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CHA P. III.

Adam relates his firft Meeting and Nuptials with Eve; his Difcourfe with the Angel.

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E ended here, or elfe I heard him no longer; for now my earthly Being overpower'd by his heavenly Nature, which it had long ftood under, ftrained to the Heighth in celeftial and fublime Conference, funk down, as dazzled and spent with an Object too bright for human Senfe; and I fought Relief from Sleep, which inftantly fell upon me. Though my Eyes were clofed, yet my Fancy kept waking, by which (being abftracted as in a Trance) methought though I was fleeping where I lay, I ftill faw the glorious Shape before whom I ftood when I was awake, who stooping down, opened my Left Side, and took out from thence a Rib, warm with cordial Spirits, and the Life-Blood fresh ftreaming: The Wound though it was wide, he fuddenly filled up with Flefh and healed. He formed and fashioned the Rib with his Hands, and under his forming Hands there grew a Creature like MAN, but of different Sex; fo lovely fair, that what feemed fair in all the World now feemed mean, or fummed up and contained in her and her Looks; which from that Time infused Sweetnefs into my Heart never felt before, and into all Things infpired the Spirit and Delight of Love. She difappeared, and left me! I waked to find her, or for ever to lament her Lofs, and abjure all other Pleafures: When out of Hope to fee her more, behold she appeared not far off! just such as I had feen her in my Dream; adorned with every Thing that Heaven or Earth could bestow upon her, to make her amiable. On the came, led (though he was not vifible) by her heavenly MAKER, and guided by his Voice; not uninformed of nuptial Sanctity, and the Rites of Mar

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riage: Grace was in all her Steps, Beauty like the Stars of Heaven in her Eyes, and in every Gesture, Love and Dignity. I overjoyed, could not help crying out aloud; "Bounteous and good Creator! Thou "haft fulfilled thy Words! Thou Giver of all Things "fair, but this is the faireft of all thy Gifts! nor "doft Thou envy the Happiness of thy Creatures : I "now see myself before me, the Bone of my Bone, " and the Flesh of my Flesh: Her Name is Woman (f), extracted from MAN: For this Caufe "MAN fhall leave his Father and Mother, and they "fhall be one Flesh, and one Heart, and one Soul.

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SHE heard me fpeak thus; and though led on by GOD himself, yet her Virtue, Innocence, VirginModefty, and the Consciousness of her own Worth, (that would be courted, and not be won unfought; not forward, but retiring back the more defirable) or, to fay all, Nature herfelf (though fhe was quite free from Thought of Sin) wrought in her fo, that feeing me fhe turned away: I followed her; fhe knew what was Honour, and with yielding Majefty approved the Pleading of my Reason. I led her blushing to the Nuptial Bower: On that Hour all fortunate Stars fhed their kindest Influence; the Earth, and every Hill gave Signs of Joy; the Birds, the fresh Gales, and the gentle Winds carried it through the Woods, and as they flew fcatter'd Odours from aromatic Shrubs, 'till the Nightingale begun to fing our Efpoufals, and the Star appeared for the Bridal Lamp.

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THUS I have told thee all concerning my State, and continued my Story to the Sum of earthly Hap

(f) Woman, Sax. q. The Womb of Man, or the Woe of Man;

becaufe of the Sin and Mifery he has brought upon Man. piness

piness which I enjoy; and I must confefs to find indeed in every Thing elfe Delight; but fuch as, whether used or not, works no great Change, nor vehement Defire in the Mind; I mean thefe Delicacies of Tafte, Sight, and Smell, fuch as Herbs, Fruits and Flowers, pleafant Walks, and Melody of Birds ; but far otherwife in Regard to EvE, on whom I look with Tranfport, and whom I with Transport touch : Here I first felt Paffion, fuperior to all Enjoyments elfe, and am unmoved, except by this ftrange Commotion; finding myfelf only weak here, and unable to ftand againft the powerful Charm of Beauty. Whether Nature failed in making me, and left fome Part of me not Proof enough to fuftain fuch an Object; or making of her out of my Side, perhaps took more than enough, and Part of my Strength from me; at leaft, bestowed upon her too much Ornament, taking great Care to finifh her as to the outward Show, but lefs exact as to her Mind; for I well understand in thè first Design of Nature, that in the Abilities and Powers of the Mind, which excell all outward Forms, fhe is the inferior; in her outward Form alfo lefs resembling his Image who made both, and less expreffing the Character of that Dominion given over other Creatures Yet when I approach her Lovelinefs, fhe feems fo abfolutely compleat in herself, and fo well to know her own proper Part, that whatever she wills to fay or do, feems most virtuous, moft difcreet, wifeft and beft; all higher Knowledge lofes its Value in her Prefence, and Wisdom in Difcourfe with her, fhews like Folly Authority and Reason wait upon her, as one defigned first, and not made occafionally afterwards: And (to fum up all) Greatnefs of Mind and Noblenefs appear lovely in her, and create an Awe about her, as if fhe was guarded by Angels. To whom the Angel, with a contracted Brow, made this Reply:

Do not thou prefume to accufe Nature, fhe hath done her Part; do thou but thine: Be not diffident of Wifdom; Wisdom will not defert thee, if thou doft not difmifs her, when thou haft most Occafion to have her near thee; by attributing too much to Things lefs excellent. For what is it thou admireft fo? What is it fo tranfports thee? An Outfide? Fair, no Doubt, and very well worthy thy cherishing, honouring, and loving; but not worthy thy Subjection. Confider her with thyfelf, then value both: Oftentimes nothing is more profitable than Self-esteem, grounded upon a juft and well-managed Right: The more of that thou learneft to know, the more fhe will acknowledge thee to be her Head, and yield all her Appearance of Wisdom to Reality; She was made fo beautiful for the Sake of thy Delight; fo awful, that thou mighteft with Honour love her, who, if thou foregoeft thy Wisdom, will fee and perhaps triumph over thy Weakness. But if that Senfe of Touch, whereby MANKIND is propagated, feem to thee fuch a dear Delight beyond all other; think that the fame is vouchfafed to Cattle, and every Beaft; which would not be made common to them, if they were any Thing in the Enjoyment of it, to fubdue the Soul of a MAN, or move him to Paffion: What thou findeft in the Society of EVE above this, that is attractive, human, and rational: Do thou ftill love; for in loving thou doft well, but not in fubjecting thyfelf to Paffion, wherein true Love does not fubfift. Love refines the Thoughts, and enlarges the Heart, hath his Seat in Reason, and acts by Choice: Love is the Scale by which thou mayeft afcend to Heaven, but not when funk in carnal Pleafure; for which Reason there was no Companion found thee among the Brutes. To whom ADAM, half afhamed, made Anfwer:

NEITHER

NEITHER her Outfide, which is formed fo fair, nor any Thing in Procreation, which is common to all Kinds, (though I think of the Marriage-Bed with a higher and more myfterious Reverence) delight me fo much as thofe graceful Actions, thofe many Decencies, that daily refult from all fhe does and fays; mixed with Love and fweet Compliance, which declare an unfeigned Union of Mind, or that there is in us both but one Soul; which Harmony in a wedded Pair is more grateful than Mufick to the Ear. Yet thefe fubject me not; I difcover to thee what I feel inwardly from thence, but I am not therefore overcome: I meet with various Objects, variously reprefented through the Senfes of the Mind; yet ftill being free, I approve the beft, and follow what I approve. Thou blameft me not to love, for thou fayeft, that Love leads up to Heaven, that it is both the Way and the Guide; then bear with me, if what I afk is lawful: Do not the Spirits of Heaven love? How do they exprefs it? Is it only by their Looks? Cr do they mix their pure Emanations? Do they touch by Influence, or fenfibly as we do one another?

To whom the Angel, with a Smile that glowed rofy upon his Face, (the proper Hue of Love) made Anfwer, Let it fuffice thee, that thou knoweft that we are happy, and without Love there is no Happinefs. Whatever thou enjoyeft pure in the Body, (and thou wert created pure) we enjoy more eminently; and find no Obftacle, no exclufive Bars of Joint, Membrane, or Limb: If Spirits embrace, they mix totally; eafier than Air with Air; Union and Commixture of pure with pure; alike kindled with Defire; nor need any of the conftrained Conveyances of the Senfes or Paffions, as Flefh does with Flesh, or Soul with Soul. But I can now ftay no longer; for the Sun is fetting in the Weft, which is my Signal to

depart.

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