Thee I revifit now with bolder Wing, Efcap'd the Stygian Pool, though long detain'd In that obfcure Sojourn, while in my Flight Through utter and through middle Darkness born With other Notes than to th' Orphean Lyre I fung of Chaos and Eternal Night,
Taught by the Heavenly Mufe to venture down The dark Defcent, and up to re-afcend, Though hard and rare: Thee I revifit fafe, And feel thy Sov'reign Vital Lamp; but thou Revifit'st not thefe Eyes, that rowl in vain. To find thy piercing Ray, and find no Dawn; So thick a Drop ferene hath quench'd their Orbs, Or dim Suffufion veil'd. Yet not the more Ceafe I to wander where the Mufes haunt
Clear Spring, or fhady Grove, or funny Hill, Smit with the love of facred Song; but chief Thee Sion and the flowry Brooks beneath That wash thy hallow'd Feet, and warb'ling flow, Nightly I vifit: Nor fometimes forget Those other two equal'd with me in Fate, So were I equal'd with them in Renown, Blind Thamyris and Blind Maonides, And Tirefias and Phinens Prophets old. Then feed on Thoughts, that voluntary move Harmonious Numbers; as the wakeful Bird Sings darkling, and in fhadiest Covert hid Tunes her nocturnal Note. Thus with the Year Seafons return, but not to me returns
Day or the fweet approach of Ev'n or Morn, Or fight of vernal Bloom, or Summer's Rofe, Or Flocks, or Herds, or Human Face Divine; But Cloud inftead, and ever-during Dark Surrounds me, from the chearful Ways of Men Cut off, and for the Book of Knowledge fair Prefented with a Univerfal Blank
Of Nature's Works to me expung'd and ras'd, And Wisdom at one Entrance quite fhut out. So much the rather thou Celestial Light Shine inward, and the Mind thro' all her Powers Irradiate, there plant Eyes, all Mift from thence Purge and difperfe, that I may fee and tell Of things invisible to mortal Sight.
Milton Parad. lost, 1. 3.
THE Golden Age was firft: when Man yet new No Rule but uncorrupted Reafon knew; And, with a Native Bent, did Good purfue. Unforc'd by Punishment, unaw'd by Fear, His Words were fimple, and his Soul fincere : Needlefs was written Law where none oppreft: The Law of Man, was written in his Breaft: No Suppliant Crowds, before the Judge appear'd, No Court erected yet, nor Caufe was heard, But all was fafe, for Confcience was their Guard.. The Mountain Trees in diftant Prospect please E're yet the Pine defcended to the Seas: E're Sails were fpread, new Oceans to explore; And happy Mortals, unconcern'd for more, Confin'd their Wishes to their Native Shoar NoWalls, were yet; nor Fence,nor Mote nor Mound, Nor Drum was heard,nor Trumpet's angry found. Nor Swords were forg'd, but void of Care & Crime, The foft Creation past away their Time.
The teeming Earth, yet guiltless of the Plough, And unprovok'd, did fruitful Stores allow : Content with Food which Nature freely bred, On Wildings, and on Strawberries they fed. Cornels and Bramble-Berries gave the reft, And falling Acorns furnifht out a Feast,
The Flow'rs unfown in Fields and Meadows reign'd: And Western Winds immortal Spring maintain'd. In following Years, the bearded Corn enfu'd, From Earth unask'd, nor was that Earth renew'd. From Veins of Vallies Milk and Nectar broke; And Honey Sweating through the Pores of Oak.
UT when good Saturn banifh'd from above, Was driv'n to Hell, the World was under Jove Succeeding Times a Silver Age behold, Excelling Brafs, but more excell'd by Gold. Then Summer, Autumn, Winter, did appear, And Spring was but a Seafon of the Year. The Sun his Annual Courfe obliquely made, Good Days contracted and enlarg'd the bad. Then Air with fultry Heats began to glow; The Wings of Winds were clogg'd with Ice and Snow And fhivering Mortals, into Houfes driv'n Sought Shelter from th' Inclemency of Heav'n. Those Houses, then, were Caves, or homely Sheds; With twining Oziers fenc'd, and Mofs their Beds. Then Ploughs, for Seed, the fruitful Furrows broke, And Oxen labour'd firft beneath the Yoke.
TO this came next in Course the Brazen Age, A Warlike Offspring, prompt to Bloody Rage, Not impious yet -
The Iron Age.
HARD Steel fucceeded then :
And stubborn as the Mettal, were the Men. Truth, Modefty, and Shame, the World forfook, Fraud, Avarice, and Force, their Places took. Then Sails were spread to every Wind that blew. Raw were the Sailors, and the Depths were new : Trees rudely hollow'd did the Waves fuftain; E're Ships in Triumph plough'd the Watry Plain. Then Land-Marks limited to each his Right, For all before was common, as the Light. Nor was the Ground alone requir'd to bear Her annual Income to the crooked Share; But greedy Mortals rummaging her Store, Digg'd from her Entrails firit the precious Oar; Which next to Hell the prudent Gods had laid; And that alluring Ill, to Sight difplaid.
Thus curfed Steel, and more accurfed Gold, Gave mifchief Birth, and made that mischief bold; And double Death did wretched Man invade, By Steel affaulted, and by Gold betray'd.
Now (brandifh'd Weapons glittering in their Hands) Mankind is broken loofe from Moral Bands;
No Rights of Hofpitality remain:
The Guest by him, who harbour'd him, is fläin. The Son-in-Law purfues the Father's Life; The Wife her Husband Murders, be the Wife. The Step-Dame Poyfon for the Son prepares; The Son inquires into his Father's years. Faith flies, and Piety in Exile mourns; And Juftice, here oppreft, to Heav'n Returns.
MIDAS the King, as in his Book appears, By Phoebus was endow'd with Affes Ears, Which under his long Locks, he well conceal'd, (As Monarch's Vices muft not be reveal'd) For fear the People have 'em in the Wind, Who long ago were neither Dumb nor Blind; Nor apt to think from Heav'n their Title Springs, Since Jove and Mars left off begetting Kings. This Midas knew; and durft communicate To none but to his Wife, his Ears of State: One must be trusted, and he thought her fit,! As paffing prudent, and a parlous Wit. To this fagacious Confeffor he went,
And told her what a Gift the Gods had fent:: But told it under Matrimonial Seal,
With ftrict Injunction never to reveal. The Secret heard fhe plighted him her Troth, (And facred fure is every Woman's Oath)
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