Kiss'd, as the gracious signs of sweet remorse And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended.
So all was clear'd, and to the field they haste. But first, from under shady arborous roof Soon as they forth were come to open sight Of dayspring, and the sun, who, scarce uprisen, With wheels yet hovering o'er the ocean-brim, Shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray, Discovering in wide landscape all the east
Of Paradise and Eden's happy plains; Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began Their orisons, each morning duly paid In various style; for neither various style Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise Their Maker, in fit strains pronounced, or sung
Unmeditated: such prompt eloquence
Flow'd from their lips, in prose or numerous verse, 150 More tunable than needed lute or harp,
To add more sweetness; and they thus began :
These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, Almighty! Thine this universal frame, Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then! 155 Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens
To us invisible, or dimly seen
In these thy lowest works; yet these declare Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine Speak, ye who best can tell, ye sons of light,
Angels; for ye behold him, and with songs And choral symphonies, day without night, Circle his throne rejoicing; ye in Heaven.
On Earth join, all ye creatures, to extol Him first, him last, him midst, and without end. 165 Fairest of stars, last in the train of night, If better thou belong not to the dawn,
Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn With thy bright circlet, praise him in thy sphere, While day arises, that sweet hour of prime. Thou Sun of this great world both eye and soul,
Acknowledge him thy greater; sound his praise In thy eternal course, both when thou climb'st, And when high noon has gain'd, and when thou fall'st. Moon, that now meet'st the orient sun, now fliest, 175 With the fix'd Stars, fix'd in their orb that flies;
And, ye five other wandering Fires, that move In mystic dance not without song, resound
His praise, who out of darkness call'd up light.
Air, and, ye Elements, the eldest birth
Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run
Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix And nourish all things; let your ceaseless change Vary to our great Maker still new praise. Ye Mists and Exhalations, that now rise From hill or steaming lake, dusky or gray, Till the sun paint your fleccy skirts with gold, In honour to the world's great Author rise; Whether to deck with clouds the uncolour'd sky, Or whet the thirsty earth with falling showers,
Rising or falling still advance his praise.
His praise, ye Winds, that from four quarters blow, Breathe soft or loud; and, wave your tops, ye Pines,
With every plant, in sign of worship wave. Fountains, and ye that warble, as ye flow, Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise. Join voices, all ye living Souls: Ye Birds, That singing up to Heaven-gate ascend, Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise. Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk The earth, and stately tread or lowly creep: Witness if I be silent, norn or even, To hill, or valley, fountain, or fresh shade, Male vocal by my song, and taught his praise. Hail, universal Lord: be bounteous still To give us only good; and if the night Have gather'd aught of evil, or conceal'd, Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark! So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts
Firm peace recover'd soon, and wonted calm. On to their morning's rural work they haste, Among sweet dews and flowers; where any row Of fruit trees over-woody reach'd too far Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check Fruitless embraces: or they led the vine To wed her elm; she, spoused, about him twines Her marriageable arms, and with her brings Her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld With pity Heaven's high King, and to him call'd 220
Raphael, the sociable Spirit, that deign'd To travel with Tobias, and secured His marriage with the seven-times wedded maid.
Raphael, said he, thou hear'st what stir on Earth Satan, from Hell scaped through the darksome gulf, Hath raised in Paradise; and how disturb'd This night the human pair; how he designs
In them at once to ruin all mankind. Go, therefore, half this day as friend with friend Converse with Adam, in what bower or shade Thou find'st him from the heat of noon retired, To respite his day-labour with repast, Or with repose; and such discourse bring on, As may advise him of his happy state,
Happiness in his power left free to will, Left to his own free will, his will though free, Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware He swerve not, too secure: Tell him withal His danger, and from whom; what enemy, Late fallen himself from Heaven, is plotting now 240
The fall of others from like state of bliss;
By violence? no, for that shall be withstood; But by deceit and lies: This let him know, Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend Surprisal, unadmonish'd, unforewarn'd.
So spake the Eternal Father, and fulfill'd All justice: Nor delay'd the winged Saint
After his charge received; but from among Thousand celestial Ardours, where he stood Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, upspringing light, 250 Flew through the midst of Heaven, the angelic choirs,
On each hand parting, to his speed gave way Through all the empyreal road; till, at the gate
Of Heaven arrived, the gate self-open'd wide
On golden hinges turning, as by work Divine the sov'reign Architect had framed. From hence no cloud, or, to obstruct his sight,
Star interposed, however small, he sees,
Not unconform'd to other shining globes,
Earth, and the garden of God, with cedars crown'd Above all hills. As when by night the glass
Of Galileo, less assured, observes
Imagined lands and regions in the moon.
Or pilot, from amidst the Cyclades Delos or Samos first appearing, kens A cloudy spot. Down thither prone in flight He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky Sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan Winnows the buxom air; till, within soar Of towering eagles, to all the fowls he seems A phenix, gazed by all as that sole bird, When, to enshrine his reliques in the Sun's Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies. At once on the eastern cliff of Paradise He lights, and to his proper shape returns, A seraph wing'd: Six wings he wore to shade His lineaments divine; the pair that clad Each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breast
With regal ornament! the middle pair
Girt like a starry zone his waist, and round Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold And colours dipp'd in Heaven; the third his feet Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail,
Sky-tinctured grain. Like Maia's son he stood, 285
And shook his plumes, that heavenly fragrance fill'd The circuit wide. Straight knew him all the bands Of Angels under watch; and to his state And to his message high, in honour rise ; For on some message high they guess'd him bound. Their glittering tents he pass'd, and now is come 291 Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh, And flowering odours, cassia, nard, and balm; A wilderness of sweets: for Nature here Wanton'd as in her prime, and play'd at will Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet, Wild above rule or art, enormous bliss. Him through the spicy forest onward come
Adam discern'd, as in the door he sat
Of his cool bower, while now the mounted sun
Shot down direct his fervid rays to warm
Earth's inmost womb, more warmth than Adam needs.
And Eve within, due at her hour, prepared
For dinner savoury fruits, of taste to please
True appetite, and not disrelish thirst
Of nectarous draughts between, from milky stream, Berry or grape: To whom thus Adam call'd :
Haste hither, Eve, and worth thy sight behold Eastward among those trees, what glorious shape Comes this way moving; seems another morn Risen on midnoon; some great behest from Heaven To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And, what thy stores contain, bring forth, and pour
Abundance, fit to honour and receive
Our heavenly stranger: Well may we afford Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow From large bestow'd, where nature multiplies Her fertile growth, and by disburdening grows More fruitful, which instructs us not to spare.
To whom thus Eve: Adam, earth's hallow'd mould, Of God inspired! small store will serve, where store, All seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk;
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