PARADISE LOST.

BOOK V.

THE ARGUMENT.

Morning approach'd, Eve relates to Adam ber trous blefome dream; be likes it not, yet comforts ber? They come forth to their day labors: Their morn ing hymn at the door of their bower. God to render man inexcufable fends Raphael tó admonish him of his obedience, of bis free efiate, of his enemy near at band, who be is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradife, his appearance defcrib'd, his coming difcern'd by Adam afar off fitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains bim with the choiceft fruits of Paradife got together by Eve; their discourse at table Raphael performs bis meffage, minds Adam of his ftate and of his enemy; relates at Adam's request who that enemy is, and how he came to be fo, beginning from his first revolt in Heaven, and the occafion thereof; how he drew his legions after bim to the parts of the north, and there incited them to rebel with him, perfuading all but only Abdiel a Seraph, who in argument diffuades and oppofes bim, then forfakes him.

TOW morn her rofy steps in th'eaftern clime

NOW

Advancing, fow'd the earth with orient pearl. When Adam wak'd, fo cuftom'd, for his fleep Was aery light from pure digestion bred,

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And temp❜rate vapours bland, which th' only found 5
Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan,
Lightly difpers'd, and the fhrill matin song
Of birds on ev'ry bough; so much the more
His wonder was to find unwaken'd Eve
With treffes difcompos'd, and glowing cheek,
As through unquiet reft: he on his fide
Leaning half rais'd, with looks of cordial love
Hung over her enamor'd, and beheld
Beauty, which whether waking or afleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice
Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,
Her hand foft touching, whisper'd thus. Awake
My faireft, my efpous'd, my latest found,
Heav'n's laft beft gift, my ever new delight,
Awake; the morning fhines, and the fresh field
Calls us; we lose the prime, to mark how spring
Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove,
What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed,
How nature paints her colors, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid fweet
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Such whifp'ring wak'd her, but with startled eye
On Adam, whom embracing, thus fhe fpake.
O fole in whom my thoughts find all repose,
My glory, my perfection, glad I fee

Thy face, and morn return'd; for I this night
(Such night till this I never pafs'd) have dream'd,
If dream'd, not as I oft am wont, of thee,
Works of day paft, or morrow's next defign,
But of offenfe and trouble, which my mind
Knew never till this irkfome night; methought
Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk
With gentle voice, I thought it thine; it faid,
Why fleep'st thou Eve? now is the pleasant time,
The cool, the filent, fave where filence yields

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To the night warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes fweeteft his love-labor'd fong; now reigns
Full orb'd the moon, and with more pleasing light
Shadowy fets off the face of things; in vain,
If none regard; Heav'n wakes with all his eyes,
Whom to behold but thee, Nature's defire?.
In whofe fight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty ftill to gaze.

I rofe as at thy call, but found thee not;
To find thee I directed then my walk;

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And on, methought, alone I pass'd through ways 59
That brought me on a fudden to the tree
Of interdicted knowledge: fair it feem'd,
Much fairer to my fancy than by day:
And as I wond'ring look'd, befide it stood

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One fhap'd and wing'd like one of those from Heaven
By us oft feen; his dewy locks diftill'd
Ambrofia; on that tree he also gaz'd;
And O fair plant, faid he, with fruit furcharg'd,
Deigns none to eafe thy load and taste thy fweet,
Nor God, nor Man? is knowledge fo defpis'd?
Or envy', or what referve forbids to taste?
Forbid who will, none fhall from me withhold.
Longer thy offer'd good, why else set here?
This faid, he paus'd not, but with ventrous arm
He pluck'd, he tafted; me damp horror chill'd
At fuch bold words vouch'd with a deed fo bold:
But he thus overjoy'd, O fruit divine,

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Sweet of thy felf, but much more sweet thus cropt,
Forbidden here, it feems, as only fit
For Gods, yet able to make Gods of Men:
And why not Gods of Men, fince good. the more..
Communicated, more abundant grows,

The author not impair'd, but honor'd more ?
Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve,

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Partake thou alfo; happy though thou art,
Happier thou may'ft be, worthier canft not be:
Tafte this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Thyfelf a Goddefs, not to earth.confin'd,
But fometimes in the air, as we, fometimes
Afcend to Heav'n, by merit thine, and fee
What life the Gods live there, and fuch live thou.
So faying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Ev'n to my mouth of that fame fruit held part
Which he had pluck'd; the pleasant savory smell
So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought,
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Could not but tafte. Forthwith up to the clouds
With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The earth outstretch'd immenfe, a profpect wide
And various wond'ring at my flight and change
To this high exaltaion; fuddenly

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My guide was gone, and I, methought, funk down,
And fell asleep; but Ɑ how glad I wak’d

To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her night
Related, and thus Adam answer'd fad:

Beft image of myself and dearer half,

The trouble of thy thoughts this night in fleep
Affects me equally; nor can I like

This uncouth dream, of evil fprung I fear;
Yet evil whence? in thee can harbour none,
Created pure. But know that in the foul
Are many leffer faculties, that serve
Reafon as chief; among thefe fancy next
Her office holds; of all external things,
Which the five watchful fenfes reprefent,
She forms imaginations, aery shapes,
Which reafon joining or disjoining, frames
All what we' affirm or what deny, and call
Our knowledge or opinion; then retires
Into her private cell when nature rests,

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Oft in her absence mimic fancy wakes
To imitate her; but misjoining shapes,
Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams,
Ill matching words and deeds long paft or late.
Some fuch resemblances methinks I find
Of our last evening's talk, in this thy dream,
But with addition ftrange; yet be not fad.
Evil into the mind of God or Man
May come and go, fo unapprov'd, and leave
No spot or blame behind: Which gives me hope
That what in fleep thou didst abhor to dream,
Waking thou never wilt confent to do.

Be not dishearten'd then, nor cloud those looks,
That wont to be more chearful and ferene,
Than when fair morning first smiles on the world;
And let us to our fresh employments rife 125
Among the groves, the fountains, and the flowers
That open now their choiceft bofom'd fmells
Referv'd from night, and kept for thee in store.

So chear'd he his fair spouse, and she was chear'd, But filently a gentle tear let fall

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130 From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair Two other precious drops that ready flood, Each in their crystal fluice, he ere they fell Kifs'd, as the gracious figns of fweet remorse And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended.

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So all was clear'd, and to the field they haste. But first, from under fhady arbo'rous roof Soon as they forth were come to open fight Of day fpring, and the fun, who scarce up rifen, With wheels yet hovering o'er the ocean brim, 140 Shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray, Discovering in wide landskip all the caft Of Paradife and Eden's happy plains, Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began