PARADISE Of EDEN; nor that Ifland of NYSA (p) furrounded by the River TRITON (q), where CHAM (r), the youngest Son of NOAH, (whom the Gentiles call AмMMON (S) and LYBIAN JOVE) hid AMALTHEA (t) and her youthful Son BACCHUS (u), from his Step-mother RHEA; nor could the Mountain AMARA (x) be compar'd to PARADISE, where the

the Kings of ABASSINIA (y) guard their Children, (tho' by fome fuppofed to be the very Place) under the Equinoctial Line, and by the Head of NILE, encompaffed with fhining Rocks, a whole Day's Journey high; but in Reality far remote from this AssyRIAN Garden, where SATAN without any Pleasure beheld all Delight, all kind of living Creatures ftrange to him, and quite new to his Sight.

Two of Shape far more noble than the reft, upright and tall, erect like Gods, cloathed with native Honour and in naked Majefty, feem'd Lords of all, and feem'd worthy to be fo; for in their divine Looks fhone the Image of their glorious Maker, Truth, Wisdom and Sanctitude, pure and fevere, (fevere, but plac'd in true filial Freedom) whence comes true Authority in MEN; though they did not feem equal, as their Sex was not alike: He was form'd for Valour and Contemplation, fhe for Softnefs and fweet attracting Grace; he only for GoD, but fhe for GOD and him: His fair large Forehead and elevated Eye declared abfolute Rule, and his brown Hair, round from his parted Forehead hung curling, but not beneath

or Upper Ethiopia, almoft in the Middle of it, on the South. There is a Mountain of the fame Name, about ninety M. in Compafs, a Day's Journey high, and encompaffed with Rocks, with only one Entrance to it. On the Top are many beautiful Palaces, wherein the Emperor's Children are educated, and the younger Sons kept 'till they die, that they may not difturb the Government, (y) baffinia; from basseni; Arab. Afcattered People; an antient People of Arabia, near Sabaa, of the Pofterity of Jok.

tan, who fettled afterwards in Ethiopia Superior; and there erected a vaft Empire of twentyfix or thirty diftina Kingdoms. The Portuguefe difcovered this Empire to the Europeans, A. D. 1500. And the Dutch call it the Country of Prefer John from Unchan Jahannan, one of the Emperors of it, about A. D. 1200. The upper Ethiopia upon the Red Sea and the Perfian Ocean, on the East Side of Africa. The Inhabitants are all black, and for the most Part Chriftians,

his broad Shoulders: She wore her unadorned fair Hair, loose as a Viel, down to her flender Waist, but waved in wanton Ringlets as the Vine curls its Tendrils, which implied Subjection, but required with gentle Government, and by him beft received when yielded by her with coy Submiffion, a modest Pride, and a fweet, reluctant, yet amorous Delay: Nor were those myfterious Parts hid which MEN now conceal; then was not guilty and difhoneft Shame of Nature's Works (the Name of Honour but dishonourable) bred from Sin, how has it troubled all MANKIND with mere Shews of feeming pure, inftead of being fo? and banished from MAN the greatest Happinefs of his Life, his native Simplicity and spotlefs Innocence? So they paffed on naked, nor ftrove to fhun the Sight of GoD or the Angels, for they thought no Evil: Hand in Hand they paffed along, lovelier than any Pair that ever fince met in the Embraces of Love; ADAM more excellent in Form than any of his Sons yet born, and Eve fairer than any of her Daughters.

UNDER the Shade of a Bower that stood on a Green, the Trees whispering foftly, by a fresh Fountain's Side, they fat them down, and after no more Toil of their fweet Gardening Labour, than ferved to recommend the fweet Air and make Ease more pleasant, and wholesome Thirft and Appetite more grateful, they began to eat of the Fruits of the Garden for Supper, delicious Fruits, which the loaded Boughs yielded them; as they fat leaning along the Side of the foft downy Bank, fprinkled with Flowers, they chewed the favoury Pulp, and then in the Rind, as often as they were thirfty, fcooped up the brimming Stream; nor was there wanting endearing Smiles, gentle Purpose, nor youthful Dalliance, as befeems a fair Couple bound in the happy nuptial League, and alone as they were. About them all the Beafts of the Earth

Earth played wantonly, (though fince that grown wild) Beafts of all Chace, in Wood or Wilderness, Den or Foreft; the Lion sporting about ramped up, and in his Paw dandled the Kid; Bears, Tygers, Ounces, and Leopards played before them; the unweildy Elephant used all his Might to make them Mirth, and twisted about his limber Trunk; the fly, clofe, infinuating Serpent, twifted his Train in many a Fold, and unobserved gave Proof of his fatal Subtilty; others of the Beafts couched upon the Grafs, and now filled with Pasture, fat gazing or lying down, and chewing the Cud; for the Sun was declined, and hasting with fwift Career to the Ocean Islands, and on the other Side of Heaven the Stars that introduced the Evening arofe; when SATAN, who all this While ftood gazing as at firft, at length scarcely recovered Power of Speech as follows:

OH Hell! what do my Eyes with Sorrow and Grief behold! Creatures of another World advanced into our Room of Blifs; perhaps earth-born, and not Spirits, yet to bright heavenly Spirits little inferior; whom my Thoughts purfue with Wonder, and whom I could love, fo lively the divine Refemblance shines in them, and fuch Grace the Hand that made them hath bestowed upon their Form. Ah gentle Pair! little do you think how near your Change approaches, when all these Delights will vanish, and deliver you up to Mifery; more Mifery by as much as now your Taste of Joy is more; now happy, but that Happinefs too ill fecured to continue long, and this high Seat, your Heaven, too ill defended, to keep out fuch a Foe as is entered now; yet no purposed Foe to you, whom I could pity thus unguarded, though I myself am unpitied. I feek a League with you and mutual Amity, fo close and ftrait, that henceforward I muft dwell with you, or elfe you with me: Perhaps my Dwelling-Place may not delight your Senfes

like this fair PARADISE, yet fuch as it is accept it; your Maker's Works; He gave it me, and I as freely give it: To entertain you two, Hell fhall unfold her Gates the wideft, and fend forth all her Kings: There (not like these narrow Limits) will be Room to receive your numerous Offspring: If it is no better Place, thank him who puts me unwilling to take this Revenge on you who wrong me not, inftead of him who wrongs me. And fhould I (as indeed I do) melt to Pity at your harmless Innocence; yet publick Reafon, juft Honour, and Revenge, and Empire, by conquering this new World, compel me now to do, what elfe (notwithstanding I am damned) I should abhor.

THUS spoke the Fiend, and with the Tyrant's Plea, Neceffity, excufed his devilish Deeds. Then from his lofty Stand upon the Tree of Life, he lights down among the sporting Herd of those four-footed Beasts, turning himself into the Form fometimes of one and fometimes of another, as their Shape served his End beft, to view his Prey nearer, and unobferved to mark what by Words or Actions he might learn further of their State: Now he ftalks round about them like a Lion, with a fierce Glare; then as a Tyger, who by Chance had fpied two gentle Fawns at Play in fome Purlieu, ftrait couches down clofe, then rifing, changes his cunning Watch as one who was chufing his Ground, from whence rufhing out, he might fureft feize them both, griped in each Paw; when ADAM, the first of all Men, turning himsel to EvE, the first of Women, began this moving Speech, which turned SATAN all to Attention:

SOLE Partner, and dearest of all thefe Joys; dearer than all that Power that made us, and for our Ufe and Comfort all this great World, muft needs be infinitely good, and of his Good be as liberal and

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