Of Paradife and Eden's happy plains,
Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began
Their orifons, each morning duly paid
In various ftile; for neither various stile
Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise
Their Maker, in fit strains pronounc'd or fung
Unmeditated, fuch prompt eloquence
Flow'd from their lips, in profe or numerous verse, 150
More tuneable than needed lute or harp
To add more fweetnefs; and they thus began.
Thefe are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty, thine this univerfal frame,
Thus wondrous fair; thyfelf how wondrous then! 155
Unfpeakable, who fitft above these heavens
To us invisible, or dimly feen
In these thy loweft works; yet thefe declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine.
Speak ye who beft can tell, ye fons of light,
Angels; for ye behold him, and with fongs
And choral fymphonies, day without night,
Circle his throne rejoicing; ye in Heaven,
On Earth join all ye Creatures to extol
Him firft, him laft, him midft, and without end.
Fairest of ftars, laft in the train of night,
If better thou belong not to the dawn,
Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn
With thy bright circlet, praise him in thy fphere,
While day arifes, that fweet hour of prime.
Thou Sun, of this great world both eye and foul,
Acknowledge him thy greater, found his praise
In thy eternal course, both when thou climb'ft,
And when high noon hast gain'd, and when thou fall'st. Moon, that now meet'ft the orient fun, now fly'ft, 175 With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies,
And ye
five other wand'ring fires that move
In mystic dance not without fong, refound
His praise, who out of darkness call'd-up light.
Air, and ye Elements, the eldest birth
Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run
Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix
And nourish all things; let your
Vary to our great Maker ftill new praife.
Ye Mifts and Exhalations that now rife
From hill or steaming lake, dusky or gray,
Till the fun paint your fleecy skirts with gold,
In honor to the world's great Author rife,
Whether to deck with clouds th' uncolor'd fky,
Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers,
Rifing or falling ftill advance his praise.
His praife, ye Winds, that from four quarters blow,
Breathe foft or loud; and wave your tops, ye Pines,
With every plant, in fign of worship wave.
Fountains and ye, that warble, as ye flow,
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.
Join voices, all ye living Souls: ye Birds,
That finging up to Heaven gate ascend,
Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise.
Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk
The earth, and ftately tread, or lowly creep;
Witnefs if I be filent, morn or even,
To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade
Made vocal by my fong, and taught his praise.
Hail univerfal Lord, be bounteous ftill
To give us only good; and if the night
Have gather'd ought of evil or conceal'd,
Difperfe it, as now light difpels the dark.
So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts
Firm peace recover'd foon and wonted calm.
On to their morning's rural work they hafte
Among fweet dews and flow'rs; where any row
Of fruit-trees over-woody reach'd too far
Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check Fruitless embraces: or they led the vine
To wed her elm; fhe fpous'd about him twines
Her marriageable arms, and with her brings
Her dow'r th' adopted clusters, to adorn
His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld
With pity Heav'n's high king, and to him call'd 220
Raphael, the fociable Spi'rit, that deign'd
To travel with Tobias, and fecur'd
His marriage with the fev'ntimes-wedded maid.
Raphael, faid he, thou hear'ft what ftir on Earth
Satan from Hell fcap'd through the darksome gulf 225
Hath rais'd in Paradife, and how disturb'd
This night the human pair, how he designs
In them at once to ruin all mankind.
Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend
Converse with Adam, in what bow'r or shade
Thou find'st him from the heat of noon retir'd,
To refpit his day-labor with repast,
Or with repofe; and fuch difcourfe bring on,
As may advise him of his happy state,
Happiness in his pow'r left free to will,
Left to his own free will, his will though free,
Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware
He fwerve not too fecure: tell him withal
His danger, and from whom; what enemy,
Late fall'n himself from Heav'n, is plotting now 240
The fall of others from like state of bliss;
By violence? no, for that fhall be withstood;
But by deceit and lies; this let him know,
Left wilfully tranfgreffing he pretend
Surprifal, unadmonish'd, unforewarn'd.
So fpake th' eternal Father, and fulfill'd
All justice: nor delay'd the winged Saint
After his charge receiv'd: but from among
Thousand celestial Ardors, where he stood
Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, up springing light 250
Flew through the midst of Heav'n; th' angelic quires,
On each hand parting, to his speed gave way
Through all th' empyreal road; till at the gate
Of Heav'n arriv'd, the gate self-open'd wide
On golden hinges turning, as by work
Divine the fovran Architect had fram'd.
From hence no cloud, or, to obftru&t his fight,
Star interpos'd, however small he fees,
Not unconform to other fhining globes,
Earth and the gard❜n of God, with cedars crown'd 260 Above all hills. As when by night the glass
Of Galileo, lefs affur'd, obferves
Imagin'd lands and regions in the moon :
Or pilot, from amidst the Cyclades
Delos or Samos firft appearing, kens
A cloudy fpot. Down thither prone in flight He fpeeds, and through the vaft ethereal sky Sails between worlds and worlds, with fteddy wing Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan Winnows the buxom air; till within foar Of tow'ring eagles, to' all the fowls he feems A Phoenix, gaz'd by all, as that fole bird, When to infhrine his reliques in the fun's Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies. At once on th' eaftern cliff of Paradife He lights, and to his proper shape returns A Seraph wing'd; fix wings he wore, to fhade His lineaments divine; the pair that clad Each fhoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breaft With regal ornament; the middle pair
Girt like a ftarry zone his wafte, and round
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold
And colors dipt in Heav'n; the third his feet
Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail,
Sky-tinctur'd grain. Like Maia's fon he stood, 285
And fhook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide. Strait knew him all the bands
Of Angels under watch; and to his state,
And to his meffage high in honor rife;
For on fome meffage high they guefs'd him bound. 290. Their glittering tents he pafs'd, and now is come
Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh,
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