And on her ample square, from side to side, All autumn pil'd, tho' spring and autumn here Danc'd hand in hand. A while discourse they hold;
No fear left dinner cool; when thus began Our author: Heav'nly ftranger, please to taste These bounties which our Nourisher, from whom All perfect good, unmeasur'd out, descends To us for food, and for delight hath caus'd 400 The earth to yield; unsav'ry food perhaps To spiritual natures: only this I know, That one celestial Father gives to all.
To whom the Angel: Therefore, what he gives (Whose praise be ever sung) to Man in part 405 Spiritual, may of purest Sp'rits be found No' ingrateful food: and food alike those pure Intelligential substances require,
As doth your rational; and both contain Within them ev'ry lower faculty
Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch,
Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate,
And corporeal to incorporeal turn.
For know, whatever was created, needs To be sustain'd and fed: of elements
The grosser feeds the purer; earth the sea, Earth and the sea feed air; the air those fires Ethereal, and as lowest first the moon; Whence in her visage round those spots, unpurg'd Vapours not yet into her substance turn'd. 420
Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale From her moist continent to higher orbs. The Sun, that light imparts to all, receives From all his alimental recompense In humid exhalations, and at ev'n
Sups with the ocean. Tho' in Heav'n the trees Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines Yield nectar; tho' from off the boughs each morn We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground Cover'd with pearly grain, yet God hath here Vary'd his bounty so with new delights, 431 As may compare with Heav'n; and to taste Think not I shall be nice. So down they sat, And to their viands fell; nor seemingly The Angel, nor in mist, the common gloss 435 Of Theologians; but with keen dispatch Of real hunger and concoctive heat
To transubstantiate: what redounds, transpires Thro' Spirits with ease; nor wonder, if by fire Of sooty coal th' empyric alchemist
Can turn, or holds it possible to turn, Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold,
As from the mine. Mean while at table Eve Minister'd naked, and their flowing cups
With pleasant liquors crown'd. O innocence 445 Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,
Then had the sons of God excuse to' have been
Enamour'd at that sight; but in those hearts Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousy Was understood, the injur'd lover's Hell.
Thus, when with meats and drinks they had
Not burden'd nature, sudden mind arose In Adam, not to let th' occasion pass
Giv'n him by this great conference, to know Of things above his world, and of their being 455 Who dwell in Heav'n, whose excellence he saw Transcend his own so far, whose radiant forms Divine effulgence, whose high pow'r so far Exceeded human; and his wary speech Thus to th' empyreal minister he fram'd: Inhabitant with God, now know I well Thy favour in this honour done to Man, Under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsaf'd To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste, Food not of Angels, yet accepted so, As that more willingly thou couldst not seem At Heav'n's high feasts to' have fed: yet what compare?
To whom the winged Hierarch reply'd: O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom All things proceed, and up to him return, If not deprav'd from good, created all Such to perfection, one first matter all, Endu'd with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and in things that live, of life; But more refin'd, more spiritous, and pure, 475 As nearer to him plac'd, or nearer tending Each in their sev'ral active spheres assign'd, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds
Proportion'd to each kind. So from the root Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the
More airy, last the bright consummate flow'r Spirits odorous breathes: flow'rs and their fruit, Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublim'd, To vital sp'rits aspire, to animal,
To intellectual; give both life and sense,
Fancy and understanding; whence the soul Reason receives, and reason is her being, Discursive or intuitive: discourse
Is oftest yours; the latter most is ours, Diff'ring but in degree; of kind the same. 490 Wonder not then, what God for
you saw good, If I refuse not, but convert, as you,
To proper substance: time may come, when Men With Angels may participate, and find
No inconvenient diet, nor too light fare ; 495 And from these corp'ral nutriments, perhaps Your bodies may at last turn all to sp'rit, Improv'd by tract of time, and wing`d ascend Ethereal, as we, or may at choice Here or in heav'nly Paradises dwell; If ye be found obedient, and retain Unalterably firm his love entire,
Whose progeny you are. Mean while enjoy Your fill what happiness this happy state
Can comprehend, incapable of more.
To whom the patriarch of mankind reply'd :
O favourable Sp'rit, propitious guest,
Well hast thou taught the way that might direct Our knowledge, and the scale of nature set From centre to circumference, whereon In contemplation of created things, By steps we may ascend to God. But
What meant that caution join'd, If ye be found. Obedient? Can we want obedience then
To him, or possibly his love desert,
Who form'd us from the dust, and plac'd us here Full to the utmost measure of what bliss Human desires can seek or apprehend?
To whom the Angel: Son of Heav'n and Earth, Attend. That thou art happy, owe to God; 520 That thou continuest such, owe to thyself; That is, to thy obedience: therein stand. This was that caution giv'n thee; be advis'd. God made thee perfect, not immutable;
And good he made thee; but to persevere 525 He left it in thy pow'r; ordain'd thy will By nature free, not over-rul'd by fate Inextricable, or strict necessity.
Our voluntary service he requires,
Not our necessitated: such with him
Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how
Can hearts, not free, be try'd whether they serve Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other choose?.. Myself and all th' angelic host, that stand In sight of God enthron'd, our happy state b Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds
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