"Those rare and solitary, these in flocks "Pasturing at once, and in broad herds up sprung. "His hinder parts; then springs, as broke from bonds, 66 Rising, the crumbled earth above them threw "Bore up his branching head: scarce from his mould, 470 "At once came forth whatever creeps the ground, Streaking the ground with sinuous trace; not all "Minims of nature; some of serpent kind, "Wondrous in length and corpulence, involved "Of future; in small room large heart inclosed; 480 "Hereafter, joined in her popular tribes "Of commonalty: swarming next appeared "The female bee, that feeds her husband drone 490 66 Deliciously, and builds her waxen cells "With honey stored. The rest are numberless, "And thou their natures knowest, and gavest them names, "Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown "The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field, "Of huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes "Now Heaven in all her glory shone, and rolled "Her motions, as the great first Mover's hand 500 "First wheeled their course; Earth in her rich attire "Consummate lovely smiled! air, water, Earth, 66 By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walked, Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remained— "There wanted yet the master-work, the end "Of all yet done; a creature, who, not prone "His stature, and upright with front serene 66 66 Descends; thither with heart, and voice, and eyes, "Directed in devotion, to adore 66 66 And worship God Supreme, who made him chief "Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent, "Eternal Father, (for where is not he "Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake : "Let us make now Man in our image, Man "In our similitude, and let them rule "Over the fish and fowl of sea and air, "Beast of the field, and over all the earth, "And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.' "This said, he formed thee, Adam, thee, O Man! 'Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breathed 66 "The breath of life; in his own image he "Created thee, in the image of God 'Express; and thou becamest a living soul. "Male he created thee; but thy consort "Female, for race; then blessed mankind, and said, “And every living thing that moves on the earth.' "Is yet distinct by name,) thence, as thou knowst, 510 520 530 "And freely all their pleasant fruit for food 540 "Gave thee: all sorts are here that all the Earth yields, 66 Variety without end: but of the tree, “Which, tasted, works knowledge of good and evil, "Thou mayst not; in the day thou eatst, thou diest : "Death is the penalty imposed; beware, "And govern well thy appetite; lest Sin 66 Surprise thee, and her black attendant, Death. 66 Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tuned "The glorious train ascending. He through Heaven, "A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold, "Which nightly, as a circling zone, thou seest 550 560 570 580 "Powdered with stars. "And now on earth the seventh "Evening arose in Eden, for the Sun "Was set, and Twilight from the East came on, "Hath Omnipresence,) and the work ordained, "Author and End of all things; and, from work 590 "Now resting, blessed and hallowed the seventh day, Tempered soft tuning, intermixed with voice "Choral or unison of incense clouds, "Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount. "Creation and the six days' acts they sung: "Great are thy works, Jehovah ! infinite 600 "Thy power! What thought can measure thee, or tongue "Relate thee? Greater now in thy return "Than from the giant Angels; thee that day 'Thy thunders magnified; but to create "Is greater, than created to destroy. "Who can impair thee, Mighty King! or bound 66 Thy empire? easily the proud attempt "Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain, "Thou hast repelled; while impiously they thought "The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks 610 "Of amplitude almost immense, with stars Numerous, and every star perhaps a world "Of destined habitation; but thou knowst "Their seasons: among these, the seat of Men, "Earth with her nether ocean circumfused, "Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men, "And worship him; and, in reward, to rule Holy and just thrice happy, if they know "Their happiness, and persevere upright!' "So sung they, and the empyréan rung "With halleluiahs: thus was Sabbath kept. "And thy request think now fulfilled, that asked "How first this world and face of things began, "And what, before thy memory, was done 'From the beginning; that posterity, 620 630 "Informed by thee, might know: if else thou seekst "Aught, not surpassing human measure, say." 640 |