Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

She all night long her amorous defcant fung;
Silence was pleas'd; now glow'd the firmament
With living faphirs; HESPERUS that led
The ftarry hoft rode brighteft, till the moon.
Rifing in clouded majeity at length,
Apparent Queen, unvail'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw;
When ADAM thus to EvE: fair confort, th' hour 610
Of night, and all things now retir'd to reft
Mind us of like repofe, fince God hath fet
Labor and reft, as day and night to men
Succeffive; and the timely dew of fleep
Now falling with foft flumbrous weight, inclines 615
Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long
Rove idle, unemploy'd, and lefs need reft:
Man hath his daily work of body, or mind,
Appointed, which declares his dignity,
And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways:
While other animals unactive range,
And of their doings GoD takes no account.
To-morrow. e're fresh morning ftreak the east
With first approach of light, we must be ris'n,
And at our pleasant labor, to reform
Yon flowry arbors, yonder allies green
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown;
That mock our fcant manuring, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth.
Thofe bloffoms alfo, and thofe dropping gums, 630
That lie beftrown unfightly and unfmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease:
Mean while, as nature wills, night bids us reft.

605

620

625

To whom thus Eve with perfect beauty adorn'd: My author and difpofer! what thou bidft 635 Unargu'd I obey; fo GoD ordains, GOD is thy law, thou mine; to know no more Is woman's happieft knowledge, and her praise. With thee converfing I forget all time,

All

1

[ocr errors]

All feafons and their change, all please alike:
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rifing fweet,
With charm of earliest birds: pleafant the Sun,
When firft on this delightful land he fpreads
His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow'r,
Gliftring with dew: fragrant the fertile earth 645
After foft fhow'rs: and fweet the coming on
Of grateful ev'ning mild: then filent night
With this her folemn bird, and this fair moon,
And thefe the gems of heav'n, her ftarry train.
But neither breath of morn, when the afcends 650
With charm of earliest birds; nor rifing Sun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flow'r,
Gliftring with dew; nor fragrance after fhow'rs;
Nor grateful evening mild; nor filent night,
With this her folemn bird, nor walk by moon, 655
Or glittering ftar-light, without thee is fweet.
But wherefore all night long fhine thefe, for whom
This glorious fight, when fleep hath fhut all eyes?

640

To whom our general ancestor reply'd: Daughter of GoD and man, accomplish'd EvE, 660 Thofe have their courfe to finish, round the earth, By morrow ev'ning, and from land to land In order, though to nations yet unborn, Miniftring light prepar'd, they fet and rife: Left total darknefs fhould by night regain Her old poffeffion, and extinguish life In nature and all things; which these soft fires Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat Of various influence foment and warm, Temper or nourish; or in part shed down Their ftellar virtue on all kinds that grow On earth; made hereby apter to receive Perfection from the Sun's more potent ray. These then, though unbeheld in deep of night, 674 Shine not in vain; nor think, though men were none, That heav'n would want fpectators, God want praise:

Millions

665

670

680

Millions of fpiritual creatures walk the earth
Unfeen, both when we wake, and when we fleep.
All thefe with ceafelefs praise his works behold
Both day and night: how often from the steep
Of echoing hill, or thicket, have we heard
Cœleftial voices to the midnight air,
(Sole, or refponfive each to other's note)
Singing their great Creator; oft in bands)
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk, 685
With heav'nly touch of inftrumental founds,
In full harmonic number join'd, their fongs
Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to Heaven.

690

Thus talking, hand in hand, alone they pafs'd On to their blissful Bow'r: it was a place Chos'n by the fov'reign planter, when he fram'd All things to man's delightful use: the roof Of thickeft covert was inwoven fhade Laurel and myrtle; and what higher grew Of firm and fragrant leaf: on either fide Acanthus, and each od'rous buthy fhrub Fenc'd up the verdant wall: each beauteous flow'r, Iris all hues, rofes, and jeffamin

695

Rear'd high their flourish'd heads between, & wrought Mofaic; underfoot the violet,

700

Crocus and hyacinth, with rich inlay
Broider'd the ground, more color'd than with ftone
Of costlieft emblem: other creature here,
Beaft, bird, infect, or worm durft enter none;
Such was their awe of man. In fhady bow'r
More facred and fequefter'd, though but feign'd,
PAN OF SYLVANUS never flept, nor Nymph,
Nor FAUNUs haunted. Here in clofe recefs
With flowers, garlands, and fweet-fmelling herbs,
Efpoufed Evв deckt firft her nuptial bed,
And heav'nly Quires the Hymenæan fung;
What day the genial Angel to our fire
Brought her in naked beauty, more adorn'd,

710

705

More

« ZurückWeiter »