Æthereique Chori lætos cecinere Hymenæos :
Tempore quo primùm cœleftis Nuntius Ipfam
Tradidit Adamo comitem, propiamque dicavit,
Ingenuâ nitidam formâ, nudoque decore
Ornatam magis. Haud tantos jactabat honores
Quæ cœlo quondam fertur veniffe, Deorum
Muneribus dives, vultu Pandora nocenti,
Illecebrisque hominum genus incendiffe dolofis.
Ut tandem arboreæ perventum eft limina fedis,
Ambo gradus fiftunt, flectunt fe frontibus ambo
Obverfis, cœloque DEUм venerantur aperto;
Qui cœlum terrafque unus, quique æthera finxit,
Lucentemque globum Lunæ, fulgentiaque aftra.
Tuque vices etiam noctis, lucemque creasti
Omnipotens, quam nunc folito inter penfa labore
Claufimus, auxiliique & amoris gaudia blanda
Mifcentes; nobis ea tradita fumma Voluptas.
Tu læta hæc fpatia hortorum, quæ prodiga noftros
And Heav'nly Choirs the Hymenæan fung,
What day the genial Angel to our Sire
Brought her, in naked Beauty more adorn'd,
More lovely, than Pandora; whom the Gods
Endow'd with all their gifts, (and O! too like
In fad event,) when to th' unwifer Son
Of Japhet brought by Hermes, fhe infnar'd
Mankind with her fair looks, to be aveng'd
On him who had ftole Jove's authentic fire.
Thus at their fhady Lodge arriv'd, both ftood,
Both turn'd; and under open Sky ador'd
The GOD that made both Sky, Air, Earth, and
Heav'n,
Which they beheld; the Moon's refplendent Globe,
And ftarry Pole: Thou also mad'ft the Night,
Maker Omnipotent, and Thou the Day;
Which we in our appointed work employ'd
Have finish'd, happy in our mutual help,
And mutual love, the Crown of all our blifs
Ordain'd by Thee; and this delicious place,
Muneribus fuperant ufus, multâque gravefcunt
Luxurie, atque alios exfpectant fœta colonos.
Quin Tu venturam noftro de femine gentem
Pollicitus, nobifcum unà qui carmina laudes
Tollat in aftra tuas; quoties ad pensa diurna
Sol revocat, quoties fomni Nox munera reddit.
Sic Olli unanimes; vanis nec ritibus ufi,
At precibus caftis venerati & pectore puro
Oblectant melius numen; lentisque viciffim
Innexis manibus fubeunt umbracula læti
Intima. Non illis curæ pofuiffe molestos
His noftris fimiles cultus: mora nulla, reclines
Conferuere latus lateri; nec brachia pulchræ
Conjugis averfus fugit Ille, nec Illa mariti
Jura arcana tori, fociofve recufat amores.
Se quanquam rigidâ jactent pietate, Severos
Qui fimulant; dum multa fuper virtute locoque
Narrantes impura vocant, quæ pura fatetur,
For us too large; where Thy abundance wants
Partakers, and uncrop'd falls to the ground.
But Thou haft promis'd from us two a Race
To fill the Earth, who fhall with us extol
Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,
And when we seek, as now, Thy gift of sleep.
This faid unanimous, and other Rites
Obferving none, but adoration pure,
Which God likes beft, into their inmost Bow'r
Handed they went; and (eas'd the putting off
These troublesome disguises which we wear,)
Strait fide by fide were laid: nor turn'd, I ween,
Adam from his fair Spouse; nor Eve the Rites
Myfterious of connubial love refus'd:
Whatever Hypocrites aufterely talk
Of purity, and place, and innocence;
Defaming as impure what God declares
Pure; and commands to fome, leaves free to all.
Quæ multis præftanda jubet, finit omnibus Autor.
Hic prolem ferere admonuit: Quis parcere fuadet?
Hoftis atrox, odiis Hominemque DEU мque fecutus.
Tu mihi, connubialis Amor, Lex myftica, falve;
Humanæ falve ô Sobolis fons optime, folum
O Proprium Edeni in campis, quà cætera passim
Cuncta patent! Cœtus hominum, Te arcente, Libido
Liquit volgivaga, & pecora inter inertia fævit;
Aufpice Te, jufti Prolis coiere Patrumque
Inter fe Affectus; Cognatis fœdere certo
Juncta Fides coit, & Fratrum cariffima vincla.
Abfit, ut immerito pravum Te nomine dicam,
Abfit, ut indignum memorem fanctiffima Sedes
Quem capiat; jugi qui fonte domestica fundis
Gaudia; cui caftum labifque immune Cubile
Tefte DEO clamans ftudiis felicibus tas
Noftra colit, fancti ut quondam coluere Parentes.
Hic ardet face perpetuâ puriffima Flamma
Our Maker bids increase; who bids abstain,
But our Destroyer, foe to GoD and Man?
Hail wedded Love, mysterious Law, true fource
Of human offspring, fole propriety
In Paradife of all things common else!
By Thee adult'rous Luft was driv'n from men,
Among the bestial herds to range; by Thee,
(Founded in Reafon, Loyal, Juft, and Pure)
Relations dear, and all the Charities
Of Father, Son, and Brother, first were known.
Far be it, that I should write thee fin, or blame,
Or think thee unbefitting holieft place;
Perpetual Fountain of Domeftic Sweets,
Whose bed is undefil'd and chafte pronounc'd,
Prefent, or paft; as Saints, and Patriarchs us'd.
Here Love his golden fhafts employs, here lights
His conftant Lamp, and waves his purple wings;
Reigns here, and revels: not in the bought smile
Deliciis fœcunda perennibus: at fugit emptos
Pellicis amplexus, (inhoneftum, inamabile fœdus)
Amplexus, quos cæca locat venditque Libido:
Infanos fugit Illa choros, lafciva Potentum
Atria, nocturnos lufus, larvafque procaces;
Et querulos quos nocte modos faftidia paffus
Digna Procus fævæ canit importunus Amicæ.
Illi adeò dulcem Philomelæ ad carmina fomnum
Complexu in tenero capiunt; Laquearia denfas
Diffundunt per membra rofas, Aurora renafcens
Quas renovat. Molles etiamnum ô ducite fomnos,
Par felix, nimium ô felix, fi gaudia rerum
Veftrarum nôstis penitùs, nec quæritis ultrà.
Jamque viam emensa est mediam Nox humida, cœli
Afcendens convexa, & acuti verticis umbram
Immittens terris: Effundit eburna Cherubum
Porta choros, promptos folitas fervare fub armis
Excubias. Sibi tum Gabrial virtute fecundum
Of Harlots, lovelefs, joylefs, unendear'd,
Cafual fruition; nor in Court Amours,
Mixt Dance, or wanton Mask, or midnight Ball,
Or Serenade, which the ftarv'd Lover fings
To his proud Fair, beft quitted with disdain.
Thefe, lull'd by Nightingales, embracing slept ;
And on their naked limbs the flow'ry roof
Showr'd Rofes, which the Morn repair'd.
Bleft Pair; and O yet happieft, if ye feek
No happier state, and know to know no more.
Now had night meafur'd, with her fhadowy
Cone,
Half
way up hill this vaft fublunar Vault:
And from their Ivory Port the Cherubim
Forth iffuing at th' accuftom'd hour stood arm'd
To their night watches in warlike Parade,
When Gabriel to his next in pow'r thus spake:
His comitem aggreditur dictis: En, Uzzial, agmen
Divide; & auftrales pars tecum educta per oras
Pervigiles agat excubias; pars cætera terram
Luftret Hyperboream; ad zephyros folemque cadentem
Se turmæ adjungant. Flammarum more recedunt,
Altera converfa ad fcutum, pars altera ad haftam.
Evocat ipfe duos membrifque animoque fagaci
Præftantes pariter Juvenes, ac talia mandat:
Vadite vos, Zephonque & Ithurial: ocyus omnem
Pervolitate hortum, latebrafque exquirite cæcas;
Frondentes præfertim umbras, quà dulce jacet Par
Primigenum, fomno jam forfan habente malorum
Securos. Nempe Hefperio modo venit ab orbe,
Qui narrat fugere hàc vifum, mirabile dictu!
Agminis inferni quendam, compagibus Orci
Difruptis: animo certè mala cogitat: At Vos
Quærite quà lateat, manicifque huc ferte revinctum.
Hæc fatus, Lunam ferientes luce corufcâ
Uzziel, half thefe draw off, and coaft the South
With ftrictest watch: these other wheel the North:
Our Circuit meets full Weft. As flame they part,
Half wheeling to the Shield, half to the Spear.
From thefe, two ftrong and fubtile Spirits he
call'd
That near him stood, and gave them thus in charge.
Ithuriel and Zephon, with wing'd speed
Search thro' this Garden, leave unfearch'd no nook;
But chiefly where those two fair Creatures lodge,
Now laid perhaps afleep, fecure of harm.
This Evening from the Sun's decline arriv'd,
Who tells of fome infernal Spirit seen
Hitherward bent (who could have thought?) e-
fcap'd
The bars of Hell; on errand bad, no doubt:
Such where ye find, feize faft, and hither bring.
So faying, on he led his radiant Files,
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