On to their morning's rural work they haste, Among sweet dews and flowers; where any row Of fruit-trees over-woody reach'd too far [check Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to Fruitless embraces: or they led the vine To wed her elm; she, spous'd, about him twines Her marriageable arms, and with her brings Her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld With pity Heaven's high King, and to him call'd Raphael, the sociable spirit, that deign'd To travel with Tobias, and secur'd
His marriage with the seven-times-wedded maid.. "Raphael," said he, "thou hear'st what stir on earth
[gulf, Satan, from hell 'scap'd through the darksome Hath rais'd in Paradise; and how disturb'd This night the human pair; how he designs In them at once to ruin all mankind. Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend Converse with Adam, in what bower or shade Thou find'st him from the heat of noon retir'd, To respite his day-labour with repast, Or with repose; and such discourse bring on, As may advise him of his happy state, Happiness in his power left free to will, Left to his own free will, his will though free Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware He swerve not, too secure: tell him withal His danger, and from whom; what enemy, Late fallen himself from heaven, is plotting now The fall of others from like state of bliss ; By violence? no, for that shall be withstood; But by deceit and lies: this let him know, Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend Surprisal, unadmonish'd, unforewarn'd."
So spake the Eternal Father, and fulfill' All justice; nor delay'd the winged saint After his charge receiv'd but from among
Thousand celestial ardours, where he stood Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, up-springing light Flew through the midst of heaven: the angelic
On each hand parting, to his speed gave way Through all the empyreal road: till, at the gate Of heaven arriv'd, the gate self-open'd wide On golden hinges turning, as by work Divine the Sovran Architect had fram'd. From hence no cloud, or, to obstruct his sight, Star interpos'd, however small, he sees, Not unconform'd to other shining globes, Earth, and the garden of God, with cedars crown'd Above all hills. As when by night the glass Of Galileo, less assur'd, observes Imagin'd lands and regions in the moon: Or pilot, from amidst the Cyclades Delos or Samos first appearing, kens A cloudy spot. Down thither prone in flight He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky Sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan Winnows the buxom air; till within soar Of towering eagles, to all the fowls he seems A phœnix, gaz'd by all, as that sole bird, When to enshrine his relics in the sun's Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies. At once on the eastern cliff of Paradise He lights, and to his proper shape returns A seraph wing'd: six wings he wore to shade His lineaments divine; the pair that clad Each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breast With regal ornament; the middle pair Girt like a starry zone his waist, and round Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold, And colours dipt in heaven; the third his feet Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail, Sky-tinctur'd grain. Like Maia's son he stood, And shook his plum plumes, that hat heavenly fragrance
The circuit wide. Straight knew him ah the bands Of angels under watch; and to his state, And to his message high, in honour rise : For on some message high they guess'd him bound. Their glittering tents he pass'd, and now is come Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh, And flowering odours, cassia, nard, and balm; A wilderness of sweets; for Nature here Wanton'd as in her prime, and play'd at will Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet, Wild above rule or art, enormous bliss. Him through the spicy forest onward come Adam discern'd, as in the door he sat Of his cool hower, while now the mounted sun Shot down direct his fervid rays to warın Earth's inmost womb, more warmth than Adam
And Eve within, due at her hour prepar'd For dinner savoury fruits, of taste to please True appetite, and not disrelish thirst Of nectarous draughts between, from milky stream, Berry or grape: to whom thus Adam call'd:
"Haste hither, Eve, and worth thy sight behold Eastward among those trees, what glorious shapa Comes this way moving; seems another morn Risen on mid-noon; some great behest from heaven To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And what thy stores contain, bring forth and pour Abundance, fit to honour and receive Our heavenly stranger; well we may afford Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow From large bestow'd, where Nature multiplies Her fertile growth, and by disburdening grows More fruitful, which instructs us not to spare." To whom thus Eve: "Adam, earth's hallow'd [store, Of God inspir'd! small store will serve, where All seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk;
Save what by frugal storing firmness gains To nourish and superfluous moist consumes : But I will haste, and from each bough and brake, Each plant and juiciest gourd, will pluck such choice To entertain our angel-guest, as he Beholding shall confess, that here on earth God hath dispens'd his bounties as in heaven."
So saying, with dispatchful looks in haste She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent What choice to choose for delicacy best, What order so contriv'd as not to mix Tastes not well join'd, inelegant, but bring Taste after taste upheld with kindliest change Bestirs her then, and from each tender stalk Whatever earth, all-bearing mother, yields In India East or West, or middle shore In Pontus or the Punic coast, or where Alcinöus reign'd, fruit of all kinds, in coat Rough, or smooth rind, or bearded husk, or shell, She gathers, tribute large, and on the board Heaps with unsparing hand; for drink the grape She crushes, inoffensive must, and meaths From many a berry, and from sweet kernels press'd She tempers dulcet creams; nor these to hold Wants her fit vessels pure; then strows the ground With rose and odours from the shrub unfum'd. Meanwhile our primitive great sire, to meet His godlike guest, walks forth, without more train Accompanied than with his own complete Perfections; in himself was all his state, More solemn than the tedious pomp that waits On princes, when their rich retinue long Of horses led, and grooms besmear'd with gold, Dazzles the crowd, and sets them all agape. Nearer his presence Adam, though not aw'd, Yet with submiss approach and reverence meek, As to a superior nature, bowing low, Thus said: "Native of heaven, for other place Nowe can than heaven such glorious shape contain
Since by descending from the thrones above, Those happy places thou hast deign'd a while To want, and honour these, vouchsafe with us Two only, who yet by sovran gift possess This spacious ground, in yonder shady bower To rest, and what the garden choicest bears To sit and taste, till this meridian heat Be over, and the sun more cool decline."
Whom thus the angelic Virtue answer'd mild: "Adam, I therefore came; nor art thou such Created, or such place hast here to dwell. As may not oft invite, though spirits of heaven, To visit thee; lead on then where thy bower O'ershades; for these mid-hours, till evening rise, I have at will." So to the sylvan lodge They came, that like Pomona's arbour smil'd, With flowerets deck'd, and fragrant smells; but
Undeck'd save with herself, more lovely fair Than wood-nymph, or the fairest goddess feign'd Of three that in mount Ida naked strove, Stood to entertain her guest from heaven; no veil she needed, virtue-proof; no thought infirun Alter'd her cheek. On whom the angel" Hail!" Destow'd, the only salutation us'd Long after to blest Mary, second Eve:
"Hail, mother of mankind, whose fruitful womb Shall fill the world more numerous with thy sons, Than with these various fruits the trees of God Have heap'd this table." Rais'd of grassy turf Their table was, and mossy seats had round, And on her ample square from side to side All autumn pil'd, though spring and autumn here Danc'd hand in hand. A while discourse they hold, No fear lest dinner cool; when thus began Our author: "Heavenly stranger, 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 CAU
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