With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower, Glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers; Nor grateful evening mild; nor silent night, With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon, Or glittering starlight, 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 replied: Daughter of God and man, accomplish'd Eve, Those have their course to finish, round the earth, By morrow evening; and from land to land In order, though to nations yet unborn, Ministering light prepared, they set and rise; Lest total darkness should by night regain 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 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,
Shine not in vain; nor think, though men were none,
That heaven would want spectators, God want praise: 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
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
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk, With heavenly touch of instrumental sounds, In full harmonic number join'd, their songs Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to heaven. Thus talking, hand in hand alone they pass'd On to their blissful bower: it was a place Chosen by the sovran 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 Acanthus and each odorous bushy shrub
Fenced up the verdant wall; each beauteous flower, Iris all hues, roses, and jessamin,
Rear'd high their flourish'd heads between, and wrought Mosaic; under-foot the violet,
693. Inwoven shade of laurel: so (698) Iris of all hues.
Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay
Broider'd the ground, more colour'd than with stone Of costliest emblem: other creature here, Bird, beast, insect, or worm, durst enter none; Such was their awe of man. In shadier bower 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; And heavenly quires the hymenaan sung, 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, O! too like In sad event, when to the 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,
Both turn'd, and under open sky adored
The God that made both sky, air, earth, and heaven, Which they beheld, the moon's resplendent globe, And starry pole. Thou also madest the night, Maker Omnipotent, and thou the day, 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 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. 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 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, Defaming as impure what God declares
714. Pandora. The story is this: Prometheus, the son of Japhet, had stolen Jove's authentic fire from heaven, in revenge for which Jupiter sent him Pandora, (meaning all-gifts,) so called because all the gods had contributed their gifts to make her more charming. She was
brought by Mercury, (Hermes,) but was not received by Prometheus, the wiser son of Japhet, but by his brother Epimetheus, the unwiser son. He was enticed by his foolish curiosity to open the box which she brought, in which were con tained all manner of evils.-RICHARDSON.
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 Of human offspring, sole propriety In Paradise of all things common else! By thee adulterous lust was driven from men Among the bestial herds to range: by thee, Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure, Relations dear, and all the charities
Of father, son, and brother, first were known. Far be it that I should write thee sin or blame, Or think thee unbefitting holiest place; Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets, Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced, Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs us'd. Here Love his golden shafts employs, here lights His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings, Reigns here and revels; not in the bought smile 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. These, lull'd by nightingales, embracing slept, And on their naked limbs the flowery 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!
Now had night measured with her shadowy cor Half way up hill this vast sublunar vault; And from their ivory port the cherubim, Forth issuing at the accustom'd hour, stood armʼr. To their night-watches in warlike parade; 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. 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 through this garden, leave unsearch'd no nook; But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge, Now laid perhaps asleep, secure of harm.
785. Half to the shield, half to the spear, that is, half to the left, as soldiers wore their shields on their left arm, and half to the right, on which side the spear
788. Ithuriel means in Hebrew "the discovery of God;" Zephon, "the searcher of secrets;" Uzziel, "the strength of God."
This evening from the sun's decline arrived,
Who tells of some infernal spirit seen
Hitherward bent (who could have thought?) escaped The bars of hell, on errand bad no doubt:
Such, where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring.
So saying, on he led his radiant files,
Dazzling the moon; these to the bower direct
In search of whom they sought: him there they found
Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve,
Assaying by his devilish art to reach
The organs of her fancy, and with them forge
Illusions as he list, phantasms, and dreams;
Or if, inspiring venom, he might taint
The animal spirits, that from pure blood arise Like gentle breaths from rivers pure; thence raise At least distemper'd, discontented thoughts, Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires, Blown up with high conceits ingendering pride. Him thus intent, Ithuriel with his spear Touch'd lightly; for no falsehood can endure Touch of celestial temper, but returns Of force to its own likeness: up he starts Discover'd and surprised. As when a spark Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, laid Fit for the tun, some magazine to store Against a rumour'd war; the smutty grain, With sudden blaze diffused, inflames the air; So started up in his own shape the fiend. Back stepp'd those two fair angels, half amazed So sudden to behold the grisly king; Yet thus, unmoved with fear, accost him soon: Which of those rebel spirits adjudged to hell Comest thou, escaped thy prison? and, transform'd, Why sat'st thou like an enemy in wait, Here watching at the head of these that sleep? Know ye not then, said Satan, fill'd with scorn, Know ye not me? ye knew me once no mate For you, there sitting where ye durst not soar: Not to know me argues yourselves unknown, The lowest of your throng; or, if ye know, Why ask ye, and superfluous begin Your message, like to end as much in vain?
To whom thus Zephon, answering scorn with scorn Think not, revolted spirit, thy shape the same, Or undiminish'd brightness to be known
As when thou stood'st in heaven upright and pure:
That glory then, when thou no more wast good, Departed from thee; and thou resemblest now Thy sin and place of doom obscure and foul.
835. Think not, &c. That is, "Think or thy shape to be known the same as," not thy brightness to be undiminished, | &c.
But come; for thou, be sure, shalt give account To him who sent us, whose charge is to keep This place inviolable, and these from harm.
So spake the cherub; and his grave rebuke, Severe in youthful beauty, added grace Invincible: abash'd the devil stood, And felt how awful goodness is, and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely; saw, and pined His loss; but chiefly to find here observed His lustre visibly impair'd; yet seem'd Undaunted. If I must contend, said he, Best with the best, the sender not the sent, Or all at once; more glory will be won, Or less be lost. Thy fear, said Zephon bold, Will save us trial what the least can do Single against thee, wicked and thence weak.
The fiend replied not, overcome with rage; But, like a proud steed rein'd, went haughty on, Champing his iron curb: to strive or fly He held it vain; awe from above had quell'd
His heart, not else dismay'd. Now drew they nigh The western point, where those half-rounding guards Just met, and closing stood in squadron join'd, Awaiting next command. To whom their chief, Gabriel, from the front thus call'd aloud:-
O friends! I hear the tread of nimble feet Hasting this way, and now by glimpse discern Ithuriel and Zephon through the shade; And with them comes a third of regal port, But faded splendour wan; who by his gait And fierce demeanour seems the prince of hell, Nor likely to part hence without contest: Stand firm; for in his look defiance lours.
He scarce had ended, when those two approach'd, And brief related whom they brought, where found, How busied, in what form and posture couch'd.
To whom with stern regard thus Gabriel spake: Why hast thou, Satan, broke the bounds prescribed To thy transgressions? and disturb'd the charge Of others, who approve not to trangress By thy example? but have power and right To question thy bold entrance on this place; Employ'd, it seems, to violate sleep, and those Whose dwelling God hath planted here in bliss.
To whom thus Satan, with contemptuous brow: Gabriel, thou hadst in heaven the esteem of wise, And such I held thee; but this question ask'd Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain? Who would not, finding way, break loose from hell, Though thither doom'd? thou wouldst thyself, no doubt, 890 And boldly venture to whatever place
Farthest from pain, where thou mightst hope to change
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