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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