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Bending to look on me: I started back:

It started back: but pleas'd I foon return'd; Pleas'd it return'd as foon; with anfwering looks Of fympathy, and love: there I had fix'd 465 Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain defire, Had not a voice thus warn'd me, "What thou fecft, "What there thou feeft, fair Creature, is thy felf; "With thee it came, and goes: but, follow me, "And I will bring thee where no fhadow ftays 470 Thy coming, and thy foft embraces; he "Whofe image thou art: him thou shalt enjoy Infeparably thine, to him thalt bear

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"Multitudes like thy felf, and thence be call'd "Mother of human race. What could I do, 475 But follow ftrait, invifibly thus led,

'Till I efpy'd thee? fair indeed, and tall,
Under a plantan; yet, methought, lefs fair,
Lefs winning foft, lefs amiable mild,

Than that fimooth watry image: back I turn'd; 480
Thou following cryd'ft aloud, return fair EVE,
Whom fly't thou? whom thou fly'ft, of him thou art,
His flesh, his bone; to give thec being I lent
Out of my fide to thee, nearest my heart,
Subftantial life, to have thee by my fide
Henceforth an individual folace dear:
Part of my foul, I feek thee; and thee claim,
My other half!-
With that, thy gentle hand
Seis'd mine; I yielded; and from that time see
How beauty is excell'd by manly grace,

And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.

So fpake our general mother; and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd,
And meek furrender, half embracing lean'd
On our first father: half her fwelling breaft

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495 Naked

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 JUPITER

On JUNO fmiles, when he impregns the clouds, 500
That shed May-flow'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 afkance; and to himself thus plain'd.

SIGHT hateful, fight tormenting! thus these two, Imparadis'd in one another's arms,

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(The happier EDEN!) fhall enjoy their fill
of blifs on blifs: while I to hell am thruft,
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 seems :
One fatal Tree there ftands, of Knowledge call'd,
Forbidden them to tafte. Knowledge forbidden? 515
Sufpicious, reafonlefs. 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 state,

The proof of their obedience, and their faith? 520
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
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
Equal with Gods: afpiring to be fuch,
They tafte, and die; what likelier can enfue?
But first, with narrow fearch I muft walk round
This garden, and no corner leave un-spy'd ;

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A chance,

A chance, but chance may lead where I may meet 530
Some wand'ring fpirit of heav'n, by fountain-fide,
Or in thick fhade retir'd, from him to draw

What further would be learn'd. Live while ye may,
Yet happy pair! enjoy, till I return,

Short pleasures; for, long woes are to fucceed! 535

So faying, his proud ftep he fcornful turn'd, But with fly circumfpection; and began

Thro' wood, thro' waste, o'er hill, o'er dale his roam. Mean-while in utmost longitude, where heav'n

With earth and ocean meets, the fetting fun

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Slowly defcended; and with right afpect
Against the eastern gate of Paradife
Level'd his evening rays it was a rock
Of alabafter, pil'd up to the clouds,
Confpicuous far; winding with one afcent,
Acceffible from earth, one entrance high :
The reft was craggy cliff, that over-hung
Still as it rofe, impoffible to climb.
Betwixt thefe rocky pillars GABRIEL fat,
Chief of th' angelic guards, awaiting night:
About him exercis'd heroic games

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Th' unarmed youth of heav'n; but nigh at hand
Cœleftial armory, fhields, helms, and fpears,
Hung high, with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came URIEL gliding through the ev'n 555
On a fun-beam, swift as a shooting star

In autumn thwarts the night, when vapors fir'd
Impress the air, and fhew the mariner
From what point of his Compafs to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.

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GABRIEL! to thee thy courfe by lot hath giv'n Charge, and strict watch, that to this happy place

No

No evil thing approach, or enter in :

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This day, at height of noon, came to my sphere
A fpirit; zealous, as he seem'd, to know
More of th' Almighty's works; and chiefly man,
God's lateft image: 1 defcrib'd his way,
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his aery gait :
But, in the mount that lies from EDEN north,
Where he firft lighted, foon difcern'd his looks 560
Alien from heav'n, with paffions foul obfcur'd:
Mine eye purfu'd him ftill, but under fhade
Loft fight of him: one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the Deep, to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.

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To whom the winged warrior thus return'd: URIEL! no wonder if thy perfect fight, Amid the fun's bright circle, where thou fit'ft, See far, and wide: in at this gate none pafs The vigilance here plac'd, but fuch as come 580 Well-known from heav'n; and fince meridian hour No creature thence. If fpirit of other fort, So minded, have o'er-leap'd thefe earthly bounds On purpose, hard thou know'ft it to exclude Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar. But, if within the circuit of these walks, 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 590 Return'd, on that bright beam, whofe point now rais'd Bore him flope downward to the fun, now fall'n Beneath th' AzeRAS: whether the prime orb, Incredible how fwift, had thither rowl'd Diurnal; or this lefs voluble earth,

By fhorter flight to th' eaft, had left him there,

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Arraying

Arraying with reflected purple, and gold,

The clouds that on his weftern throne attend.

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Now came ftill evening on, and twilight gray Had in her fober livery all things clad : Silence accompany'd; for beaft, and bird, They to their graffy couch, thefe 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 faphirs; HESPERUS, that led The ftarry hoft, rod brighteft; till the moon, Rifing in clouded majefty at length, Apparent Queen, unveil'd her peerlefs light, And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw; When ADAM thus to EVE: Fair confort th' hour Of night, and all things now retir'd to rest, Mind us of like repofe; fince GOD hath fet Labour and rest, as day and night to men Succeffive; and the timely dew of fleep,

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Now falling with foft flumbrous weight, inclines 615
Our eye-lids. Other creatures all day long
Rove idle, un-employ'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 un-active 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
Yon flow'ry arbors; 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.

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Thofe

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