The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rofe, impossible to climb.
Betwixt these roky pillars Gabriel fat,
Chief of th' Angelic guards, awaiting night: 550
About him exercis'd heroic games
Th' unarmed youth of Heav'n, but nigh at hand
Celestial armory, shields, helms, and spears, Hung high with diamond flaming, and with
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the
On a Sun beam, fwift as a shooting star
In Autumn thwarts the night, when vapors
fir'd
Impress the air, and shows the mariner,
From what point of his Compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in hafte. 560
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 hight of noon came to my sphere
A spirit, zealous, as he seem'd, to know 565
More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly man,
God's latest image: I defcrib'd his way
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his aery gait:
But in the mount, that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his
Alien from Heav'n, with paffions foul obfcur'd:
Mine eye perfued him ftill, but under fhade,
Loft fight of him; one of the banishd crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the deep to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find. 575
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd:
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight,
Amid the Sun's bright circle where thou fit'st,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but such as come 580
Well known from Heav'n; and fince meridian
hour
No creature thence. If spirit of other fort,
So minded, have o'erleap'd these earthy bounds
On purpose, hard thou know'ft it to exclude
Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar.
But if within the circuit of thefe walks,
In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
Thou tell'ft, by morrow dawning Ishall know.
So promis'd he, and Uriel to his charge
Return'd on that bright beam, whofe point
+590 Bore him flope downward to the Sun, now fall'n,
Beneath th' Azores; whether the prime orb,
Incredible how fwift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal, or this lefs volubil earth
By fhorter flight to th'eaft, had left him there 595
Arraying with reflected purple and gold.
The clouds, that on his western throne attend.
Now came still evening on, and twilight gray
Had in her sober livery all things clad;
Silence accompany'd, for beaft and bird, 600
They to their grafly couch, these to their nefts
Were flunk; all but the wakeful nigthingale:
She all night long her amorous defcant fung;
Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the firmament
With living faphirs, Hefperus, that led
605
The ftarry hoft rode brightest, till the moon
Rifing in clouded majesty at lenght,
Apparent Queen, unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw;
When Adam thus to Eve: Fair confort,
th'hour
610
Of night, and all things now retir'd to reft
Mind us of like repofe, fince God hath fet
Labor and reft, as day and night to men
Succeffive; and the timely dew of sleep
Now falling with foft flumbrous weight, in-
clines
615
Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long
Rove idle, unemploy'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: 620
While other animals unactive range,
And of their doings God takes no account.
To morrow, e're fresh morning streak the east
With first approach of light, we must be ris'n,
And at our pleafant labor, to reform 625
Yon flow'ry arbors, yonder alleys green
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown;
That mock our fcant manuring, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanto growth.
Those bloffoms alfo, and those dropping
gums,
That lie bestrown unfightly and unsmooth, Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease: Mean while, as nature wills, night bids us reft. To whom thus Eve with perfect beauty
My author and difpofer, what thou bidft 635 Unargu'd I obey; fo God ordains;
God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise. With thee converfing I forget all time;
All seasons and their change, all please alike, 640 Sweet is the breath of morn, her rifing fweet, With charm of earliest birds: pleasant the Sun, When firft on this delightful land he fpreads His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow'r, Glift'ring with dew: fragrant the fertile earth
645 After soft show'rs; and fweet the coming on Of grateful ev'ning mild: then filent night With this her folemn bird, and this fair moon, And these the gems of heav'n, her starry train.
But neither breath of morn, when she
With charm of earlieft birds; nor rifing Sunt
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flow'r,
Gliftring with dew, nor fragrance after fho-
Nor grateful evening mild; nor filent night
With this her folemn bird,
Or glittering ftar-light, without thee is fweet.
But wherefore all night long fhine thefe, for
This glorious fight, when fleep hath shut all eyes?
To whom our general ancestor replyd; Daughter of God and man, accomplish'd
These have their courfe to finifh, round the
By morrow ev'ning, and from land to land
In order, though to nations yet unborn,
Miniftring light, prepar'd, they set and rife;
Left total darknefs fhould by night regain 665
Her old poffeffion, and extinguish life
In nature and all things; which thefe foft fires
Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat
Of various influence foment and warm,
Temper or nourish; or in part shed down 670
Their ftellar virtue on all kinds, that grow
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