What further would be learn'd. Live while you may, Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to fucceed.
So faying, his proud step he fcornful turn'd,
But with fly circumspection, and began
Through wood,through waste,o'er hill,o'er dale, his roam. Mean while in utmost longitude, where Heaven
With earth and ocean meets, the fetting fun
Slowly defcended, and with right aspéct
Against the eastern gate of Paradife
Levell❜d his evening rays: it was a rock
Of alabaster, pil'd up to the clouds,
Confpicuous far, winding with one afcent
Acceffible from earth, one entrance high;
The reft was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rofe, impoffible to climb.
Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel fat,
Chief of th' angelic guards, awaiting night;
About him exercis'd heroic games
Th' unarmed youth of Heav'n, but nigh at hand
Celestial armoury, fhields, helms, and fpears,
Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even
On a fun beam, fwift as a shooting star
In autumn thwarts the night, when vapors fir'd
Imprefs the air, and fhows the mariner
From what point of his compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.
Gabriel, to thee thy courfe by lot hath given
Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place
No evil thing approach or enter in.
This day at highth of noon came to my sphere
A Spirit, zealous, as he seem'd, to know,
More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly Man,
God's latest image: I defcrib'd his way
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his aery gate;
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he firft lighted, foon difcern'd his looks
Alien from Heav'n, with paffions foul obscur'd:
Mine eye purfued him ftill, but under shade
Loft fight of him: one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the deep, to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd.
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight,
Amid the fun's bright circle where thou fitft,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but fuch as come
Well known from Heav'n; and fince meridian hour
No creature thence: if Spirit of other fort,
So minded, have o'er-leap'd these earthy bounds
On purpose, hard thou know'ft it to exclude
Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar.
But if within the circuit of these walks,
In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
Thou tell'ft, by morrow dawning I fhall know.
So promis'd he; and Uriel to his charge
Return'd on that bright beam, whofe point now rais'd Bore him flope downward to the fun now fall'n
Beneath th' Azores; whether the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal, cr this lefs volúbil earth,
By fhorter flight to th' eaft, 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 fober livery all things clad;
Silence accompanied; for beast and bird,
They to their graffy couch, thefe to their nefts
Were flunk, all but the wakeful nightingale;
She all night long her amorous descant fung;
Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the firmament
With living faphirs: Hefperus, that led
The ftarry hoft, rode brighteft, till the moon
Rifing in clouded majesty, at length
Apparent queen unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw.
When Adam thus to Eve. Fair Confort, th' hour
Of night, and all things now retir'd to rest
Mind us of like repofe, fince God hath fet
Labor and reft, as day and night to men
Succeffive; and the timely dew of fleep
Now falling with soft slumbrous weight inclines 615
Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long
Rove idle unemploy'd, and less need reft;
Man hath his daily work of body' or mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity,
And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways;
While other animals unactive range,
And of their doings God takes no account.
To-morrow ere fresh morning ftreak the east
With first approach of light, we must be risen,
And at our pleasant labor, to reform
Yon flow'ry arbors, yonder alleys green,
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
That mock our fcant manuring, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth:
Those bloffoms alfo, and those dropping gums,
That lie beftrown unfightly and unsmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease;
Mean while, as Nature wills, night bids us reft.
To whom thus Eve with perfect beauty' adorn'd.
My Author and Disposer, what thou bidst
Unargued I obey; fo God ordains ;
God is thy law, thou mine to know no more
Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise.
With thee converfing I forget all time;
All seasons and their change, all please alike.
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rifing fweet,
With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the fun,
When first on this delightful land he spreads
His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower,
Glift'ring with dew; fragrant the fertil earth
After soft show'rs; and fweet the coming on
Of grateful evening mild; then filent night
With this her folemn bird, and this fair moon,
And these the gems of Heav'n, her starry train:
But neither breath of morn, when she ascends
With charm of earlicft birds; nor rising fun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower,
Glift'ring with dew; nor fragrance after showers:
Nor grateful evening mild; nor filent night
With this her folemn bird, nor walk by moon,
Or glittering star-light without thee is sweet.
But wherefore all night long shine these? for whom
This glorious fight, when fleep hath shut all eyes?
To whom our general ancestor reply'd.
Daughter of God and Man, accomplish'd Eve,
Thefe have their course to finish round the earth,
By morrow evening, and from land to land
In order, though to nations yet unborn,
Miniftring light prepar'd, they fet and rife;
Left total darkness fhould by night regain
Her old poffeffion, and extinguish life
In nature and all things, which these soft fires
Not only' inlighten, but with kindly heat
of various influence foment and warm,
Temper or nourish, or in part fhed down
Their ftellar virtue on all kinds that grow
On earth, made hereby apter to receive
Perfection from the fun's more potent ray.
These then, though unbeheld in deep of night,
Shine not in vain; nor think, though men were none,
That Heav'n would want spectators, God want praife:
Millions of fpiritual 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,
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