Henceforth an individual Solace dear;

Part of my Soul I feek thee, and thee claim

My other half: with that thy gentle hand
Seiz'd mine: Iyielded: and from that time fee
How Beauty is excell'd by Manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.

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So fpake our general Mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd,
And meek surrender, half embracing lean'd
On our firft Father; half her fwelling Breaft
Naked met his under the flowing Gold
Of her loose treffes hid: he in delight
Both of her Beauty and fubmiffive Charms
Smil'd with fuperior Love, as Júpiter

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On Juno fimiles, when he impregns the clouds

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That shed May-Flou'rs; and prefs'd her Matron lip

With kiffes pure. Afide the Devil turn'd

For envy, yet with jealous leer malign

Ey'd them askance, and to himself thus plain'd.

Sight hateful, fight tormenting! thus these two sos Imparadis'd in one anothers arms,

The happier Eden, fhall enjoy their fill

Of blifs on blifs, while I to Hell am thurst,
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce Defire,
Among our other torments not the leaft,
Still unfulfill'd, with pain of longing pines.

Yet let me not forget what I have gain'd

From their own mouths; All is not theirs it feems:
One fatal Tree there ftands of Knowledge call'd

Forbidden them to tafte; Knowledge forbidden? 515
Sufpicious, reafonless. Why fhould their Lord
Envy them that? can it be fin to Know?
Can it be death? and do they only stand
By Ignorance? is that their happy ftate,
The proof of their Obedience and their Faith?
O fair foundation laid whereon to build

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Their

Their ruin! Hence I will excite their minds

With more defire to Know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with defign

To keep them low whom Knowledge might exalt $25
Equal with Gods: Afpiring to be fuch,

They rafte and die: what likelier can enfue?
But firft with narrow fearch I muft walk round
This Garden, and no corner leave unspy'd;
A chance but chance may lead where I may meet
Some wandring Spirit of Heav'n by Fountain fide,
Or in thick fhade retir'd, from him to draw
What further would be learnt. Live while ye may
Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,

Short pleasures, for Long woes are to fucceed.

So faying, his proud ftep he scornful turn'd,

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But with fly circumfpection, and began

[roam.

Through wood, through wafte, o'er hill, o'er dale his

Mean while in utmoft Longitude, where Heav'n

With Earth and Ocean meets, the setting Sun

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Slowly defcended, and with right afpect

Against the eastern Gate of Paradife
Level'd his evening Rayes. It was a Rock
Of Alabafter, pil'd up to the Clouds,
Confpicuous far, winding with one ascent,
Acceffible from Earth, one entrance high;
The reft was craggie cliff, that overhung
Still as it rofe, impoffible to climb.
Betwixt these rockie Pillars Gabriel fat,

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Chief of th' Angelic Guards, awaiting night ;
About him exercis'd Heroic Games

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Th'unarm'd Youth of Heav'n, but nigh at hand
Celestial Armoury, Shields, Helms, and Spears,
Hung high with Diamond flaming, and with Gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the Eeven
On a Sun beam, fwift as a hooting Star

In Autumn thwarts the night, when vapors fir'd
Impress the Air, and fhews the Mariner

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From

From what point of his Compass to beware

Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.

Gabriel, to thee thy courfe by Lot hath giv'n
Charge and ftri&t watch that to this happy place
No evil thing approach or enter in.

This day at heighth of Noon came to my Sphere
A Spirit, zealous, as he seem'd, to know
More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly Man,
God's latest Image: I defcrib'd his way
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his Aerie Gate:
But in the Mount that lies from Eden North
Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his Looks
Alien from Heav'n, with paffions foul obfcur'd.
Mine eye purfu'd him ftill, but under shade
Loft fight of him; one of the banisht crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the deep, to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.

To whom the winged Warrior thus return'd:
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight,
Amid the Sun's bright circle were thou fit'ft,
See far and wide: in at this Gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but such as come
Well known from Heav'n; and fince Meridian hour
No Creature thence: if Spirit of other fort,
So minded, have o'erleapt these earthie bounds
On purpose, hard thou know'ft it to exclude
Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar.
But if within the circuit of these walls,

In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom

Thou tell'ft, by morrow dawning I fhall know..

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So promis'd he, and Uriel to his charge

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Return'd on that bright beam, whofe point now rais'd
Bore him flope downward to the Sun now fall'n
Beneath th' Azores; whither the prime Orb,

Incredible how swift, had thither rowl'd

Diurnal

Diurnal, or this less volubil Earth,

By fhorter flight to th' Eaft, had left him there
Arraying with reflected Purple and Gold
The Clouds, that on his Western Throne attend.
Now came ftill Evening on, and Twilight gray
Had in her fober Livery all things clad ;
Silence accompanied, for Beast and Bird,
They to their graffie Couch, these to their Nefts
Were flunk, all but the wakeful Nightingale;
She all night long her amorous defcant fung;
Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the Firmament
With living Saphirs: Hefpherus that led
The ftarry Hoft, rode brightest, till the Moon
Rifing in clouded Majefty, at length
Apparent Queen, unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her Silver Mantle threw.

When Adam thus to Eve: Fair Confort, th' hour Of night and all things now retir'd to rest

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Mind us of like repose: fince God hath fet
Labour and reft, as day and night to men
Succeffive, and the timely dew of fleep

Now falling with soft slumbrous weight inclines
Our eye-lids: Other Creatures all day long
Rove idle unimploy'd, and lefs need reft;
Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed, which declares his Dignity,
And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways;
While other Animals unactive range,
And of their doings God takes no account.
To morrow ere fresh morning streak the East
With first approach of light, we must be ris'n,
And at our pleasant labour, to reform
Ton flourie Arbours, yonder Allies green,
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
That mock our fcant manuring, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth:
Thofe Bloffoms alfo, and those dropping Gums,

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That

That lie bestrown unfightly and unfmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with cafe;
Mean while, as Nature wills, Night bids us reft.

To whom thus Eve with perfect beauty adorn'd.
My Author and Disposer, what thou bidft
Unargu'd I obey; fo God ordains,

God is thy Law, thou mine: to know no more
Is Womans happiest knowledge and her praise.
With thee converfing I forget all time,
All seasons and their change, all please alike.
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rifing sweet,
With charm of earliest Birds; pleasant the Sun
When firft on this delightful Land he fpreads

His orient Beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flour,
Glift'ring with dew; fragrant the fertil Earth
After soft showers; and sweet the coming on
of grateful Evening mild; then
filent Night
With this her folemn Bird, and this fair Moon,
And these the Gems of Heav'n, her starry train:
But neither breath of Morn, when she afcends
With charm of earlieft Birds, nor rifing Sun
On this delightful land, nor herb, fruit, flour,
Glift'ring with dew; nor fragrance after showers;
Nor grateful Evening mild; nor filent Night,
With this her folemn Bird, nor walk by Moon
Or glittering Star-light without thee is sweet.
But wherefore all night long fhine these, for whom
This glorious fight, when fleep hath hut all eyes?

To whom our general Ancestor reply'd.

Daughter of God and Man, accomplisht Eve,
Those have their courfe to finish round the Earth
By morrow Evening, and from Land to Land

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In order, though to Nations yet unborn,
Miniftring Light prepar'd, they fet and rife;
Left total darkness fhould by Night regain
Her old pofleffion, and extinguish life

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