Page images
PDF
EPUB

Why With this her solemn bird; nor walk by moon, the stars Or glittering starlight, without thee is sweet. But wherefore all night long shine these? for

shine

whom

This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes?'

To whom our general ancestor replied Daughter of God and Man, accomplished Eve,

660

Those have their course to finish round the Earth
By morrow evening, and from land to land
In order, though to nations yet unborn,
Ministering light prepared, they set and rise;
Lest total Darkness should by night regain
Her old possession, and extinguish life
In nature and all things; which these soft fires
Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat
Of various influence foment and warm,
Temper or nourish, or in part shed down
Their stellar virtue on all kinds that grow
On Earth, made hereby apter to receive
Perfection from the Sun's more potent ray.
These, then, though unbeheld in deep of night,
Shine not in vain. Nor think, though men

were none,

670

That Heaven would want spectators, God want
praise.

Millions of spiritual creatures walk the Earth
Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep:
All these with ceaseless praise his works behold
Both day and night. How often, from the

steep
Of echoing hill or thicket, have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,

680

Oft in bands

Sole, or responsive each to other's note,
Singing their great Creator!
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding
walk,

With heavenly touch of instrumental sounds
In full harmonic number joined, their songs
Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to
Heaven.'

Thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed
On to their blissful bower. It was a place 690
Chosen by the sovran Planter, when he framed
All things to Man's delightful use. The roof
Of thickest covert was inwoven shade,
Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew
Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side
Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub,
Fenced up the verdant wall; each beauteous
flower,

Iris all hues, roses, and jessamine,

Reared high their flourished heads between, and wrought

Mosaic; under foot the violet,

Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay

700

Broidered the ground, more coloured than with

stone

Of costliest emblem. Other creature here,
Beast, bird, insect, or worm, durst enter none;
Such was their awe of Man. In shadier bower
More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned,
Pan or Sylvanus never slept, nor Nymph
Nor Faunus haunted. Here, in close recess,
With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs,
Espoused Eve decked her first nuptial bed, 710
And heavenly choirs the hymenæan sung,

The blissful bower

The What day the genial Angel to our sire evening Brought her, in naked beauty more adorned, prayer More lovely, than Pandora, whom the gods

Endowed with all their gifts; and, O! too like
In sad event, when, to the unwiser son

Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she ensnared
Mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged
On him who had stole Jove's authentic fire.
Thus at their shady lodge arrived, both
stood,

720

Both turned, and under open sky adored
The God that made both Sky, Air, Earth, and

Heaven,

Which they beheld, the Moon's resplendent

globe,

And starry Pole :-Thou also madest the

Night,

Maker Omnipotent; and thou the Day,
Which we, in our appointed work employed,
Have finished, happy in our mutual help
And mutual love, the crown of all our bliss
Ordained by thee; and this delicious place,
For us too large, where thy abundance wants 730
Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground.
But thou hast promised from us two a race
To fill the Earth, who shall with us extol
Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,
And when we seek, as now, thy gift of sleep.'
This said unanimous, and other rites
Observing none, but adoration pure,

Which God likes best, into their inmost
bower

Handed they went; and, eased the putting-off
These troublesome disguises which we wear, 740

Straight side by side were laid; nor turned, I Hail,

ween,

Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites
Mysterious of connubial love refused:
Whatever hypocrites austerely talk
Of purity, and place, and innocence,
Defaming as impure what God declares

Pure, and commands to some, leaves free to all.
Our Maker bids increase; who bids abstain
But our destroyer, foe to God and Man?
Hail, wedded Love, mysterious law, true

Source

Of human offspring, sole propriety

In Paradise of all things common else!
By thee adulterous lust was driven from men
Among the bestial herds to range; by thee,
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,
Relations dear, and all the charities

750

760

Of father, son, and brother, first were known.
Far be it that I should write thee sin or blame,
Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,
Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets,
Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced,
Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used.
Here Love his golden shafts employs, here lights
His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings,
Reigns here and revels; not in the bought smile
Of harlots-loveless, joyless, unendeared,
Casual fruition; nor in court amours,

Mixed dance, or wanton mask, or midnight ball,
Or serenate, which the starved lover sings
To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain. 770
These, lulled by nightingales, embracing slept,
And on their naked limbs the flowery roof

H

wedded Love!

The Showered roses, which the morn repaired. Sleep night

on,

watch Blest pair! and, O! yet happiest, if ye seek

No happier state, and know to know no more!

Now had Night measured with her shadowy

cone

Half-way up-hill this vast sublunar vault,
And from their ivory port the Cherubim
Forth issuing, at the accustomed hour, stood
armed

To their night-watches in warlike parade; 780
When Gabriel to his next in power thus spake :-
'Uzziel, half these draw off, and coast the
south

With strictest watch; these other wheel the
north:

Our circuit meets full west.' As flame they

part,

Half wheeling to the shield, half to the spear. From these, two strong and subtle Spirits he called

That near him stood, and gave them thus in charge:

"Ithuriel and Zephon, with winged speed Search through this Garden; leave unsearched no nook;

791

But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,
Now laid perhaps asleep, secure of harm.
This evening from the Sun's decline arrived
Who tells of some infernal Spirit seen
Hitherward bent (who could have thought?),
escaped

The bars of Hell, on errand bad, no doubt:
Such, where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring.'

« PreviousContinue »