405 "Of fish, that, with their fins and shining scales, "Moist nutriment; or, under rocks, their food Hugest of living creatures, on the deep "Stretch'd like a promontory, sleeps or swims, 415 "And seems a moving land; and at his gills "Draws in, and at his trunk spouts out, a sea. "Meanwhile the tepid caves, and fens, and shores, "Their brood as num'rous hatch, from the egg that, soon Bursting with kindly rapture, forth disclos'd 420 66 "Their callow young; but feather'd soon, and fledge, "They summ'd their pens; and, soaring the air sublime, "With clang despis'd the ground, under a cloud "In prospect: there the eagle and the stork "On cliffs and cedar-tops their eyries build: 425"Part, loosely wing the region; part, more wise, "In common, rang'd in figure wedge their way, "Intelligent of seasons, and set forth "Their aery caravan, high over seas 430 "Flying, and over lands, with mutual wing Easing their flight; so steers the prudent crane "Her annual voyage, borne on winds; the air "Floats as they pass, fann'd with unnumber'd plumes. "From branch to branch the smaller birds with songs "Solac'd the woods, and spread their painted wings 435 "Till ev'n; nor then the solemn nightingale "Ceas'd warbling, but all night tun'd her soft lays. 66 "Their downy breast; the swan, with arched neck "Between her white wings mantling proudly, rows 440" Her state with oary feet; yet oft they quit "The dank, and, rising on stiff pennons, tower "Walk'd firm; the crested cock whose clarion sounds "The silent hours, and the other whose gay train 445 "Adorns him, colour'd with the florid hue "Of rainbows and starry eyes. The waters thus 450" With ev'ning harps and matin; when God said, "The earth obey'd, and straight "Opening her fertile womb, teem'd at a birth 455 "Innum'rous living creatures, perfect forms, "Limb'd and full grown. Out of the ground up rose, "As from his lair, the wild beast, where he wons "In forest wild, in thicket, brake, or den; "Among the trees in pairs they rose, they walk'd: 460"The cattle, in the fields and meadows green: “Those rare and solitary; these in flocks 66 Pasturing at once, and in broad herds upsprung. "The grassy clods now calv'd; now half appear'd "The tawny lion, pawing to get free 465" His hinder parts; then springs, as broke from bonds, "Rising, the crumbled earth above them threw 470" Bore up his branching head: scarce from his mould 475 "The river-horse, and scaly crocodile. "At once came forth whatever creeps the ground, "Insect or worm: those wav'd their limber fans "In all the liv'ries deck'd of summer's pride, "Of future; in small room large heart enclos'd; "Of commonalty. Swarming next, appear'd 490"The female bee, that feeds her husband drone "Deliciously, and builds her waxen cells "With honey stor❜d. The rest are numberless, "And thou their natures know'st, and gav'st them names, "Needless to thee repeated: nor unknown 495"The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field, "Of huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes "And hairy mane terrific, though to thee "Not noxious, but obedient at thy call. 500 "Now heaven in all her glory shone, and roll'd 505 "There wanted yet the master-work, the end "His stature, and upright with front serene "But grateful to acknowledge whence his good "Directed in devotion, to adore 515 "And worship God Supreme, who made him chief "Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent "Eternal Father (for where is not he 520 "Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake: 666 Let us make now man in our image, man "In our similitude; and let them rule "Beast of the field, and over all the earth, "And every creeping thing that creeps the ground!' "This said, he form'd thee, Adam, thee, O man! 525"Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath'd "The breath of life; in his own image he "Created thee, in the image of God 66 Express; and thou becam'st a living soul. "Male he created thee; but thy consort 530Female, for race; then bless'd mankind, and said 535 "Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know'st, 540"And freely all their pleasant fruit for food "Gave thee: all sorts are here that all th' earth yields, 66 Variety without end: but of the tree Which, tasted, works knowledge of good and evil, "Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st, thou diest; 545"Death is the penalty impos'd: beware, "And govern well thy appetite; lest Sin 66 66 Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death. "Here finish'd he, and all that he had made 'View'd, and, behold, all was entirely good! 550"So ev'n and morn accomplish'd the Sixth Day: "Yet not till the Creator, from his work 66 Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd, "Up to the heaven of heavens, his high abode; "Thence to behold this new-created world, 555 "The addition of his empire-how it show'd "In prospect from his throne-how good-how fair, "Answ'ring his great idea. Up he rode "Follow'd with acclamation, and the sound Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tun'd 560 Angelic harmonies: the earth, the air "Resounded,-(thou remember'st, for thou heard'st,)"The heavens and all the constellations rung,"The planets in their station list'ning stood,"While the bright pomp ascended jubilant. 565 "Open, ye everlasting gates!' they sung, "Open, ye heavens! your living doors; let in "The great Creator from his work return'd "Magnificent, his six days' work, a world! 666 Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign 570To visit oft the dwellings of just men, "Delighted; and with frequent intercourse "Thither will send his winged messengers, "On errands of supernal grace.' So sung "The glorious train ascending. He through heaven, 575"That open'd wide her blazing portals, led "To God's eternal house direct the way; "A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold, 580 "Which nightly, as a circling zone, thou seest "And now on earth the Seventh "Ev'ning arose in Eden, for the sun "Was set, and twilight from the East came on, "Forerunning night; when, at the holy mount 585 "Of heaven's high-seated top,-the imperial throne "Of Godhead fix'd for ever firm and sure, "The Filial Power arriv'd, and sat him down |