"But first, with narrow search, I must walk round
"This garden, and no corner leave unspied;
"A chance but chance may lead where I may meet

"Some wandering spirit of Heaven, by fountain side,
"Or in thick shade retired, from him to draw
"What farther would be learned. Live while ye may,
"Yet happy pair! enjoy, till I return,

"Short pleasures; for long woes are to succeed."

So saying, his proud step he scornful turned,

But with sly circumspection, and began

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Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his roam.

Meanwhile, in utmost longitude, where Heaven

With Earth and Ocean meets, the setting sun
Slowly descended, and, with right aspect
Against the eastern gate of Paradise
Levelled his evening rays: it was a rock
Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds,
Conspicuous far, winding with one ascent
Accessible from earth, one entrance high;
The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat,
Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night;
About him exercised heroic games

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The unarmed youth of Heaven; but nigh at hand

Celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears,

Hung high, with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even
On a sunbeam, swift as a shooting star

In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fired
Impress the air, and show the mariner

From what point of his compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste:

"Gabriel! to thee thy course by lot hath given

Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place "No evil thing approach, or enter in.

"This day, at height of noon, came to my sphere "A spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know

"More of the Almighty's works, and chiefly man, "God's latest image; I described his way,

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"Bent all on speed, and marked his airy gait;
"But, in the mount that lies from Eden north,
“ Where he first lighted, soon discerned his looks
“Alien from Heaven, with passions foul obscured :
"Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade
“Lost sight of him. One of the banished crew,
“I fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise
"New troubles: him thy care must be to find.”
To whom the wingèd warrior thus returned :
“Uriel! no wonder if thy perfect sight,
“Amid the sun's bright circle where thou sitt’st,
"See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
"The vigilance here placed, but such as come
“Well known from Heaven; and since meridian hour
"No creature thence. If spirit of other sort,
"So minded, have o'erleaped these earthly bounds
"On purpose, hard thou know'st it to exclude
"Spiritual substance with corporeal bar.
"But if within the circuit of these walks

"In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom

"Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know."

So promised he; and Uriel to his charge

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Returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised 590 Bore him slope downwards to the Sun, now fallen

Beneath the Azorès; whether the prime orb,

Incredible how swift, had thither rolled

Diurnal; or this less volúbil Earth,

By shorter flight to the east, had left him there,
Arraying with reflected purple and gold
The clouds that on his western throne attend.

Now came still evening on, and twilight gray
Had in her sober livery all things clad:
Silence accompanied; for beast and bird,
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests,
Were slunk ;-all but the wakeful nightingale;
She all night long her amorous descant sung;
Silence was pleased: now glowed the firmament
With living sapphires; Hesperus, that led
The starry host, rode brightest, till the Moon,
Rising in clouded majesty, at length,

600

Apparent queen, unveiled her peerless light,

And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw.

When Adam thus to Eve: "Fair consort! the hour 610

"Of night, and all things now retired to rest,
"Mind us of like repose; since God hath set
"Labour and rest, as day and night, to men
"Successive; and the timely dew of sleep,
"Now falling with soft slumberous weight, inclines
"Our eyelids: other creatures all day long
"Rove idle, unemployed, and less need rest:
"Man hath his daily work of body or mind

'Appointed, which declares his dignity, "And the regard of Heaven on all his ways; "While other animals inactive range, "And of their doings God takes no account. "To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east "With first approach of light, we must be risen, "And at our pleasant labour, to reforin "Yon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green, "Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown, "That mock our scant manuring, and require "More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth: "Those blossoms also, and those drooping gums, "That lie bestrown, unsightly and unsmooth, "Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease;

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Meanwhile, as Nature wills, night bids us rest.' To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty adorned: "My author and disposer! what thou bidst

Unargued I obey: so God ordains.

"God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more
"Is woman's happiest knowledge, and her praise.
"With thee conversing I forget all time;
"All seasons, and their change,-all please alike.
"Sweet is the breath of Morn, her rising sweet,
"With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the Sun,
"When first on this delightful land he spreads
"His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower,
"Glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile Earth
"After soft showers; and sweet the coming on
"Of grateful Evening mild; then silent Night,

(20

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640

"With this her solemn bird, and this fair Moon,
"And these the gems of Heaven, her starry train.
"But neither breath of Morn, when she ascends
"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, accomplished 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,)

66

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 joined their songs

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680

"Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to Heaven." Thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed

690

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 jessamine,

Reared high their flourished heads between, and wrought
Mosaic: under foot the violet,

Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay

Broidered the ground, more coloured 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 sequestered, though but feigned,
Pan or Sylvanus never slept; nor Nymph
Nor Faunus haunted. Here, in close recess,

With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs,
Espoused Eve decked her first nuptial bed;
And heavenly quires the hymenean sung,
What day the genial angel to our sire
Brought her, in naked beauty more adorned,
More lovely, than Pandora, whom the gods
Endowed 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.

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Thus, at their shady lodge arrived, both stood,

720

Both turned, 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 employed,
"Have finished, happy in our mutual help