Solac'd the woods, and fpread their painted wings
Till ev'n; nor then the folemn nightingale

Ceas'd warbling, but all night tun'd her foft lays :
Others on filver lakes and rivers bath'd

Their downy breaft; the fwan, with arched neck
Between, her white wings mantling proudly, rows
Her ftate with oary feet; yet oft they quit
The dank, and rifing on ftiff pennons, tower
The mid aerial fky: Others on ground

Walk'd firm; the crefted cock, whofe clarion founds
The filent hours; and th' other, whofe gay train.
Adorns him, colour'd with the florid hue

Of rainbows and ftarry eyes.

N

The DEITY refolves to create MAN.

[MILTON.]

Her motions, as the great firft Mover's hand Firft wheel'd their courfe; earth in her rich attire Confummate lovely fmil'd; air, water, earth,

By fowl, fifh, beaft, was flown, was fwum, was walk'd
Frequent; and of the fixth day yet remain'd.nbons
There wanted yet the mafter-work, the end
Of all yet done; a creature, who not prone cal
And brute as other creatures, but indued
With fanctity of reafon, might erect
His ftature, and upright with front ferene
Govern the reft, felf-knowing, and from thence
Magnanimous to correfpond with Heaven,
But grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Defcends, thither with heart, and voice, and eyes
Directed in devotion, to adored

And worship God fupreme, who made him chief
Of all his works.

ADAM gives an Account of his CONDITION and SENTIMENTS, immediately after his CREATION.

[MILTON:]

A Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid

S new wak'd from foundeft fleep,

In balmy fweat, which with his beams the fun
Soon dry'd, and on the reeking moisture fed.

Strait toward Heav'n my wond'ring eyes I turn'd,
And gaz'd a while the ample sky, till rais'd
By quick inftinctive motion, up I sprung, Chevr
As thitherward endeavouring, and upright
Stood on my Feet; about me round I faw
Hill, dale, and fhady woods, and funny plains,
And liquid lapfe of murm'ring ftreams; by thefe,
Creatures that liv'd and mov'd, and walk'd, or flew,
Birds on the branches warbling; all things fmil'd,
With fragrance and with joy my heart o'erflow'd.
Myfelf I then perus'd, and limb by limb
Survey'd, and fometimes went, and fometimes ran
With fupple joints, as lively vigour led di
But who I was, or where, or from what cause,
Knew not; to fpeak I try'd, and forthwith fpake,
My tongue obey'd, and readily could name
Whate'er I faw. Thou Sun, faid I, fair light,
And thou enlighten'd Earth, fo fresh and gay,
Ye Hills, and Dales, ye Rivers, Woods, and Plains,
And ye that live and move, fair Creatures, tell,
Tell, if ye faw, how came I thus, how here?
Not of myself; by fome great Maker then,
In goodness and in pow'r præeminent;
Tell me, how may I know him, how adore,
From whom I have that thus I move and live,
And feel that I am happier than I know.

While thus I call'd, and ftray'd I knew not whither,
From where I first drew air, and firft beheld
This happy light; when anfwer none return'd,
On a green fhady bank, profufe of flowers,
Penfive I fat me down there gentle fleep
First found me, and with foft oppreffion feiz'd.
My droufed fenfe, untroubled, though I thought
I then was-paffing to my former ftate

Infenfible, and forthwith to diffolve:

When fuddenly stood at my head a dream,
Whofe inward apparition gently mov'd

My fancy to believe I yet had being,

And liv'd. One came, methought, of fhape divine,
And faid, Thy manfion wants thee, Adam, rife,
Firft Man, of men innumerable ordain'd
Firft Father, call'd by thee, I come thy guide.
To the garden of blifs, thy feat prepar'd.
So faying, by the hand he took me rais'd,

And

And over fields and waters, as in air
Smooth fliding without ftep, laft led me uplo
A woody mountain; whofe high top was plain,
A circuit wide, inclos'd, with goodlieft trees
Planted, with walks, and bow'rs, that what I faw
Of earth before fcarce pleafant feem'd. Each tree
Loaden with faireft fuit, that hung to th' eye ule
Tempting, ftirr'd in me fudden appetite aida Valere
To pluck and eat; whereat wak'd, and found jente
Before mine eyes all real, as the dream,
Had lively fhadow'd.

ADAM's Defcription of EVE.
ET when I approach

YEHer lovelines, to abl

Her loveliness, fo abfolute the feems,
And in herself complete, fo well to know
Her own, that what the wills to do or fay,
Seems wifeft, virtuoufeft, difcreeteft, beft;
All higher knowledge in her prefence falls.
Degraded, wifdom in difcourfe with her
Lofes difcount'nanc'd, and like folly fhows;
Authority and reafon on her wait, tal
As one intended firft, not after made
Occafionally; and to confummate all,
Greatness of mind, and noblenefs, their feat
Build in her lovelieft, and create an awers il
About her, as a guard angelic plac'd.

EVE parts with ADAM.-The SERPENT finds her and is fo ftrongly affected with her Beauty and Innocence, that he almost lays afide his hellish Defign.

THU

[MILTON.]

HUS faying, from her husband's hand her hand
Soft the withdrew, and like a Wood-Nymph light,

Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's train,

Betook her to the groves; but Delia's felf

In gait furpafs'd, and Goddefs-like deport;

Though not, as fhe, with bow and quiver arm'd,
But with fuch gard'ning tools as art yet rude,

Guiltlefs of fire, had form'd, or Angels brought.men
To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd,

Likeft fhe feem'd, Pomona when the fled

Vertumnus,

Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime,
Yet virgin of Proferpina from Jove..
Her long with ardent look his eye purfu'd
Delighted, but defiring more her stay.
Oft he to her his charge of quick return
Repeated; the to him as oft engag'd
To be return'd by noon amid the bower,,
And all things in beft order to invite i
Noontide repaft, or afternoon's repofe.
O much deceiv'd, much failing, hapless Eve,
Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse!
Thou never from that hour in Paradife
Found'ft either sweet repaft, or found repofe;
Such ambush, hid among fweet flow'rs and fhades,
Waited with hellifh rancour imminent

To intercept thy way, or fend thee back
Defpoil'd of innocence, of faith, of blifs.
For now, and fince first break of dawn, the Fiend,
Mere ferpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his queft, where likelieft he might find.
The only two of mankind, but in them
The whole included race, his purpos'd prey.
In bow'r and field he fought, where any tuft
Of grove or garden-plot more pleafant lay, in
Their tendance, or plantation for delight;.
By fountain or by fhady rivulete bara

He fought them both, but with'd his hap might find!
Eve separate; he wifh'd, but not with hoped
Of what fo feldom chanc'd: when to his wish,.
Beyond his hope, Eve feparate he fpies, H
Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where the ftood,.
Half fpy'd, fo thick the rofes bufhing round.
About her glow'd; oft ftooping to fupport,
Each flow'r of flender ftalk, whofe head though gay.
Carnation, purple', azure, or fpeck'd with gold,
Hung drooping unfuftain'd; them the upftays
Gently with myrtle band, mindlefs the while.
Herfelf, though faireft unfupported flower,
From her beft prop fo far, and ftorm so nigh.
Nearer he drew, and many a walk travers'd
Of ftatelieft covert, cedar, pine, or palm;
Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen.
Among thick-woven arborets and flowers
Imborder'd on each bank, the hand of Eve:

Spot:

Spot more delicious than thofe gardens feign'd
Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renown'd
Alcinous, hoft of old Laertes fon;

Or that, not myftic, where the fapient king
Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian fpoufe.
Much he the place admir'd, the perfon more.
As one who long in populous city pent,
Where houses thick and fewers annoy the air,
Forth iffuing on a fummer's morn, to breathe
Among the pleafant villages and farms
Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight,
The fmell of grain, or tedded grafs, or kine,
Or dairy', each rural fight, each rural found;
If chance with nymph-like ftep fair virgin pafs,
What pleafing feem'd, for her now pleases more,
She moft, and in her look fums all delight:
Such pleasure took the Serpent to behold
This flow'ry plat, the fweet recefs of Eve
Thus early, thus alone; her heav'nly form
Angelic, but more foft, and feminine,
Her graceful innocence, her every air diego
Of gefture, or least action, overaw'd
His malice, and with rapine fweet bereav'd
His fiercenefs of the fierce intent it brought.

ADAM's Lamentation over EVE, upon her eating the forbidden FRUIT; and his Refolution to fhare the fame Fate with her.

[MILTON.]

Faireft of creation, laft and beft

Of all God's works, Creature in whom excell'd

Whatever can to fight or thought be form'd,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
How art thou loft, how on a fudden loft,
Defac'd, deflow'r'd, and now to death devote?
Rather, how haft thou yielded to tranfgrefs,
The ftrict forbiddance, how to violate
The facred fruit forbidd'n? Some curfed, fraud
Of enemy hath beguilid thee, yet unknown;
And me with thee hath ruin'd; for with thee
Certain my refolution is to die:

How can I live without thee, how forego
Thy fweet converfe and love fo dearly join'd,

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