His praise, who out of Darkness call'd up Light. Air, and ye Elements the eldest Birth
Of Nature's Womb, that in quaternion run
Perpetual Circle, multiform; and mix
And nourish all things, let your ceaseless change Vary to our great Maker still new praise. Ye Mifts and Exhalations that now rife From Hill or fteaming Lake, dusky or grey, Till the Sun paint your feecie skirts with Gold, In honour to the World's great Author rife, Whether to deck with Clouds th' uncolour'd Sky, Or wet the thirsty Earth with falling Showers, Rifing or falling ftill advance his praise. His praise, ye Winds that from four Quarters blow, Breathe foft or loud; and wave your tops, ye Pines, With every Plant, in Sign of Worship wave. Fountains, and ye that warble, as ye flow, Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise. Joyn voices all ye living Souls, ye Birds, That finging up to Heaven-Gate ascend, Bear on your wings and in your notes his praife; Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk The Earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep; Witness If I be filent, Morn or Even,
To Hill, or Valley, Fountain, or fresh Shade Made vocal by my Song, and taught his praise. Hail univerfal Lord, be bounteous ftill To give us only Good; and if the Night Have gather'd aught of Evil 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 haste Among sweet dews and flours; where any row Of Fruit-trees over-woodie 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
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