No fear lest dinner cool-when thus began All things Our Author:-"Heavenly Stranger, please to created taste These bounties, which our Nourisher, from whom 400 All perfect good, unmeasured-out, descends, To whom the Angel :-Therefore, what he No ingrateful food: and food alike those pure As doth your Rational; and both contain 410 Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste, Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate, And corporeal to incorporeal turn. For know, whatever was created needs 420 must be fed They In humid exhalations, and at even to their viands fall Sups with the Ocean. Though in Heaven the trees Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines Yield nectar-though from off the boughs each morn 431 We brush mellifluous dews and find the ground To transubstantiate: what redounds transpires Of sooty coal the empiric alchemist Can turn, or holds it possible to turn, As from the mine. Meanwhile at table Eve With pleasant liquors crowned. €40 O innocence Deserving Paradise! If ever, then, Then had the Sons of God excuse to have been Was understood, the injured lover's hell. 450 Thus when with meats and drinks they had sufficed, Not burdened nature, sudden mind arose Given him by this great conference, to know the occa sion Of things above his world, and of their being Adam As that more willingly thou could'st not seem 470 To whom the winged Hierarch replied 480 More aery, last the bright consummate flower To intellectual; give both life and sense, Raphael Reason receives, and Reason is her being, them to be Is oftest yours, obedient Differing but in degree, of kind the same. 490 Wonder not, then, what God for you saw good To proper substance. Time may come when Men With Angels may participate, and find No inconvenient diet, nor too light fare ; If ye be found obedient, and retain Whose progeny you are. Meanwhile enjoy 500 To whom the Patriarch of Mankind replied:O favourable Spirit, propitious guest, Well hast thou taught the way that might direct 510 By steps we may ascend to God. But say, Who formed us from the dust, and placed us here To whom the Angel:- Son of Heaven and Man was 530 made perfect, mutable Earth, Attend! That thou art happy, owe to God; 520 not im That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand. This was that caution given thee; be advised. God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee; but to persevere He left it in thy power-ordained thy will By nature free, not over-ruled by fate Inextricable, or strict necessity. Our voluntary service he requires, Not our necessitated. Such with him Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how Can hearts not free be tried whether they serve Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other choose? Myself, and all the Angelic Host, that stand In sight of God enthroned, our happy state Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds. On other surety none: freely we serve, Because we freely love, as in our will To love or not; in this we stand or fall. And some are fallen, to disobedience fallen, And so from Heaven to deepest Hell. From what high state of bliss into what woe!' To whom our great Progenitor:-"Thy words Attentive, and with more delighted ear, Divine instructor, I have heard, than when Cherubic songs by night from neighbouring hills Aerial music send. Nor knew I not To be, both will and deed, created free. Yet that we never shall forget to love Our Maker, and obey him whose command 540 O fall 550 |