Her dow'r th' adopted Clufters, to adorn
His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld
With pity Heav'ns high King, and to him call'd
Raphael, the fociable Spirit, that deign'd
To travel with Tobias, and fecur'd
His marriage with the feventimes wedded Maid.
Raphael, faid he, thou hear'ft what ftir on Earth
Satan, from Hell 'fcap'd through the darkfom Gulf,
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 Bower or Shade
Thou find'ft him from the heat of Noon retir'd,
To respit his day-labour with repast,
Or with repofe; and fuch discourse bring on,
As may advise him of his happy state,
Happiness in his power 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
The fall of others from like state of bli's;
By violence? no, for that shall be withstood:
But by deceit and lies; this let him know,
Left wilfully transgressing he pretend
Surprifal, unadmonisht, unforewarn'd.
So fpake th' Eternal Father, and fulfill'd
All Juftice: nor delaid 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 self-open'd wide
On golden Hinges turning, as by work
Divine the fov'reign Archite&t had fram’d.
From hence, no cloud, or, to obftruct his fight,
Star interpos'd, however small he sees,
Not unconform to other fhining Globes,
Earth and the Gard'n of God, with Cedars crown'd
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 kenns
A cloudy spot. Down thither prone in flight
He speeds, and through the vaft Ethereal Sky
Sailes between Worlds and Worlds, with fteddy wing
Now on the polar windes, then with quick Fan
Winnows the buxom Air; till within foare
Of Tow'ring Eagles, to all the Fowles he seems
A Phanix, gaz'd by all, as that fole Bird
When to enshrine his reliques in the Sun's
Bright Temple, to Ægyptian Thebes he flies.
At once on th' Eastern cliff of Paradife
He lights, and to his proper fhape 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 breaft
With regal Ornament; the middle pair
Girt like a starry Zone his waste, and round
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy Gold
And colours dipt in Heav'n; the third his feet
Shadow'd from either heele with feather'd maile
Sky-tinctur'd grain. Like Maia's fon he stood,
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 honour rife;
For on fome meffage high they guess'd him bound.
Their glittering Tents he pass'd, and now is come
Into the blissful field, through Groves of Myrrhe,
And flouring Odours, Caffia, Nard, and Balm;
A Wilderness of Sweets; for Nature here
Wanton'd as in her prime, and plaid at will
Her Virgin Fancies, pouring forth more fweet,
Wild above Rule or Art; enormous bliss.
Him through the spicie Forest onward come
Adam difcern'd, as in the door he fat
Of his cool Bower, while now the mounted Sun
Shot down direct his fervid Raies to warme
Earth's inmoft womb, more warmth than Adam needs;
And Eve within, due at her hour prepar'd
For dinner favoury fruits, of tafte to please
True appetite, and not disrelish thirst
Berry or Grape: to whom thus Adam call'd.
Of nectarous draughts between, from milky ftream,
Hafte hither Eve, and worth thy fight behold
Eastward among thofe Trees, what glorious shape
Comes this way moving; feems another Morn
Ris'n on mid-noon; fome great beheft from Heav'n
To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe
This Day to be our Gueft. But go
with fpeed,
And what thy ftores contain, bring forth, and pour
Abundance, fit to honour and receive
Our Heav'nly stranger; well we may afford
Our givers their own gifts, and large beftow
From large bestow'd, where Nature multiplies
Her fertil growth, and by disburd'ning grows
More fruitful, which inftructs us not to spare.
To whom thus Eve. Adam, earth's hallow'd mould, Of God infpir'd, fmall ftore will ferve, where store,
All feafons, ripe for ufe hangs on the stalk;
Save what by frugal ftoring firmnefs gains
To nourish, and fuperfluous moift confumes:
But I will hafte and from each bough and brake,
Each Plant and juiciest Gourd will pluck fuch choice
To entertain our Angel guest, as he
Beholding shall confefs that here on Earth
God hath dispenst his Bounties as in Heav'n.
So faying, with dispatchful looks in haste
She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent
What choice to chufe for delicacy beft,
What order, fo contriv'd as not to mix
Taftes, not well joyn'd, inelegant, but bring
Tafte after tafte upheld with kindliest change,
Beftirs her then, and from each tender stalk
Whatever Earth all-bearing Mother yields
In India Eaft or Weft, or middle shore
In Pontus or the Punic Coast, or where
Alcinous reign'd, fruit of all kinds, in coate,
Rough, or fmooth rin'd, or bearded husk, orfhell
She gathers, Tribute large, and on the board
Heaps with unfparing hand; for drink the Grape
She crushes, inoffenfive mouft, and meathes
From many a berry, and from sweet kernels preft
She tempers dulcet creams; nor these to hold
Wants her fit vessels pure; then ftrews the ground
With Rofe and Odours from the fhrub unfum'd.
Mean while our Primitive great Sire, to meet
His god-like Gueft, walks forth, without more train
Accompany'd than with his own compleat
Perfections: In himself was all his state,
More folemn than the tedious pomp that waits
On Princes, when their Rich retinue long
Of Horfes led, and Grooms befmear'd with Gold
Dazles the croud, and fets them all agape.
Nearer his prefence Adam, though not aw'd,
Yet with fubmifs approach and reverence meek,
As to a fuperior Nature, bowing low,
Thus faid. Native of Heaven, for other place None can than Heaven fuch glorious shape contain: Since by defcending from the Thrones above,
Those happy places thou haft deign'd a while
To want, and honour thefe, vouchsafe with us
Two only, who yet by fov'reign gift poffefs
This fpacious ground, in yonder fhady Bower
To reft, and what the Garden choiceft bears
To fit and tafte, till this méridian heat
Be over, and the Sun more cool decline.
Whom thus th' Angelic Virtue answer'd mild.
Adam, Itherefore came, nor art thou fuch
Created, or fuch place haft here to dwell,
As may not oft invite, though Spirits of Heav'n,
To vifit thee; lead on then where thy Bower
O'erfhades; for these mid-hours, 'till Evening rife
I have at will. So to the Silvan Lodge
They came, that like Pomona's Arbour (mil'd
With flourets deckt and fragrant smells; but Eve
Undeckt, fave with her felf more lovely fair
Than Wood-Nymph, or the fairest Goddess feign'd
Of three that in Mount Ida naked strove,
Stood to entertain her Gueft from Heav'n; no veile
She needed, Virtue-proof, no thought infirm
Alter'd her cheek. On whom the Angel Hail
Beftow'd, the Holy falutation us'd
Long after to bleft Mary, fecond Eve.
Hail Mother of Mankind, whofe fruitful Womb
Shall fill the World more numerous with thy Sons,
Than with thefe various fruits the Trees of God
Have heap'd this Table. Rais'd of graffie terf
Their Table was, and moffie feats had round,
And on her ample Square from fide to fide
All Autumn pil'd, though Spring and Autumn høre
Danc'd hand in hand, A while difcourfe they hold ;
No fear left Dinner cool; when thus began
Our Author. Heav'nly ftranger, please to tafte
Thefe bounties which our Nourisher, from whom
All perfect good unmeasur'd out defcends,
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