Let

pure devotion's fire the foul poffefs, And give the heart and hand a kindred force. Then shalt thou hear, how, when the world begun, Thy life-producing voice gave myriads birth Call'd forth from nothing all in heav'n and earth, Blefs'd in thy light as eagles in the fun.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE THE SECOND.

LUCIFER.

WHO from my dark abyss

но

Calls me to gaze on this excess of light?
What miracles unfeen

Show'ft thou to me, O God?

Art thou then tired of refidence in Heav'n?

• Why haft thou raifed on earth

This lovely Paradife,

And wherefore placed in it

Two earthly demi-gods of human mould?

Say, thou vile archited,

Forming thy works of deft,

What will befal this naked helplofa man,

The fole inhabitant of gene and woode

Does he then dream di vending on the fund
Heav'n is impoverit 4, md 1, alime
The caufe, enjoy the run I produard:
Let him unite toche

V' aggiunga e luna, e fole,
S'affatichi pur Dio,

Per far di novo il ciel lucido adorno,
Ch' al fin, con biafmo e fcorno,
Vana l'opra farà, vano il fudore,
Fu Lucifero fol quell' ampia luce,
Per cui fplendeva in mille raggi il cielo;
Ma quefte faci or fue fon ombre e fumi,
O de' gran lumi miei, baftardi lumi
Il ciel che che fi fia faper non voglio,
Che che fi fia queft uom' faper non curo,
Troppo oftinato e duro,

E'l mio forte pensiero,

In moftrarmi implacabile, e fevero,

Contra il ciel, contra l' uom, l' angelo, e Dio.

AT TO TERZ O.
АТТО

SCENA PRIM A.

ADAMO, EVA.

OMIA compagna amata,

O di questa mia vita

Vero cor, cara vita;

Si frettolofa adunque ali vibrando

Peregrina inceffante

Per ritrovar Adamo,

Solinga andavi errando?

Eccolo; che l'imponi? Parla omai

Tanto indugi? deh chiede; O Dio, che fai?

Star upon ftar, moon, fun,

And let his Godhead toil

To re-adorn and re-illume his heav'n;
Since in the end derifion

Shall prove his works, and all his efforts, vain; For Lucifer alone was that full light,

Which scatter'd radiance o'er the plains of Heav'm But these his present fires are shade and smoke, Base counterfeits of my more potent beams;

I reck not what he means to make his heav'n; Nor care I what this creature man may be, Too obftinate and firm

Is my undaunted thought

In proving that I am implacable,

'Gainft heav'n, 'gainft man, the angels,and their God.

My belov'd companion,

O thou of my existence

The very heart and foul,

Haft thou, with fuch excefs of tender hafte,

With ceaseless pilgrimage,

To find again thy Adam

Thus folitary wandered?

Behold him, speak, what are thy gentle orders?

Why doft thou paufe? O God, what art thou doing?

O cariffimo Adamo,

EVA.

O mia fcorta, o mio duce

Ch' a rallegrar ch'a folazzar m'induce; Sol' io te defiava,

E tra fi grati orrori,

Solo te ricercava.

ADAMO.

Poichè ti lice Adamo

(Belliffima compagna)

Del tuo gioir nomar radice, e fonte,
Eva, fe'l venir meco,

Or t' aggrada, moftrarti amica, intendo
Cofa non più veduta;

Cofa sì vaga, che per maraviglia
Inarcherai le ciglia;

Mira, fpofa gentile, in quella parte
Di così folta, e verdeggiante felva
Dov' ogni augel s' infelva

La dove appunto quelle due si bianche
Colombe vanno con aperto volo;

Ivi appunto vedrai (o maraviglia)
Sorger tra molli fiori

Un vivo umore, il qual con torto passo
Si frettolofo fugge

E fuggendo t' alletta,

Ch'è forza dir; ferma bel rivo, afpetta: Quindi vago in feguirlo

Tu pur il fegui, ed ei come s' aveffe

EVE.

Adam, my best beloved,

My guardian and my guide,

Thou fource of all my comfort, all my joy,
Thee, thee alone I wish,

And in these pleafing horrors

Thee only have I fought.

ADAM.

Since thou may'st call thy Adam (Moft beautiful companion)

The fource and happy fountain of thy joy,

Eve; if to walk with me

It now may please thee, I will fhow thee, love, A fight thou haft not seen,

A fight so lovely, that in wonder thou

Wilt arch thy graceful brow;

Look thou, my gentle bride, towards that path Of this fo intricate and verdant grove,

Where fit the birds embower'd;

Juft there, where now, with soft and snowy plumes,

Two focial doves have spread their wings for flight;
Just there thou shalt behold (O pleasing wonder)
Springing amid the flow'rs,

A living ftream, that with a winding courfe
Flies rapidly away,

And as it flies allures,

And tempts you to exclaim, fweet river ftay; Hence, eager in pursuit,

You follow, and the stream, as if it had