Book v.
Thy face, and Morn return'd, for I this Night,030
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 pass'd, or morrows next defign,
But of offence and trouble, which my mind
Knew never till this irksome night; methought 35
Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk
With gentle voice, I thought it thine; it faid,
Why fleepft thou Eve? now is the pleasant time,
The cool, the silent, fave where filence yields
To the night-warbling Bird, that now awake
Tunes fweeteft his love-labour'd fong; now reigns
Full Orb'd the Moon, and with more pleasant 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, Natures defire,
In whose 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;
And on, methought, alone I pass'd thro' ways so
That brought me on a fudden to the Tree
Of interdicted Knowledge: fair it seem'd,
Much fairer to my Fancy than by day:
And as I wondring lookt, befide it stood
One shap'd and wing'd like one of those from Heav'n
By us oft feen; his dewy locks diftill'd
Ambrofia; on that Tree he also gaz'd;
And O fair Plant, said he, with fruit furcharg❜d,
Deigns none to ease thy load and taste thy sweet;
Nor God, nor Man; is Knowledge so despis'd? 60
Or envy, or what referve forbids to taste?
Forbid who will, none fhall from me with-hold
Longer thy offer'd good, why elfe set here?
This said he paus'd not, but with ventrous Arm
He pluckt, he tasted; me damp horror chil'd
65
At fuch bold words voucht with a deed fo bold:
But he thus overjoy'd, O Fruit Divine,
Sweet of thy felf, but much more fweet 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 honour'd more ?
Here, happy Creature, fair Angelic Eve,
Partake thou alfo; happy though thou art,
Happier thou mayft be, worthier canst not be:
Tafte this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Thy felf a Goddess, not to Earth confin'd,
But fometimes in the Air, as we, fometimes
Ascend to Heav'n, by merit thine, and see
What life the Gods live there, and fuch live thou
So faying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Even to my mouth of that fame fruit held part
Which he had pluckt; the pleasant favoury smell
So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought, 85
Could not but tafte. Forthwith up to the Clouds
With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The Earth outftretcht immense, a prospect wide
And various wondring at my flight and change
To this high exaltation; fuddenly ssh at 18w pe My Guide was gone, and I, methought, funk down, And fell asleep; but O how glad I wak’dub 100 To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her Night 2 Related, and thus Adam anfwer'd fad.
Beft Image of my self and dearer half: 20 3: The trouble of thy thoughts this night in fleep o Affects me equally; nor can I like
This uncouth dream, of evil sprung I fear;
Yet evil whence? in thee can harbour none,
Created pure. But know that in the Soul
Are many leffer Faculties that serve
Reason as chief; among these Fancy next
Her office holds; of all external things,
Which the five watchful Senfes reprefent,
She forms Imaginations, Aerie shapes,
Which Reason joyning or disjoyning, frames
All what we affirm or what deny, and call
Our knowledge or opinion; then retires
Into her private Cell, when Nature refts.
Oft in her abfence mimic Fancy wakes
To imitate her; but misjoyning shapes,
Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams,
Ill matching words and deeds long past or late.
Some fuch resemblances methinks I find
Of our laft Evening's talk, in this thy dream, 115 But with addition ftrange; yet be not fad,
Evil into the mind of God or Man
May come and go, so unapprov'd, and leave
No fpot or blame behind: Which gives me hope
That what in fleep thou didst abhor to dream, 120
Waking thou never wilt consent to do.
Be not dishearten'd then, nor cloud thofe looks
That wont to be more chearful and ferene
Than when fair Morning first smiles on the World,
And let us to our fresh Imployments rise
Among the Groves, the Fountains, and the Flours,
That open now their choiceft bofom'd smells
Reserv'd from night, and kept for thee in store.
So chear'd he his fair Sponfe, and she was chear'd,
But filently a gentle tear lẹt fall
From either eye, and wip'd them with her haire;
Two other precious drops that ready stood,
Each in their Chrystal fluice, he e'er they fell
Kifs'd as the gracious figns of sweet remorse
And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended.
So all was clear'd, and to the Field they hafte But firft from under fhadie arborous roof, Soon as they forth were come to open fight Of day-spring, and the Sun, who fcarce up rifen With wheels yet hov'ring o'er the Ocean brim, 140 Shot paralel to the earth his dewy ray, Discovering in wide Lantskip all the Eaft Of Paradife and Eden's happy Plains, Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began Their Orifons, each Morning duly paid In various style, for neither various style Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise Their Maker, in fit ftrains pronounc'd or fung (*** Vnmeditated, fach prompt eloquence...
Flow'd from their lips, in Profe or numerous Verfe
More tuneable than needed Lute or Harp
To add more sweetness, and they thus began.
These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty, thine this univerfal Frame,
Thus wondrous fair; thy felf how wondrous then
Unfpeakable, who firft above these Heavens
To us invisible or dimly feen
In these thy lowest works, yet these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and Power Divine:
Speak ye who beft can tell, ye Sons of light, 160
Angels, for ye behold him, and with fongs
And choral fymphonies, Day without Night,
Circle his Throne rejoycing, ye in Heav'n,
On Earth joyn all ye Creatures to extoll
Him firft, him laft, him midst, and without end. 165
Faireft of Stars, laft in the train of Night,
If better thou belong not to the dawn,
Sure pledge of day that crownft the fmiling Morn
With thy bright Circlet,. praise him in thy Spheare
While day arifes, that fweet hour of Prime.
Thou Sun, of this great World both Eye and Soul,
Acknowledge hom thy Greater, found his praise
In thy eternal courfe, both when thou climbft,
And when high Noon haft gain'd,and when thou fallft.
Moon, that now meetft the orient Sun, now fly'it 175
With the fixt Stars, fixt in their Orb that flies,
And ye five other wandring Fires that move
In myftic Dance not without Song, refound
His praife, who out of Darkness call'd up Light,
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