Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale :
She all night long her am'rous descant süng:
Silence was pleased. Now glow'd the firmament
With living sapphires : Hesperus, that led 005
The starry host, rode brightest, till the Moon,
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
Apparent queen, unveild her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw.

When Adam thus to Eve: Fair Consort, th' bour
Of night, and all things now retired to rest, 611
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
Now falling, with soft slumb'rous weight inclines
Our eye-lids. Other creatures all day long 616
Rove idle, unemploy'd, and less need rest;
Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity,
And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways; 620
While other animals inactive 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 ris'n,
And at our pleasant labour, to reform

625 Yon flow'ry arbours, yonder alleys green, Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown, That mock our scant manuring, and require More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth: Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums, 630 That lie bestrown unsightly and unsmooth, Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease; Meanwhile, as Nature wills, Night bids us rest.

To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty' adorn'd: My Author and Disposer, what thou bidst, 635 Unargued, I obey; so God ordains ; God is thy law, thou mine; to know no more Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise. With thee conversing I forget all time; All seasons and their change, all please alike. 640 Sweet is the breath of Morn, her rising sweet,

627. Walks in the first edition. 698. Manuring; in the sense of the French manæuvre, to mo nage or cullivaie. 640. The seasons of the day, not of the year, are here meant.

With charm of earliest birds ; pleasant the Sun,
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 645
After soft show'rs; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful ev'ning mild; then silent Night,
With this her solemn bird, and this fair Moon,
And these the gems of Heav'n, her starry train ;
But neither breath of Morn, when she ascends 650
With charm of earliest birds; nor rising Sun
On this delightful land ; nor herb, fruit, flower,
Glistring with dew; nor fragrance after showers ;
Nor grateful ev'ning mild; nor silent Night
With this her solemn bird, nor walk by Moon, 655
Or glitt'ring star-light, without thee is sweet.
But wherefore all night long shine these ? For whom
This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes ?

To whom our general ancestor reply'd :
Daughter of God and Man, accomplish'a Eve, 669
These have their course to finish round the earth
By morrow ev'ning, and from land to land
In order, though to nations yet unborn,
Minist'ring light prepared, they set and rise ;
Lest total darkness should by night regain 665
Her old possession, and extinguish life
In nature and 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 670
Their stellar virtue on all kinds that grow
On earth, made hereby apter to receive
Perfection from the Sun's more potent ray.
These then, though unbeheld in deep of night, 674
Shine not in vain ; nor think, tho' men were none,
That Heav'n would want spectators, God want praise

646. A very ingenious essay has been written, by whom I forget, to shew that the ancients considered the nightingale's song cheer: ful.

661. Those is read in some editions. 671. Milton's affectation of learning has been mentioned ans objected to. I venture, however, to observe, though he may seem to bave erred when such passages in his poem are subjected to the severe and particularizing eye of a critic, that, taken as a whole, its graudeur and splendid effect upon the mind would have been considerably less, had these appliances of a high knowledge been unemployed in it, illustration.

Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.
All these with ceaseless praise his works behold,
Both day and night. How often from the steep 880
Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole, or responsive each to other's note,
Singing their great Creator! Oft in bands 684
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 Heav'n.

Thus talking hand in hand alone they pass'd
On to their blissful bow'r; it was a place

690 Chosen by the Sov’reign Planter, when he framed 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 695 Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub Fenced up the verdant wall; each beauteous flow'r, Iris all hues, roses, and jessamine, Rear'd high their flourish'd heads between, and Mosaic: underfoot the violet,

[wrought Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay

701 Broider'd the ground, more colour'd than with stone Of costliest emblem. Other creature here, Beast, bird, insect, or worm, durst enter none: Such was their awe of Man. In shadier bower 705 More sacred and sequester'd, though but feign'd, Pan or Sylvanus never slept, nor Nymph Nor Faunus haunted. Here, in close recess, With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs, Espoused Eve deck'd first her nuptial bed, 710 And heav'nly choirs the hymenean sang, 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 0 too like 715

700. Homer, Il. xiv. 347. 714. Pandora, the fable of Pandora's box needs no explanation, - futhentic fine, the original, and prototype, or the source of earthly tire, -Unwiser is not a comparative here, but means ver unnoise

In sad event, when to th' unwiser son
Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she ensnared
Mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged
On him who had stole Jove's authentic fire.

Thus at their shady lodge arrived, both stood, 720
Both turn'd, and under open sky adored
The God that made both sky, air, earth, and heav'n,
Which they beheld, the moon's resplendent globe,
And starry pole : Thou also mad'st the night,
Maker omnipotent, and thou the day,

725 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 730 Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground. But thou hast promised 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, thy gift of sleep. 735

This said unanimous, and other rites Observing none, but adoration pure Which God likes best, into their inmost bower Handed they went; and eased the putting off These troublesome disguises which we wear, 740 Straight side by side were laid ; nor turn'd I ween Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites Mysterious of connubial love refused : Whatever hypocrites austerely talk Of purity, and place, and innocence,

745 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 750 Of human offspring, sole propriety In Paradise of all things common else. By thee adult'rous lust was driven from men, Among the bestial herds to range; by thee, Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure, 755

746. In allusion to 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2, 3. 750. This apostrophe is said to be borrowed from one of Tango letters. Mysterious: See Eph. V. 32.

Relations dear, and all the charities
Of father, son, and brother, first were known.
Far be 't, that I should write thee sin or blame,
Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,
Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets,

760
Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced,
Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used.
Here Love his golden shafts enıploys, here lights
His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings,
Reigns here and revels; pot in the bought smile 765
Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendear'd,
Casual fruition; nor in court-amours,
Mix'd dance, or wanton mask, or midnight ball,
Or serenate, which the starved lover sings
To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain. 770
These, lull’d by nightingales, embracing, slept,
And on their naked limbs the flow'ry roof
Shower'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. 775

Now had Night measured with her shadowy cone Half way up hill this vast sublunar vault, And from their ivory port the Cherubim Forth issuing at th' accustom'd hour, stood arm'd To their nightwatches in warlike parade, 780 When Gabriel to his next in power thus spake :

Uzziel, half these draw off, and coast the south With strictest watch ; these other wheel the north; Our circuit meets full west. As flame they part; Half wheeling to the shield, half to the spear. 785 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 thro' this garden; leave unsearch'd no nook; But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge, Now laid perhaps asleep, secure of barm. 791 This

from the Sun's decline arrived 756. The charities; the affections called forth by the different relations of life.

761. Heb. xiii. 4. 769. Serenale: Milton follows the Italian in his spelling.

Starred; cold, unaccepted. 782. Uzziel, the strength of God.