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For fuch vaft room in nature unpoffefs'd
By living foul, defert and defolate,
Only to fhine, yet fcarce to contribúte

Each orb a glimpse of light, convey'd fo far
Down to this habitable, which returns

Light back to them, is obvious to difpute.
But whether thus these things, or whether not,
Whether the fun predominant in Heaven

Rife on the earth, or earth rife on the fun,
He from the eaft his flaming road begin,

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160

Or

The swiftness of those circles attri- Raphael's mouth: for it is intimated

búte:

and upon attributed in ver. 12. With glory attributed to the high. But now a days we generally lay the accent differently.

157.this babitable,] An adjective used fubftantively: earth is understood; as in VI. 78. this terrene. This habitable is pure Greek, Ozer, the inhabited, the earth, Richardfon.

158. Light back to them,] I think that Dr. Bentley very justly objects to the word Light here: for if the fix'd ftars convey only a glimpse of light to our earth, it is too much to fay that the returns back to them light in general, which implies more than a glimpse of it. The Doctor therefore would read Nought back to them: But this is not agreeable to the philofophy which Milton puts in

in ver. 140. that our earth does fend out light from her; and if so, then fome of her light might be return'd back to the fix'd stars. Suppose we fhould read Like back to them &c. i. e. only a glimpse of light, just as much and no more than the receives. Pearce. 159. But whether thus these things, or

whether not, &c.] The Angel is now recapitulating the whole. He had argued upon the fuppofition of the truth of the Ptolemaic fyftem to ver. 122. Then he proposes the Copernican fyftem, and argues upon that fuppofition. Now he fums up the whole, But whether thus thefe things, or whether not, whether the one fyftem or the other be true, whether Heaven move or Earth, folicit not thyfelf about these matters, fear God and do thy duty. 162. bis flaming road] Elegantly applying to the road what belongs

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Or fhe from weft her filent course advance

With inoffenfive pace that spinning fleeps:

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On her foft axle, while the paces even, 165
And bears thee soft with the smooth air along,
Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,
Leave them to God above, him ferve and fear;
Of other creatures, as him pleases best,
Wherever plac'd, let him difpofe: joy thou
In what he gives to thee, this Paradise
And thy fair Eve; Heav'n is for thee too high
To know what paffes there; be lowly wife:
Think only what concerns thee and thy being ;
Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there 175
Live, in what state, condition or degree,

Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd

Not of Earth only but of highest Heaven.

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To whom thus Adam, clear'd of doubt, reply'd.

How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure

Intelligence of Heav'n, Angel ferene,

And freed from intricacies, taught to live,
The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts
To interrupt the sweet of life, from which

180

God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,

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And not moleft us, unless we ourselves

Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain. But apt the mind or fancy is to rove

Uncheck'd, and of her roving is no end;

Till warn'd, or by experience taught, she learn, 190
That not to know at large of things remote
From use, obfcure and subtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fume,

193. That which before us lies in daily life,] Shadow'd from a verfe of Homer, fo much admir'd and recommended by Socrates,

Οτι τοι εν μεγαροισι κακον τ' αγαθονζε τετυκται. Bentley. 194. Is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fume, &c.] An excellent piece of fatir this, and a fine reproof of those men who have all fenfe but common fenfe, and Yo L. II.

Ör

whofe folly is truly represented in the ftory of the philofopher, who while he was gazing at the stars fell into the ditch. Our author in these lines, as Mr. Thyer imagins, might probably have in his eye the character of Socrates, who firit attempted to divert his countrymen from their aery and chimerical notions about the origin of things, and turn their attention to that prime wisdom, the confideration of moral duties, and their conduct in focial life.

F

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Or emptiness, or fond impertinence,

And renders us in things that most concern
Unpractic'd, unprepar'd, and still to seek.
Therefore from this high pitch let us defcend
A lower flight, and speak of things at hand
may arife
Useful, whence haply mention
Of fomething not unfeafonable to ask

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By fufferance, and thy wonted favor deign'd.
Thee I have heard relating what was done
Ere my remembrance: now hear me relate
My story, which perhaps thou haft not heard; 205

204.

now hear me relate My ftory,] Adam, to detain the Angel, enters upon his own history, and relates to him the circumftances in which he found himself upon his creation; as alfo his converfation with his Maker, and his first meet ing with Eve. There is no part of the poem more apt to raise the attention of the reader, than this difcourse of our great ancestor; as nothing can be more furprifing and delightful to us, than to hear the fentiments that arose in the first man while he was yet new and fresh from the hands of his Creator. The poet has interwoven every thing which is delivered upon this fubject in holy Writ with fo many beautiful imaginations of his own, that nothing can be conceived more juft and natural than this whole epifode.

And

As our author knew this fubject could not but be agreeable to his reader, he would not throw it into the relation of the fix days works, but reserved it for a distinct episode, that he might have an opportunity of expatiating upon it more at large. Before I enter on this part of the poem, I cannot but take notice of two fhining paffages in the dialogue between Adam and the Angel. The first is that wherein our ancestor gives an account of the pleasure he took in converfing with him, which contains a very noble moral.

For while I fit with thee, I feem

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And day is yet not spent; till then thou seeft
How fubtly to detain thee I devise,

Inviting thee to hear while I relate,

Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply:
For while I fit with thee, I feem in Heaven,
And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear
Than fruits of palm-tree pleasantest to thirst
And hunger both, from labor, at the hour
Of sweet repaft; they fatiate, and foon fill
Though pleasant, but thy words with grace
Imbued, bring to their sweetness no fatiety.

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