Verborum fed enim quis honos, quæ gratia pandat,
Lucida cærulei fontis quo more fluenta
Subfiliente gradu fugerent per gemmea saxa,
Ardentemque auri per arenam ; ut nectaris undæ
Maandris flexæ variis pendentia fubter
Arbusta errarent latè, plantafque recentes
Vifuræ, & flores Paradifi fedibus aptos.
At non compofito lucebant ordine flores,
Læta fed ingenio dederat Natura benigno
Per colles vallefque, per omnia furgere prata
Liberius; quà Sol flammis feriebat aperta
Camporum exoriens, quáque impenetrabilis Umbra
Æftivas denfis recreabat frondibus horas.
Talis erat læto huic ruri fuaviffima forma
Dives opum variarum ;
variarum; ibi balsama lacrimulasque
Fragrantes multâ fudabant arbore Silva,
Et Nemora aurato radiantia cortice gratos
Sponte miniftrabant guftus: Nemora inter, amœni
But rather to tell how, if Art could tell,
How from that Saphire Fount the crifped Brooks,
Rolling on Orient Pearl and fands of Gold,
With mazy error under pendent shades
Ran Nectar, vifiting each plant, and fed
Flow'rs worthy of Paradife: which not nice Art
In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon
Pour'd forth profufe on hill, and dale, and plain;
Both where the morning Sun firft warmly fmote
The open field, and where the un-pierc'd Shade Imbrown'd the noon-tide Bow'rs. Thus was this place
A happy rural feat of various view:
Groves, whose rich Trees wept od'rous gums and
Others, whofe Fruit, burnifh'd with Golden Rind,
Hung amiable, (Hefperian fables true,
If true, here only) and of delicious taste.
Saltus; plurimaque excelfos fuper edita montes
Planities: tum molli errantes graminis herba
Lanigeræ pafcuntur Oves. Hinc fe juga tollunt
Palmicoma, aut riguæ Convallis mollior ora
Dat florum omnigenos gremio variante colores.
Hinc Spelea umbris frigentibus, antraque dulci
Seceffu; quæ denfâ involvens fronde, racemis
Purpureis Vitis tumet, & vaga brachia tendit
Luxurians: juxta dat murmur amabile Lympha
Tramite declivi, & partitos didita rivos
Aut jacit, aut junctos latum componit in æquor;
Læve fimul fpeculum prætendens, unde relucent
Ornatæ viridi myrtorum margine ripæ.
Cantârunt & Aves; vernæque procaciter Auræ
Per tremulas ftrepuere comas: Ipfa, inter & Horas
Connexas Charitefque, vacans Natura choreis
Ver dextrâ tulit æternum. Non his Paradifi
Deliciis prædulce folum certaverit Ennæ,
Betwixt them Lawns or level Downs, and Flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd:
Or palmy hilloc, or the flow'ry lap
Of fome irriguous valley spread her store;
Flow'rs of all hue, and without Thorn the Rofe.
Another fide, umbrageous Grots and Caves
Of cool recefs; o'er which the mantling Vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant. Mean while murm'ring waters fall
Down the flope hills, difpersd, or in a lake,
(That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her crystal mirror holds) unite their streams.
The Birds their quire apply: Airs, vernal Airs,
Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune
The trembling leaves; while Univerfal Pan,
Knit with the Graces, and the Hours, in dance,
Led on th' Eternal Spring. Not that fair field
Of Enna, where Proferpine gathering flowr's,
Filia quà Cereris periit, dum gramine molli
Formofos legeret flores formofior ipfa :
Non his vel Daphnes filva aurea, Orontis ad alta
Flumina, Caftaliique arcana oracula fontis;
Tritonifve almis humescens Nyfa fluentis,
Qua Chamus Pater (hunc Gentes Ammona Jovemque
Dixerunt Lybicum) puerum cum matre tenellum
Celabat, metuens furias fraudesque Novercæ.
Nec vero eximio contenderit ipfe decore
Mons Amara (Æthiopum reges quà folibus uftam
Tutantur fobolem) rutilis ad nubila faxis
Afcendens; iter æftivæ, quam longa, diei.
Hic Satanas nullâ mentem dulcedine tactus
Delicias vidit varias, loca læta, beatos
Indigenas, & cuncta novi miracula mundi,
At Bini, quêis forma aderat præftantior, atque Os
Erectum, nuda Par majeftatis honore
Vestitum ingenuo, rerum patuere Tyranni,
Her felf a fairer Flow'r, by gloomy Dis
Was gather'd; which coft Ceres all that pain
To feek her through the world: nor that sweet Grove
Of Daphne by Orontes, and th' infpir'd
Caftalian Spring, might with this Paradife
Of Eden ftrive: nor that Nyfeian Isle
Girt with the River Triton, where old Cham,
(Whom Gentiles Ammon call, and Lybian Jove)
Hid Amalthea, and her florid Son
Young Bacchus, from his Stepdame Rhea's eye:
Nor where Abaffin Kings their Iffue guard,
Mount Amara (though this by fome fuppos'd
True Paradife) under the Ethiop Line
By Nilus head, enclos'd with fhining Rock,
A whole day's journey high; but wide remote
From this Affyrian Garden: where the Fiend
Saw undelighted all delight, all kind
Of living Creatures, new to fight, and ftrange.
Two of far nobler fhape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect, with native Honour clad,
Altior induerat claros Sapientia vultus,
Sancta Fides, firma Integritas, Pietasque fupremum
Sponte colens fine lege Patrem: hinc Reverentia major
Subfequitur, verumque Decus. Sed difpare Sexu
Diverfæ elucent Dotes. Hic ad ardua dona
Confilii ingentis, Virtutifque ausa severæ
Compofitus; blandis Illa Artibus apta placendi;
Unius Hic fub jura DEI, Sponfi Illa DE Ique.
Huic Frons magna patens & Lumina celfa fatentur
Imperium fublime; altoque à vertice fusa,
Ordinibus divifa æquis, hyacinthina pendet
Cæfaries; denfo & defcendens agmine, latè
Marmoreâ cervice humerisque recumbit in amplis.
Illam aureæ fine more comæ, fine lege vagantes,
Ufque etiam medium, quâ parte gracillima, corpus
Ceu velo decorant, luduntque hinc inde folutis
Orbibus, ut tenera inflectit fibi germina Vitis.
In naked Majefty feem'd Lords of all;
And worthy feem'd: for in their looks Divine
The Image of their glorious Maker fhone,
Truth, Wisdom, Sanctitude fevere and pure,
Severe; but in true filial freedom plac'd;
Whence true authority in men: though both
Not equal, as their Sex not equal seem'd:
For contemplation He and valour form'd;
For Softnefs She, and fweet attractive Grace;
He, for GoD only; fhe, for GOD in Him.
His fair large Front and Eye fublime declar'd
Abfolute rule; and Hyacinthin Locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Cluftring, but not beneath his fhoulders broad.
She, as a veil, down to the slender waist
Her unadorned golden treffes wore
Disfhevel'd, but in wanton ringlets wav'd,
As the Vine curls her tendrils: which imply'd
Scilicet his fignis ultro sese ipfa marito
Ceffuram oftendit; modo mollibus Ille decorum
Imperiis reprimat faftum, moderamine leni
Dulce reluctantem fuperans & dulce morantem.
Tempore non illo membra illa arcana latebant;
Necdum inhoneftus Honor tentârat corda, Pudorque
Infamis, Scelerum proles. Heu Nomina falsa
Virtutum, vanifque leves prætextibus Umbræ,
Quantum res hominum ftudio turbâstis inani!
Flos vitæ vitalis abit; fugit optima morum
Simplicitas; puræ perierunt Gaudia mentis.
Sic curfum nudi duxere, nec ora Seraphum
Nec fummi metuere DEI; nam pectore puro
Nil fibi confcivere, ulnis per mutua nexis
Impliciti; quales non deinde amplexibus unquam
Junxit Amor; poft fe natis formofior Ille,
Illa fuper cunctas longe pulcherrima natas.
Gramineo tum membra toro posuere sub umbrâ
Subjection, but requir'd with gentle sway;
And by her yielded, by him beft receiv'd:
Yielded with coy fubmiffion, modeft pride,
And sweet reluctant amorous delay.
Nor those mysterious parts were then conceal'd;
Then was not guilty Shame, dishonest Shame
Of Nature's Works, Honour dishonourable,
Sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind
With fhews inftead, mere fhews, of feeming Pure;
And banish'd from man's life his happiest life,
Simplicity, and spotless innctenee!
So pafs'd they naked on, nor fhun'd the fight
Of GoD or Angel; for they thought no ill.
So hand in hand they pafs'd, the loveliest pair
That ever fince in love's embraces met;
Adam the goodliest man of men fince born
His Sons; the fairest of her Daughters Eve.
Under a tuft of fhade, that on a green
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