To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her night Related, and thus Adam answer'd sad. Best image of myself and dearer half, The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep Affects me equally; nor can I like This uncouth dream, of evil sprung I fear: Yet evil whence ? in thee can harbour none, Created pure. But know that in the soul Are many lesser faculties that serve Reason as chief: among these fancy next Her office holds; of all external things, Which the five watchful senses represent, She forms imaginations, aery shapes, Which reason joining, or disjoining, frames All what we affirm, or what deny, and call Our knowledge or opinion; then retires Into her private cell when nature rests. Oft in her absence mimic fancy wakes To imitate her; but, misjoining shapes, Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams, Ill matching words and deeds long past or late. Some such resemblances methinks I find Of our last evening's talk in this thy dream, But with addition strange; yet be not sad: Evil into the mind of God or man May come and go, so unapprov'd, and leave 95 100 105 110 115 125 93 night] for the "dreams of night." v. S. Ital. iii. 216. 'Promissa evolvit somni, noctemque retractat.' Hume. 117 God] God here signifies 'angel.' See ver. 59 and 70. Newton. No spot or blame behind; which gives me hope 130 135 So all was clear'd, and to the field they haste. But first, from under shady arborous roof Soon as they forth were come to open sight Of dayspring and the sun, who, scarce uprisen With wheels yet hov'ring o'er the ocean brim, 140 Shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray, Discovering in wide landscape all the east Of paradise and Eden's happy plains, Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began 127 bosom'd] 'Bosom.' Bentl. MS. 137 roof] In Milton's own edition, a comma stands after 'roof,' which Tickell, Fenton, Bentley followed. Pearce properly corrected it. Their orisons, each morning duly paid 145 151 Flow'd from their lips, in prose or numerous verse, These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, 160 In these thy lowest works; yet these declare If better thou belong not to the dawn, 164 Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn With thy bright circlet, praise him in thy sphere While day arises, that sweet hour of prime. 150 numerous] 'To enter David's numerous fane.' Sandy's Psalms: Ded. 166 Fairest] Hom. II. xxii. 318. and Ov. Met. ii. 114. Newton. 170 Thou sun, of this great world both eye and soul, Acknowledge him thy greater, sound his praise In thy eternal course, both when thou clim'st' And when high noon hast gain'd, and when thou fall'st. 174 Moon, that now meet'st the orient sun, now fly'st, With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies, And ye five other wand'ring fires that move In mystic dance not without song, resound Air, and ye elements the eldest birth 180 And nourish all things, let your ceaseless change Vary to our great Maker still new praise. Ye mists and exhalations that now rise 185 From hill or steaming lake, dusky or gray, His praise, ye winds that from four quarters blow, 177 five] 'Verum etiam quinque stellas, quæ vulgo vagæ nuncupantur.' v. Apul. de Deo Socratis, ed. Delph. vol. ii. p. 666. 181 quaternion] Heywood's Hier. p. 193. 'What ternions and classes be In the cælestial hierarchie.' Fountains and ye that warble, as ye flow, That singing up to heaven-gate ascend, 195 Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise; Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk 200 Hail universal Lord, be bounteous still 205 So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts 210 Firm peace recover'd soon and wonted calm. 215 198 heaven-gate] So in Cymbeline, act ii. sc. 3. 'Hark! hark, the lark at heaven's gate sings.' Newton. 200 Ye that] How could the fish witness? Bentl. MS. 206 give] Not unlike the Prayer of Clytemnestra in Soph. Elect. 646. A. Dyce. 217 marriageable] See Apulei Apolog. p. 540. ed. Delph. |