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Book IV. as the Clouds, fo that it might be easily feen from far; acceffible from the Earth only by one Entrance, with a winding Afcent; the reft was a craggy Cliff impoffible to climb, that hung over ftill as it rofe. Betwixt thefe rocky Pillars fate GABRIEL (b), the chief of the Guard of Angels waiting for Night; about him the unarmed Youth of Heaven exercifed heroick Games, but nigh at Hand hung celeftial Armory, Shields and Helmets, and Spears adorned with Diamonds and Gold. Thither came URIEL, gliding upon a Sun Beam, fwift as a shooting Star that in Autumn falls in the Night, when fired Vapours imprefs the Air, and fhews the Mariner from what Point of his Compafs he may beware of impetuous Winds: URIEL in Hafte thus fpoke to GABRIEL:

GABRIEL! to thee it belongs, and it is thy Charge by Lot, to keep ftrict Watch, that to this happy Place no evil Thing may approach, much lefs enter in This Day at high Noon there came to my Sphere a Spirit, feemingly zealous to know more of the Works of the ALMIGHTY, and chiefly of MAN, the dateft Image of God; I directed him in his Way to PARADISE, whither he was bent in Hafte, and I marked his airy Gate: But in the Mount that lies North from EDEN, where he lighted first, I foon difcerned by his Looks that he was an Alien from Heaven, and darkened with foul Paffions: My Eye purfued him further, but he hid himself in Darkness: I fear that one of the banished and outcast Angels hath ventured from the Deep to caufe new Troubles; fo that thy Care must be to find him out.

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To whom the warlike Angel GABRIEL gave this Anfwer; URIEL! it is no Wonder if thy perfect Sight fee far and wide, where thou fitteft amid the Sun's bright Circle: None pafs by the Watch placed at this Gate, but fuch as come well known from Heaven, and from thence no Creature has entered fince Noon; if Spirit of other Sort being fo refolved, have leaped over thefe earthly Bounds on Purpose, thou knoweft how hard it is to exclude fpiritual Subftance with any Bars compounded but of Matter. But if within the Circuit of thefe Walks, he of whom thou feekest should lurk, let him be concealed in what Shape foever; I fhall know before To-morrow Morning.

THUS promised GABRIEL; and URIEL returned to his Charge, upon that bright Beam, whofe Point now raised bore him flope downward to the Sun, that was now fallen beneath the AzORES (c); whether the prime Orb incredibly swift had rowled thither diurnal, or this lefs voluble Earth, by a fhorter Flight to the Eaft, and left him there, adorning the Clouds that attended him to the Weft with reflected Purple and Gold. Now came on the still Evening, and the gray Twilight had began to cover all on Earth with Darknefs; for the Beafts were retired to their graffy Beds, and the Birds to their Nefts; all but the wakeful Nightingale, fhe fung all Night her fweet Love Song: Now the Firmament glowed with Stars, the Evening Star that led on the reft fhone brighter; 'till fuch

(c) Azores; Port. Span, i. e. The Iles of Hawks: becaufe Multitudes of thofe Birds were found there, when the Portuguefe first discovered them, A. D. 1449. These Islands are nine in Number, which lie in the Atlantic or Western Ocean, over

against Portugal: They are called alfo the Terceras, from Tercera, i. e. Three: because it is the Third, which is found in failing from Portugal, and the chiefeft of them, i. e. The Sun was now fetting in the

West.

Time

Time as the Moon fhone in clouded Majefty, and unveiling her peerless Light, caft her filver Rays through the Night, of which he had the apparent Dominion when ADAM thus addreffed himfelf to EVE:

FAIR Confort! the Hour of Night and all Things now being retired to Reft, teach us to feek like Re pofe; fince God hath fet Labour and Reft to MAN fucceffively, as Day and Night, and the feafonable Dew of Sleep, now falling with its foft Weight, inclines our Eyes to Slumber. Other Creatures, rove idle all the Day long unemployed, and therefore need less Reft; but MAN hath his Daily Work of Body or Mind appointed, which declares his Dignity, and that the Regard of Heaven is upon all his Ways: While other Animals range and rove at large, and Gon takes no Account of their Doings. To-morrow before the Break of Day, or at the firft Approach of Light, we must be up, and at our pleafant Labour, to clear yonder flowry Arbours and green Alleys, where we are used to walk at Noon, which are overgrown fo with Branches, that they are almoft too much for us, and require more Hands than ours to lop their wanton Growth: Thofe Bloffoms alfo, and thofe Gums that are dropt, and lie all strown about rough and unflightly, must be ridded away, if we think to tread with Eafe; mean Time Nature requires, and Night calls us to Reft.

To whom Eve, adorned with perfect Beauty replied: My Author and Difpofer! what thou bidft, I without Argument obey for fo GoD has ordained: GOD is thy Law, but thou art mine; to know no more is the happy Knowledge of a Woman and her Praise: When converfing with thee I forget all Time, the Seasons and their Change, for all pleafe alike: The Breath of the Morning is tweet, with the Charm of Birds that fing at its earliest Appearance; the Sun is pleasant

pleafant, when firft he spreads his Eastern Beams upon this delightful Land, on the Herbs, Trees, and Fruits, and Flowers fhining with Dew; the fertile Earth becomes fragrant after foft Rains, and the coming on of the grateful and mild Evening is fweet; and the filent Night with her folemn Bird, and this fair Moon, and these the Gems of Heaven, the Stars that are in her Train; but neither the Breath of the Morning, the pleasant Sun, the fertile Earth, the mild Evening, the filent Night, nor Moon, nor Stars, are fweet without thee. But wherefore do thefe fhine all Night long? And for whom is all this glorious Sight, when Sleep hath fhut up all Eyes?

To whom our firft Ancestor replied: Accomplished EVE! Daughter of GoD and of MAN! Thefe have their Courfe to finish round the Earth by Tomorrow Evening, and they fet and rife, adminiftring prepared Light, in Order, from Land to Land, though. to Nations yet unpeopled; left total Darkness should regain its old Poffeffion, and extinguish Life and Nature in all Things; which these foft Fires not only enlighten, but alfo foment and warm, temper and nourifh, with a kindly Heat of various Influence; or else in Part shed down their Virtue upon all Kinds that grow upon the Earth, hereby made fitter to receive Perfection from the Sun's more powerful Ray. These then, though not seen in the Dead of Night, do yet not fhine in vain; nor let us think though there were no MEN, that Heaven would want Spectators, or GoD want Praife; for there are Millions of fpiritual Creatures, that unfeen walk the Earth, both when we are awake and when we fleep; all these with never ceafing Praise behold his Works, both Day and Night: How often from the steep Hill that ecchoes, or from the Thickets, have we heard heavenly Voices in the Middle of the Night, finging alone, or anfwering one another's 'Song, finging their great Creator; often

have we heard them in Bands, while they keep Watch, or take their nightly Walk; when with heavenly Touch of Inftruments joined in full Harmony, their Songs have divided the Night, and lifted our Thoughts up to Heaven.

TALKING in this Manner, and joined Hand in Hand, they paffed on together to their happy Bower: It was a Place chofen by GoD himfelt, when he framed all Things to the delightful Ufe of MAN: The Roof was thick covered and shaded with Laurel and Myrtle, and what grew up higher were Trees, whofe Leaves were fubftantial and fweet fmelling; on either Side grew ACANTHUS (d) and bufhy Shrubs fenced up the green Wall; every beautiful Flower raifed its full blown Head in between, Iris of all Hues, and Rofes, and Jeffamin, looking like MOSAIC (e) Work; under Foot Violets, and Crocus, and Hyacinth, richly beautified the Ground, and coloured it finer than any Stone of coftlieft Emblem could do: No other Creature durft enter here, neither Beaft, Bird, Infect, or Worm, fuch Awe did they stand in of MAN; PAN nor SYLVANUS (f) were never feigned to have flept, nor Nymph nor Faun have haunted in a fhady Bower more facred and retired: Here in close Recefs EvE, after being efpoufed to ADAM, first decked her nuptial Bed with Flowers and Garlands, and fweet smelling Herbs; and the heavenly Choir fung the Marriage Song, that Day the

(d) Acanthas; Lat. Gr. i. e. A Prickle or Thorn: Becaufe many Thorns grow about it. A Tree or a Shrub with a long and a large Leaf turning in.

(e) Mofaics Fr. Ital. Lat. Gr. A Term of Archit. A curious Work of many little Stones of dif ferent Colours, inlaid or joined to gether upon a Bottom of Plaifter

of Paris, upon Walls or Floors, reprefenting Flowers of divers Shapes, Chequer Work

(f) Sylvanus; Lat. Gr. i, e. Woody: A God of the Woods and Groves among the old Heathens. Pan, Faunus, and Silvanus are but the fame Deity their Feats were called Luper calia.

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