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Had not a voice thus warn'd me. What thou Can it be death? And do they only stand

seest,

What there thou seest, fair Creature, is thyself,
With thee it comes and goes: but follow me,
And I will bring thee where no shadow stays
Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he
Whose image thou art ; him thou shalt enjoy
Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear
Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd
Mother of human race. What could I do,
But follow straight, invisibly thus led?
Till I espy'd thee, fair indeed and tall,
Under a plantan; yet methought less fair,
Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
Than that smooth wat'ry image: back I turn'd;
Thou following cry'dat aloud, Return fair Eve,
Whom Ay'st thou? whom thou fly'st, of him
thou art,

His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent
Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart
Substantial life, to have thee by my side
Henceforth an individual solace dear;
Part of my soul I seek thee, and thee claim
My other half: with that thy gentle hand
Seiz'd mine; I yielded, and from that time

see

How beauty is excell'd by manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.

So spake our gentle mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov’ù,
And meek surrender, balf embracing lean'd
On our first father; half her swelling breast
Naked met his under the flowing gold
Of her loose tresses hid: he in delight
Both of her beauty and submissive charms
Smil'd with superior love, as Jupiter

On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds That shed May flow'rs; and press'd her matron lip

With kisses pure: aside the Devil turn'd
For envy, yet with jealous leer malign
Ey'd them askance, and to himself thus
plain'd:

By ignorance? Is that their happy state,
The proof of their obedience and their faith?
O fair foundation lain whereon to build
Their ruin! Hence I will excite their minds
With more desire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with design
To keep them low whom knowledge might
exalt

Equal with Gods: aspiring to be such,
They taste and die: what likelier can ensue?
But first with narrow search I must walk
round

This garden, and no corner leave unspy'd;
A chance but chance may lead where I may

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may,

Yet happy pair; enjoy, til! I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed.

So saying, his proud step he scornful turn'd, But with sly circumspection, and began Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his roam. [ven

Mean while, in utmost longitude, where Hea-
With earth and ocean meets, the setting sun
Slowly descended, and with right aspect
Against the eastern gate of Paradise
Level'd his evening rays: it was a rock
Of alabaster pil'd up to the clouds,
Conspicuous far, winding with one ascent
Accessible from earth, one entrance high;
The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.

Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat,
Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night;
About him exercis'd heroic games

Th' unarm'd youth of Heav'n, but nigh at hand

Celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears, Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these Hung high with diamond flaming, and with

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gold. Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even On a sun-beam, swift as a shooting star In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fir'd

Impress the air, and shews the mariner
From what point of his compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.

Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath given Charge and strick watch, that to this happy place

No evil thing approach or enter in.

This day at height of noou came to my sphere

A Spirit, zealous, as he seem'd, to know

No. V.-N. S. Continued from the Poetical Part of No. IV.

F

More of the Almighty's works, and chiefly Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long

Man,

looks

God's latest image: I describ'd his way
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his airy gait;
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, soon discern'd his
[scur'd:
Alien from Heav'n, with passions foul ob-
Mine eyes pursu'd him still, but under shade
Lost sight of him: one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the deep, to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd.
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,
Amid the sun's bright circle where thou sift'st,
So far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but such as come
Well known from Heav'n; and since meridian
hour

No creature thence: if Spirit of other sort
So minded, have over-leap'd these earthy
bounds

:

On purpose, hard thou know'st it to exclude
Spiritual substance with corporeal bar.
But if within the circuit of these walks,
In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know.
So promis'd he and Uriel to his charge
Return'd on that bright beam, whose point
[fall'n
Bore him slope downward to the sun now
Beneath th' Azores; whether the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal, or this less voluble earth,

now rais'd

Rove idly unemploy'd, and less need rest;
Man hath his daily work of body or miud
Appointed, which declares his dignity.
And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways;
While other animals unactive range,
And of their doings God takes no account.
To-morrow ere fresh morning streak the east
With first approach of light we must be risen,
And at our pleasant labour, to reform
Yon flow'ry arbours, yonder alleys green,
Our walk at noon, with branches over-grown,
That mock our scant manuring, and require
More hauds than ours to lop their wanton
growth:

Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums,
That lie bestrown unsightly and unsmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease;
Mean while, as Nature wills, night bids us rest,
To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty

adorn'd.

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When first on this delightful land he spreads His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower,

Glist'ring with dew; fragrant the fertile earth

By shorter flight to th' east, had left him After soft showers and sweet the coming on there

Arraying with reflected purple and gold

The clouds that on his western throne attend.
Now came still evening on, and twilight grey
Had in her sober livery all things clad;
Silence accompanied; for beast and bird,
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests
Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale;
She all night long her amorous descant sung;
Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the firma-

ment

With livid saphires: Hesperus, that led
The starry host, rode brightest, till the moon
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
Apparent queen unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw.

Of grateful evening mild; then silent night
With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon,
All these the gems of Heav'n, her starry train;
But neither breath of more, when she ascenda
With charms of earliest birds; nor rising sun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit,
flower,
[showers;

Glist'ring with dew; nor fragrance after
Nor grateful evening mild; nor silent night
With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon,
Or glitt'ring star-light without thee is sweet,
But wherefore all night long shine these? For
whom
[eyes?
This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all
To whom our general ancestor reply'd.
Daughter of God and Man, accomplish'd Eve,

When Adam thus to Eve. Fair Consort, th' || These have their course to finish round the

hour

Of night, and all things now retir'd to rest
Mind us of like repose, since God hath set
Labour and rest, as day and night, to men
Successive; and the timely dew of sleep

earth,

By morrow morning, and from land to land
In order, though to nations yet unborn,
Minist'ring light prepar'd, they set and

rise;

Now falling with soft slumb'rous weight in- Lest total darkness should by night regain
clines
Her old possession, and extinguish life:

In nature and in all things, which these soft
fires

Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat
Of various influence foment and warm,
Temper or nourish, or in part shed down
Their stellar virtue on all things that grow
On earth, made hereby apter to receive
Perfection from the sun's more potent ray.
These then, though unbeheld in depth of
night,

Shine not in vain; uor think, though men

were none,

That Heav'n would want spectators, God want praise:

Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep:

And heav'nly quires the hymenæan sung,
What day the genial Angel to our sire
Brought her in naked beauty more adorn'd,
More lovely than Pandora, whom the Gods
Endow'd with all their gifts, and O too like
In sad event, when to th' unwiser son
Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she ensnar'd
Mankind by her fair looks, to be aveng'd
On bim who stole Jove's authentic fire.

Thus at their shady lodge arriv'd, both
stood,

Both turn'd, and under open sky ador'd
The God that made both sky, earth, air, and
heaven,

Which they beheld, the moon's resplendent
globe,

And starry pole: Thou also mad'st the night,

All these with ceaseless praise his works be Maker Omuipotent, and thou the day,

hold

Both day and night: how often from the steep
Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole, or responsive to each other's note,
Singing their great Creator? Oft in bands
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding

walk

With heav'nly touch of instrumental sounds
In full harmonic number join'd, their songs
Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to
Heaven.

Thus talking hand in hand alone they pass'd
On to their blissful bowr; it was a place
Chos'n by the sov'reign Planter, when he
fram'd

All things to man's delightful use; the roof
Of thickest covert was inwoven shade
Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew
Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side
Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub
Fenc'd up
the yerdant wall; each beauteous
flower

Iris all hues, roses, and jessamine
Rear'd high their flourish'd heads between,

and wrought

Mosaic; underfoot the violet,

Crocus, and hyacinth with rich inlay

Which we in our appointed work employ'd
Have finish'd, happy in our mutual help
And mutual love, the crown of all our bliss
Ordain'd by thee, and this delicious place
For us too large, where thy abundance wants
Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground.
But thou hast promis'd from us two a race
To fill the earth, who shall with us extol
Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,
And when we seek, as now, the gift of sleep.
This said unanimous, and other rites
Observing none, but adoration pure
Which God likes best, into their inmost

bower

Handed they went; and eas'd the putting off
These troublesome disguises which we wear,
Straight side by side were laid; nor turn'd I

ween

Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites
Mysterious of connubial bliss refus'd:
Whatever hypocrites austerely talk
Of purity, and place, and innocence,
Defaming as impure what God declares
Pure, and commands to some, leaves free
to all.

Our Maker bids increase; who bids abstain
But our Destroyer, foe to God and man?
Hail wedded Love, mysterious law, true source

Broider'd the ground, more colour'd than with Of human offspring, sole propriety

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In Paradise of all things common else.
By thee adult'rous lust was driv'n from men
Among the besțial herds to range; by thee
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,
Relations dear, and all the charities

Of father, son, and brother first were known.
Far be it, that I should write thee sin or

blame,

Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,
Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets,
Whose bed is undefil'd and chaste pronounc'd,
Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs us'd

Here love his golden shafts employs, here lights

His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings,

Th' animal spirits that from pure blood arise Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, thence raise

At least distemper'd, discontented thoughts, Reigns here and revels; not in the bought Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires, Blown up with high conceits engend'ring

smile

Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendear'd,
Causeless fruition; nor in court amours,
Mix'd dance, or wanton mask, or midnight
ball,

Or serenade, which the starv'd lover sings
To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain.
These lull'd by nightingales embracing slept
And on their naked limbs the flow'ry roof
Show'r'd roses, which the morn repair'd.
Sleep on,

Blest pair; and O yet happiest, if ye seek
No happier state, and know to know no more.
Now had night measur'd with her shadowy

cone

Half way up hill this vast sublunar vault,
And from their ivory port the Cherubim
Forth issuing at the accustom'd hour stood
arm'd

To their night watches in warlike parade,
When Gabriel to his next in pow'r thus spake:
Uzziel, half these draw off, and coast the
south

With strictest watch; these other wheel the north;

pride.

Him thus intent, Ithuriel with his spear
Touch'd lightly; for no falsehood can endure
Touch of celestial temper, but returns
Of force to its own likeness: up he starts
Discover'd and surpris'd. As when a spark
Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, laid
Fit for the tun some magazine to store
Against a rumour'd war, the smutty grain
With sudden blaze diffus'd inflames the air:
So started up in his own shape the Fiend.
Back stept those two fair angels half amaz'd
So sudden to behold the grisly king;
Yet thus unmov'd with fear, accost him soon;
Which of those rebel Spirits adjudg'd to

Hell

Com'st thou, escap'd thy prison? and transform'd,

Why sat'st thou like an enemy in wait, Here watching at the head of these that sleep?

Know ye not then, said Satan, fill'd with

scorn,

Know ye not me? Ye knew me once no mate

Our circuit meets full west. As flame they For you, there sitting where ye durst not soar:

part,

Half wheeling to the shield, half to the spear. From these, two strong and subtle Spirits he call'd

That near him stood, and gave them thus in charge.

Ithuriel and Zephon, with wing'd speed Search through this garden, leave unsearch'd no nook ;

But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,

Now laid perhaps asleep secure of harm.
This evening from the sun's decline arriv'd
Who tells of some infernal Spirit seen
Hitherward bent (who could have thought?)
escap'd

The bars of Hell, on errand bad no doubt: Such where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring.

So saying, on he led his radiant files, Dazzling the moon; these to the bow'r direct In search of whom they sought him there they found

Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve,
Assaying by his devilish art to reach
The organs of her fancy, and with them forge
Illusions as he list, phantasms and dreams,
Or if, inspiring venom, he might taint

Not to know me argues yourselves unknown,
The lowest of your throng; or if ye know,
Why ask ye, and superfluous begin
Your message, like to end as much in vain?
To whom thus Zephon, answ'ring scorn with

scora;

Think not, revolted Spirit, thy shape the

same,

Or undiminish'd brightness to be known,
As when thou stood in Heav'n upright and

pure;

That glory then, when thou no more wast good,

Departed from thee; and thou resemblest now Thy sin and place of doom obscure and foul. But come, for thou, be sure, shalt give account To him who sent us, whose charge is to keep This place inviolable, and these from harm.

So spake the Cherub; and his grave rebuke,
Severe in youthful beauty, added grace
Invincible: abash'd the Devil stood,
And felt how awful goodness is, and saw
Virtue in her shape how lovely; saw, and
pin'd

His loss; but chiefly to find here observ'd
His lustre visibly impair'd; yet seem'd
Undaunted. If I must contend, said he,
Best with the best, the sender not the sent,

Or all at once; more glory will be won,
Or less be lost. Thy fear, said Zephon bold,
Will save us trial what the least can do
Single against thee wicked, and thence weak.

The Fiend reply'd not, overcome with rage;
But like a proud steed rein'd, went haughty on,
Champing his iron curb: to strive or fly
He held it vain; awe from above had quell'd
His heart, not else dismayed. Now drew they
nigh

In that dark durance: thus much what was
ask'd.

The rest is true, they found me where they say;
But that implies not violence or harm.

Thus he in scorn. The warlike angel mov'd,
Disdainfully half smiling thus reply'd;
O loss of one in Heav'n to judge of wise,
Since Satan fell, whom folly overthrew,
And now returns him from his prison 'scap'd,
Gravely in doubt whether to hold them wise

The western point, where those half-rounding Or not, who ask what boldness brought him

guards Just met, and closing stood in squadron join'd, Awaiting next command. To whom their chief,

Gabriel, from the front thus call'd aloud:

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hither

Unlicens'd from his bounds in Hell prescrib'd;
So wise he judges it to fly from pain
However, and to 'scape his punishment.
So judge thou still, presumptuous, till the
wrath,

O friends, I hear the tread of nimble feet
Hasting this way, and now by glimpse discern
Ithuriel and Zephon through the shade,
And with them comes a third of regal port,
But faded splendor wan; who by his gait
And fierce demeanour, seems the Prince of Can equal anger infinite provok'd.

Which thou incurr'st by flying, meet thy flight
Sev'nfold, aud scourge that wisdom back to
Hell,

Hell,

Not likely to part hence without contest;
Stand firm, for in his look defiance lours.

He scarce had ended, when those two ap-
proach'd,

And brief related whom they brought, where found,

How busied, in what form and posture couch'd. To whom with stern regard thus Gabriel spake:

Why hast thou, Satan, broke the bounds pre-
scrib'd

To thy transgressions, and disturb'd the charge
Of others, who approve not to transgress
By thy example, but have power and right
To question thy bold entrance on this place;
Employ'd it seems to violate sleep, and those
Whose dwelling God hath planted here is bliss?
To whom thus Satan with contemptuous
brow;

Gabriel, thou hadst in Heav'n th'esteem ofwise,
And such I held thee; but this question ask'd
Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his
pain?
[Hell,
Who would not, finding way break loose from
Tho' thither doom'd? Thou wouldst thyself, no

doubt,

And boldly venture to whatever place

Which taught thee yet no better, that no pain

But wherefore thou alone? wherefore with

thee

Came not all Hell broke loose? is pain to them
Less pain, less to be fied? or thou than they
Less hardy to endure? courageous Chief,
The first in flight from pain, hadst thou al-
ledg'd

To thy deserted host this cause of flight,
Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive.
To which the Fiend thus auswer'd frowning

stern:

Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain,
Insulting angel; well thou know'st I stood
Thy fiercest, when in battle to thy aid
The blasting volied thunder made all speed,
And seconded thy else not dreaded spear.
But still thy words at random, as before,
Argue thy inexperience what behoves
From hard assays and ill successes past
A faithful leader, not to hazard all
Through ways of danger by himself untry'd:
I therefore, I alone first undertook
To wing the desolate abyss, and spy
This new created world, whereof in Hell
Fame is not silent, here in hope to find
Better abode and my afflicted powers
To settle here on earth, or in mid air;
Though for possession put to try once more

Farthest from pain, where thou might'st hope What thou and thy gay legions dare against;

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Whose easier business were to serve their Lord
High up in Heav'n, with songs to hymn hie

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