A cloudy fpot. Down thither prone in flight modt ni
He fpeeds, and through the valt ethereal ikystem ou
Sails between worlds and worlds: with teddy wing:00
Now on the polar winds; then with quick fan
Winnows the buxom air; till within foard 3419 270
Of towring eagles, to all the fowls he seems
A Phoenix gaz'd by all, as that fole bird,
When to infhrine his reliques in the fun's
Bright temple, to Egytian Thebes he flies.
At once on th' eaftern cliff of Paradife
He lights, and to his proper shape returns,451.5H
A Seraph wing'd: fix wings he wore, to fhaderob siki
His lineaments divine; the pair that clad

280

Each fhoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breafte/T
With regal ornament: the middle pair. on
Girt like a starrý zone his waist, and round
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold
And colors dipt in heav'n: the third his feet
Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail
Sky-tin&tur'd grain. Like Maia's fon he stood, wo 285
And fhook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide. Straight knew him all the bandso
Of Angels under watch; and to his ftate, Badboy beV
And to his meffage high in honor rife;

For on fome meffage high they guefs'd him bound. 296
Their glitt'ring tents he pafs'd, and now is come wor
Into the blifsfull field, through groves of myrrh, 199
And flow'ring odors, caffia, nard, and balm;veg m
A wilderness of fweets! for Nature heree”
Wanton'd as in her prime, and play'd at will
Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet,
Wild above rule or art; enormous blifs My
Him through the fpicy forest onward comenta diant
Adam difcern'd, as in the door he fat

295

Po

1300

Of his cool bow'r, while now the mounted Sun
Shot down direct his fervid rays to warm
Earth's inmoft womb, more warmth than Adam needs :
And Eye within, due at her hour prepar'd PE

For

23052

For dinner favoury fruits, of taste to please ro
True appetite, and not difrelish thirst day
Of nectarous, draughts between, from milky ftream,
Berry or grape; to whom thus Adam calPd, zoutures mak
Hafte hither Eve, and worth thy fight behold
Eastward among thofe trees, what glorious fhape
Comes this way moving; feems another mornyak 65316
Ris'n on mid-noon; fome great beheft from Heav'n
To us herhaps he brings, and will vouchfate
This day to be our guest.But go with speed,G
And what thy ftores contain, bring forth and pour
Abundance, fit to honor and receive
DRAGO 315

Our heav'nly ftranger: well we may afford.ci
Our givers their own gifts, and large beftow
From large beftow'd, where Nature multiplies
Her fertil growth, and by disburd'ning grows dont on
More fruitful, which inftructs us not to spare. 13 320
To whom thus Eve. Adam, earth's hallow'd mould,
Of God inspir'd, small store will ferve, where store,
All feafons, ripe for ufe hangs on the stalk; hint
Save what by frugal ftoring firmness gains+;
To nourish, and fuperfluous moist confumés
But I will häfte, and from each bough and brake,
Each plant, and juciet gourd, will pluck fuch choice
To entertain our Angel-gueft, as he

Beholding fhall confefs, that here on Earth ocsO
God had difpeni'd his bounties, as in Heav'n.

325

330

So faying, with dispatchful looks in haste,bg th I
She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent; bor
What choice to chufe for delicacy beft,du
What order,fo contriv'd as not to mixtape I
Taftes, not well join'd, inelegant, but bring,
b335
Taste after tafte upheld with kindlieft change: VỊ T
Beftirs her then, and from each tender ftalk
Whatever garth all-bearing mother yields

In India Eaft or Weft, or middle fhore har de
In Pontus, or the Punic coaft, or where
Alcinous reign', fruit of all kinds, in coat

340

Rough,

Rough or fimooth rin'd, or bearded hufk, or thell,
She gathers; tribute large and on the boarding
Heaps with unfparing hand: for drink the grape..
She crushes, inoffenfive muft, and meaths.

345

From many a berry; and from fweet kernels prefs'd, She tempers dulcet creams; nor thefe to holds browie? Wants her fit veffels pure : then ftrows the ground r With rofe, and odors from the fhrub unfum'd.

Mean while our primitive great fire, to meet 350 His god-like gueft, walks forth, without more train 170 Accompanied than with his own complete di 17 los Perfections; in himself was all his state:*

More folemn than the tedious pomp that waits vairs
On Princes when their rich retinue longer wv.355
Of horses led, and grooms besmear'd with goldet werf
Dazles the crowd, and fets thein all agape. In-
Nearer his prefence Adam though not awid,J DATA
Yet with Tabmifs approach, and reverence meek, 20
As tocat fuperior nature, bowing low,

Thus faid. Native of Heaven! for other place
None can than Heaven fuch glorious fhape contain,
Since by defcending from the thrones above,plumer
Thofe happy places thou haft deign'd a while

360

To want, and honor these vouchfafe with us 365
Two only, who yet by fov'reign gift poffefsio
This spacious ground, in yonder fhady bower mbron Ai
To reft; and what the garden choicest bears inSP J
To fit and tafte, till this meridian heat,gniyet ed
Be over,
and the Sun more cool decline, now,erum 370
Whom thus th' angelic Virtue answer'd mild.o not
Adam, I therefore came, nor art thou fuch bro
Created, or fuch place haft here to dwell, un
As may not oft invite, though spirits of Heav'n,
To vifit thee: lead on then where thy bow'r ti
O'erfhades; for thefe mid-hours till evining rife,
I have at will. So to the fylvan lodge to ted £
They came, that like Pomona's arbor finil'd,
With flowrets deck'd, and fragrant fmells; but Eve

Und

Undeck'd, fave with herself, more lovely fairy389
Than Wood-Nymph, or the fairest Goddess feign'd
Of three that in mount Ida naked ftrove, to :
Stood t'entertain her guest from Heav'n: no veil
She needed, virtue-proof, no thought infirmi
Alter'd her cheek. On whom the Angel Hail, ne 385
Beftow'd, the holy falutation us'd

Long after to bleft Mary, fecond Eve.

2

390

Hail Mother of Mankind! whose 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 graffy turf and Ser Their table was, and molly feats had round: 7-900k And on her ample fquare from fide to fides eid boltsv All Autumn pil'd, though Spring and Autumn here A Danc'd hand in hand. A while difcourfe they hold in T No fear left dinner cool; when thus begangiora os 396 Our author. Heav'nly Stranger! please to tafte":A six Thefe bounties which our nourisher, from whom T All perfect good, unmeafur'd out, defcends to 310 To us for food and for delight hath caus'd dunes11400 The earth to yield: unfavoury food perhaps tonig To spiritual natures; only this I know, has floc! "0 That one celeftial ather gives to all.

To whom the Angel. Therefore what he gives, Whofe praife be ever fung! to man, in part

405 Spiritual, may of pureft fpirits be found at boot No ingrateful food, and food alike thofe purevolt diin. Intelligential fubftances require,

As doth our racional; and both contain ob
Within them every lower faculty...

Ot fenfe, whereby they hear, fee, fmell, touch, taste,
Tafting concat, digeft, affimilate, boolabre 64
And corporeal to incorporeal turn. : ding neww ani
Far know, whatever was created, needs: L'ebredek
To be fuftain'd and fed of elements or on 4bb4150
The groffer feeds the purer; earth the fea;d min an
Earth and the fea feed air; the air thofe fires, qu

Ethe

Ethereal; and as lowest first the moon;

t

Whence in her vifage round thofe fpots, unpurg'd
Vapors, not yet into her fubftance turn'd, ny

420

Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale sama
From her moift continent to higher orbs.
The Sun, that light imparts to all, receives
From all his alimental recompenfe,

In humid exhalations; and at ev'n '

425

Sups with the ocean. Though in Heav'n the trees
Of life ambrofial fruitage bear, and vines bu
Yield Nectar; though from of the boughs each morn
We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground
Cover'd with pearly grain: yet God hath here
Varied his bounty fo with new delights,

the #

7430

As may compare with Heaven, and to tafte girigé
Think not fhall be nice.
So down they fat,

And to their viands fell, nor feemingly

sol Wr The Angel, nor in mift, the common glofs Of Theologians, but with keen dispatch Of real hunger, and concoctive heat og eigen i To tranfubftantiate: what redounds, tranfpires fo Through fpirits with eafe, nor wonder; if by fire Of footy coal the empiric alchymistak lauad 440 Can turn, or holds it poflible to turn, Metals of droffieft ore to perfect gold,

As from the mine. Mean while at table Eve.:

Minister'd naked, and their flowing cups

With pleasant liquors crow'nd. O innocence, 445 Deferving Paradife! if ever, then,

The had the fons of God excufe t have been

Enamour'd at that fight: but in those heartss
Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealoufy

Was understood, the injur'd lover's Hell.

450

Thus when with meats and drinks they had fuffic'd, 7.

Not burden'd nature, fudden mind arosen

In Adam, not to let th' occasion pafs

Giv'n him by this great conference to know es,

Of things abode this world and of their beings 1455

Who