Deliciously, and builds her waxen cells

With honey stor'd: the rest are numberless,
And thou their natures know'st, and gav'st them
Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown [names,
The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field,

Of huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes
And hairy mane terrific, though to thee
Not noxious, but obedient at thy call.

495

Now heaven in all her glory shone, and roll'd
Her motions, as the great First Mover's hand 500
First wheel'd their course; earth in her rich attire
Consummate lovely smil'd; air, water, earth,
By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was
walk'd

Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remain'd;
There wanted yet the master work, the end
Of all yet done; a creature, who not prone
And brute as other creatures, but indu'd
With sanctity of reason, might erect

505

His stature, and upright with front serene Govern the rest, self-knowing; and from thence 510

491 waxen cells] So Marino's Sl. of the Innocents, p. 28. 'Or when the bees, like murmuring armies, hide The tops of flowers, where sweetest nectar flows, And on their laden wings the odorous prey In troops, unto their waxen camp convey.'

197 hairy mane] See Virg. Æn. ii. 206. Petronii Trojæ Elosis, v. 38. J. Obsequens de Prodigiis, p. 54. Angues jubati.' Plauti Amphitr. act. v. sc. i.Jubatus anguis major solitis.' Capitolin. Vit. Anton. Pii, ix. 35, ed Putman.

Magnanimous to correspond with heav'n;
But grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Descends, thither with heart, and voice, and eyes
Directed in devotion, to adore

516

And worship GoD supreme, who made him chief Of all his works: therefore the omnipotent Eternal Father, for where is not he

Present? thus to his Son audibly spake.

Let us make now man in our image, man

In our similitude, and let them rule

Over the fish and fowl of sea and air,

Beast of the field, and over all the earth,

520

And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.
This said, he form'd thee, Adam, thee, O man,

Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath'd 525
The breath of life in his own image he
Created thee, in the image of GoD
Express, and thou becamʼst a living soul.
Male he created thee, but thy consort

531

Female for race; then bless'd mankind, and said,
Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth,
Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold
Over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air,
And every living thing that moves on the earth.
Wherever thus created, for no place

535

Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know'st,

536 thence] Tickell, Fenton, and Bentley have adopted in this passage a wrong punctuation, putting only a comma after earth' (534), and a full stop after name' (536). Newton restored the reading of Milton's own editions.

He brought thee into this delicious grove,
This garden, planted with the trees of Gor,
Delectable both to behold and taste;

And freely all their pleasant fruit for food

540

Gave thee, all sorts are here that all th' earth yields, Variety without end; but of the tree,

543

Which tasted works knowledge of good and evil,
Thou may'st not: in the day thou eat'st thou dy'st;
Death is the penalty impos'd, beware,
And govern well thy appetite, lest sin
Surprize thee, and her black attendant death.
Here finish'd he, and all that he had made
View'd, and behold all was entirely good;
So ev❜n and morn accomplish'd the sixth day: 550
Yet not, till the Creator from his work
Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd,
Up to the heav'n of heav'ns his high abode,
Thence to behold this new-created world,
Th' addition of his empire, how it show'd
In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair,
Answering his great idea. Up he rode,
Follow'd with acclamation and the sound
Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tun'd
Angelic harmonies: the earth, the air
Resounded, thou remember'st, for thou heard'st;
The heav'ns and all the constellations rung,
The planets in their station list'ning stood,
While the bright pomp ascended jubilant.
Open, ye everlasting gates, they sung,
Open, ye heavens, your living doors; let in

553

560

56:

570

The great Creator, from his work return'd
Magnificent, his six days work, a world:
Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign
To visit oft the dwellings of just men
Delighted, and with frequent intercourse
Thither will send his winged messengers
On errands of supernal grace. So sung
The glorious train ascending: He through heav'n,
That open'd wide her blazing portals, led
To God's eternal house direct the way,
A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold,
And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear
Seen in the galaxy, that milky way

Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest

575

580

Powder'd with stars. And now on earth the seventh
Ev'ning arose in Eden, for the sun

Was set, and twilight from the east came on,
Forerunning night; when at the holy mount
Of heav'n's high seated top, th' imperial throne 585
Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and sure,
The Filial Power arriv'd, and sat him down
With his great Father; for he also went
Invisible, yet stay'd, such privilege

Hath Omnipresence, and the work ordain'd, 590
Author and end of all things, and from work
Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the seventh day,
As resting on that day from all his work,

But not in silence holy kept; the harp

581 Powder'd] Sylvester's Du Bartas, p.

76.

'Powdred with stars streaming with glorious light.' Todd'

Had work, and rested not; the solemn pipe
And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,
All sounds on fret by string or golden wire,
Temper'd soft tunings, intermix'd with voice
Choral or unison: of incense clouds

595

Fuming from golden censers hid the mount. 600 Creation and the six days acts they sung,

Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite

[tongue

Thy power; what thought can measure thee, or Relate thee? greater now in thy return

Than from the giant angels; thee that day 605 Thy thunders magnified; but to create

Is greater than created to destroy.

610

Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound
Thy empire? easily the proud attempt
Of spirits apostate and their counsels vain
Thou hast repell'd, while impiously they thought
Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks
To lessen thee, against his purpose serves
To manifest the more thy might: his evil

615

620

Thou usest, and from thence creat❜st more good.
Witness this new-made world, another heav'n
From heaven gate not far, founded in view
On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea;
Of amplitude almost immense, with stars
Numerous, and every star perhaps a world
Of destin❜d habitation; but thou know'st
Their seasons: among these the seat of men,
Earth, with her nether ocean circumfus'd,