Hæc ubi dicta, fuperba ferox veftigia torquet
Indignans; vaga fed vafer undique lumina volvit :
Tum montes, nemora ac valles, loca fola pererrat
Avius. Intereà, cœli qua proxima meta
Oceano terrifque jacet, fe tardus agens Sol
Devolvit; jubar ut jaculatus amabile, lustrat
Eoam Edeni recto jam lumine portam.
Marmorea affurgens Rupes in nubila frontem
Extulit effulgens procul; innumerasque viarum
Ambages, aditu à terris penetrabilis uno,
Infinuans dedit: abrupti pars cetera saxi
Horrida inacceffo procurrens vertice pendet.
Has inter fedit præcelfâ ex rupe columnas,
Qui fummo excubias Gabrial regit æthere, noctem
Opperiens: cœli circum fortiffima Pubes

Membra frequens validis exercet nuda palæstris.
Pendebant juxta æthereis conflata metallis

Arma, hafta clypeique fimul, galeæque comantes,

So faying, his proud step he scornful turn'd,
But with fly circumfpection, and began [his roam.
Through wood, through wafte, o'er hill, o'er dale
Mean while in utmost longitude, where heav'n
With earth and ocean meets, the fetting Sun
Slowly defcended; and with right aspect
Against the eastern gate of Paradise
Level'd his ev'ning 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 these rocky Pillars Gabriel sat,
Chief of th' Angelick Guards, awaiting night:
About him exercis'd heroic Games

Th' unarmed youth of Heav'n; but nigh at hand
Celestial Armoury, Shields, Helms, and Spears,

Arma

Arma auro procul ac rutilis radiantia gemmis.
Urial huc fefe jaculatur vefpere, folis

Invectus radio; medio ceu fidera labi

Vifa polo, denfi quando æthera nocte vapores
Incendunt, nautamque monent quid cogitet Aufter.
Tum citus Ille: Tibi, Gabrial, (fic vertitur ordo)
Hujus forte datur lætæ cuftodia Sedis,

Nequa Mali adveniat Species. Noftrum attigit orbem
Nefcio quis folis medio currentis in æstu

Aliger; infigni nimirum, ut rebar, amore
Omnipotentis avens propius miracula dextræ
Explorare, Hominemque aliis magis omnibus unum,
Effigiem Autoris: fervabam ex arce volatum
Præcipitem, geftufque leves. Ut vertice montis
Conftitit, Arctoum Edeni qui defpicit axem,
Nubilaque ora notans cœloque aliena videbam,
Faffa animi tenebras: hinc acrius ufque fequebar
Luminibus, denfâ fefe dum conderet umbrâ.

Hung high, with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the Ev'n
On a Sun beam, fwift as a shooting Star
In Autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fir'd
Impress the air, and fhew the Mariner
From what point of his compafs to beware
Impetuous winds: He thus began in haste :
Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath giv'n
Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place
No evil thing approach, or enter in.

This day at height of noon came to my sphere
A Spirit; zealous, as he feem'd, to know
More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly Man,
God's latest Image: I defcribed his way,
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his aery Gate:
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his looks
Alien from Heav'n, with paffions foul obscur'd:
Mine eye purfu'd him ftill, but under fhade
Loft fight of him: One of the banish'd crew,

Quam

Quam metuo, nequis depulfæ ex æthere turbæ
Vicerit Abrupti fines, aliofque tumultus
Cogitet: Hunc ftudio latitantem exquire fagaci.

Cui deinde alatus contra fic rettulit Heros:
Urial, ex rutilo folis Tu culmine longè
Profpectas latéque. Has nulli evadere portas
Excubiasque licet, cœli nifi nota Juventus
Venerit: Illorum nec quenquam ex æthere vidi
Poft medium veniffe diem. Siqua altera muros
Tranfiliit Species, vix fas excludere, nôsti,
Corporeis Animas clauftris. Sin hujus in horti
Circuitu fe condiderit, quâcunque figurâ
Deliteat, primo Auroræ cum lumine noscam.
Ille ita pollicitus. Redit Urial alite lapsu,
Inverfique fuper radii devexa refertur

Ad Solem, pronis demiffum in Atlantica flammis
Æquora præcipitem: cœli feu maxima Lampas
Illac fe fpatii raptaverat orbe diurni,

I fear, hath ventur'd from the Deep, to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be tɔ find.
To whom the winged Warriour thus return'd:
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight,
Amid the Sun's bright circle, where thou fit'ft,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but such as come,
Well known from Heav'n; and fince meridian hour
No Creature thence. If Spirit of other fort,
So minded, have o'er-leap'd thefe carthy 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 fhape, he lurk, of whom
Thou tell'ft, by morrow dawning I fhall know.

So promis'd he and Uriel to his charge [rais'd
Return'd on that bright beam, whofe point now
Bore him flope downward to the Sun, now fall'n
Beneath the Azores: whither the prime Orb,
Incredible how swift, had thether rowl'd

Seu

Seu Tellus leviore fugâ properarat Eoum

Ad latus, occiduo linquens in littore Solem
Mille repercuffos vario fplendore colores
Fundentem, & radiis decorantem ardentibus auro

Nubila, quæ denfa Hefperias glomerantur ad arces.
Umbrofâ terras jam cana crepufcula pallâ
Induerant; almus proceffit Vefper, amico
Quem paffu comitata Silentia: Membra cubili
Gramineo abdiderant Pecudes, nidofsque fovebant
Gens Avium: Philomela oculis admittere fomnum
Sola negat; feros Illa ufque effundit amores
Nocte canens totâ, numerifque filentia mulcet.
Jam vivis latè ardescens cœlum omne micabat
Sapphiris clarum ante alios agit Hesperus axem
Siderei ductor populi: dum maxima Luna
Auguftâ infurgit nebularum cincta coronâ;
Inde alti Regina poli manifesta refulget,
Obducens furvis argentea vela tenebris.

Diurnal; or this less voluble Earth

By shorter flight to th' East had left him there,
Arraying with reflected purple, and gold,
The clouds that on his western Throne attend.
Now came ftill Evening on, and Twilight gray
Had in her fober Livery all things clad:
Silence accompany'd; for Beast and Bird
They to their grafly couch, these to their nests,

Where 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 Saphirs: Hefterus, that led
The starry Hoft, rode brightest; till the Moon,
Rifing in clouded Majefty at length
Apparent Queen, unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw.

Tum

Tum fic Dilectæ Adamus: Dulciffima Conjux,
En molli reliquis Animantibus undique fomno
Oppreffis, fimili nos indulgere fopori

Nox tranquilla monet: quoniam noctisque diêque,
Atque operum fomnique vices, DEUS ordine certo
Præscripfit: quin lento oculos jam rore gravatos
Irrigat alma Quies. At bruta Animalia passim
Per terras operum vacua, & minus indiga fomni,
Difcurrunt: Homini affiduum redit actus in orbem
Corporis, atque Animi labor; hinc patet Ipfius alta
Majeftas, propiorque DEUS: dum cætera molli
Defidie, cœlo non refpiciente, vagantur.

Ante plagas jubare aurato quàm fpargat Eoas
Craftina Lux, nobis furgendum; ut pensa secuti
Mollia, frondiferos ad læta umbracula fœtus
Arte refingamus, viridesque errantia latè
Germina per calles ftudio infectemur amœno,
Luxuriemque comarum; alios quæ effusa requirit

When Adam thus to Eve: Fair Confort, th' hour
Of night, and all things now retir'd to rest,
Mind us of like repose: fince God hath fet
Labour and reft, as day and night, to men
Succeffive; and the timely dew of fleep,
Now falling with foft flumbrous weight, inclines
Our eye-lids. Other Creatures all day long
Rove idle, unimploy'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 unactive range,
And of their doings GOD takes no account.
To morrow, e'er fresh morning ftreak the Eaft
With first approach of light, we must be ris'n,
And at our pleasant labour, to reform
Yon flow'ry Arbours, yonder Allies green,
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown ;