Long after to blest Marie, second Eve.
Haile Mother of Mankind, whose fruitful Womb Shall fill the World more numerous with thy Sons Then with these various fruits the Trees of God Have heap'd this Table. Rais'd of grassie terf Thir Table was, and mossie seats had round, And on her ample Square from side to side All Autumn pil'd, though Spring and Autumn bere Danc'd hand in hand. A while discourse they bold; No fear lest Dinner coole; when thus began Our Authour. Heav'nly Stranger, please to taste These bounties which our Nourisher, from whom All perfet good unmeasur'd out, descends, To us for food and for delight bath caus'd The Earth to yeild; unsavourie food perhaps To spiritual Natures; only this I know, That one Celestial Father gives to all. To whom the Angel. Therefore what he gives (Whose praise be ever sung) to man in part Spiritual, may of purest Spirits be found No ingrateful food: and food alike those pure Intelligential substances require
As doth your Rational; and both contain Within them every lower facultie
Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste, Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate,
And corporeal to incorporeal turn.
For know, whatever was created, needs
To be sustaind and fed; of Elements The grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea, Earth and the Sea feed Air, the Air those Fires
Ethereal, and as lowest first the Moon; Whence in ber visage round those spots, unpurg'd Vapours not yet into her substance turn'd. Nor doth the Moon no nourishment exhale From ber moist Continent to higher Orbes. The Sun that light imparts to all, receives From all bis alimental recompence
In bumid exhalations, and at Even
Sups with the Ocean: though in Heav'n the Trees Of life ambrosial frutage bear, and vines
Yeild Nectar, though from off the boughs each Morn We brush mellifluous Dewes, and find the ground Cover'd with pearly grain: yet God bath here Varied his bounty so with new delights, As may compare with Heaven; and to taste Think not I shall be nice. So down they sat, And to thir viands fell, nor seemingly The Angel, nor in mist, the common gloss Of Theologians, but with keen dispatch Of real bunger, and concoctive beate
To transubstantiate; what redounds, transpires Through Spirits with ease; nor wonder; if by fire Of sooty coal the Empiric Alchimist Can turn, or bolds it possible to turn Metals of drossiest Ore to perfet Gold As from the Mine. Mean while at Table Eve Ministerd naked, and thir flowing cups With pleasant liquors crown'd: O innocence Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,
Then had the Sons of God excuse to have bin Enamour'd at that sight; but in those hearts
Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousie Was understood, the injur'd Lovers Hell.
Thus when with meats & drinks they had suffic'd Not burd'nd Nature, sudden mind arose In Adam, not to let th' occasion pass Given him by this great Conference to know Of things above bis World, and of thir being Who dwell in Heav'n, whose excellence he saw Transcend his own so farr, whose radiant forms Divine effulgence, whose high Power so far Exceeded buman, and his wary speech Thus to th' Empyreal Minister he fram'd. Inhabitant with God, now know I well Thy favour, in this honour done to man, Under whose lowly roof thou hast voutsaft To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste, Food not of Angels, yet accepted so,
As that more willingly thou couldst not seem At Heav'ns high feasts to have fed: yet what compare? To whom the winged Hierarch repli'd. O Adam, one Almightie is, from whom All things proceed, and up to him return, If not deprav'd from good, created all Such to perfection, one first matter all, Indu'd with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and in things that live, of life; But more refin'd, more spiritous, and pure, As neerer to him plac't or neerer tending Each in thir several active Sphears assignd, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportiond to each kind. So from the root
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