In all the Liveries deck'd of Summer's pride With spots of Gold and Purple, azure and green: 480 Their Snaky foulds, and added wings. Firft crept 485 Of future, in small room large heart enclos'd, Hereafter, joined in her popular Tribes Of Commonalty: Swarming next appear'd The Female Bee that feeds her Husband Drone With Honey stor❜d: The reft are numberless, And thou their Natures know'ft, and gav'ft themNames Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown 425 The Serpent futtleft Beaft of all the field, Of huge Extent fometimes, with brazen Eyes Not noxious, but obedient at thy call. 500 505 Now Heav'n in all her Glory shon, and rowl'd And worship God fupreme, who made him Chief of Of all his works therefore th' Omnipotent Eternal Father (For where is not he Prefent) thus to his Son audibly spake. Let us make now Man in our Image, Man In our Similitude, and let them rule Over the Fish and Fowl of Sea and Air, Beaft of the Field, and over all the Earth, And every creeping thing that creeps the ground. The breath of Life; in his own Image he Exprefs, and thou becam'ft a living Soul. Male he created Thee, but thy Confort Female for Race; then blefs'd Mankind, and said, 520 526 Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth, Subdue it, and throughout Dominion hold Over Fish of the Sea, and Fowl of the Air, And every living thing that moves on the Earth, where-ever thus created, for no place 535 Is yet diftinct by Name. Thence, as thou know'f, He brought thee into this delicious Grove, This Garden, planted with the Trees of God, And freely all their pleasant fruit for food 540. Gave thee, all forts are here that all th' Earth yields Variety without end; but of the Tree Which tafted works knowledge of Good and Evil, Thou may'ft not; in the day thou eat'ft, thou dy'ft; 545 And govern well thy appetite, left Sin Surprize thee, and her black attendant Death. Here finish'd he, and all that he had made View'd, and behold all was entirely good; So Eev'n and Morn accomplish'd the Sixth day; Defifting, though unwearied, up return'd. 550 Up Up to the Heav'n of Heav'ns his high abode, Thence to behold this new created World Th' addition of his Empire, how it fhew'd 555 In profpe&t from his Throne, how good, how fair, Follow'd with acclamation and the found Symphonious of ten thousand Harps that tun'd Angelic harmonies: the Earth, the Air 560 Refounded, (thou remember'st, for thou heardst) The Heav'ns and all the Constellations rung, The Planets in their ftation lift'ning stood, 565 $70 The glorious Train afcending: He through Heav'n, 575 To God's Eternal house direct the way, A broad and ample road, whofe duft is Gold Which nightly as a circling Zone thou seest 580 Pouder'd with Stars. And now on Earth the Seventh Eevning arose in Eden, for the Sun Was fet, and twilight from the Eaft came on, Math Omnipresence) and the work ordain'd 989 590 Author Author and end of all things, and from work Had work and refted not, the folemn Pipe All founds on Fret by String or Golden Wire Great are thy Works, Jehovah, infinite 595 600 Thy Power; what thought can measure thee, or tongue Than from the Giant Angels; thee that day Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound 605 615 620 Their pleasant dwelling place. Thrice happy Men, 625 And fons of Men, whom God hath thus advanc'd, Created in his Image, there to dwell And worship him, and in reward to rule Over his works, on Earth, in Sea, or Air, 630 Holy and just : thrice happy if they know So fung they, and the Empyrean rung, With Haleluiahs: Thus was Sabbath kept. And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd 635 And what before thy memorie was done From the beginning, that pofterity Inform'd by thee might know; if else thou seekst 640 The End of the Seventh Book. Para |